by Ginny Clyde
When the man’s face turned towards us, he beamed. He did not seem to see us first, as his attention was wholly fixed on my mother, still waving at him.
“Come on,” she called to us, giving the trolley a massive to push to get it rolling.
“Is that Jonathan?” James whispered, falling in step with me.
“I suppose.”
“Who exactly is he?”
“I don’t really know. Mother didn’t tell me much about him, except he’s been nice enough to fix the house we’ll live in.”
“He looks like a bear.”
I sniggered, earning a glare from Sarah who turned towards me. James, as always, maintained a smooth, impassive expression, escaping our mother’s ire. I gave him a light push on the shoulder as he stuck out his tongue at me. Very mature, I thought, rolling my eyes.
Jonathan crossed the rest of the distance in long strides. Throwing his arms around Sarah, he brought her into a bear hug. He gazed down at her, his gray eyes taking in his friend’s face.
“You look thin,” he said with a downward turn of his lips.
Sarah lifted a small shoulder in reply. Then she turned around at us. “These are my children. The oldest here is, Olivia,” she said, gesturing towards me. “And the young man is, James.”
“They are gorgeous,” said Jonathan, gazing at each of us in turn and smiling. “Hello, I am Jonathan Brown.”
From a closer inspection, he seemed to be a man in his early forties. He had closely cropped honey blond hair and wore a tweed jacket over a red checked shirt. His modest clothing, however, failed to hide the well-built body they covered. His gray eyes were light and warm. Handsome and intelligent, I decided after a quick inspection of the man.
“Let me take that,” said Jonathan, taking the trolley’s handle and wheeling it away to his car.
To my disappointment, he owned an old black Volvo. He opened the doors to his car. While Sarah and I climbed in the back, James took the seat in the front. Jonathan put our luggage in the trunk and came to the driver’s side.
It took some time getting used to the way the cars were being driven on the streets. Even though I’d learned to drive in Scotland, I decided it was safer to practice for a while to get used to driving on the right side of the road.
I wanted to look at the cityscape of my new home, but the warm gust of wind drifting through the open window combined with my exhaustion lulled me into a deep sleep.
When I opened my eyes again, Sarah was shaking me.
“What?” I grumbled.
“Wake up. We’re home.”
The afternoon had faded away. Straightening up, I looked out of the window. The car had stopped beside a two-storied house in a modest suburban area. Similar looking houses lined both sides of the road. Tall trees lined the walkways and swayed in a gentle breeze.
“Come on,” said Sarah, opening the door to her side.
I climbed out after her. James came to stand beside me, looking up at the house that was to be our home. From his expression, he was as unimpressed as me.
“Are all the rooms set up?” I asked, feeling like nothing mattered other than a bed. My eyes still felt heavy with exhaustion.
Sarah glanced at Jonathan.
“Everything’s ready. You can go take a nap right now if you wanted to.”
Instant gratitude flowed through me at his words.
“Can I, Mother? I feel so sleepy,” I said.
“Me too,” said James, stifling a yawn.
“Aren’t you guys hungry?” asked Jonathan. “I was thinking of ordering a pizza.”
“No. I am too tired to even feel hungry,” said James, his voice drawling.
“I feel the same, actually,” said Sarah. “It was a long flight and a very trying day.”
Jonathan’s bushy brows creased. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I am,” assured Sarah. “Just exhausted.”
“I’ll let you guys settle down then. Here’s the key,” he said, bringing a keychain with a small hay doll hanging from it. “There’s a spare under the flower pot with the orange peonies. I’ll get the luggage.”
Sarah’s eyes watered as she took the keys from Jonathan. For a moment, she simply stood, gazing down at them.
“What’s wrong, Mother?”
Sarah shook her head, brushing the tears away. “I made this doll in school. My father…your grandfather made it into a keychain.” She glanced towards Jonathan. “Thank you for holding onto it.”
“It was no problem,” he said, his head inside the trunk as he brought our suitcases out.
Sarah led us to the front steps of the house.
“This, kids, is the house where I grew up in,” said Sarah, her voice a mixture of pride, fondness, and sadness. Unlocking the door, she walked in.
James and I followed behind her. When the lights came on, we were presented with a small, but cozy living room. A faint smell of lemon verbena pervaded the space. A set of couches with a low coffee table took up most of the room. A fireplace stood at the far side. Picture frames lined the mantle over it. A TV set sat in a corner. One of the walls had a glass, encased cupboard filled with books. If I wasn’t so sleepy, I would have gone over to check the titles.
“Where’s my room?” asked James, his green eyes drooping.
Sarah thought for a moment. “I suppose I’ll take the master bedroom where my parents slept. Olivia can have my old room which leaves you with the smaller guest room.”
“So, the smallest room in the house,” he muttered. “Got it.”
“Stairs are that way,” she pointed towards the corridor leading away from the living room.
“Wait,” I called out. “I’m coming too.”
James didn’t listen. He stomped out of the room with me hurrying behind him. A narrow staircase with faded blue carpet led upstairs. I followed James and reached the landing. He opened the first room and peered inside. I walked ahead and opened the door on the other side of the corridor.
“There are dolls in this room.” I heard James’s irritated drawl. “It’s yours, Oli.”
I turned away from the beige painted room to glance at James.
“Thanks,” I said, walking over to him. He opened the door wider to let me in.
It was half the size of my dorm room. The walls were covered in green wallpaper with faded pink and purple tulips. The dolls that James had complained about lined an entire shelf. From the looks of them, they seemed handmade. Light curtains fluttered in the breeze flowing through the window. I kicked away my shoes and threw my jacket over a chair by a wooden desk with a desktop computer. The cot in the room with its light purple bed sheets beckoned me.
Without bothering to get out of my clothes, I sank into its comforting softness. I felt sleep overtaking me as soon as my head touched the pillow.
Chapter 2
When I opened my eyes next, a gray dawn was filtering through the curtains at the window. Blinking several times, my eyes focused on the darkened ceiling. I sat up, feeling completely awake.
“Ow.”
It hurt to move. The back of my neck felt sore from sleeping in the same position throughout the night. Massaging the area, I stood up. Without the warmth of the duvet, the morning chill caused the skin on my arms to break out in tiny pricks. My eyes swept the room for a shawl or something to cover myself in and found my jacket draped across the back of a chair. Picking it up, I donned it.
I went to the window to look out at the view. My exhaustion last evening hadn’t left me with any energy to explore our new home. Now that I was fully rested, my curiosity peaked. Removing the lacy curtains, I peered out. Beyond a small backyard, trees grew close together. It looked like the back of our house lay at the edge of a wooded area. Before turning away from the window, I made a mental note to explore it.
My stomach groaned. In the silence of the house, it sounded like a roar. Opening the door, I went outside barefoot. I hadn’t seen where the kitchen was last night, but descending the
narrow staircase, I followed the hallway leading opposite to the living room area. The kitchen was larger than any of the other rooms in the house, combined with a dining area.
I stood at the scrubbed wooden table with six chairs. A blue ceramic fruit bowl, piled high with apples sat at the center. Taking a seat at the head, I pulled the bowl towards me.
Picking up an apple, I took a large bite. It was crunchy and the sweet juices soothed my parched throat. I remained there for a while, eating two more apples. Filled with more energy, I began looking into the cabinets. Boxes of cereals, bags of crisps and other pantry items were stacked neatly in each of the shelves. Jonathan had done well with setting us up.
Next, I inspected the fridge. It was well stocked too, with bottles of milk, juice, and cream. There were tubs of butter and cream cheese. The bottom boxes were bursting with vegetables and salad leaves. I took the milk out and made myself a bowl of cereal.
Pale morning light lit up the space soon. I heard noises overhead and wondered whether James was awake too. After a minute or so, he appeared in the room in his pajamas, his spiky hair crumpled and disheveled.
“Morning,” he mumbled, coming over to me. He glanced at my nearly finished bowl of cereal. “Where?”
“Up in that shelf. Milk in the fridge,” I said, pointing at each location.
He picked up an apple from the bowl and clamped his jaws onto it. With the fruit held that way, he proceeded to make himself some cereal. I snorted at the ridiculous sight and went back to finishing my meal.
“Sleep all right?” he asked after finally taking a bite of the apple.
“Too well. I am sore from it now.”
He nodded like he understood. “It’s just the effects of jet lag. It will pass in a few days,” he said in a sage voice.
“What do you think of this place?” I said, glancing around the room.
“It’s small, but it’s been fine till now.” He hesitated for a moment, then said, “You realize that we’ll have to do everything around here? Like, everything.”
A sudden feeling of dread came over me as I suddenly realized we would have no one to clean after us, do our laundry or cook for us. Even at the Academy, these things were taken care for us.
I looked at the bowl in front of me. “I guess we start by washing these.”
“Have you washed utensils before?” he asked, his eyebrows raised at me.
“No. But I’ve seen it done plenty of times in TV commercials. Don’t make it sound like it’s a complicated job,” I scolded. “You will do yours after you’re finished. Don’t leave it for Mother.”
“Fine,” he grumbled, shoving a large spoonful of cereal into his mouth. He ground his teeth as he ate in an attempt to display his irritation.
I stood up and went to the sink. A sponge and bottle of green dishwasher liquid were set on the counter beside the sink. Apart from splashing my dress a little, I was able to wash the bowl and spoon and set it on the sideboard to drain.
“I need a shower now,” I said.
“There’s only one bathroom in the house, by the way,” said James, glancing up at me.
“What?” My mind whirred, not having anticipated this. “I’ll have to share a bathroom with you?”
“Hey, don’t blame me,” he said, putting up both his hands. “It wasn’t my idea. Just hurry up with it. I need to use it too.”
I stood there, dismayed.
“Hurry up, Oli,” he grumbled. “Standing there and pouting will not magically add an extra bathroom in the house.”
Scowling at his smart mouth, I stomped towards the living room to collect my suitcase. Heaving it up the stairs was difficult. I was panting by the time I reached my room. Since there was no shampoo or soap in it, I decided to take a look at the bathroom to see if it was equipped with necessities.
The bathroom had space for a toilet and a curtained bathtub with the shower head hanging on the wall over it. There was a cabinet over the sink and to my relief, stocked with toothpaste and bottles of soap and shampoo. I was about to collect these and take them near the tub when a loud bang on the door almost made me drop the items.
“Who is it?” I asked, my heart hammering in my ears. Was Jonathan in the house? Or was it someone else?
“What are you doing there?” I heard James’s voice. “I told you to hurry up.”
“I haven’t even started!” I yelled.
“Hurry or I’ll break open the door. I’ve gotta go bad!”
“You should have taken care of it before you sat down to eat.”
“I was hungry!” he shouted and banged on the door.
“What are you two yelling about?” Sarah’s voice joined the din.
“Oli won’t hurry with her shower,” I heard James complaining from outside.
“I just got in, Mother, and he started banging on the door,” I protested, not wanting him to look like a saint.
“Stop shouting!” shouted Sarah. “Jeez. You will wake up the whole neighborhood. Olivia, get in the shower and make it quick. James, wait your turn. No one’s breaking any doors.”
I heard footsteps moving away from the door.
“Oli, hurry. I need to go bad,” came James’s low, but pained voice.
An exasperated sigh escaped me. Setting the bottles on the small shelf beside the bathtub, I opened the door to the bathroom.
“Go do your business,” I said.
“You’re the best, Oli,” said James, grinning from ear to ear. Pushing past me, he entered the bathroom.
I walked back to my room, smiling at the thought of my silly brother. It made me realize how much we all had to adjust to our new situation. James and I never had much problems getting along. I suppose it was mostly because we never got in each other’s way. We had our own sections of the manor to ourselves. There was plenty of room for our books, toys, and even bathrooms!
A knock on the door took me out of my daydreams of our old home. Glancing up, I saw James.
“I’m done,” he said and walked away.
After a quick shower, I decided to go out for a walk. It was another clear day and would be perfect for exploring the surrounding areas. I opened my suitcase to sort through my clothes and picked out a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved blue shirt. Since my long sunshine blonde hair was still wet, I decided to brush it out and leave it loose.
The room had an old-fashioned dressing table with a tall mirror. I approached it and looked into the drawers. Old combs and clips were still inside it, but otherwise, they were empty. Taking the things out, I put my hair-dryer and makeup bag inside it. My gaze lingered on my green-eyed reflection. Even though there were heavy shadows under my eyes, made more prominent by my pale skin, I chose to ignore them. No one knew me here. There was no need for pretensions anymore. I really was part of a very humble home now.
I met Sarah on my way downstairs. She was dressed in jeans and a cotton shirt. Her hair that usually sat bundled in a low bun was left loose. The clothes looked faded and ill-fitted, but she looked years younger.
“These aren’t your clothes,” I remarked.
Sarah gave a giggle. “Actually, they are. I found them in my mother’s closet. Can’t believe she didn’t throw them out.” A sad look came into her chestnut brown eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“I was a horrible daughter,” she said, her eyes welling up with tears. “But your grandparents carried on loving me. It came as a surprise to even know they left me this house. I don’t deserve any of it.” As if suddenly realizing I was there, she hastily wiped her face with the sleeves of the shirt. “Are you going somewhere?”
“I thought I’d go check out the nearby areas. Do you want me to stay back?”
“Of course, not! I am just being silly. Go and explore the place. Maybe take James too?”
“Mother,” I groaned. “I want to go alone.”
Her mischievous smile told me she was teasing. Her mood swings were starting to confuse me. With a quick kiss on her cheek, I hurr
ied out of the door.
A cool breeze lifted the strands of hair from my forehead as I looked up at a clear blue sky. A few people on the street stared at me with curious looks. Not wanting to meet their gaze, I walked towards the backyard.
Rusty old folding chairs sat beside a weathered wooden table. Wildflowers grew among the tall, unkempt grass. Nestled among them, sat a fat ginger cat. Its lamp-like yellow eyes were narrowed at me. Ignoring it, I looked around. The yard was fenced on all sides with thick hedges, covering most of their sides. Beyond it, was a ring of tall trees leading towards the woods.
A rustling noise caught my attention. The cat was stretching its short bandy legs. It cast another glance at me and disappeared among the hedges. It disappeared for a moment and then reappeared outside the fences. I became curious and walked towards the spot. Removing the vines to get a clear view of the ground, I found a small gate. It was hanging on a rusty nail. The cat must have used the gap between the open gate and fence to get in.
When I looked up again, the creature had disappeared. With no around to stare at me here, I pushed the gate open further. It moved with an awful creaky noise but swung away at my thrust.
I walked towards the woods, hoping to find a trail I could follow. Back in Scotland, we often went for long walks in the parks and woods surrounding the Academy. The weather of Knightswood made my adventurous spirit rise again.
There were no marked trails as I walked several feet into the forest. I used a narrow path where no grass grew as my mark and followed it. After a quarter of an hour, a small bridge made of a fallen tree trunk came in view. A thin stream of water flowed underneath it.
There was a way to go around it, but feeling bold, I walked over the tree trunk. My hands were thrown wide to balance my tottering feet as I crossed the bridge. My heart rose when I made it without falling into the shallow stream. Laughter bubbled out of me at my achievement.
Feeling braver, I continued ahead to explore the woods. Birds twittered from overhead branches and fragments of the blue sky peeked through the foliage.
A distant sound of thudding footfalls stopped me in my tracks. Before I could turn back to see what it was, a heavy body slammed against me, throwing me on the ground. I cried as a huge mass flew over me. My eyes blinked furiously, unable to get over the sudden shock.