Enamel

by Tim Sabados

  Charlie slid over to the door and lifted his hand to knock. He let it hang in the air. It was late. Just because the light was on didn’t necessarily mean she was home. Then again, she could be sleeping. Maybe it was better to come back in the afternoon when she would be awake?

  He stepped backward, turned to leave, but stopped mid-spin. What was that? Some kind of distant sound drifted from underneath the door. Charlie strained his ears. Listened for any type of noise. Something stirred. Did he hear a voice? A chair scraped across the floor. Charlie stepped forward. Leaned in. Put his ear even closer.

  Muffled voices. Someone was talking, but he couldn’t understand what was being said. Someone else spoke. Was that a kid? Charlie rubbed his cheek inquisitively. Since when did Aryssa have children? What was going on in there?

  Charlie moved closer and practically placed his ear against the door. Concentrated on the voices. Sure sounded like children. But at this time of night?

  Click. The door swung open. Charlie jumped backward in shock. Aryssa still had her hand on the knob, her eyes wide with surprise. She gasped. “Charlie?”

  14

  Aryssa shuddered and sucked in a startled breath. She lost her grip on the doorknob. “Charlie?” Her mind blanked. She had been waiting for him. Had been listening for the distinctive sound of his boots plodding up the steps. She thought she had heard them, but wasn’t sure. Now here he was and everything that she had rehearsed suddenly disintegrated.

  Charlie had jumped backward with surprise. His once-arched brows were now ironed straight with reservation. “Hey.”

  Aryssa kept her lungs filled with air, hoping to calm her nerves. She needed to talk to him privately. Needed him out of sight of her neighbors and inside her apartment. Without giving it much thought, she grabbed him by the arm and pulled.

  Charlie halfheartedly jerked his arm free. “What are you doing?”

  “Please.” Aryssa paused. “I need…” She glanced up and down the stairwell. The hallway. At the other apartments. There was no one around, or so it seemed. “Will you just get in here?”

  Charlie stood rooted outside her door. He looked past Aryssa and into the apartment. “What gives?”

  Aryssa sighed. “I just…I…need your help.”

  “My help?” Charlie folded his arms over his chest. “You want my help, after what you did.”

  “I know it doesn’t look good.” Aryssa uneasily shifted her weight. “But if you’d just come in, I’ll explain.” Pouted her lips. “Things just sort of got out of hand…out of my control.”

  Charlie squinted. “Out of control? You went to the bathroom. How out-of-control could they have gotten?” He thumbed over his shoulder. “You blew me off.”

  “I know it looks that way.” Aryssa bowed her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to happen.” Emotions welled up inside her. Flooded over her eyelids. She sniffled. “Can you please just…?” Swiped her finger under her eye. “I promise I’ll explain.”

  Charlie slowly exhaled. Hesitated for several seconds. Nodded ever so slightly. “Okay, fine,” he mumbled.

  Aryssa stood sideways to let Charlie pass. Another glance out into the hallway and stairwell. Still no one. She sighed with relief as she quietly closed the door. How to explain…?

  Charlie was standing in the entrance to the kitchen. Uncertainty froze his stance as soon as one of the girls spoke. “Hello, who are you?”

  “Umm.” Charlie apprehensively ran his hand over his hair. “Umm, I’m Charlie.”

  “Did you bring my mom?”

  Aryssa scampered down the hallway to the kitchen. So much for easing into the explanation. She put her hand on Charlie’s lower back and nudged him toward the kitchen table. “Why don’t you have a seat?”

  “Is he your friend?” Zoe asked without looking up from her drawing.

  “Yes.” Aryssa pulled out a chair. Motioned again for Charlie to sit.

  “Is he your boyfriend?” Mackenzie teasingly elongated the last word, then giggled.

  Charlie was slow to sit. Aryssa purposefully dodged Mackenzie’s question. “So, how was your day?”

  A cold, incredulous glaze varnished Charlie’s eyes. “Really?”

  “I mean work. How was work?” Aryssa tried to shatter her embarrassment with a shrug. “Would you like something to drink?”

  “No, I’m fine,” Charlie answered. He softly tapped the table with his finger. It rattled the bottles of liquor, half-drained hot sauce, salt-and-pepper shakers and glass candle holders. The nearly dead bamboo shoot in the cracked ceramic pot swayed precariously. “I never knew you had kids.”

  “Umm…well…” The hinges on the cupboard doors groaned, as if tenaciously adding to the awkwardness that permeated the room. “They’re not exactly,” she found a glass that looked cleaner than the others, “they’re not really mine.”

  “So, you’re their aunt?” Charlie questioned.

  Aryssa dug a partially filled ice-cube tray out of the freezer. “Not exactly.”

  “Your friend’s kids?”

  “Kind of.” Aryssa popped the last two cubes into the glass.

  “When are we going to see Mom?” Zoe asked.

  “You said it would be soon, a long time ago.” Mackenzie laid her pen on the table. “Don’t you have any crayons or something like that?”

  “She already said she doesn’t have any,” Zoe advised.

  “But she never looked.”

  “Yes, she did.”

  “No, she didn’t.” Mackenzie pointed at the drawer next to the sink. “What about that one?”

  Zoe rolled her eyes. “She looked in there.”

  “How do you know? There’s a whole bunch of drawers.” Mackenzie gazed hopefully at Aryssa. “What about all of those?”

  Aryssa clenched her fists. “I don’t have any…” She took a deep breath to cool her frustration. Purposefully softened her voice. “I just don’t have any crayons. I wish I did, but I don’t.’

  “It’s okay,” Mackenzie said with disappointment curdling her voice. “This pen will do.”

  Aryssa’s heart crumpled. How could she have let herself get angry over a little girl asking for crayons? “I’m so sorry. I’ll make sure that I buy some.”

  “You should,” Mackenzie added. “They’re fun to color with.”

  “They are,” Zoe added. “Sometimes Mom colors with us too.” She grabbed another piece of paper. “Will you draw with us?”

  “I’m not good at it.”

  Zoe tapped her pen against her chin. “That’s what Mom always says, but she still does it.”

  “She’s good at stick figures,” Mackenzie said.

  “It’s kind of late, don’t you think?” Charlie leaned forward to see what the girls were drawing. “Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

  “We were,” Mackenzie advised. “But, the fire woke us up.”

  “The fire?” Charlie asked. “There was a fire?”

  “Yeah, our house,” Zoe stated.

  “You’re house was on…?”

  “Okay,” Aryssa interrupted. Plopped the glass on the table. “Here’s that water you wanted.”

  “But, I didn’t ask for…” Charlie shifted in his seat. “Thanks.” He spoke out of the corner of his mouth. “What’s this about a fire?”

  How to explain? Aryssa’s thoughts tumbled. Tongue flopped like a fish out of water. She giggled nervously. “Well…you see, umm, there…” Maybe it was time to just get it out. She straightened her posture and solidified her voice. “Their house caught on fire and I helped get them out.”

  “You rescued them?”

  Aryssa nodded her affirmation.

  Charlie glanced at the girls, then back at Aryssa. “And their mother knows about this?”

  “Yep,” Mackenzie blurted. “She was there.”

  Charlie scratched his temple. “She was?”

  “Mom stopped the robbers from getting us.” Zoe gestured at Aryssa. “She helped, too.”

  “Kicked h
im right in the you-know-what,” Mackenzie added.

  Skepticism wrinkled Charlie’s forehead. “A fire. Robbers.” He started to stand. “And you were there for all of this?”

  It was happening faster than Aryssa wanted. She gently nudged Charlie back down into the chair. Rubbed her arm to try to soothe her uneasiness. “I really need your help getting them back…”

  “Why were you even there?” Charlie stared at the table. Apparently hadn’t heard a single thing she just said.

  Zoe stopped drawing and looked at Charlie. “Do you know my mom?”

  Mackenzie stretched her arms across the table. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before.”

  “I haven’t either,” Zoe confirmed.

  Charlie didn’t say a word.

  “Are you and my mom friends?” Mackenzie questioned.

  He still remained silent.

  Aryssa tried to break the tension that gripped the air. “Okay girls, why don’t we…”

  Zoe reached for the bottle of bourbon in the middle of the table. “What’s that?”

  “You probably shouldn’t touch that,” Aryssa stated in her best motherly tone. “It’s something adults drink.”

  Zoe scrunched her face. “Like alcohol?”

  “Yes, sort of like that.”

  “Yuck.” Zoe stuck out her tongue. “Mom drinks that stuff sometimes.”

  “I’m hungry,” Mackenzie interjected. “Do you have anything to eat?” She fiddled with the bottles, as if hoping some kind of snack would jump out for her.

  “I’ll have to look, but…”

  “You still haven’t answered my question.” Frustration stiffened Charlie’s shoulders. “What’s going on with you? First, this afternoon at the bar.” He gestured at the girls. “Now this.”

  Aryssa’s back stooped. She bent down next to Charlie and caressed his arm to try to relieve his irritation. “I really need your help.” A pause. “I need to get them to someone before…”

  “Before what?”

  “Before…” The stress of the moment ballooned. Stretched her emotions even thinner. She sniffled. Hesitated. “Before someone finds out they’re missing.”

  “As in someone like the cops?”

  “Something like that.” Aryssa kept her grip on his arm.

  Charlie jerked the extremity free. Pushed the chair backward. “What in the hell are you getting me into?”

  “Please, you don’t understand,” Aryssa pleaded. “I had to get them out of that house. The whole place was on fire.” A pause. “Those men were trying to kidnap them, too.” She put her hand on Charlie’s shoulder to prevent him from standing. “I brought them here to keep them safe.”

  “From who?” Charlie questioned.

  Aryssa shrugged. “I don’t know, their faces were covered.” Tipped her chin toward the girls. “They don’t know either.”

  “What about their mother?”

  “I don’t think so.” Aryssa shook her head.

  “Where is she?”

  “I don’t know.” Aryssa ran her hand through her hair. “One of them tossed her out the window.” She looked at the girls. “Don’t worry; I’m sure she’s fine.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “She’s fine. Trust me.”

  Mackenzie absently nodded as she continued to pick over the bottles.

  “Why is it taking so long for Mom to get here?” Zoe questioned impatiently.

  “Soon honey. Very soon.” Aryssa turned to Charlie. Lowered her voice to a near whisper. “You got to help me get them someplace safe. Somehow back to their mother.”

  “This can’t be happening,” Charlie grumbled. “How can I trust what you’re telling me? Why were you even there in the first place?”

  How was Aryssa supposed to answer that? Did she even understand it herself? Gathering rocks was something she’d always done. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Opened her mouth to let the words spill out. Words she hoped wouldn’t scare Charlie away. “I was…”

  “What’s in here?” Mackenzie held up the purple Crown Royal bag. Started to tip it sideways.

  Aryssa’s heart skipped a beat. She thrust her arm forward hoping it would stretch across the table and snatch the bag. “Don’t…”

  Too late. Dozens of rocks spilled out of the purple bag, rained down on the hard surface and tumbled across the table.

  Charlie’s mouth fell open with astonishment.

  Mackenzie’s eyes widened. “Are those what I think they are?”

  “Teeth! Look at all the teeth!” Zoe screamed.

  15

  Charlie’s thoughts spun like a wheel; a bent rim on a just crashed bicycle that was lying broken on the side of the road. There was no logical reasoning that could slow the wheel and give Charlie some clarity as to what was happening. There was nothing that could provide some understanding about the fire. The kidnappers. The two girls. He gripped his temples with his thumb and forefinger. Why had Aryssa been in that house? What had really happened to those girls and their mother? He studied the teeth strewn across the table. Who was Aryssa, anyway?

  Zoe ran her fingers over the enamel-covered bones. “Where’d you get all of these?”

  “There’s so many,” Mackenzie added.

  Aryssa backed into the kitchen counter and gripped its edge, her head bowed. The hair that fell over her face couldn’t completely hide its red tint. She kept her lips pressed together and said nothing.

  Silence froze Charlie’s tongue. What was he supposed to say? An awkward hush soured the air. Seconds passed before he cleared his throat, hoping to churn up a few words. “There’s a bunch of them, alright.” He rubbed his eye. “How’d you…you know, get so many?”

  Mackenzie gasped. “Zoe.” She pointed at the teeth. Brows arched with shock. “Zoe!”

  “What?”

  “What’d you do with your tooth?”

  “Mom let me put it under her pillow.”

  “I knew it!” Mackenzie excitingly jabbed her finger in the direction of Aryssa. “Guess what, Zoe?”

  “What?”

  “She’s got to be the tooth fairy.”

  Zoe glanced at the teeth, at Aryssa, then back at the teeth. She giggled happily. “Oh my gosh, are you really the tooth fairy?”

  Mackenzie enthusiastically bounced up and down in her chair. “She has to be.”

  Aryssa held up her hand. “Hold on girls. I’m…”

  “A real tooth fairy. I can’t believe it.” Zoe’s smile widened. “Are you sure?”

  “Why else would she be in our house when we’re sleeping? Why else would she have all of these?” She picked up a tooth. “What does yours look like?”

  “Kind of like a rectangle,” Zoe answered. “It’s clean, too. I brushed it a whole bunch of times.” She faced Aryssa. “Is it true that you give extra money if it’s cleaner?”

  Aryssa held out her arm, but let it drop to her side. “It’s…it’s not like that,” she mumbled.

  Charlie’s spinning thoughts shattered and slid across the surface of skepticism. The tooth fairy? He chuckled uneasily. “Kids. They can come up with the strangest things.”

  Aryssa’s head bobbed slowly. “Yeah, they can.”

  “Umm…” Charlie shifted in his chair. Did he dare ask for an explanation? He couldn’t help himself. “What do you do with these things?”

  Aryssa shrugged. Didn’t say anything for several long seconds. “It’s kind of hard to explain.”

  “But you’ve got to do something with them.”

  Aryssa tipped her chin to acknowledge the question. She turned away from Charlie, grabbed a sponge then a plate from the sink.

  It was clear she wasn’t going to elaborate. Charlie decided on a different approach. “Where do they come from?” Was he really going to suggest that she was the tooth fairy? “I mean, do you get them from kids?”

  “I’m not some creeper, if that’s what you’re implying.”

  Charlie held up his hands defensively. “Not
at all.” He paused. “I’m just trying to…”

  “It’s not like I’m stealing them, either.” She started to scrub the plate. “I leave money.”

  Charlie sucked in a heavy breath of disbelief. Had he really heard what Aryssa just said? Did he believe her? “You…you actually take them from underneath some kid’s pillow and leave money in its place?”

  “Something like that.”

  Charlie glanced at all the teeth. They had to have come from all different kinds of children. “How is it that you’ve never gotten caught?”

  “I don’t…”

  “Look!” Zoe held a tooth between her thumb and forefinger.

  “Is that it?” Mackenzie asked excitedly.

  “Yeah, I’m pretty sure.”

  “How can you tell?”

  “I just know,” Zoe answered.

  “Oh my gosh.” Mackenzie enthusiastically clapped her hands. “I can’t wait to tell Mom that we know the tooth fairy.”

  “She’ll never believe us.”

  “Yeah, she will.” Mackenzie’s brows crinkled. “I know it.” A pause. “We can only tell her, though. No one else.”

  “It’s got to be our secret.” Zoe looked toward Aryssa. “Don’t worry, we’re not telling anyone. I promise.”

  “Me too,” Mackenzie confirmed. “Except for Mom.”

  “Yeah, Mom,” Zoe agreed.

  “You might not want to tell her.” Charlie chose his words carefully. Tried to make a line of reasoning that only a kid would understand. “Like you said, she may not believe you. She might even think that something bad happened and you’re hiding it.”

  “Like what kind of bad?” Mackenzie questioned.

  “Like you were kidnapped and hurt, and you’re hiding it by saying you saw the tooth fairy,” Charlie answered. “Adults will believe that before believing what you really saw.”

  “But, we did see the tooth fairy,” Mackenzie stated.

  “Why would we lie?” Zoe shifted in her chair. “Lying is bad. Mom told us to never lie.”