“Having Michael’s services there might create too deep of a bad associating memory,” Harris suggested.
“Suddenly you’re Dr. Freud,” Ellen retorted as she stepped closer with the phonebook.
“I’m just saying…” Harris was only able to get out.
“I know what you’re saying,” Ellen interrupted with. “And I appreciate your concerns for my wellbeing, but I think it would be better to associate one place with mournful memories than having those mournful memories spread throughout the city. So if at all possible, I would like to go with the funeral home that had done my mom’s funeral.”
“Okay,” Allyson said. “I’ll make the call.”
Ellen nodded, and as she was holding out the phonebook for Allyson to take, she said, “Thank you.”
With a pleasant grin, Allyson took the phonebook while saying, “You’re welcome.”
“While you’re calling the funeral home, I’m going to take a shower and change my clothes,” Ellen said.
“Okay,” Allyson said.
When Ellen turned and walked away, Allyson flipped open the book to search for the funeral home listings.
“I should get going so I can get ready for my shift,” Jane suggested.
“What do you do, Jane?” Harris asked.
“I’m a barmaid, working for three taverns so my hours are erratic,” Jane began. “And tonight I’ll be at the ‘Sink the Eight Ball’ lounge. In fact, I was actually getting home from the ‘Sink the Eight Ball’ lounge last night… this morning actually, when I saw Jared Claiborne and those two detectives entering the house. Anyway, it was nice meeting you both.”
“It was nice meeting you,” Harris and Allyson said.
Jane nodded before turning and walking towards the front door. When Jane opened the door, seven teenage girls around Ellen’s age and four teenage boys also around the same age were at the door. One of the boys was in motion to knock.
“Oh, hi,” the boy said while putting his hand down. “I’m… we’re here to check on Ellen.”
“We were informed about the deaths of her brother and sister-in-law,” one of the girls added as Harris stepped up behind Jane.
“She’s here,” Jane said. “She went to take a shower.”
“Let me see if I can catch her before she… strips down,” Harris told the teenagers.
“You’re English, like Mrs. Anderson”—the first boy got out before letting the last word fade—“was.”
“Yes,” Harris somberly agreed. “She was my sister.”
“We’re sorry for what had happened,” a second girl said.
Harris nodded with a polite grin before gesturing towards the stairs and saying, “I’ll go get Ellen.”
Before Harris got too far away, Jane told him, “Bye, I’m gone.”
“Bye,” Harris said as he glanced over his shoulder.
“Bye,” Allyson echoed from the other room as she dialed the number to the funeral home.
Upstairs in Ellen’s bedroom, Ellen was getting clean clothes from her dresser when Harris knocked on her doorframe.
Without looking, Ellen told him, “I like knowing why I get a ‘static electricity’ feeling, Harry.”
“Yes,” Harris quickly agreed. “I can see the advantage in it.”
When Ellen—with clothes in her hand—turned towards Harris, she asked, “So what’s up?”
Harris gestured in the direction of the front door while saying, “You have a few mates at the front door.”
“Who’s at the front door?”
Harris shrugged before saying, “Boys and girls around your age. I didn’t count as to how many nor did I get their names.”
Ellen glanced at the clock and saw that it was 3:22 P.M., before saying, “They’re my friends from school.”
“Most likely,” Harris agreed.
“So much for the idea of taking a shower right now,” Ellen said before putting her clothes on top of the dresser.
“As long as you stand down wind, you won’t bother me,” Harris said jokingly.
“Shut up,” Ellen retorted. Harris just amusingly grinned. “I don’t stink. I just like taking showers each day and I haven’t taken one today. Anyway I should find out who are all here.”
Harris nodded in agreement before he and Ellen walked towards the stairs.
The front door was open, and when the ones at the door saw Ellen and Harris descending the stairs, the first girl said, “Principle Holden made an announcement over the loud speaker about what happened.”
“And it takes that for you to step out of your social circle and say more than two words to me,” Ellen accused as she continued to descend the stairs.
“I talk to you,” she defended.
“Saying ‘hi’ and ‘bye’ with a polite wave and a smile isn’t talking, Courtney; it’s being polite,” Ellen retorted as she reached the bottom of the steps.
“Okay, well, see,” Courtney said with a gesture as if Ellen had made her point for her. “At least I’m nice to you.”
Harris stopped walking a few feet from the door and listened to the conversation that was taking place.
“Yeah, you’re nice to me,” Ellen agreed before gesturing towards the rear of the group. “But what about Billie, Marcie and Ray-ray?”
“What about them?” Courtney asked while giving the two girls and the boy a quick glance over her shoulder.
“You act as though they’re not on this planet let alone attending the same high school,” Ellen pointed out.
Courtney moved into whispering distance before whispering, “Those three are the most unpopular three in school. And who names their son Ray-ray?”
“It’s his nickname for Raymond Raye,” Ellen whispered back. Harris strained to hear as Ellen continued to say, “And I like you, Courtney. You’re a nice person—when you choose to be—but you’re so focused on being a part of the in-crowd that you ignore the ones who aren’t a part of the in-crowd.”
“Yes, I heard all this before from you,” Courtney grumbled. “You—a person who can easily be a part of the incrowd if you choose to be—are friendly to all; the popular and the unpopular. What’s your point?”
“My point is that Billie, Marcie, Ray-ray and even Jeanie have been my friends no matter who I choose to socialize with and therefore they’re welcome in to visit me anytime,” Ellen began. “You and the rest of the in-crowd, on the other hand, want me to choose between the in-crowd and the group who aren’t a part of the in-crowd. I’m not choosing, but I know that you and the in-crowd have; you chose not to associate with me. So—to wrap-up my point—thank you for your condolences, but if you and the others can’t socialize with Billie, Marcie, Ray-ray and Jeanie then I’m going to insist that you and your in-crowd leave.”
Courtney nodded, and after a short deliberation, she turned towards Ray-ray and said, “I’m calling you Ray; not Ray-ray.”
Ray-ray shrugged while saying, “It’s your prerogative.”
Courtney shot Ellen a grin before saying, “Requesting entrance to the country of Switzerland.”
Ellen amusingly grinned while shaking her head. As she backed up to allow everyone to enter she said, “Come in.” Courtney nodded with a grin before taking a step into the house. “And did you come here with Billie, Marcie, Ray-ray and Jeanie?”
“We came in separate cars,” Billie was the one to say. “We didn’t even know that queen-bee and her disciples were coming.”
Courtney shot Billie an annoyed look, and before she could verbally respond, Ellen stared at Billie while saying, “Potshots—cheap or otherwise—aren’t allowed here in Switzerland.”
“Sorry,” Billie said sincerely.
Ellen responded with a nod. She then glanced towards Harris and saw that he was giving her a pleasant grin.
“What?” Ellen mouthed out.
Harris stepped up into whispering distance before saying, “I see now why Tanya would boast about you.”
“She would boast about me?” Elle
n questioned incredulously.
“Mmm,” Harris agreed. “She would say for a teenager, you have a good sense of right and wrong and fairness.”
Before Ellen could respond, someone put his or her hand on her shoulder. When she turned to look, one of the boys asked in a concerned tone, “How are you doing, Ellen?”
Ellen grinned before saying, “I’ll get through this, Keith. Thanks for asking.”
Keith nodded with a grin before saying, “If you need a shoulder to cry on…”
“I’m good, Keith,” Ellen quickly assured him. “I don’t need a shoulder to cry on.”
Keith held his grin as he playfully said, “Rats.”
Ellen rolled her eyes before announcing to her group, “Everyone, go to the living room. I’ll go to the kitchen and get sodas for everyone.”
“You heard her, everyone,” Courtney said.
“I’ll help you get the drinks,” Harris volunteered.
“Okay,” Ellen said before everyone went his or her way.
As Ellen and Harris entered the kitchen, Harris said, “Keith fancies you.”
“Yes; he’s a popular jock who has several girls wanting to be with him and he bugs me for dates,” Ellen said.
“He seems like an okay chap, so why won’t you go out with him?” Harris asked as Ellen opened the refrigerator.
“Do you really want to hear girl talk?” Ellen quickly asked.
Harris shrugged before saying, “With you and Sonya living with Allyson and me, it’s going to happen sooner or later. I might as well get use to it now.”
“Okay, fine,” Ellen said as she handed Harris a few colas to be carried. “True or not, the jocks at my school have reputations of having sex with their dates. Fact or even a rumor I’m not going to be one of their conquests.”
Harris nodded before asking, “Is there anyone special in your life?”
“I’ve been on dates… to the movies,” Ellen said as she grabbed a few more sodas. “Hardly anything more than that.”
“Why not?” Harris quickly asked.
Ellen stared skeptically into Harris’s eyes before she decided to say, “I’m a virgin and I’m not ready to have sex, nor do I want to make out during the movies, so my dates move on to someone who will.”
Harris pleasantly grinned before telling her, “Don’t give up. There are boys out there who will respect your decision not to have sex.”
“Oh, I know. I’d dated one who had respected my decision. We went on about five dates before he and his family moved to Arizona.”
“You’ll find someone else,” Harris assured her. Ellen nodded in agreement with a pleasant grin. “We’d better get these sodas to your mates.”
Before Harris had a chance to turn, Ellen quickly told him, “I don’t have the good sense of right and wrong as Tanya had told you.”
Harris shot her a confused look while asking, “What do you mean?”
“I snuck out… twice on Michael and Tanya to be with my friends,” Ellen said.
Harris grinned before saying, “Yes. The first time you attempted to stop a drag race that was taking place and the second time to console a friend over… over something.”
Ellen shot Harris a disturbed look while quickly asking, “How do you know?”
“Tanya told me about it…”
“She knew? How?”
“According to Tanya, you aren’t very good at sneaking out unseen and Tanya had wanted to see what you were up to, so she followed you both times.”
“Why didn’t she tell me that I was busted?”
“Busting you for sneaking out to do good deeds wasn’t a high priority for Tanya; however, she would’ve… when she felt there was a need to.”
“Okay,” Ellen uttered. “There went my self-esteem on how sneaky I thought I could be.”
Harris amusingly grinned before saying, “Let’s take these sodas to your mates.”
Ellen nodded agreement before she and Harris carried the sodas into the living room.
Chapter Three
Allyson had made a same-day appointment with Arthur Bennett, the funeral home director, so Ellen’s friends could only visit for a short time before Harris, Allyson and Ellen had to leave the house.
The fifty-year-old Arthur Bennett noticed as soon as Harris, Allyson and Ellen stepped into the funeral home. He had recognized Ellen from a few months before and from talking with Allyson on the phone, he knew why they were there. As he stepped up to them, he introduced himself.
After the introductions were done, Arthur turned towards Ellen while saying, “Ms. Anderson, I remember your mother’s services and I’m very sorry that you have to go through this again so soon.”
Ellen politely grinned before saying, “Yes, me too.”
“So may I get you three anything?” Arthur offered before taking his eyes off of Ellen and looking towards Harris and Allyson. “Soda? Coffee?”
“We’re good, Mr. Bennett,” Harris said.
“Let’s just get on with what we need to do,” Ellen quickly said. “I want to get this over with.”
Allyson put her arm around Ellen’s shoulders while saying, “Please excuse Ellen’s bluntness; however, she is correct on that we would like to get on with it.”
“I understand,” Arthur said. “Follow me and I’ll show you three to our casket display.”
“Of course,” Harris and Allyson said.
Ellen just casually trailed behind as Harris and Allyson followed Arthur.
During the passing minutes, Harris, Allyson and Ellen looked at a dozen caskets before deciding on one that was similar to the one that Ellen’s mother was buried in.
Everyone then moved into Arthur’s office to finalize the pending services, and once the arrangements had been made for the coming Friday, Ellen, Harris and Allyson left.
Once the three were in the rented SUV, Harris glanced at his watch before saying, “We still have over two hours before we need to meet my parents at the airport. So what do you think? Should we go eat dinner first?”
“There’s a chance that they’ll be hungry as well,” Allyson suggested.
“And if we wait to eat and they’re not hungry, they will be watching us eat,” Harris countered.
“Dilemmas-dilemmas-dilemmas,” Ellen said.
“You’re a big help,” Harris sarcastically told Ellen.
Ellen amusingly grinned before saying, “Okay, well, if you ask me how we should pass the time, I want to go to the hospital and visit Sonya.”
“You’re not hungry?” Allyson asked Ellen.
Ellen thought about it for a moment before shaking her head and saying, “Not really.”
“You had to think about your answer?” Harris asked.
Ellen shrugged before saying, “I haven’t had much of an appetite since I was told about Michael and Tanya. I wouldn’t have eaten lunch if it wasn’t for Jane insisting that I eat something. Even then I picked at my food.”
“We should wait for your parents,” Allyson suggested. “Perhaps Ellen will have more of an appetite by then.”
“I doubt it,” Ellen said, barely audible.
Harris looked back at Ellen before saying, “Okay, we’ll go to the hospital to see Sonya.” A grin came across Ellen’s face. “I doubt we’ll be able to visit very long.”
When Ellen nodded, Harris turned forward and started the SUV.
Once the three got to the hospital they were able to visit for slightly more than an hour before they had to leave for the airport.
After a twenty-minute wait at the airport, Harris, Allyson and Ellen greeted Harris’s parents with a hug for each of them.
Once the greetings were over, Harris asked, “So have you two eaten?”
“We had something during the London to New York flight, but I couldn’t tell you what it was though,” Avery, Harris’s dad, said.
“It was fish,” Shannon, Harris’s mother, informed.
“It was supposed to have been fish, but I have my doubts,” Avery s
aid.
“Yes, anyway, the reason I asked is that Allyson, Ellen and I haven’t eaten since lunch,” Harris began. “And I was wondering if you two would like to get a bite to eat with us.”
“Sure, I’m a bit peckish,” Shannon said.
“Let us grab our luggage, son, and then we can go somewhere where I can identify what I’m eating,” Avery said.
“Okay,” Harris said before gesturing in a direction. “The luggage carousel is this way.”
Avery gestured for Harris to go first, and as everyone was following Harris, Allyson asked, “So, Shannon? Avery? How was your flight?”
“The waiting in New York was exhausting, but other than that, our travel was enjoyable,” Shannon said. “So, Ellen? What grade are you in?”
“Tenth,” Ellen simply replied.
When Ellen didn’t say anymore, Shannon asked, “How well are you doing… in the tenth grade?”
“A’s in math and science, and B’s in about everything else,” Ellen said. “Of course if it wasn’t for Tanya being an English teacher and helping me with my grammar, I wouldn’t do so hot in that subject. She helped me a lot.”
“Yes,” Shannon agreed. “Tanya was superior in grammar and spelling. She studied journalism at the university, you know.”
Ellen grinned while saying, “Tanya had told me that two-thirds of your relatives had studied journalism; including you, your sister and your mother.”
“That’s true, but Tanya was the one who had the real talent for it,” Shannon said. “She would get perfect marks on her tests each time.”
“Your big sis had helped you to pass a few tests on grammar, Harry,” Avery pointed out.
“That she did,” Harris agreed.
“Tanya could’ve been a great reporter if only she had the stomach for it,” Shannon added sullenly.
“Is that why she became a high school English teacher instead?” Ellen asked as they were approaching the luggage carousel.
“It was,” Shannon said before they searched through the luggage on the carousel.
Avery and Shannon had five good size bags and once they were gathered, Shannon saw the gleam in Ellen’s eyes and the pleasant grin that she wore as Ellen asked, “Which of these has the Legacy volumes?”
Legacy Page 5