Loveday Writing

Shadows**

How We Got Here

Chapter 9: Elaine

Dear Mum,

I’m so happy that this day is finally here! Are you and Travis happy that this day is finally here? Is it weird to be “making it official” after twelve years together already?

I hope you don’t think this is selfish, but I’m just as happy for myself as I am for you, because after an up-and-down five years, I’m finally coming home for a long visit!

When Julie convinced me that we should travel overseas for our gap year, I was terrified, you know how I love my routines, but as always, she convinced me into it. She’s always been able to convince me into things, this was one of the few times where it was actually a good thing.

While we travelled, I realised that the world and life was bigger than I ever imagined, I still love routines but I grew to love going on adventures. Julie really got me out of my shell and I’m grateful for that. I’m also grateful that she convinced me to go for the flight attendant job with Cathay Pacific.

You know we had glamorous images in our mind of being flight attendants together. The reality was far from it, but we were lucky that we actually loved our jobs. I know you were worried that I was being bullied or something like that at Cathay Pacific, but I really wasn’t. Everyone was great to me, but it was really just a case of Cathay Pacific and their career ladders not being the right fit for me, I stuck it out because I was under contract and needed the experience.

I managed to make friends with fellow flight attendants along the way, including the ones at British Airways, who you know now as my best friends. When I asked them where British Airways’ career paths lead to, it wasn’t hard for them to put two and two together. They were the ones who ultimately convinced me to apply just before my contract was up. I convinced myself not to say anything to Julie until I got the job, if I did get it. Julie knows that she’s everything to me, but she was busy climbing up Cathay Pacific’s ladder and making heaps of friends and in all honesty, I loved that I finally managed to make friends of my own without her “assistance.”

I didn’t expect British Airways to hire me so quickly. I was excited and terrified at the same time. I was excited at the prospect of a new job that I knew in my gut would make me incredibly happy, but I was terrified of telling Julie and what her reaction might be. I was also terrified of being well and truly separated from her for the first time in our lives, but I liked the idea of living my life outside of being her slightly younger, shy twin.

To say that I was surprised would be the understatement of this very young century. I knew she would be upset, but I didn’t understand why she was so angry with me. She’s always been the Alpha (at least that what she’s always called herself), the stronger one and her life was great and I always thought that she thought I was standing in her way. I didn’t understand why she needed me, other than the fact that I was her twin.

The worst thing was her choice not to talk to me, three weeks was the longest we had ever gone without speaking, although I think that’s because growing up with nine other siblings, you can’t realistically avoid each other. Julie’s the worst person to get the silent treatment from, luckily I wasn’t subjected to her traditional glares that go along with it as I was so far away. Thank you for convincing her to talk to me again, I knew you could do it. I didn’t expect you and Travis to get her to spill her guts for the first time. I don’t know if it’s because she’s intimidated by you or because she couldn’t hold it in anymore, but things over the last two years between us have never been better because of it.

I’m so much happier at British Airways, it’s where I belong, just like Cathay Pacific is where Julie belongs. We don’t get to catch up as much as we use to, but luckily we can now with Christmas and your wedding. I always love it when Carrie comes over and the three of us fly home together. Carrie and Julie love shocking people when they ask us about our family.

I can’t wait for Bethie, Lucas, Kane and Blake’s visit when they’re over for Blackpool. I’ve seen them dance together countless times, but I know that Blackpool is “the big one” and their dream. I’ll try and keep Julie’s and Carrie’s cheers subdued, I don’t want us to get thrown out of the audience, like we did at the last Melbourne Championships.

I can’t wait to come home and stay in my old room again, it’ll be weird being back in the house after all this time, especially with all of us being there together. I’m not sure if I’ll be coming home anytime soon, I miss you and Travis and Melbourne, but I’m really loving British Airways too much to leave.

I’m looking forward to your wedding, you and Travis deserve every ounce of marital happiness you can find. If you haven’t organised your flights for Blackpool yet, let me know and I can do it for you, if you want. Have you managed to convince any of the others to come over?

By the way how does he feel about getting married and leaping into grandfather-hood instead of fatherhood? I bet he never imagined married life turning out that way, hell he probably never thought he would be a stepfather to ten children. Tell him he’s been a great one!

 

See you soon.

Lots of Love, Elaine xxoo

 

 

 

**Reference: Marsden J 1998, Everything I Know About Writing, Pan Macmillan, Australia.