Part 1.
We were all sitting at the dinner table. Mom, Dad, Hank and me, Donna. This is pretty normal, Dad insisted we all eat together, and this is a great idea. It does bring us together a bit more, I think. This is where we talk, we sort some issues occasionally, where Mom, or Dad, or Hank made announcements.
Dad would tell us of holiday plans, Mom would talk about family things, weddings, births, funerals, that sort of thing. Hank decided on which college, and what subjects, what he was interested in, and everything. All the major things were discussed and decided upon at the dinner table. So this was a big thing, for me anyway.
The first day of the last week of school, before summer break. Hank was excited about going to college, Mom, happy for him, but not that happy. Dad proud that his son was going to be independent, taking his first steps into the wider world. Me doing nothing, well, almost.
"Mom, Dad," I said, "Mr Wakely came around to class today." Mr Wakely is principal of my school, Winterborne High School. "And he asked if there was anyone interested in providing accommodation for a Spanish exchange student."
"Oh honey," Mom started, "Sounds interesting, but we haven't done anything like this before."
"Yeah, squirt." Hank said, "Where you going to put him?"
"Hank," Dad said. "Okay, Donna, what did Mr Wakely say?"
"Well Dad," I started, "Apparently a lot of Spanish students come here every year. Some for a semester, and some for the year. And I thought, as we will be relieved of Honk's company we might want to offer someone a place for a semester."
"Oh Dodo, I haven't left home and you are giving out my room already?"
"Not at all Hankie," I replied sweetly, "I just need an excuse so Mom and Dad can fumigate it. Perhaps even delouse it."
Dad looked at Mom, and there was a small look that passed between them,
"Well, Dumbo, I am not sure that the air freshener you gave me Saturday really was Pine, smelt more like used running sox. Where did you buy it you say? The magic shop?"
"I didn't, Hedgehog, buy it I mean. Mom did, and I know it really threatened all the cockroaches under your bed, but your food supplies really do get out of hand."
"Alright you two, that's enough." Dad said, with that twinkle that says he was actually enjoying the insults being passed, but Mom wouldn't if we kept it up. Rules were simple, no raising of the voices, no swearing, keep it clever and nothing hurtfully personal. We had been playing this game since Hank hit adolescence. Overnight he seemed to smell very differently, and I complained about it. Ever since, the game was on, and both Mom and Dad were pretty clear about their expectations. We could be as clever as we like, but follow the rules.
Don't get me wrong, Hank is the best brother, helps me whenever I ask, and as I am a little older now, he often asks about what he should say to a girl, what should he give her, if anything. I try to help but all I can do is tell him what I would like, but I don't think I am ever happy about it. He should be old enough to work it out for himself by now. Seems to work for him, well, he hasn't said it doesn't. There have been a couple of girls who have asked me about him, and he was dating one of them for a while. He is well liked by the girls, and I haven't heard anything bad about him, so they mostly think he is okay to be with. I always get tipped off when he gets a new one, but not by Hank. He is off to college now, so they might miss him. I don't always like the girls he dates, but Mom has always warned me off saying much to them, after all, she says, I am not the one with the feelings here. Well, I am, most of the girls he dates are trolls or worse and my feelings don't like it.
"So what else did Mr Wakely say, dear," asked Mom.
"He has some information packs in the administration office, it's only for seniors, so the students will be seniors," I said.
"Sound interesting," Mom said, "And what do you think will happen when Hank comes home for a week end or a break?"
"Well," I thought quickly, "It would only be for a few days, so we could put him in the attic, or he can sleep in the car. The garage is dry."
"You're smaller so why not you sleep at the foot of the bed, and your guest can be in the bed?" Hank asked.
"Now, now," Dad said, "Look, it doesn't hurt to find out more information. OK honey, get a pack and we will have a think about it."
This was really nice, not only did Mom and Dad listen, they were going to do it. When Dad says 'we will think about it,' he really means 'we are going to justify doing it.' Hank smiled, and winked, he knew it, and he let me know was quite happy for it to happen. I found out later that one of his classmates families did a semester long hosting a couple of years before and really enjoyed it. He would have liked to do one in his last year but didn't ask, as we only have a three bed-roomed house and he didn't want to inconvenience anyone.
I got the pack, gave it to Mom and Dad they looked through it and let the school know we would host a student. All the proper checks and information was passed around, we got family approval over the summer break, and eventually, got the name of a student who would be coming here. It was a girl, she was the same age as me, and her English language skills were good, apparently.
Hank left for college a week early, Mom and I tossed his room, cleaned everything, remade the bed and took most of the really man cave and boy things out and put them into storage in the attic. In two days, Valeria, the Spanish student was arriving. We had a full bio of her, and she is something of an international traveller. She spent a half a year in London, and another half year in Paris, is conversant in four languages, studies arts and sciences, maths and music. If that was not depressing enough, her photograph, smaller than a passport photo, show what is likely to be an extremely beautiful girl. I am seriously outclassed here, so am asking myself why have I set myself up like this?
The day she arrived we went to the airport, met the people who were organizing this thing and waited for the plane to land. It came, and as it was a domestic flight, it didn't take long for passengers to begin appearing. Then a large group of young people appeared, look around and made a beeline for the organizer's sign. There she was, a little smaller than the Amazon I thought she may have been, but she was definitely beautiful. Her dirty blonde hair bounced, her perky breasts jiggled, all in unison. She walked smoothly, a graceful swan amid a horde of turkeys. She was the standout, the one in any group that all eyes swing to automatically, because she was just so dynamic in the group, all without trying to attract any attention to herself. She just took my breath away.
