A man walks by then turns around. He’s about Gram’s age. “You need some help?”
I’ve had enough signs. “Sure.”
His hand reaches out and he pulls me up. He’s strong for his age—just like Gram. “Thanks.”
He smiles. “Have a good day.”
Seems an ironic thing to say in a hospital, but I nod. I walk the few feet to the doorway of room 204.
Dad says, “Taylor should be here soon.”
I peek my head around the doorway. The last time I saw Gram, there only was an IV in her arm. Now tubes and wires are running everywhere. Oh, God. Gram is staying alive to see me! So much stuff is twined around her I can’t see her face. Maybe it’s for the best. I want to remember her full of life.
A monitor beeps loudly and the nurse holds Gram’s wrist. She takes out a stethoscope and puts it on her chest. “I’m sorry.”
The words ring in my ears and my vision blurs. The hall shrinks in on me and I collapse to the floor. Gram is gone.
The horrifying hospital thankfully receded. Only to be replaced by Schwartz’s plump figure. My body went mushy, like when I first arrived in Junior Heaven. “What the hell just happened?” My mouth filled with Ivory bubbles.
“I’d appreciate it if you’d remember where you are.”
I spit the suds into my hand. “You’ve got to be kidding me. How can you expect me not to curse? I’ve been using what Gram called ‘colorful language’ ever since I can remember. The first word out of my mouth was Gramp’s favorite curse word.”
“Taylor, no foul language. You know the rules.”
“Sorry. I feel awful. Shouldn’t Junior Heaven be a pain-free zone?”
Schwartz’s frown made her eyebrows look like two angry bats fighting. “Every time you travel, you’ll feel the same.”
“Every time?”
“Taylor, stop being so dramatic. The pain you feel in Heaven isn’t real. It’s like the phantom pain people have when they lose a limb.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “Feels pretty real to me. No f—way I’m doing that again.” I caught myself before swearing. The effort made the amulet turn khaki green. “I don’t get why I have to relive a bad moment like that anyway.”
“A pivotal time in your life, don’t you think?”
“Yeah. It totally convinced me to never die. That obviously didn’t work out so well.”
Schwartz smacked her pointer on the arm of the chair. “Taylor, you only get one second chance.” Her massive hips came to rest on the corner of her desk. She stared at my amulet bubbling away. “Why do you think you lost control of the situation?”
I squirmed in the swan-backed chair. The aftermath of what I’d done still hurt me deep inside.
“Because I had a bad hair day. You should be able to relate to that.”
Schwartz slid off the desk and struck the chair with the pointer. “Wipe that smirk off your face. Have you no remorse?” The Helmet hovered over me. “We have a long road ahead if I’m going to have any chance of redeeming you.”
Redemption. I finally knew what the whole afterlife coach thing was all about. Yet, how could I redeem myself when I’d never gathered up enough courage to defy my mother?
My smile vanished. I swallowed hard. “I know what I did was awful.”
“Pardon? I didn’t hear you.”
What did she want from me? The truth? “I should have…I should’ve hugged my grandmother one last time and said good-bye.”
The powerful scent of Schwartz ’s gardenia perfume wafted up my nose as the Helmet moved closer. “Thank you.” She tapped the vial with the tip of her pointer. “See how the amulet is becoming mint green? Don’t you feel better after admitting your weakness?”
I wiggled out from under the assault of Schwartz’s perfume and stood on wobbly legs. I didn’t know how much more of this session I could take. “Are we done?”
Schwartz let out a loud laugh. “Not even close.”
I clenched my fists. The amulet turned such a dark khaki it almost looked black. “I don’t know what you want!”
I knew. My love for Gram should have been more important than my mother’s stupid rules. Hard to admit it to myself, let alone Schwartz.
My former teacher puffed out her chest like a rooster. “You’re still not being honest with me.” She waved the pointer over my head. “Time for you to meet a special person. Maybe they will have better luck with you.”
“How special?”
She waved her pointer over my head. “You’ll see.”
Chapter Seven
To Grandmother’s House I Go
My body felt like someone had tied it into big, loopy knots like a pretzel. I opened my eyes and couldn’t believe where I was. The white gingerbread danced along the porch roof—exactly like the last time I’d seen it.
Grandma Allen’s summer cottage.
I stood glued to the ground. This had to be some pointer-induced dream. Then it hit me, I’d never been to the cottage without my grandmother. Seemed like ages since I’d seen her, yet it had only been two years. A vision of a woman emerged from the cottage. Her halo of hair almost disappeared into the bright sunlight.
“Gram!”
She raced toward me and gave me an all-encompassing hug. “Pumpkin, is it really you?”
I stared into her face, savoring every wrinkle. Her hair, snow white and as fluffy as a cotton ball, made me smile. She was real! How wonderful to see her again. A tinge of pain ran up my neck. What if she remembered I didn’t come to see her? This was no gift. Schwartz sent me here to atone for my sin. She was determined to push me further over the emotional edge. Like the amulet’s constant reminders weren’t enough to keep me on track. I tucked it under my T-shirt. Gram would surely ask about why it changed colors. I’d be too embarrassed to tell her the truth.
I stared at Gram like she was a mirage. “Yes, it’s me.” Did she remember what I did? “You look fantastic.”
She let out a chuckle. “That’s sweet of you. Nice to know I still look good.”
I let out a sigh of relief. She didn’t seem to remember the final moments in the hospital. I shook off the dread of seeing her again. “You look younger than you did on Earth.”
Gram took my arm. “Heaven has a way of turning back the clock for us old folks.”
She led me over to my favorite childhood place. The old hammock still hung between the two trees Gramp planted. I sat down on the familiar rope netting and wondered why he didn’t join us. My grandparents were inseparable when they were alive. They had the kind of marriage I wished my parents had. “Where’s Gramp?”
“He’s in Senior Heaven.”
I pushed off the hammock and stood on the grass. “Why didn’t he come to see me?”
“Sorry, Pumpkin. Only one of us could come.” She straightened her apron. “I’ll be right back. I have cookies in the oven.”
I couldn’t wait for her return. Gram’s cookies were just what I needed. I swayed back and forth in the hammock and breathed in the country air. Then the trees rustled and a flash of silver appeared. Had the Mustache Man been sent to spy on me?
The sun formed a halo around Gram’s round silhouette as she returned wearing her favorite strawberry-printed apron. A plate piled high with cookies and a large pitcher of lemonade loaded down her arms. She put down the tray on the freshly mowed grass and reached over to stroke my hair. “Pumpkin, I know you probably have a lot of questions about what’s happening.”
Gram was the one person who didn’t mind my bad habit.
“Heaven hasn’t changed my love of asking questions one bit.”
She ruffled my hair. “I’m here for you like always.”
“Thanks, Gram. It’s so wonderful to be at the cottage again.”
With both her hands, she caressed my face. “I couldn’t agree with you more. Want a cookie?”
I always thought Gram’s Toll House cookies were heaven. I took a big bite, enjoying the irony they were far better. “Mmm…
as scrumptious as I remember.” The pitcher of lemonade made me salivate. After the dreck that passed for food at Schwartz’s, I couldn’t wait to eat some real food. “How about you pour me a big one? Have you been working on any new stories? I’d love to hear one. It’s been too long.”
“Yes, I have. Heaven’s a wonderful place to write. It would be an honor to read you my latest. You have to promise to tell me one of your jokes. They always make me laugh. You’re so talented.”
She lifted the pitcher to fill a beautiful ruby-colored glass. Gram always believed in me. When she died, I lost my biggest cheerleader.
She handed me the glass. “Drink and eat all you want. You can’t get fat here.”
“Fantastic.” A pang of guilt hit as I took another bite of the cookie. It felt wrong to be sitting with Gram like she’d never died. The guilt of not saying good-bye was just too big of a burden. Besides, this was why Schwartz sent me here—for redemption. I looked deep into her sparkling blue eyes. “Gram, I have something to…tell you.”
“Pumpkin, what’s wrong? You’re turning white.”
My hand shook as I put the half-eaten cookie back on the plate. “I did something really bad.”
The branches of the tree shook. A few leaves floated down like confetti, as the patch of silver grew slightly larger. Could Mustache Man be listening in?
Gram ignored the falling leaves and gently took my hand. “You can tell me. I won’t judge you.”
Any other time I knew she wouldn’t—but not today. “When you were sick in the hospital I had a chance to say good-bye to you…but I didn’t.” A tear ran down my cheek. “I just could...n’t see you like...”
She put her arms around me. “Oh, Pumpkin, I can barely remember what happened at the end. I knew you loved me. You were there in spirit.”
Another tear dripped down my cheek. The amulet grew cold against my skin. Yet, something kept me from completely breaking down. A voice inside my head whispered, “If you cry, you’ll prove you’re guilty.” Mom’s voice still haunted me. “I’m so sorry.”
Gram let go of me and looked away. “I have something far worse I’ve kept from you.”
What could the sweetest person I knew have done that was so horrible?
She sucked in a breath. “I swear I was going to finally tell you but then the accident happened.”
“Gram, it’s okay. You don’t have to try and make me feel better.”
A stern look took over her pleasant face. “Taylor, I’m doing this for me.”
My skin prickled. Gram never used my name unless something was wrong. “You don’t have to tell me. I’m sure you kept it from me for a reason.”
“Yes, I do. I should never have let your mother talk me out of it.”
“Mom? What does she have to do with it?”
“She’s kept a very big secret from you.”
The prickles on my arms grew larger as the amulet heated up again. “I’m not surprised. You know her. So closed off from people.”
Gram squeezed my hand a bit too tightly. “The father you’ve know your whole life is not your real father.”
My mouth went dry and I gasped for breath. “What? Dad isn’t my fa…ther?”
How could the man who cleaned my wounds and bandaged me up after so many accidents not be my dad?
I pushed off the hammock and ran toward the lake. The amulet’s heat radiated through my shirt. I tried to think of a word that described how deeply I’d been hurt. Like a punch in the gut, the word came to me—betrayed.
Gram stood next to me. Tears trickled down her face. “Pumpkin, please, please, forgive me.”
I stared into her red-tinged eyes. There was only one person to blame for this mess—Mom. “It wasn't your responsibility to tell me. Someone else should be asking for my forgiveness.”
“My daughter.”
I looked pleadingly into her eyes. “Did you ever meet my…real father?
Gram slowly led me back to the hammock. Exhausted, I collapsed into the netting. Leaves pelted me as the tree rustled again. I looked up and couldn’t believe what I saw. Sitting on a large branch out in plain sight was Mustache Man. He had the nerve to wave. Guess my family drama was good entertainment.
Gram sat next to me and somehow missed seeing our guest. Did he have the power to only let certain people see him?
She moved closer. “I met your father several times. The first was at the restaurant Chez Mélange. I’d been out with friends. We were ordering our dessert and then I got up to use the restroom. I noticed your mother and a guy I didn't recognize sitting in a dark corner.” She fidgeted with her hands. “I was a bit surprised to see her out with a man with your father away. Thought it completely inappropriate. After my friends left, I stayed behind. When they finished dinner, I followed them.”
“Do you remember what he looked like?”
“Very tall and athletic. Kind of like a Hollywood movie star with his good looks and striking auburn hair.”
Had I suddenly been thrown into a Lifetime movie? I ran my fingers through my hair. A tie to my real father I never knew about. “Where did they go?”
“He walked her to her car. They sat together talking and laughing. I remember I didn’t like the way he stroked your mother’s face. Very intimate. Obviously they were more than friends.”
The amulet grew hotter as I stuffed down my resentment. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
She absently pulled a thread from her apron. “Your grandfather thought it was best if we stayed out of it. He thought when the time was right, your mother would tell you. Besides, your mother made us promise never to say anything.”
My chest grew heavy like I’d donned a bulletproof vest, but I hadn’t. The bullet of truth hit me right in the heart. My semi-normal life—nothing but a lie. “You never questioned Mom’s decision?”
“I did. Especially when grew older. As much as I tried to talk to your mother about her life, she made her own decisions, good and bad.”
My throat grew tight and a deep moan escaped as I fought to control myself. The amulet got so hot I worried it might explode.
Gram stroked my hand. “Your mother’s not here. You can let go. Cry.”
The glass vial burned my skin, but I fought the pain. No time to break down now. I needed to find out more about my father. This might be my only chance. “What else do you know about him?”
“Your mother told me she constantly rescued him from accidents. She called him ‘The Cat,’ just like you.”
Somehow the information made my heartache worse. Another thing I had in common with the father I’d never met. I stared off at the lake, barely able to feel my body.
Mustache Man moved closer. He sat almost on the very tip of the branch. Our family drama must be more entertaining than the contest.
Gram seemed to sense I’d had enough truth. She pulled one of her famous subject changes. “Enough family talk. Would you like to know about Senior Heaven? It’s very different from here. It’s an amazing place.”
Although I couldn’t care less, I wanted the pain to stop. “Sure. What’s it like?”
Her eyes lit up. “Oh, Pumpkin, Senior Heaven is more amazing than you can ever imagine. Makes Disneyland look like a miniature golf course.”
“Really?” I was dying to know more about my dad, so I pretended to care. “Tell me all about it.”
Gram straightened like she might start one of her porch stories. “My favorite thing about Senior Heaven is the food. Oh...and wait until you get to level four. It’s like everything you’ve done up until that point is kindergarten.”
“Sounds amazing. Junior Heaven is pretty cool, but also kind of strange. The weather is hot and humid—the way I like it. Everyone else is sweating like crazy. It’s nothing like I pictured. Things are a bit rundown and broken.”
Gram nodded. “Yes. It wasn’t that way when I first arrived. Things were truly wonderful. The temperature was always a lovely seventy-five degrees. The buildings shimmered
and glistened like new.”
She caught my interest. Maybe I’d get the answer to why Junior Heaven was slowly crumbling. “Really? Did something happen?”
She sighed. “A little over a week ago, dark clouds rolled across the sky and the weather changed in seconds. Then a loud buzzing filled the air and a strange violet glow radiated through the clouds turning…”
Gram stopped when the branches of the tree swayed back and forth. Mustache Man had disappeared.
I kicked at the grass, ticked that something once again interrupted the answers I wanted. The amulet bubbled along with my frustration. “Gram, what’s wrong? Please finish.”
The disc burst through the branches and hovered directly over Gram’s head. Mustache Man stood on the edge of the disc. He pointed at Gram. “Enough! You know you’re not allowed to mention what happened that day.”
Gram gasped when the disc suddenly turned from silver to bright blue. “I forgot. I’m so sorry. Please, don’t do anything to us.” She held her arms out protectively across my chest.
I held my hands up to surrender. “It’s my fault. I got carried away.” I couldn’t stand the thought of losing her again. “Don’t punish Gram.”
Mustache Man laughed. “I make the decisions who is punished around here. No little girl is going to sway me.”
He aimed a light beam at Gram’s chest.
I threw myself in front of her as the beam headed straight toward its target. “Take me!”
Chapter Eight
Not Again!
The disc’s tractor beam dumped me off in the swan-backed chair like a sack of rice. The amulet popped out from under my shirt like a jack-in-the box. Guess it was tired of being hidden.
Schwartz stood under Mustache Man, sitting on the edge of his disc. “Thank you for delivering my student. She won’t break the rules again.”
Nine Lives (The Katran Legacy) Page 7