Saving Marlilyn
Page 4
Chapter 4 - Back in Time
“Alright, sweetie, remember what I said, don’t talk to ANYONE.” Auggie paused for a moment. “And be careful.”
“I’ll be careful, don’t worry, I’ll be back in two seconds.”
“O.K., here we go, I love you, Angel.”
“Love you too, Fuzzy Bear.” LOKI banged and creaked and Auggie hit the big red button, then came the flash of light and Claire disappeared. “Whoa. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that,” she whispered to herself. Claire took a quick look at the timer which read 7:59 and counting. Everything seemed good, so she headed off to her destiny.
As she walked down the front hill she noticed, once again, her Grandfather’s old car and the lack of life on the streets. Just as she turned the corner to descend the front steps she heard a familiar voice say, “Hey! You again? What’s the matter with you, girl?” Claire’s grandmother still looked lively and beautiful, but also very annoyed.
“Umm.” Claire again had to think fast.
“I’m sorry, I started to go to the store but I forgot my money so I had to go back to get it and I forgot that you said not to cut through your yard anymore.”
“Forgot your money, eh?” Her grandmother asked. “Did Edna give you that money?”
“No ma’am, this is my money,” Claire said, confused by the question.
“Well, that figures, Edna Shergren wouldn’t shell out a quarter for milk for her own niece.”
“No ma’am, I guess not.”
“Don’t be fresh with your elders, girlie.”
“No ma’am, I’m sorry ma’am. May I go, ma’am?” Claire was very eager to end this conversation.
“Well, I figure since you insist on using my front yard as Grand Central Station, that you might as well run an errand for me as well. What do you think about that, girlie?”
“I really can’t, ma’am...” Claire was abruptly interrupted by a male voice.
“What do ya mean ya can’t, lassie?” That Irish brogue could be only one person, Claire’s grandfather. “From what I’ve been hear’, girlie, you owe me wife the favor, cuttin’ through her beautiful garden then disrespectin’ her like that.”
“I mean no disrespect, Sir; I just need to hurry back or...” Claire had to think of something good so she could get out of there fast. “Or...Aunt Edna will hide me.” Hide me? She thought to herself, not certain that it meant spanking.
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph, child, you’re saying Ms. Shergren would hide ya just for being a few minutes late from the grocery?”
Claire didn’t want to paint this already ill regarded person any worse, but she had no choice. “Sure as I’m standing here, Sir.”
“Well then, lassie, this is your lucky day, I was just about to run to the hardware store for some fixtures. I can give you a ride, then you’ll surely be back before hidin’ time.”
“Oh, thank you, sir, but that’s really not necessary.”
“I’ll have none of this refusal, girl, you’re coming with me.” He turned to his wife.
“What will you be needin’, mother?” He always called his wife mother and she always called him dad. That was a precious memory from Claire’s childhood and the nostalgia almost overwhelmed her. “What are you staring at, girl? Let’s be off with ya.” The old man grabbed Claire’s hand before she could protest. “Kathy, girl, are you comin’?” He yelled into thin air. Claire’s heart sank; Kathy was her mother’s name.
“Comin’ Dad.”
Down the front stairs came a fifteen-year-old version of Claire’s mother. She was wearing a white skirt with red polka dots and a white button-up blouse with plain white sneakers. Seeing her was strange and magical and it left Claire awestruck. “Get in the car, girl.” Claire’s grandfather was getting impatient.
“Who’s this, Daddy?”
“Don’t ya be worryin’ ‘bout who this is, just get in the car like you’re told, girl,” he said. The three of them got into the front seat of the old forest green 1959 Chevy Impala. It was shiny, near new, not the way Claire remembered it at all. Kathy crawled into the middle while Claire took the window seat. As Claire’s grandfather drove away, he and Kathy waived at Claire’s grandmother.
“I don’t think I caught your name, girl.”
“It’s Claire.” She said before she even thought about it.
“That’s a nice name.” Replied her mother. “That was Kathleen’s favorite auntie’s name” her father chimed in.
“Thank you.” Claire tried not to stare. She was amazed at the shining youth who sat beside her, but she knew this was dangerous territory. She tried not to speak unless spoken to. Kathy and her father rattled back and forth about the day’s events and what they were going to pick up at the store, but Claire stayed silent. After what seemed like an eternity, they reached the grocery store, which stood right next to the hardware store.
“You girls get what you need at the grocery while I get some fixtures at the hardware store.”
“O.K., Daddy.” Kathy quickly replied. Kathy and Claire shuffled into the grocery store.
“I like those pedal pushers.” Kathy said.
“Thanks.” Claire was still trying to keep the conversation to a minimum.
“My Daddy won’t let me wear pants.”
“Really?” Claire sounded astounded at the cultural differences between her and her mother’s generation.
“He doesn’t think it’s proper for a young lady to wear pants.”
“That’s too bad.”
“Why?”
“Well...because you’re missing out on comfort.”
“Are they really more comfortable?” Kathy asked with girlish excitement. “Maybe I should sneak some, ya think?”
“NO!” Claire realized that even this simple conversation was having an impact on her mother and decided that running away was the only solution. “Don’t do that, Kathy, you should listen to your grandfather...I mean father, you should listen to your father....or not if you don’t want to...Oh, God, I don’t know.” Flustered, Claire knew she had to get out of there. “Gotta run!”
“What do you mean?” Kathy stood confused, but it was too late, Claire was already half way out the backdoor. Just as she reached the light of day, she felt a hand on her shoulder.
“Where do you think you’re going, girl?” It was her grandfather.
“Umm...” Claire was in shock. “Could this get any worse?” she thought.
“I declare, you are the strangest lass I’ve ever met. Have you finished you’re shopping already?”
“Uh, no Sir, I just felt a little ill and thought I should get some air.” Now that was thinking fast.
“Well, it’s been gotten, now get back in there, lassie.” He paused and looked toward the back parking lot. “Oh, Lordy, help us all, you’re too late, here comes your auntie.” Claire froze, her blood ran cold and her face fell white as a ghost. She grabbed her grandfather’s arm and drug him into the store with her. In the distance you could hear Edna calling his name.
“Colm? Colm Dugan is that you?” Her voice trailed off as they entered the store.
“You didn’t see me Mr. Dugan, please don’t say you saw me, I’ll get hided. I lied, Mr. Dugan, I’m not going to the store for my auntie, I snuck out while she was napping, if she sees me, she’ll hide me for sure.”
“Ah, lassie, what are ya doing to me?” he asked, shaking his head.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Dugan, but I gotta get out of here. Please don’t mention me, please?” Claire delivered an Oscar caliber performance in begging for her life and her grandfather and her mother both nodded their heads. As she ran out the front door this time she yelled back “You and Kathy take care, Sir!” Just as she turned out of sight, Edna Shergren entered through the back door. Kathy followed Claire to the door and waved good-bye through the front window, but Claire’s back was to the wind.
“Colm Dugan, I thought that was you, why didn’t you answer me?”
“
Was that you, Edna? I thought it twas the wind,” he said out loud. Then he mumbled under his breath, “a big, fat, hot wind.” Claire’s grandfather kept his word not to say anything to Edna about her niece, but Claire had left him and Kathy in utter confusion. He sure had a heck of a story to tell his wife when he got home, though. All three Dugans agreed Claire was a strange and unusual girl.