The next morning, after a light breakfast of bacon and eggs, we load our suit cases into the trunk of one of The Robert's prized SUVs and head to the train station. Their driver comes with so he can take the car back home.

We still don't know where we're headed but what we do know is that it involves taking a train to London and then a plane ride. I wish we didn't have to take the train though, I feel like it will be a really stressful ride.

Our train is scheduled for 07:44 and we're about 15 minutes early. Getting everything sorted out, we head to platform 5 and wait a while, making small talk. The train arrives a few minutes later, thankfully on time and we get settled in.

Andrew and Emily seat on either side of me as everyone else take the seats across. Over Aunt Olivia's head, I can spot a shady looking guy who would just about pass for a hobo. Next to him, a heavily inked lady sits somewhat awkwardly, chewing nervously on her bottom lip.

What lovely companions we have this fine morning, I think to myself and without further ado, take out my iPod and get comfortable just as the train pulls out of the station.

Halfway through the journey I'm so bored I can hardly keep still.

"Don't do that mind." Says Alex's mum as Em restlessly shuffles her feet, who can blame her?

Em surprises me when she reaches into her knapsack and pulls out a piece of paper and a pen, pushing it towards me.

I quirk my eyebrows as if to say. "What's that for?"

Tic TAC, she replies sheepishly. "Please?'

"Okay." I oblige. Although I'm in no mood to play, I feel sorry for her.

A few minutes later though, she sits teary-eyed, arms crossed stubbornly over her chest. She's lost five out of five games and is upset that I didn't even so much as fail on purpose to let her win. This gets us all laughing as uncle Harry attempts to pacify her.

Apparently though, the crying fit was all she required as a few minutes later, she promptly falls asleep and we all go back to our various activities.

"A lot of freshmen are going to have to attend summer school this year." Says Drew after a while. "No one's working really hard and all the teachers are complaining"

"Well I sure hope you won't be one of them." Replies Aunt Olivia but it's more like a warning.

"Course not mum." He says reassuringly. His voice seems to tremble slightly but no one else seems to notice so I cross it off as my mind playing games on me.

Silence ensues once more but not for long, as the train finally pulls into Paddington station. Thank goodness, I think, as we disembark with our entire luggage in tow.

We hail a cab and head straight to the airport. Unloading our boxes, the adults instruct us to wait just outside the line as they get our stuff checked in. It takes a while and Em starts to get a bit antsy but they get back soon enough.

Backpacks in hand, we go through airport security and get seated in the lounge. Apparently, we have about an hour before takeoff.

My anticipation starts to build up again as I catch Alex trying to peek at the train tickets. However, he isn't subtle enough and uncle Harry puts them away.

Thirty minutes go by without anyone uttering a single word but soon enough, we all start feeling a bit peckish. Alex's dad asks us to stay put and goes to get some snacks. The moment we get our hands on them, we polish them off hastily. Guess we were all hungrier than we thought.

I take my phone out and try to pass some more time by playing games as thoughts of my aunt fleet through my mind. Be calm Ricky, I tell myself. Mum said she's doing just fine.

"Good afternoon passengers. This is the pre-boarding announcement for British Airways flight BA2644 to Malta. We are now inviting those passengers with small children, and any passengers requiring special assistance, to begin boarding at this time. Afterwards, we'll board First and Business class before Economy fliers. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Regular boarding will begin in approximately ten minutes time. Thank you."

"That's ours!" Aunt Olivia cries in an excited tone.

Wait, Malta?? I did not see that coming.

"You're taking us to Malta?" Andrew voices my thoughts incredulously.

"Well in a way." she replies. "We're headed to Gozo. It'll be so much fun!"

"Where's Gozo?" asks Emily, confusion written all over her face.

"It's sort of like a small Maltese island."

"Oh okay." She replies but I can tell she's still a bit lost. Being Emily though, she starts getting all excited and hurrying everyone over to the boarding gate.

By the time we get there, the queue is already pretty long and barely seems to be moving. I proceed to pass the time by plugging in my earbuds, but a minute into "Take it there" by massive attack; I start feeling a bit depressed so I switch it to "Shabba" by wizkid and Chris Brown. For some reason, I actually enjoy Wizkid's music even though sometimes, I have no idea what the words mean. Relaxing a bit, I let the beat fill my ears.

The line dwindles steadily, until it finally gets to our turn. The adults show the airport officers our boarding passes and we're good to go.

As we make our way to the plane, we all get our passes handed to us and I notice they're all business class. Well, At least they didn't get first class as usual.

In my opinion, that would be a waste of money but I guess none of that matters much to them.

Getting out my neon blue travel pillow with the fake electric currents zigzagging around it, I put my back pack into an overhead locker and settle down.

However, when I observe that Emily's stuck between Andrew and me, I ask her to switch to my seat, which is an aisle seat. She tends to use the bathroom a lot during flights and even though this one won't take that long, I really don't want to risk it. Better safe than sorry, they say.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome on board Flight BA2644 with service from London to Valletta, Malta. We are currently third in line for take-off and are expected to be in the air in approximately seven minutes time." 

"We ask that you please fasten your seat belts at this time and secure all baggage underneath your seat or in the overhead compartments."

" We also ask that your seats and table trays are in the upright position for take-off. Please turn off all personal electronic devices, including laptops and cell phones. Smoking is prohibited for the duration of the flight. Approximate flight time is two hours fifty three minutes. Thank you for choosing British Airways. Do enjoy your flight."

The sounds of seatbelts buckling fills the air as the chatter of passengers begins to quiet down. Texting mum a quick update, I turn off my phone.

I feel a hand reaching across the aisle for mine and look up to see Alex smirking at me. Oh, yeah, time to pray before take-off; as usual. Thankfully, it's a brief one and we don't get all sweaty palmed from holding hands.

Soon enough, the seven minutes is up and the Captain instructs the cabin crew to prepare for take-off. I admire them in their elegant uniforms as they move about, shutting overhead lockers and whatnot.

Next come the safety instructions which I barely pay heed to and before I can blink, the flight is taking off. The sound of the plane's engine seems to finally kick-start my mind into registering the fact that we're actually doing this! We're going to Gozo! I mean, it's not like I have an encyclopedia-full of knowledge about the place, but I know enough to be excited.

Emily falls asleep soon after and I find myself following suit.

"Excuse me. Tea or coffee?" the voice of a female cabin crew member awakens me. Not keen on either one of them, I get some apple juice instead and let Andrew get his snack. Em's still asleep, but I place her snack down for her while Andrew nudges her awake. He eyes sparkle when she spots the food and before you can say Jack Robinson, her muffin disappears.

"Slow down Emily. You might choke on that."

Washing her last mouthful down with a huge gulp of juice she replies. "I didn't" then smiles cheekily.

"Well, next time you might not be so lucky. Don't eat like you haven't set eyes on food for a month or something." Scolds Andrew.

This time, she just sticks her tongue out like the child that she is and sinks lower into her seat. I laugh as I notice a scowl forming on Andrews's face; So much for being a caring older brother.

"Too bad Xavier couldn't make it." He sighs. "She always listens to him."

"Yeah, too bad." I reply laughing at him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we will now begin our descent to Valletta Airport, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position.

Make sure your seat belt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat in front of you or in the overhead bins.

We are currently cruising at an altitude of 33,000 feet and airspeed of 400 miles per hour. The time is 1:25 pm. The weather looks good and with the tailwind on our side we are expecting to land in Valletta approximately fifteen minutes ahead of schedule.

The weather in Valletta is clear and sunny, with a high of 25 degrees for this afternoon. If the weather cooperates we should get a great view of the city as we descend. Thank you."

Well, I guess we're nearly here, I think to myself as I hand out the garbage to the flight attendant and put up my tray table as well as Emily's. I wonder why they talk for so long, bothering to tell us about the airspeed and whatnot. Does anyone really care about that?

"Are we there yet?" Emily asks excitedly.

"Almost." I reply. "Now shush."

"Okay." She replies sheepishly and I pat her head in a somewhat endearing manner.

"I'm not a dog!' she laughs pushing my hand away.

"Sure you aren't" Andrew replies, smirk in place.

"Everything okay over there?" Aunt Olivia calls from across the aisle.

"Yes." We reply in unison before I proceed to pat Emily's head again. It's fun to see her irritated sometimes and we bicker on and off at intervals before I finally give up and let her be.

"Ricky?"

"Yeah?"

"I need to use the loo." I just freaking knew it.

"Not now Em. The seatbelt signs are on." I reply. "Can you hold on for just a little while longer?"

"I can." She replies. "I don't need to go that badly, anyways."

Thank Goodness I think, as I smile down at her, barely resisting the urge to pat her blonde little head again.

The sound of the engines get louder and sure enough, we touch down in no time.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Valletta Airport. Local time is 2:25pm and the temperature is 25oC.

For your safety and comfort, please remain seated with your seat belt fastened until the Captain turns off the Fasten Seat Belt sign. This will indicate that we have parked at the gate and that it is now safe for you to move about.

Please check around your seat for any personal belongings you may have brought on board with you and please use caution when opening the overhead bins, as heavy articles may have shifted around during the flight.

If you require deplaning assistance, please remain in your seat until all other passengers have deplaned. One of our crew members will then be pleased to assist you.

On behalf of British Airlines and the entire crew, I'd like to thank you for joining us on this trip and we look forward to seeing you on board again in the near future. Do have yourself a wonderful stay. Thank you."

Finally, the talking stops! He was really getting on my nerves.

"No one cares!" I nearly scream but stop myself since that would be quite the callow choice. Plus, I really don't want to embarrass myself or anyone else.

Getting up, I get our back packs from the overhead lockers and hand them to their respectful owners just as Uncle Harry, Aunt Olivia and Alex begin making their way out.

Before joining them, Andrew and I wait for Emily to use the bathroom and then catch up.

"What took you guys so long?' Alex asks.

"Bathroom emergency." I say, gesturing at Emily.

"Oh, okay.' He replies understandably.

We wait a while at baggage claim to get our suit cases, then head to a help desk to get a cab and pick up some brochures for sight-seeing.

"I can't believe we're finally here!" cries Emily as we load the trunk of the cab. We all laugh because it's pretty obvious she really has no idea where here is.

"We're not exactly there yet Emily." Aunt Olivia explains. "We still have to take a ferry to that island I told you about earlier."

"But first, we'll stop for lunch." Alex's dad adds.

Aunt Olivia rolls her eyes and laughs. "Sure, Harry, we'll stop for lunch first."

She then instructs the driver to take us to the nearest restaurant where we can get something nice to eat.

A little while later, we're seated at a table in a pretty upscale restaurant. It's got a stylish polished dark wood floor and beautiful paintings have been hung all around.

Lunch is a simple affair of burgers and drinks and after a hearty meal; we head back outside where our cab is waiting. The Robert's having promised to pay him extra for his troubles.

The cab driver seems nice enough, albeit old. He has a funny pudding-basin haircut with a crooked nose. His lips are stretched into what appears to be a permanent smile and I notice some laugh lines around the corners of his eyes.

"Ċirkewwa harbor." Alex's mum instructs the cab man and he nods his heads slightly, pulling out of the parking lot.

The journey takes about 45minutes within which, Alex and Emily take turns falling asleep. Finally though, we make it to our destination and begin off-loading the trunk.

At the harbor's main office, we're informed that the next ferry leaves in about fifteen minutes so we purchase our tickets and get ready to wait, again.

When we get seated, I turn on my phone and call mum for a bit. Updating her gets the adrenaline pumping forcefully through my veins again and it's all I can do to keep still. Soon enough though, the announcement comes for the next ferry ride and we head outside.

It's a ginormous vessel with a sleek white body, a navy blue base and lots of windows. The words, "The Gozo Channel Company" Have been inscribed in a beautiful blue cursive font on the side of the ferry. The interior is pretty impressive as well with its plush red seats that feel like velvet against my skin and beautiful wooden tables.

The ride turns out to be a very short one, lasting just a little over twenty minutes and as we disembark, I feel as though my feet are made of lead while pulling my suitcase around. All that moving around is taking its toll on all of us.

We get into yet another cab and head to our residence. Everyone dozes off at some point and who can blame us? It's been quite the journey.

When we finally arrive, us kids pile out of the car, luggage in hand while the adults pay off the driver.

Turning around, we walk through a low gate into what appears to be a large farm house. It doesn't appear to be much; that is until you step inside.

With its ultra- modern furniture, indoor swimming pool and an actual cinema room, all thoughts of exhaustion fly out the window as we begin exploring for more hidden treasure.

"I found a few portable saunas on the back porch." Drew exclaims. 'This place gives the word lush a whole new meaning."

I didn't even notice we had actually been jumping up and down like toddlers, thanking Alex's parents.

Feeling embarrassed as they calm us down, we somehow manage to find our luggage so they can show us to our rooms.

Alex, Andrew and I will be sharing a room which doesn't matter because the room is so big, it might be able to pass for a tiny apartment.

Who built this place and how much did it cost? I ask myself, as we begin unpacking.

Three king sized beds lie horizontally dressed in ornate beddings. In the middle, sits a beautiful dark oak table, almost like the one in Emily's room back home albeit fancier than Em's could ever be. And I thought the Roberts lived in a little piece of heaven.

An elegant dresser mirror sits centralized from the beds, touching the wall and in a corner is the gigantic wardrobe where I'm just about done dumping my clothes. Alex and Andrew decided to go with the dressers a while back.

I finish up before them and wander into the bathroom.

"Guys." I call, my mouth almost hanging open, almost. "Come check this out."

Even the boys who are sort of used to this kind of lifestyle seem genuinely impressed. The bathroom has a lot of fancy lighting and a Jacuzzi big enough to fit up to six people. It also has a huge shower closet with all sorts of buttons installed.

"This is going to be one hell of a week!" says Alex's deep voice.

"I swear." I reply enthusiastically. This bathroom almost wants to make me take a shower right now.

We all head back to the kitchen for some drinks and find the rest of the crew outside, admiring the massive garden. This is just too good to be true.

Taking photos, I send some to mum and she gushes about how lucky I am and how she would have loved to tag along but needs to be close to Veronica. I feel a twinge in my heart at her words, but force myself to reassure her that it'll all be fine.

When the sky begins to darken and our tummies begin to rumble, we head inside where Aunt Olivia prepares some heavenly lasagna for everyone. After which we catch up on some movies before heading upstairs to the most comfortable beds ever known to man. This is too good to be true, I think again as I fall into a much needed sleep.

iralan