1 The Long Drive

Waiting in line to use a public toilet is draining more so when you have been driving for nearly two days now. How did my sister and mum get in and out so fast? Washing my hands and splashing water on my face, I feel so drained right now I’m hoping it’s because of the drive and nothing else. Rushing towards my mum’s car with my mum hanging out of the window looking upset at me, “Seriously Rhiannon hurry up!” My mum Katy screamed at me. “God mum! I’m bloody coming!” I yelled back at her. “Yeah, you said that twenty minutes ago! Everyone is in the car waiting for you!” She snapped at me again, I rolled my eyes rushing faster towards the car watching out for oncoming cars, while dad sticks his head out of the driver’s side car window, “We are leaving without you kiddo!” My dad Erick yells out, finally getting to the car and puffed, “I’m here! I’m here!” I screamed out as dad started to drive off, “DAD PLEASE STOP THE CAR! SO I CAN GET IN PLEASE!” I screamed out in fear, Dad finally stops the car.

Rushing towards the car while he is laughing his head off at me which only angers me even more, climbing into the very packed car, my big brother winks at me while my twin sister just laughs at me. Great help my two siblings are I thought to myself. “Why are you always late?” Alex my big brother asked. “There was a lineup for the toilets, you think you all could have waited just a little bit longer until I got back into the car?” I snapped at them all.

“Nope cupcake, I want to get to Brisbane before nightfall,” Dad said in a sing-song voice, I squinted my eyes at him is he for real right now? “Dad that is another eight hours away! You can wait five minutes for your favourite child to use the toilet won’t kill you.” I told him while my siblings all snorted next to me, he looked at me in the rear vision mirror, “Really Rhiannon? My favourite child? No sorry, Rhiannon it’s whoever is not upsetting me the most that day.” He said.

My twin sister Charlotte burst out into a fit of laughter, “In your face Rhi Rhi.” She leans over giving my cheek a big kiss, “Charlie really?” I asked acting hurt, Alex rolls his eyes at me, “Drama Queens.” Alex mumbled loud enough for us two to hear him, mum spun around looking at us all, “Enough ok.” She snapped, using that look she does when she will throw a thong at us, I looked down, “Yes mum.” I whispered, “Yes mother.” Alex said loudly, “Yes mummy.” Charlotte said cheerfully as always. “Alex you smartass no mother shit mister!” She snapped at him while he snickered, I try to hide my smile too.

I’m the youngest of three children, I’m still living with my parents at the tender age of twenty-one years old well nearly twenty-two. Our mum has been given an opportunity of a lifetime with her career in journalism, she couldn’t handle having her children in a different city from her so she upped and moved us all down south to the other end of Queensland. All three of us still live at home, they had a rule once we started working as young teens to put so much of our money aside and we cannot leave the house until we either have a job that pays high enough that we can still save while renting to later buy our own house or stay until we can buy our own house as they can see how unfair the rental market can be that they didn’t want us to keep moving in and out.

Home is so far north from Brisbane, which is nearly at the bottom of the state, our home was sunny Carins far north Queensland, Australia. A very long nineteen hours of driving, yes you heard correctly nineteen hours cramped into this car with my family. Those nineteen hours do not include stops or rest or any of our overnight stays as our mum cannot drive for too long or she has health issues with her legs. Lucky for our parents all five of us can drive so not one person is doing all of that driving. Myself, Alex, and Dad sold our cars as they wouldn’t make the drive so we all are roading tripping in the big family car, and when I say big it’s really not it’s a Toyota C-HR, it’s her new car in a nice teal blue, to be honest, I don’t think our parents had thought this drive through or that my siblings didn’t when it came to packing their bags.

You think after all of this driving I would hate it completely but I’m not, enjoying seeing the small towns flying past or when we get out and visit them, some are so old and so untouched it's beautiful in a way. Where others are old and have built brand new around the old and it looks beautiful watching them mesh together, I know I’m odd. Charlotte grabs my hand pulling me close to her, “Are you scared?” She whispered, I smiled at her, “Scared about what Charlie?” I asked I know the others are listening to us too, “About moving to Brisbane and the big unknown of not knowing anyone?” She asked, “I’m not scared of moving to Brisbane, you know what I’m like always up for anything. Yeah I will always be afraid of the unknown but I don’t want to live in fear all of my life, already am every time I feel unwell.” I told her she held onto me tightly, “I know, I love you Rhi, you will tell me if you feel like it’s more than you being just unwell?” She asked me nearly in tears, “I would never keep it from you Charlie. I love you too.” I whispered, putting my head on her shoulder, Alex grabbed my hand giving it a tight squeeze, yep he was listening to us.