I was 11 when I first heard of him. The one whose family I supposedly was to spend the rest of my summer with.

My parents said nothing to me of who he was, nor why I was being sent away from home, nor why particularly to his home across the world and not to any of my friends’ homes. Well, not that I had many friends at the time.

That evening my parents revealed nothing to me regarding the summer that they had planned for me other than telling me that their family name was Yu and that my new friend’s name was Nathaniel.

When I tried asking more about Nathaniel or his family, I was repeatedly told that all would be revealed in good time – or when I was old enough to understand. So, armed with that sole piece of information, I prepared myself to fly across the world to meet his family.

Eleven year old me had desperately wanted to know more about this boy I was to meet.

It was not till much later, only an hour before I was to get in the car to go to the airport, that I finally found out some more information about this stranger named Nathaniel.

My governess and I were sitting in my father’s study waiting for him to come back from a corporate meeting at the Company when all of a sudden; a maid that I was unfamiliar with poked her head in and exclaimed, “Clara! Clara! Something happened! Come quick! One of Miss. Elizabeth’s luggage cases is missing!!”

My governess’ head snapped around, gave the maid a death stare and hissed, “What are you yelling for? You’ll disturb Madame” while I yelled at the same time, “My name is Penny, not Elizabeth!”

My governess was about to turn around to reprimand me for yelling when the maid grabbed her hand and dragged her out the door. The heavy study door slammed behind the two of them and then there was only silence. In that silence, I got more and more annoyed at the fact that the maid had called me Elizabeth. 

How many times do I have to tell them that my name is Penny?!?!

I still remember that moment clearly. I was only 7 at the time. If the son of father’s head of security had not run in screaming my name, none of this would have happened. I was sitting in the library, curled on a couch reading Jane Eyre when 12 year old Ed ran in.

“Penny Penny Penny, PENNY!!! Where are you? Where are you?! Do you want to go fishing with me? My father and Madam both agreed!” Ed yelled as he ran in from the gardens and on his way to the library.

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