Finally, the long awaited day for me arrived. I remember how clear and blue the sky was that day, how the dead leaves of the trees in our garden rustled and seemed to say to me, «Goodbye, Misha!». The soft autumn sun glided golden rays across my pale skin. The air – fresh, smelling of fallen leaves, I remembered forever.

My parents got into the car in the garage to avoid the sun, and I looked round the house, said goodbye to it mentally, and only then got into the car waiting for me in the yard.

Sometimes I thought: How strange… Would I, too, eventually hide from the sun? How could I bear to be separated from it?

And so, our car drove to the airport. My things could hardly fit in the big boot because I couldn't choose anything special to live in England, so I took almost half of my huge wardrobe with me.

At the airport, I hugged my parents (we said goodbye to my brothers and Maria a long time ago because they were already parted). Of course, they were looking at me with concern in their eyes, as if I was leaving to live in Africa forever, and their behaviour irritated me a little, so I hurried to go to the control.

– Call me when you arrive. And feel free to use your credit card» Dad told me lastly.

Mum smiled silently, but tears glistened in her eyes.

– Vyslav, why is she crying? I'm coming soon, for Christmas! I'll call you, but I warn you – we won't say goodbye for a long time, otherwise Stefania will flood the whole airport with her tears! – I warned her. Since we looked the same age to people, I called my parents by their first names outside the house.

– She's always been very sensitive» my father smiled and put his arm around her shoulders.

– Yeah, I noticed it at Mariszka's wedding! – I said unhappily (then mum only knew how to sob). – Well, stop it, Stefania, I'm not dying!

– Okay, go to the landing, otherwise, she will not let you go, – said my father jokingly.

I hurriedly moved away from my parents.

– I'll make a phone call! – I shouted to them, and then quickly went through security, found my flight, boarded the plane and took my seat.

«Dear passengers, please fasten your seatbelts» I soon heard and involuntarily smiled in anticipation of the flight.

Everything around was new for me, absolutely unknown, interesting, and I looked at the passengers, the stewardesses, and the situation with all my eyes. I watched people, because I had never been in human society before, and even in an aeroplane: I had always flown only on my parents' private plane, and now the huge real world stunned me.

Unfortunately, I was unlucky with my neighbour: she was an older, full brunette who slept the whole way and snored quietly, sometimes chewing her lips, but it made me laugh and I didn't even turn on the music to watch her.

The flight went by quickly, or maybe it seemed that way to me. After landing, everyone suddenly started clapping their hands, and I was not lagging behind, although I wondered what all this action was for. And when people started to get off the plane, I was breathless at the thought that I was already in England. I walked out on wobbly legs, realising with all my being that I had entered another world, a world belonging to people… And in another country, another culture, another language environment!

Thanks to my keen people-watching, I successfully picked up my luggage, but I had to hire a loadman to do it – my numerous bags were «beyond my strength». Of course, I could have easily carried them myself, but in people's eyes I was just a fragile girl, and I could feel the admiring glances. I felt uncomfortable with all the attention.