Rose Gardner 01 - Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes

by Swank, Denise Grover

  Violet’s eyes twinkled in anticipation. It wasn't like me to get so excited. “What?”

  “I got my first kiss last night!”

  Her face froze in horror. “You what?”

  I pinched my lips together in disappointment. That was not the reaction I expected. I lifted my chin in defiance. “I said I got my first kiss. And it was wonderful, thank you very much for asking.”

  She raised her hands in surrender. “Okay, back up. When? Where? Who?”

  “Last night. On my front porch. Joe.” I felt like I was playing a game of Clue.

  She looked confused. “Joe? Joe who?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Joe McAllister, my next door neighbor. Joe.”

  Indignation filled her eyes. “Did he take advantage of you?”

  “No! It was nothing like that. We were sittin’ on the front porch, drinkin’ Uncle Earl’s beer…”

  “You were drinkin’ beer?” Her voice raised several decibels.

  “Sure, why not? Uncle Earl does.”

  “And you were drinkin’ it on the front porch? In front of all the neighbors? The ones who think you murdered our mother less than a week ago? And you kissed him? On the front porch?”

  I sighed in disappointment. “I thought you would be happy for me. Why just a week ago you told me I should have sex.”

  “With a respectable man! And not less than week after our momma was murdered!” My words must have sunk in because she gasped and clutched her hands to her chest. “Oh, my dear Lord. You didn’t have sex with him, did you?”

  “Yes, Violet.” I said in a haughty tone. “I did. I had sex with him right there on the front porch, next to the pots of geraniums. I had to move ‘em though so Mildred could get a better view.” I had to wonder what the neighbors might have seen if Joe hadn’t turned me down.

  “Rose!”

  “And why would you think Joe isn’t respectable? You don't know anythin’ about him.”

  “Exactly my point, Rose. We don’t know anything about him. Where does he work? What does he do? We don't know about his family.”

  Anger rose up and my hands balled up into fists in my lap. “There you go, to the heart of the matter. You don’t know anything about his family, so that makes him suspect.”

  “That’s not it, at all. He’s takin’ advantage of you at a vulnerable time. I don't trust him.”

  We sat in silence, my heart breaking that we were fighting again. What had happened to us?

  Violet cleared her throat. “If you would like to go out on a date, I am sure Mike knows someone we could fix you up with.”

  “What?”

  “You need to go out with a respectable man, from a good family. We can help you with that.” The way she squared her shoulders told me she had made up her mind and wouldn’t back down.

  “So let me get this straight, if I want a boyfriend, you’re gonna get me one, one from a respectable family?” I waited for her to deny it. She didn't. “Oh my stars! You are! That’s exactly what you’re sayin’! You think I’m incapable of getting a boyfriend on my own?”

  “Rose, be sensible. You are completely inexperienced. You are twenty-four years old and never had a boyfriend.”

  “There are multiple reasons why…”

  “Rose, reasons be damned, you are naive. Men will take advantage of you, honey. We have to make sure that you date men who will appreciate your…lack of dating history.”

  I stood up. “I can not believe you are doin’ this.” I grabbed the box and put it in the bag.

  “Rose!” Violet protested. “Just think about it, sweetie. I love you. I don't want you to get hurt.”

  “Violet, I am not a child.” I picked up my purse and the bag. “You have got to stop treating me like one.”

  “What has gotten into you, Rose?” she asked, following me to the door.

  “I’m growing up, Violet. Deal with it.”

  I got in my car and drove out of her neighborhood, not ready to go home yet. She hadn’t told me what she wanted to do with the house. Everything was a mess.

  I drove past the dress shop and stopped on a whim. I felt good about how I looked at the visitation and funeral, and I was tired of wearing baggy, shapeless clothes. Besides, I could hear Violet in my head whining, “What will people say?” That settled it. I was shopping.

  The saleswoman from the other day stood by the clearance rack when I entered the store. She saw me and did a double take. “You cut your hair.”

  I couldn’t get over everyone’s fascination with my hair. I half-smiled in response.

  She seemed to forget the awkwardness of the vision I had of her daughter and helped me pick out several outfits. If I was gonna change, I was gonna change everything, ugly clothes included.

  I left with multiple bags and lots of dollars poorer, but eager to get home. And hopefully see Joe.

  I didn’t see his car in the driveway when I pulled up, but I expected him to be at work. I went inside and boxed up most of my old clothes. I tried on one of my new outfits, a pair of capris and a sleeveless blouse. When I stared at myself in the mirror, I looked and felt like a different person. How was that possible?

  I went out into the kitchen for a glass of water and noticed a message on the machine, realizing I’d forgotten to check it when I came home since I rarely got calls.

  “Rose, hi. It’s Joe. I just wanted to check on you and see how you’re feeling. Umm…hey, if you’re not busy, uh…I wondered if you might want to have dinner with me tonight. I should be home around six and we can figure somethin’ out. Bye.” When the machine beeped, my smile rivaled the width of the Grand Canyon.

  He wanted to eat dinner with me. I wondered if this counted as a date, then practically danced in the kitchen. Yes, it was a date. My first date.

  I was really glad I went shopping.

  I’d be a nervous wreck thinking about it until he got home so I needed something to occupy me. I could take my old clothes to the thrift store. I briefly considered starting to pack up Momma’s stuff but didn’t feel right doing it alone. Maybe I’d call Violet later and see if she wanted to help.

  I loaded up my car and drove to the charity. I dropped off the clothes and returned home around five-thirty, surprised that Joe’s car was in his driveway. When I got out of the car, he burst out the front door, his eagerness catching me by surprise. I met him in my driveway, my face beaming with happiness.

  Joe looked serious when he reached me and he took my hands in his. “Rose.” He stopped and smiled a sad smile. “How do you get more beautiful every time I see you?”

  The heat rose to my face in spite of my attempt to stop it, but my heart was beaming with sunshine. He kissed me right there in my driveway, in broad daylight. But seconds later, he pulled back abruptly.

  “Rose, I have to cancel tonight. I’m sorry to do it last-minute.”

  If we hadn’t just kissed, I would have considered that he changed his mind about me, but his lips said otherwise. “That’s okay.” I wanted to ask why, but stopped, worried I might not want to know.

  A car pulled up in front of his house.

  “Oh, you havin’ company?” I asked. The Busybody Club said he hadn’t had anyone visit since he moved in.

  “Yeah, a guest for the weekend. It was very last-minute.” He sounded so nervous. And sorry.

  “Okay…” my voice trailed off as a young woman got out of the car then opened the back door. A German shepherd jumped out. The woman looked over at us, the dog prancing beside her. She smiled as she approached, holding the dog’s leash. I wondered if she was Joe’s sister, although I didn't see much resemblance. She had red hair and was fair-complected while Joe had brown hair and was tanned.

  Normally, I would have just stood there. Truth be told, normally I wouldn’t have been there in the first place. The Old Rose didn’t talk to people if she could help it. I decided the New Rose needed to act like a grown-up. It seemed strange Joe hadn’t introduced us, so I plastered a smile on my face and
forced brightness into my voice. “Hi, I’m Rose. I live next door.”

  She came closer and put her hand on Joe’s shoulder. The way she claimed his shoulder, her fingers curling around his arm, I knew before she even said the words. “Hi, I’m Joe’s girlfriend, Hilary.”

  My first instinct was to burst into tears and run away, but instead, I kept the fake smile frozen on my face. “How lovely to meet you.” I was proud of myself. It sounded like something Violet would say. “I’m sure Joe is very excited you’re here to visit.” I cocked my head to grace him with my cheesy smile.

  Joe looked like he wanted to hit someone.

  “We should go inside, Joe.” Hilary said, tugging his arm. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”

  He stumbled backwards, his face making a strange choking expression. Then he turned around and marched into the house with Hilary.

  My feet rooted themselves to the driveway while my mind tried to figure out what happened. Joe’s front door had hardly slammed shut before angry voices drifted out. I hoped she reamed him. I knew I wanted to, but instead I was stuck, unintentionally eavesdropping on their argument, although I only caught snippets of phrases.

  Finally, my feet magically freed themselves. I turned around and walked into my house, feeling like an idiot. Violet was right. I had no idea how to date. What just transpired proved that. I picked up the phone and dialed her number.

  “Hey, Violet, I was wondering if you wanted to help me clean out Momma’s room this weekend.”

  “I’m sure I can get Mike to watch the kids for a few hours tomorrow afternoon. How does that sound?”

  “Great.” I said in my forced happy tone. It scared me how easy it had become to use. “Say, Vi, I was thinkin’ after I left.” I paused. No chickening out now. “I think you might have been right. I’m really new to all this datin’ stuff and maybe it would be a good idea if you found someone for me to go out with.” Better to let her think that than for her to know this was a rebound date. Leave it to me to have my first date be a rebound.

  “Really?” She squealed.

  I cringed. “Yeah, do you think you can arrange it?”

  “I know I can. I’ll call you back in a bit, okay?” She sounded so happy I wished I had agreed to this years ago. Not for me, but for her. All those years wasted looking for the perfect Christmas gift. Who knew I only had to let her play matchmaker?

  About fifteen minutes later the phone rang.

  “Tomorrow night,” Violet said, so excited she choked out the words. “You have a date tomorrow night!” Then she squealed again.

  I held the phone a few inches away from my ear until she stopped. “Yay,” I said with forced enthusiasm, although Violet didn't seem to notice.

  “His name is Steve and he’s an electrician. He works for Mike and his dad’s construction business. He’s twenty-six and never been married. His family has been around forever. His parents live on Maple Street. His dad works at the paper plant and his mother is a bookkeeper. Steve is so excited to meet you.”

  I almost asked Violet if I could see his pedigree papers, but thought better of it.

  “He’ll pick you up tomorrow at seven. Oh!” she gushed. “I can help you get ready and pick out your clothes. It will be like it should have been in high school.”

  Pretending we were in high school was a sobering thought, but it made me happy to hear Violet so excited. “That will be so fun!” I hoped my words didn't sound as fake as I felt.

  Violet didn't notice. “I’ll come over at two. We’ll have time to work on Momma’s room and then you can get ready.”

  “Sounds great.”

  I hung up, hoping I made the right decision. I told myself it was just a date. It wasn’t like I was going to marry him.

  But I couldn’t stop myself from wondering what Joe would think.

  Chapter Nine

  The next afternoon Violet showed up at my door, her arms loaded with clothes.

  “We’re supposed to be taking clothes out, not in,” I said as I held the door open for her.

  She took one look at me and raised her eyebrows. “What are you wearing? Where did you get that?”

  I had on a pair of jeans that Momma never would have approved of and a cute t-shirt that actually clung to the curves of my body. “I bought it yesterday and some other clothes too. I decided to embrace the new me.”

  I expected to embrace Violet’s wrath with my proclamation, but she surprised me by eyeing me from head to toe, her arms still full. “I approve. Very cute. You might not need these after all.”

  “What is all that?” I asked as she dumped them on the kitchen table.

  “Some of my clothes, for you to wear on your date tonight. But we’ll check out what you got later.”

  We headed back to Momma’s room. Violet threw open the heavy drapes to let the sunlight in and dust flew in all directions.

  “You would think the woman was a vampire the way she kept this room so cave-like.” Violet said, looking outside. “Hey, who’s the woman in Joe’s backyard?”

  I moved to the window. “Don't ask.” I noticed her dog bounding around the yard. It occurred to me her dog had been the dog in my vision about Joe and his fence.

  Violet turned to me and put her hand on her hip. “But didn’t you and Joe—"

  “I said don't ask.” I turned my back to her as I began to tape one of the multitude of boxes I bought earlier that morning.

  We spent the afternoon going through Momma’s drawers and closet, pulling out clothes and putting them in boxes. I had considered using garbage bags, but it seemed so irreverent. It was distressing enough to dispose of the contents of a person’s life. In the end, trash bag or cardboard box, it didn't matter. A lifetime of possessions were just gone.

  When I voiced my thoughts to Violet, she snorted. “Please. Momma got everythin’ she deserved and not enough if you ask me. Her will is livin’ proof of that.”

  “But Aunt Bessie said that we didn’t know everythin’. She said Daddy did somethin’ that nearly broke Momma.”

  Violet stopped folding the pants in her hands. “Daddy never hurt a soul. How could his own sister say that?”

  I shrugged. “I pretty much told her the same thing, but Aunt Bessie said I’d want answers some day and she would tell me what she knew. She said Momma had a reason for being the way she was.”

  Violet scowled. “I cannot believe you are defendin’ her, especially after what she did to you.” She took the pants and spiked them into the box next to her to prove her point. “I’m still goin’ to make this right, by the way.”

  “But Violet, what if it’s true. What if Momma had an excuse for doing what she did.”

  Anger burned in Violet’s eyes. “I don’t care what happened to her. There is no reason that could excuse the way she treated us, most of all you.”

  Her tone told me she refused to discuss it any further. I was fine with that. I didn't like to think of Daddy doing anything so bad he could break someone.

  Boxing up Momma’s possessions was an easy job since we never considered keeping anything, not even for a memento. At five o’clock, Violet announced we were done for the day even though we hadn’t finished everything.

  “Time to go through your clothes and get ready for your date.” She sat on my bed, clutching a pillow to her chest as I pulled my new clothing out of my closet and drawers to show her. “Bravo!” she said and clapped when I finished. “I love them.”

  “Really?” Her reaction at the funeral made me wary of her acceptance, but I had to admit I had caught her off-guard then.

  “Yes, very tasteful and much more age-appropriate. You always looked like a Mini-Me of Momma before.” She shuddered as she said the words.

  I considered protesting, but she was right. “So, what do you think?” I asked. “What should I wear?”

  Violet picked out a skirt and blouse and told me to take a shower and wash my hair. She would wait for me.

  When I got out and dressed, Vi
olet brought in my Walmart receipt. “What’s this?”

  “It’s my Wish List,” I said, brushing my damp hair.

  “What kind of Wish List?”

  “I don't know, things I want to accomplish before I die. Or more specifically, before I get arrested.”

  “Rose! Don’t say such a thing! You’re not gonna get arrested.”

  I didn't want to think about it, especially since I was preparing for my first date ever. “I certainly hope not, but it’s something I have to consider. There’s circumstantial evidence. Deanna Crawfield says it's a possibility.”

  Violet frowned. “I refuse to consider it. You didn’t do it and they’ll catch whoever did.” She turned her attention to the receipt. “This is an odd list.”

  “Maybe for you, but it’s mine.”

  “I noticed you checked off kiss a man.”

  “I already told you I had. That should come as no surprise.”

  “I hoped it was some kind of rebellious exaggeration. But now that you mention it, why are you so eager to go on a date after your wonderful kiss? Does it have anythin’ to do with the woman in Joe’s backyard?” She looked a little too smug.

  “I told you I don’t wanna talk about it.”

  Violet tried to hide her smile but not soon enough. “Go blow dry your hair and I’ll show you how to put on makeup. That is if Aunt Bessie didn’t show you already.”

  Aunt Bessie had, but it was all so foreign to me. I figured I’d need to be shown multiple times before I felt comfortable putting it on. Violet had brought some of her makeup, thinking I might not have any of my own, which I didn’t. Yet.

  I already felt like I was moving at light speed. Every time I saw myself in the mirror I paused, startled by the stranger looking back at me. This new person still took some getting used to. I’d told Violet that it was just hair, but it was more. It signaled the shedding of my old life. When Momma died, the padlock to my jail cell fell off, making me free. While I burst out running with my freedom, every once in awhile I had to stop and figure out where I’d run to.

  When Violet finished applying my makeup, which was thankfully very little, she gave me a good look-over and declared me ready. I still had twenty minutes until Steve showed up.