She sits in the parlor,her legs dangling lazily off the velvet sofa.This
was obviously not a place she wanted to be.Her kness were scraped and
covered in dried dirt,her red velvet dress (how she despised the itchy
thing)had a large tear in it.She's clutching a blond ragdoll that appears
to be many generations older than the girl.She sighs heavily,not bothering
to hide her displeasure.
"Miss Heartilly,are you listening to me?"
The girl looked at the fat black woman crouched in front of an easel,where dozens of dreadfuly boreing signs and figures that the girl knew nothing of littered it.
She reached up and smacked Rinoa on the knee.
"Ow!Nellie!!"
The woman stood up (it was quite a feat at her size)and stared down the girl.
"Rinoa,my job is to teach you while your father's away,and I expect you to listen to what I have to teach you,so help my,God,you will."
"But I wanna go outside!"The girl whined.
"No!Not until we're finished.Have you been listening to anthing I've said today?"
The girl didn't answer,just stared at the easel with weary disinterest.
"What are all those things?"She asked.
Nellie rolled her eyes.
"Well,apparently I've been talking to the damned wall all day.What do I have to do to make you listen?Do you want to grow up to be stupid?Everybody else will know how to do all this stuff and you won't have a clue to anything!"
"I know lotsa stuff."
"Yeah,you know how to get yourself into a heap of trouble.Now listen up or your father'll hear about this."
Suddenly the door opened and a tall raven haired man entered the mansion.
"Daddy!"Rinoa yelled,jumping up from the couch.
"I give up."Nellie said,popping two asprin in her mouth and headed for the back door.
The girl stopped in her tracks as soon as she saw her father's face.For one moment she didn't even recognize him.He looked horrible,like somebody who's been half murdered,but not quite dead.
"Daddy?"The girl whimpered in a voice highly unlike her own.She stepped cautiously towards him.
He was hunched over the kitchen counter,his sweaty hair hanging in his eyes.
"Daddy?Are you okay?Why isin't Mommy with you?Isin't her thing done?"
He turned around,breathing heavily.
"Rinoa."He whispered in a strange loving voice.
"Daddy,what's WRONG with you?You look like..."
"We need to have a little talk."He walked out of the kitchen,Rinoa close behind.He picked her up and placed her on the sofa.
"I'm sorry I wasin't paying attention today."She whispered."Nellie was mad,but I really wanted to go outside and-"
"What?Rinoa,it's not about anything like that.I wish it were."
"Huh?I don't get it,Daddy.Where's Mommy?Did you guys have a fight?"
"No.No,Rinoa.Your mother...."His voice froze in his throat.
She stared up at his face curiously.
"What?"
"You know she had to go to that party today,right?T-To play the piano for Mr. Geovatchi,right?"
Rinoa nodded,growing impatient.
"Well,on her way home...coming back home..she had an accident."
Rinoa crinkled up her nose.
"What's an axy-dent?"
"An accident is when...well,like when you fell down the steps last winter and broke your nose. That was an accident."
Rinoa gasped.
"Mommy didn't break HER nose,did she??"
"NO,Rinoa."He gave an exasperated sigh.
"A lady driveing in a car hit your mother in her car.Rinoa,your mother went to heaven."
There was a long tense silence.
"Make her come back here."
"Sweetheart,I can't just make her come back here,she's with God now.She's an angel."
She jumped up,throwing her ragdoll on the floor.
"B-But,you have to!You can do anything!!"She stared at him,her brown eyes filled with tears.
"RINOA,SHE'S GONE!SHE'S NOT COMING BACK,OKAY?SHE'S GONE!!!"
The girl stared,tears running down her face,his words hitting her like a missile.
He rubbed his forehead and sighed.Finally he looked up again.
"Dear God,I'm sorry,sweetheart.Come here."He held his arms out.
Rinoa steped into his arms,and they quickly embraced her.
He began sobbing quietly.
"It's just us now,Rinny.Just you and me."
"Miss Heartilly,are you listening to me?"
The girl looked at the fat black woman crouched in front of an easel,where dozens of dreadfuly boreing signs and figures that the girl knew nothing of littered it.
She reached up and smacked Rinoa on the knee.
"Ow!Nellie!!"
The woman stood up (it was quite a feat at her size)and stared down the girl.
"Rinoa,my job is to teach you while your father's away,and I expect you to listen to what I have to teach you,so help my,God,you will."
"But I wanna go outside!"The girl whined.
"No!Not until we're finished.Have you been listening to anthing I've said today?"
The girl didn't answer,just stared at the easel with weary disinterest.
"What are all those things?"She asked.
Nellie rolled her eyes.
"Well,apparently I've been talking to the damned wall all day.What do I have to do to make you listen?Do you want to grow up to be stupid?Everybody else will know how to do all this stuff and you won't have a clue to anything!"
"I know lotsa stuff."
"Yeah,you know how to get yourself into a heap of trouble.Now listen up or your father'll hear about this."
Suddenly the door opened and a tall raven haired man entered the mansion.
"Daddy!"Rinoa yelled,jumping up from the couch.
"I give up."Nellie said,popping two asprin in her mouth and headed for the back door.
The girl stopped in her tracks as soon as she saw her father's face.For one moment she didn't even recognize him.He looked horrible,like somebody who's been half murdered,but not quite dead.
"Daddy?"The girl whimpered in a voice highly unlike her own.She stepped cautiously towards him.
He was hunched over the kitchen counter,his sweaty hair hanging in his eyes.
"Daddy?Are you okay?Why isin't Mommy with you?Isin't her thing done?"
He turned around,breathing heavily.
"Rinoa."He whispered in a strange loving voice.
"Daddy,what's WRONG with you?You look like..."
"We need to have a little talk."He walked out of the kitchen,Rinoa close behind.He picked her up and placed her on the sofa.
"I'm sorry I wasin't paying attention today."She whispered."Nellie was mad,but I really wanted to go outside and-"
"What?Rinoa,it's not about anything like that.I wish it were."
"Huh?I don't get it,Daddy.Where's Mommy?Did you guys have a fight?"
"No.No,Rinoa.Your mother...."His voice froze in his throat.
She stared up at his face curiously.
"What?"
"You know she had to go to that party today,right?T-To play the piano for Mr. Geovatchi,right?"
Rinoa nodded,growing impatient.
"Well,on her way home...coming back home..she had an accident."
Rinoa crinkled up her nose.
"What's an axy-dent?"
"An accident is when...well,like when you fell down the steps last winter and broke your nose. That was an accident."
Rinoa gasped.
"Mommy didn't break HER nose,did she??"
"NO,Rinoa."He gave an exasperated sigh.
"A lady driveing in a car hit your mother in her car.Rinoa,your mother went to heaven."
There was a long tense silence.
"Make her come back here."
"Sweetheart,I can't just make her come back here,she's with God now.She's an angel."
She jumped up,throwing her ragdoll on the floor.
"B-But,you have to!You can do anything!!"She stared at him,her brown eyes filled with tears.
"RINOA,SHE'S GONE!SHE'S NOT COMING BACK,OKAY?SHE'S GONE!!!"
The girl stared,tears running down her face,his words hitting her like a missile.
He rubbed his forehead and sighed.Finally he looked up again.
"Dear God,I'm sorry,sweetheart.Come here."He held his arms out.
Rinoa steped into his arms,and they quickly embraced her.
He began sobbing quietly.
"It's just us now,Rinny.Just you and me."