Chapter Text
A.
abroad.
n. a place that isn’t home - but what is home anyway?
Sebastian Vettel arrives in London armed with a weary smile, a worn out denim backpack, three suitcases of varying sizes and a slip of paper clutched in his hand. An address to a home in Stevenage is scribbled on it. He doesn’t know it yet but this country with all its busy people, rich culture and vibrancy will soon seep into his very being.
This kingdom across the water from Germany won’t be a place of mystery and confusion for very long. It won’t be abroad and maybe, one day, it might even become home.
aisling. irish.
n. a dream or a vision that weaves its magic as you sleep oblivious to what is slowly changing within you.
There’s a small girl sleeping in her mother’s arms and Seb pauses to look at them. She shifts a little bit and he’s reminded of all his fleeting dreams and hopes. Those whimsical and magical dreams that have somehow evolved into a desire to escape reality and normality.
anxiety.
n. a feeling of nervousness and confusion that settles beneath your skin and gnaws at your bones, threatening to spill out.
Sebastian sits in silence in the taxi, watching the scene change from tall buildings to quaint neighbourhoods and then to busy towns and to buzzing villages. It’s a picture book that changes and evolves and transforms and soon he finds himself standing outside a small house. He can hear the laughter from within and the anxiety that had been building up threatens to overwhelm him. The taxi driver looks at him curiously, perhaps he can sense the turmoil of emotions within the eighteen-year-old German.
The door opens suddenly and Sebastian finds himself staring at a middle-aged woman smiling at him pleasantly. His mind supplies him with her name, Linda Hamilton.
aplomb.
n. a mask of self-confidence that you wear when you feel anything but self-confident.
Sebastian smiles and shakes Linda’s hand,
“Good evening. I apologise for my late arrival, the flight was delayed. I’m Sebastian.”
“Aren’t you polite? Hello Sebastian, I’m Linda.”
A boy who looks a few years older than Seb appears behind her and nods his head in greeting. The company had given him information about the family he would be living with. This boy is Lewis Hamilton, stepson of Linda.
audacity
n. to step out of the confines of physical, social and metaphysical boundaries and to boldly go forth into the unknown.
Sebastian shakes hands with everybody in the Hamilton household. Lewis, Nicolas, Anthony and Linda. He’ll be living with this family and working for them but he finds that he likes them already. The anxiety slows disappears as they ask him about himself. He tells them about his family and his life back in Heppenheim. Taking a break from studies to go to another county to work as an au pair is not a common occurrence. He doesn’t tell them about the disapproval and scorn and disappointment and concern that his decision caused. He doesn't have to.
Sebastian is taken aback when later in the night, Lewis glances at him and says,
“You’re brave, kid.”
He thinks about those words until he falls asleep.
auricomous. latin.
adj. hair that is the colour of golden woven from hay.
“Once upon a time there was golden-haired boy who left his kingdom -”
Nicolas interrupts Sebastian’s narration with a pout,
“Why are you telling me fairytales? I’m too old for them.”
Sebastian laughs and pats him on the head,
“No one is too old for a fairytale.”
But he doesn’t continue the story when he sees the sleep in the eleven-year-old’s eyes.
“Good night Nicolas.”