by R Corona
Ms. Baynes took my aunt and cousin around, introducing them to the rest of the guests. The amount of people at the party surprised me; maybe food did bring people together like Ette had said. I strolled back and forth between the tables, trying to keep close to Ms. Baynes. My aunt was doing a great job staying by her side, but at times Ms. Baynes would disappear from my sight. There were plenty of people to steal her attention; I just needed a few seconds of her time and a few glimpses of her memory.
Aunt Marcelle walked closer to me and then grabbed a plate of food. When she had finished, my aunt turned and moved towards the front entrance. Leev rapidly whispered as she walked behind her mom, “there’s your chance. Two of her coworkers are here, she’s making her way towards them now.” Wanting to believe fate was on my side, I began to search for the Housekeeper. My path had been lit. Ms. Baynes stood under the light of one of the chandeliers. I had only to make my way across the room. Quickly, before someone took her away. Suddenly, the figure of a tall man obscured my view of Ms. Baynes. The man looked ahead; his face away from me. He looked familiar…no it couldn’t be him.
“Kostas?” I walked around to see his face. It was him! What was he doing here? He was supposed to be away; attending his private, secret meeting.
“June?” His eyebrows lowered. “June. It’s you? No.” Kostas placed a hand on his forehead. My presence had visibly affected his semblance.
“Yes, it’s me. C’mon Kostas what’s wrong? I see you finished your special meeting early.”
“Meeting?” He paused. “Oh yes, that meeting. No, no, it was rescheduled for next weekend. I decided to take the day off and come by to see what all the fuss was about.” He ended the sentence with a nervous chuckle.
“So what do you think?”
“What do I think?” A blank expression displayed on his face. “Confused—surprised, actually.” Kostas’ eyes wandered off, as if he were trying to find his sight.
“Kostas? Kostas, are you alright?” I shook his arm.
“Listen to me, June–” his eyes shut for a second. Then, in a state of shock, Kostas' eyes popped open. “I’m fine.” But he wasn’t fine. The way he looked at me felt like an agonizing cry for help.
Leev made her way into my vision range. Her behavior wasn’t any better than Kostas’. She started to make weird hand signals; all of which were unfamiliar.–“June, there you are! Come I want you to meet–June?” Aunt Marcelle’s voice sneaked behind me.
“Aunt Marcelle, this is Kostas, my boss. I think he isn’t feeling well.” The level of anxiety rose with every word.
“You think? This man looks like he has been possessed. We need to get him help.” She raised her tone, but the noise of the chatter prevailed over her voice. In frenzy, his legs began to shake. The people in the crowd were too concerned with each other and their food to notice Kostas’ state. Leev soon joined us. She and I grabbed Kostas’ arms, while Aunt Marcelle did her best to part the way.
“We have to get him to a hospital,” Slightly, I raised my voice, just enough so that my aunt could hear me.
“No!” Kostas yelled as we dragged him outside the House. “No one can see me, no one.”
“Kostas, you don’t look well. Let us take you to a hospital. No one will see you.” I promised.
“Only if you stay here and enjoy the party.” He dug his heels on the ground.
“Why? Kostas, I don’t care about the party, let’s go.”
Aunt Marcelle stopped and took my place, holding Kostas’ arm. –“June, stay here. I’ll take him. It will be faster this way.”
Kostas remained quiet. What was wrong with him? I had never seen him like this. “Fine. As soon as you find out what’s wrong, please, let me know.”
Aunt Marcelle nodded at my request. “Leev, you stay too. Make sure to keep an eye on your cousin.” We watched her help Kostas into the car, then she took off. Leev and I looked at each other; not knowing what to do. The party had been undisturbed by Kostas’ exit. The ambiance was more festive than ever. The townspeople had now dispersed throughout the House. Still there remained a crowd on the front garden. Men, women and even a few children, surrounded a couple which danced to the tune of an old violin player. The group moved slightly as the couple went by twirling, following their violinist. In a few minutes the crowd had concentrated around the spot Leev and I stood. The scene was no short of a spectacle. Soon enough my cousin and I were engaged; part of the moving crowd.
“Got a text from mom. She says: Kostas was dehydrated and he hadn’t eaten. The doctors will keep him overnight. He should be fine by morning.” Leev put her phone back into her purse when she finished reading.
“That was fast.” I looked up.
“Fast?” Leev lowered her eyebrows.
“Well yeah, Aunt Marcelle just left–look” I pointed to the dancing couple. “They haven’t even finished their dance.”
“June, that’s because they have been dancing for over two hours!” So, maybe my notion of time had been impaired. Worst things had happened today, nothing had gone as we had planned and my meter of discouragement had hit its highest level.
“We should head home, then.”
“No, we shouldn’t.” Leev took me aside. “Kostas is going to be ok and my mother is still at the hospital. Go talk to Ms. Baynes.” She was right, it was time to focus. After all, I had only come to the dinner party for one reason, well not for only one reason, but mainly for the drawing.
“Let's go.” I grabbed her arm.
“Actually, I’m gonna get some food and watch more people dance.” She smiled. “It’d be best if you spoke to her in private.” Leev walked with me inside but stayed behind, by the food tables. After a few minutes almost all of the guests had made their way to the front garden. The Housekeeper stood in front of one of the halls next to the dark tunnel. Her orange polka-dot dress sparkled as I approached her.
“June, come. I have been meaning to talk to you. I am so glad we have the time now.” She grabbed my hand and led me inside one of the halls.
“Good, Ms. Baynes, because there’s something I must ask you. The other day, you gave me a drawing of two girls. I was hoping you could tell me who they were.” Inside the Hall there were different openings. Ms. Baynes’ hurried pace left me no time to take a better look through the rooms. We passed a kitchen; spotless, pure white. There were light, stone countertops and cream tiled floors. I doubted whether someone had ever stepped inside.
“A drawing, you say?” Ms. Baynes kept moving. The sound of dangling keys around her neck added musicality to our walk. “Two little girls, huh?” She placed a finger on the side of her head; about to remember, the words held on the tip of her tongue. Ms. Baynes’ body halted, “sorry June, but this issue will have to wait.” We had come to stop at the end of the hall, in front of a large dark door.
“It’s important that you remember Ms. Baynes–”
“—Sshh. I have a surprise for you.” She grabbed the chain of keys from her neck and unlocked the door. “Go in,” she said. Inside, a deep-red carpet covered the floors. Smooth, red drapes bordered with golden trims, embellished the two windows to the side of the room. Clearly, red was the theme of the room. From the walls to the floor, to the napkins neatly set on the table. The grandiose dinner table extended to the far end of the room. Occupying four spaces at the table, there sat four people, whose intimidating eyes were pinned on me. My face became another ornament in the room as the blood rose to my head. “Everyone,” Ms. Baynes closed the door. “This is June Corpelle.”
“Welcome, June Corpelle.” Their smiles eased the pressure in my face. Ms. Baynes tapped my shoulder encouraging me to move forward. Each person had a covered plate of food in front. “Sit, June” She signaled to an empty spot.
“This is our chef, Mr. Zorga.” Ms. Baynes pointed to a bald, slim, tall man with an elongated nose. Zorga sat in front of me, his dark eyes shined as a narrow smile appeared on his face.
“I’m Gilcome,” The words in
terrupted my assessment of the chef. Gilcome, much younger, maybe around his late teen years, sat to my left. His glance impacted me. It crawled deeply beneath my defenses, acting like a scavenger, searching, picking and picking at the entry point of my thoughts. At first, I thought it was disturbing and he seemed to know so. Soon, however, I became flattered by it and he was quick to notice. It was then that his eyes appeared to be smiling at mine every time our sight collided. “I’m Mr. Zorga’s helper. Nice to meet you, June.”
“Oh, it is very nice to meet you too, to meet all of you.” These were the people Ms. Baynes had talked about before: The members of the House. Why hadn’t they come outside to meet the other guests? Why was I here? Alone! Leev shouldn’t have left me by myself.
“June,” The young lady sitting next to Gilcome spoke. “It must be weird for you to be around strangers, such as ourselves. Ms. Baynes talked so much about you and your interest in this House, that we couldn’t wait to meet you.” Twigs and flowers were placed in-between the golden hairs of her head. She had long dark eyelashes and large eyes like my mother’s. “My name is Netania, I'm the plant’s doctor,” a musical tone accompanied her voice. It was pleasing to hear the melody that was released from her green-colored lips.
“By that, she means: gardener.” Mr. Zorga finally decided to speak.
“Our wonderful, cook–I’m sorry…chef—” The man in front of Netania looked at me as he spoke, “—forgot to include that Netania is also our Healer.”
Netania sweetly interrupted him, “Well, my love for plants has helped me find different uses for them. I do my best to help the members with their occasional aches. Also, my flowers make wonderful fragrances. Next time you visit, come by the gardens sometime. I’ll be glad to show you some of my plants.” She stopped talking after that but I wanted to hear her speak again. The soothing sound of her voice made me feel at ease. It was like one of those peaceful songs that makes you want to go to sleep; but her voice made me feel awake and aware of this moment. A special moment, this was such a great opportunity. I was meeting the members of the House! Ever since that picture, I had lost sight of the House and its beauty. It was the real reason I was in here, to enjoy and take in all the pieces that made this House the gem of town.
The man in front of Netania called my name. “I’m Jacknell; you may call me Jack if you wish.” He smiled. “Thank you for taking the time to visit us. We haven’t had a special guest like you in a while.” Jacknell pushed his shoulders back against his chair.
“Jacknell is our handyman, carpenter, plumber; you name it and he can fix it.” Ms. Baynes proudly gushed.
“Don’t make me blush, Ms. Baynes.” Jacknell laughed, “I’m not as talented as…say Mr. Zorga here, –you know June, he cooked all the food outside, all of it. With Gilcome’s help, of course.” The slightly mocking tone of his words made my eyes glance back at Zorga.
“Oh by heavens, Jacknell, but you are talented. See, he built this ornate dining table.” The chef stared at Jacknell.
Not understanding what was happening, I dared to speak anyways, “You both seem very talented to me.”
“Yes, all of our members are remarkable.” Ms. Baynes tried to ease the tension. “There’s one member missing, you’ll get a chance to meet him later on. He is our Messenger. The party ambiance overwhelmed him, he headed home.” Ms. Baynes explained.
His title intrigued me, “what does a messenger do?”
The members looked at each other. After a short silence, the Healer spoke, “He buys our groceries and informs us about town events.”
Buy groceries? They lived here! All of them. The members were not only the ones who maintained the House, they were its inhabitants. “He is the only member that lives outside the House, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to inform us right?”
Why did they need to be so…informed? Was the messenger part of a news crew?
“June, I can see the confusion in your face, let me explain.” Jacknell offered. “We don’t leave the House, therefore we need someone to be our communicator, the middle man, you know?”
“You don’t leave the House? Like in the winter? It doesn’t get that cold here in Florida.” I had been less confused before the explanation.
“We don’t ever leave.” Gilcome added. His words vibrated across the room. Ever…ever. As a warning, Netania whispered his name in between her teeth. These people were crazy, why was I here? This had been a bad idea.
“It is better that way,” The chef proclaimed, “we don’t like to socialize with just any person. Besides, what are we missing out on? Those people,” his arm raised and pointed towards the door, “the people out there aren’t even interesting. They aren’t worth it.” Zorga blurted in disgust.
“Oh Mr. Zorga, don’t do that! How dare you?” Jack raised his voice as Netania glanced up at him. “Don’t pretend it’s our choice.”
“Jacknell, please.” Ms. Baynes intervened, “June, doesn’t need to be concerned by this.” The rosy color of her face intensified quickly.
“Ms. Baynes what do they mean? Do you guys really never leave the House? I don’t understand.”
“Dear, please. I’ll explain everything after the dinner party is over. Let’s enjoy the food that Mr. Zorga has prepared.” She shot a piercing look at Mr. Zorga and Jacknell, “I won’t let the occasion get ruined by worthless comments.—June, would you do us the honor?” Ms. Baynes pointed to the covered dish in front of me. Her face was still flushed.
“Come again?” I replied.
“Our guest of honor always takes the first bite.” She explained.
“What about the other guests, don’t you think they are wondering where you are? Aren’t you going to serve them dinner too?” I inquired.
“June, let’s not fool anyone, they didn’t come here to enjoy my company. The town doesn’t care much about this House or the people that live inside it. The truth is, they were invited because I like to share the House with everyone that is willing to show up. It is meant to be admired.” All the members smiled, even Jacknell and Zorga. “There are plenty of tables decorated with foods of all kinds; they can take whatever they please.” Ms. Baynes continued. “Today you are the guest of honor, don’t worry about them.”
Alright, how bad could it be? The sooner I have dinner the sooner I can get out. Slowly, I uncovered the warm lid off the plate. The smell progressed from my nose, through my mouth and into my stomach. A forbidden food; at least forbidden to me: Shellfish. A glance into the colorful plate confirmed it. There were pink shrimps coated in butter, next to something that looked like crab meat and a whole red lobster. Oh no! The sound of the people outside created a buzz in my ears. Inside, everyone’s eyes fixed on me.
“Eat up June; I’m sure it’s not that hot,” Mr. Zorga said. The smell and sight were now becoming unbearable. Another look at the place and I almost considered taking a bite.
Tiny bugs softly began to dance on my eyeballs. The itchy sensation in my eyes could only be sated by ripping them off my face with my bare nails. The worst part was facing the distorted image in the mirror; the image of me. A monstrous person was trapped inside; it watched me. I glared into her swollen brown eyes; she wasn’t intimidated with my look. Her eyelids met and then parted wide. The brownness of her iris encircled the dark emptiness of her semblance. “I can’t eat it.”
“Why is that? Is there something wrong with it? Gilcome, did you serve it right?” Mr. Zorga angrily asked at the top of his lungs.
Gilcome blinked a couple of times before replying. “Was there a special way of serving it?”
“No, the dish looks great,” I spoke up before an argument could start. “I’m allergic to shellfish.”
Ms. Baynes jumped out of her seat and covered my plate immediately. “Oh dear, are you ok? How do you feel? Do you need assistance?” She spoke nervously, causing greater concern among the rest of the members.
“I feel fine. I can tolerate the smell. Don’t worry Ms. Baynes, I’ll be ok.�
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Without saying a word, Mr. Zorga softly wiggled a small, silver bell and a door behind me opened. Three women walked towards the table. One of the ladies closed the teal door; it was the only thing not covered in red. The ladies all wore white aprons and carried with them empty trays. “Do you mind eating dessert instead of dinner?” Mr. Zorga grinned. The women removed every plate from the table. “It would only be rude if we ate a food you cannot eat. Therefore we shall all eat dessert. We can all enjoy the same food…together.” It was embarrassing to sit there and reject the food he had, so carefully, prepared. It was an impressively, delicious-looking dish. Not eating his food was the worst insult Mr. Zorga could have taken. Although he did not show it, his ego had been bruised by the new guest’s food restrictions.
“It is alright, June.” Jacknell laughed. “As long as you aren’t allergic to sugar too, I’m sure Mr. Zorga will let this one pass.” The three look-a-like ladies placed a plate in front of each person.
“This is called Goodbye Cool Summer,” Mr. Zorga pointed at his dessert. I had never seen a dessert such as this one. The top was made of velvet cake, but it wasn’t red, it was yellow. There were four extra layers underneath that one. Three wedges of mango peeked below the last layer. “June,” Mr. Zorga extended his hand, “Go ahead,” he said.
I pierced it with my spoon and placed a portion in my mouth. The freshness of the mango twirled across my mouth. The next layer was covered with sliced almonds dipped in vanilla. My eyes closed as the taste transported me to the middle of a tropical forest; surrounded by guavas, oranges, bananas and green-painted skies. The fresh air swept me back into the red room of the white House. Calmness overcame me, my back relaxed into the chair and my eyes opened. The members were not strangers anymore. They were, now, fascinating individuals worthy of knowing. The sound of Mr. Zorga’s bell startled me. The plate in front of me was empty. Joyous voices from the party outside infused the air. The triplet ladies opened the teal door and removed our plates one last time.