"Welcome to my humble abode," Gina announced, grinning, as the door squeaked open. "Also known by Cook's self-proclaimed title, 'The House of Fun.'"
It was dark. The only thing Naomi could see was the sliver of rich sunlight gleaming through the small crevice between the curtains, casting a light glow across the floor of the flat. Even without the light on she could tell it was much more spacious than it seemed from the outside.
Naomi heard Gina rustling around beside her until she finally found a switch and flicked the lights on.
"It's not much, but it gets the job done," Gina said, hauling Naomi's bags into the room and setting them on the floor.
Naomi looked around, soaking in her surroundings. The apartment looked as if it had come straight out of a catalogue from Asia. The walls were a deep red colour, almost matching the ones down in the diner, and long gold curtains cascaded over the window frames. Every piece of furniture was black. There was a large bookcase filled to the brim with a hundred different types of books, and on each side stood two giant clusters of bamboo stalks. The couch and love seat were accented with red and gold plush pillows, contrasting against its ebony surface, and on every table there were family photos, multicoloured trinkets, and small plants. The floor also looked like the same one as down in the diner, but much newer and shinier. All she was waiting for now was a giant gong to sound, as someone ran up behind her wielding a kimono for her to slip on.
"Are you kidding me?" Naomi asked breathlessly. "Not much? This is one of the nicest flats I've ever seen."
"Thank you," Gina said proudly.
"It's beautiful."
"I was going for feng shui. One cannot live a positive life if they do not have a positive environment." If anyone but Gina had said that to Naomi, she would have most likely laughed in their face, and yet it made sense to Naomi––Gina was the epitome of optimism.
"I can almost smell the positive qi radiating through this place," Naomi laughed.
"Oh honey, I don't think that's qi you're smelling. I think Kieran is burning something." She walked off, toward a room to the left of Naomi. "Please make yourself at home; I'll be right back," she said quickly, then vanished into what Naomi guessed was the kitchen. She took this as her opportunity to briefly explore the place before Gina returned.
Of all the items that piqued Naomi's interest, she was most intrigued by the family photos, set on a long onyx table. She tried to make her way across the room quietly, but the floor boards decided to disagree with her, and she cringed every time the wood beneath her feet popped or cracked. Once at the table, though, Naomi planted herself firmly in front of it and let out a long-suppressed breath. She didn't know why she was trying to be sneaky, but she looked around, making sure the coast was clear, before she carried on.
Naomi scanned the table, browsing the pictures one by one. The first photo was of Gina and, Naomi surmised, her husband. It looked as if it was taken in a bar, or maybe a restaurant, and, considering the reluctance on the man's face, she assumed Gina had harangued him into posing for it. The next one was of JJ, Freddie, and Cook dressed up as The Three Musketeers, all wielding fencing swords. Behind it were lined up three more photos, all of a spunky blonde-haired girl and a dark-skinned, brilliantly smiling boy, both wearing party hats, as if at a birthday party. More photographs depicted a family camping trip, pictures of kids jumping off a large rock and into a lake, roasting marshmallows around a campfire, blurred shots of sparklers bursting and glimmering in the night. Eyes roving, she next glimpsed a photo of a dark-haired girl with searing blue, thickly lined eyes who was, to put it mildly, stunning. Naomi picked up the small photo encased in the brass-coloured frame, taking a closer look. She could be a model, Naomi thought to herself, if she wasn't already.
All of a sudden, Naomi felt the uneasiness of being watched. As she slowly lifted her head, she found herself looking into the same azure eyes that were captivating her through a photograph mere seconds ago. The smirk on the brunette's face, mixed with her eyes, were a deadly combination. Naomi felt frozen in place. Like she was glued to that spot. It was like that old myth that snakes could hypnotize their prey, and when their victims couldn't move, they'd strike to kill. The striking young woman was the snake, and Naomi was the vermin helplessly entranced by her lethal beauty.
"Hi," the girl simply said.
Naomi immediately snapped out of her hypnosis as she felt the cold plastic frame slipping through her fingers. Awkwardly, she fumbled it between each hand until eventually it went crashing onto the floor. Naomi's clumsiness didn't seem to faze her at all. She just looked down onto the floor and back up to Naomi with the same smirk plastered on her face. Naomi hastily knelt down and clutched the picture once again. Jumping back onto the soles of her feet, she nervously dusted it off and placed it back into its former location.
"S-Sorry," Naomi stuttered. "I was just looking..."
"Naomi," she interrupted quietly, examining her as if she was testing Naomi's name on her tongue.
Naomi swallowed hard.
She began advancing forward, and Naomi immediately pushed herself back against the table, trying to make enough space between them as the strange girl floated past.
"H–How do you know my name?" Naomi squeaked.
Pulling the front door open, the girl remained quiet. Just before she drifted out of the room, her fierce gaze reunited with Naomi's once again. "Just because you can't see me, doesn't mean I can't see you," she said through her devilish smirk, before slyly making her escape. The small click of the door knob assured Naomi she had exited. Blinking a few times, Naomi exhaled shakily. What the fuck just happened. The mystery girl had appeared out of thin air, it seemed, and took her leave just as surreptitiously.
Naomi heard Gina's voice grow louder, until eventually she came barrelling back into the room, mumbling indiscernibly under her breath.
"Goodness gracious Naomi, you look like you've just seen a ghost," Gina said, stopping in her tracks.
"I think I might have..." Naomi said through nervous laughter.
"Oooh." Gina's smile returned. "I'm guessing you witnessed the Effy effect."
"The what?" Naomi questioned, confused.
"My daughter Effy." Gina laughed. "She has that effect on people."
"Tall, dark hair, blue eyes, scary as shit?" Naomi asked, only half-joking.
"That's her. Don't worry," Gina said, waving it off. "She acts that way towards all the guests."
"But she knew my name..."
"That's only because she overheard JJ and I talking before we went to gather your stuff at the station."
"That's a relief," Naomi said, wiping the imaginary sweat from her brow as she pushed away from the table.
"She's not that intimidating once you get to know her," Gina said, nonchalantly. "Anyways, how about you grab your stuff and I'll show you to your room and you can get settled, yeah?"
"Sounds good," Naomi said, then gathered her belongings and followed in Gina's tide. "As long as my room isn't next to Cook or Effy's I'll be fine," Naomi laughed.
"Don't worry," Gina assured. "I know exactly who you would enjoy neighbouring with." She slipped Naomi a sly grin, which confused her.
As Gina led Naomi up yet another staircase, she began to wonder if this building never ended.
They travelled through a long corridor, passing a multitude of bedrooms, and with each door they passed, Gina gave Naomi the rundown of its occupants.
"Thomas and JJ's room." Gina pointed to each one as they passed. "Effy and Pandora's room. Cook, James, and Freddie's room. Then Emily and Katie's room," Gina finished.
"And this is where you will be sleeping," Gina said, chauffeuring Naomi through the final door of the hallway. "Sorry for the mess. This room has mostly been used for storage over the past few years." Gina huffed with exertion, hauling a box off the bed and into a corner. "I'll get you some fresh linen before bed tonight." She beamed.
"No problem." Naomi smiled. "I'm not high maintenance."
"I know," Gina chuckled. "You're too sweet."
"Thank you." Naomi smiled shyly.
"Anyways, I'll leave you to it, and please don't be shy. If you'd like a shower, the bathroom's just down the hall to the right, so please make yourself at home. And lucky for you, all the kids are out of the house at the moment, so the water should be hot." She grinned. "And afterwards, if you'd like to come downstairs, that'd be lovely."
"Thank you," Naomi said with a small smile.
"Nonsense dear," Gina said, batting her hands. "It's no problem."
"No," Naomi intoned. "Really... Thank you."
Gina's expression softened, and she looked at Naomi adoringly. "You're welcome."
Naomi just trained her eyes on her feet as she scuffed them on the floor, drained of words.
"Well darling,'" Gina enthused, so loudly it made Naomi flinch. "I'll be right down stairs if you need anything." With that, she left, shutting the door behind her.
Laughing lowly as Gina left, Naomi took the time to scope out the room again. It was pretty bare, save for a few cardboard boxes in the corner and a bare mattress lying on a single bed frame. She grabbed her luggage from the floor and lifted it onto the bed, then pulled out a fresh set of clothes and her diary, the small black book hidden beneath her other belongings.
Plopping herself on the bed, she studied the small booklet in her hands. Running her fingers over the face of it, she traced the small gold inscription that read, "Elizabeth." She untied the red ribbon that kept the book closed and opened it to the first page. Quickly flipping the pages back and forth, she examined how the ink-filled pages transitioned to barren ones before tying it shut once again.
Naomi took a deep breath and sighed before shoving it back into the bottom of her suitcase. Snatching her clean clothes from the mattress, she quickly and quietly made her way down the hall and into the bathroom. Once the door was securely shut and locked behind her, she let her body lean firmly back against it as she shut her eyes. Taking a few cleansing breaths, she finally opened her eyes and advanced towards the shower.
Naomi flicked the faucet on, letting the room fill with steam before finally peeling her two-day-old clothes from her body and stepping into the heated waterfall. The tension in her muscles began to wither away immediately as the water rained down. For a good fifteen minutes, Naomi stayed still, relishing in the small sauna of bliss she had created before scouting around for detergent. There were around twenty different types of body washes, shampoos, and conditioners. They ranged from blue and green boyish ones to red and pink girly ones. After rummaging through about ten, she finally decided on the strawberry-scented soap.
After cleaning herself, she enjoyed another ten minutes of relaxation. Once her fingers and toes began to wrinkle up like prunes, she figured it was time to conclude her shower session for the night. She dried herself off, then threw on a pair of black sweatpants and a white v-neck shirt. Using the towel, she tousled her hair and pulled it into a damp bun before plucking her blue toothbrush from the counter and dolloping a hearty amount of paste over the bristles. She wasn't sure if her ears were playing tricks on her, but every so often as she was brushing her teeth she could hear soft rustling outside the door. Turning off the faucet and halting her brushing, she listened carefully.
"Hello?" she asked, mouth still filled with toothpaste before she finally spit the remainder out. "Gina, is that you?"
No answer.
Shaking her head, she finished cleaning herself up before gathering all her belongings and exiting.
As she opened the door, she heard a loud crash and the voice of a small boy yelp, "OW, bitch!"
Before she even had time to respond, the door bounced off whoever she had hit and came barrelling back towards her, knocking her directly between the eyes.
"Shit!" Naomi shouted. She let the articles in her hand fall to the floor as she hastily clutched her forehead. "What the fuck?!"
She squeezed through the slender opening of the door, still holding her sore head, to find a young boy lying on the floor rubbing his reddened face as well.
"What the hell are you doing?" Naomi asked, trying to keep her anger to a minimum.
"Cook said we had a fit guest staying with us so I came home as fast as I could."
"Were you spying on me?!" she exclaimed, appalled.
"Too right I was." The young boy smiled without a care.
"Jesus Christ." Naomi was horrified. "Please tell me you didn't see anything."
"I didn't see anything," he mocked.
"Really?" she asked hopefully.
"Just kidding I SAW EVERYTHING!" he cheered. "Your tits are even better than my sisters'!"
"Oh my God, please tell me you didn't just say that..."
"It's true!"
"That's disturbing," she said, picking up the bundled mess she had dropped on the floor.
"WOAH, KNICKERS!" he yelled, swiftly grabbing Naomi's underwear out of the pile before she could.
"Stop it!" she yelled, quickly snatching them back. "What is wrong with you?"
"I have a natural curiosity for a boy of my age," he said, crossing his arms and sticking his nose in the air.
"That's for sure," she scoffed. "How does Cook even know I'm here anyway?" Naomi asked, eyebrow risen.
"Effy told him!"
"Of course she would," Naomi muttered.
Just then, he jumped so quickly to his feet that it made her spring back a bit. "I gotta go tell Cook!" he said, sprinting past Naomi and down the stairs.
"No please!" she shouted, but it was futile. All she heard was his giggling until the click of the door verified his exit.
"Jesus Christ! Is everyone that lives here mental?" she whispered aloud.
"Only the best of us," an older man said as he walked up the stairs.
"Christ!" Naomi said, startled. "You guys just keep coming out of the woodwork."
"Yeah," the scruffy older man chuckled. "You get used to it after a while."
He stopped in front of Naomi, holding a bundle of blankets and sheets in his arms. "Kieran." He beamed. "Gina's husband."
"Naomi," she said as she nodded. "Nice to meet you."
"Likewise," he said delightedly. "I got orders from the boss to bring up some fresh bedding."
"Oh, thank you. I'm staying just over here," she said, making her way over to the empty room with Kieran in tow.
"You can just set it there." Naomi pointed to the edge of the bed as they entered the room. "I can make it myself."
He just nodded in response before replying, "I'll leave you to it then. It's always nice to have a new face aboard."
"Oh no." She shook her head. "I'm only staying for the night."
"Well that's too bad," he expressed, disappointment lacing his voice. "You seem lovely."
Naomi gave him a small smile. "Thank you."
"Anytime, love."
He stood awkwardly in the door before finally replying, "Well, I guess I'll leave you alone now."
She chuckled and nodded, and he silently made his way out of the room and back into the living area beneath.
Naomi took the time to set her belongings on the floor and quickly dress the bare mattress. Once she was done, she sat at the edge of the bed feeling a bit lost. She was a tad nervous to go downstairs, but she also felt awkward staying cooped up in the room. She gave herself a quick pep talk, then pulled herself to her feet. Poking her head out of the room, she accessed her surroundings. The coast was clear once more, but she quickly learned that it might not be like that for long, considering she had already encountered three people popping up out of the blue since she has been here.
Hesitantly, Naomi made her way down the corridor and then the stairs. From where she was positioned she could hear someone rummaging around in the kitchen. Secretly hoping it was Gina, she stopped in the entrance where all the noise was coming from. She took a deep breath before timidly calling out, "Gina?"
Naomi was immediately relieved when she heard Gina's voice. "Yes darling?"
She let out a sigh of relief when she walked into the kitchen. "I'm glad it's you," she laughed shyly.
"And why would that be?" Gina asked with a grin, peering over her shoulder as she washed dishes.
"I think I've had enough excitement for one night."
"Oh, honey, I told you. Don't let Effy bother you; she's not as clever as she thinks she is," Gina laughed.
"No, it's not Effy. This time it was a little boy spying on me while I was showering."
She chuckled. "I told Kieran to fix that lock so James would stop perving."
"It's fine," Naomi laughed, making light of the situation. "He ran off to tell Cook my tits are better than his sisters, so I guess it's not that bad."
"Oh my God," Gina laughed.
"So..." Naomi said, changing the subject as she glanced around, "Where is everyone?" She took a seat at the kitchen table.
"The boys are at a friend's house a few blocks down, and I think the girls are out shopping."
"If you don't mind me asking..." Naomi started, cautiously, "How exactly did you end up with all these kids?"
"You got time?" Gina asked playfully.
Naomi looked around jokingly. "Does it look like I have somewhere to be?"
Gina just chuckled.
"Well..." Gina said, as she dried her hands and took a seat in front of Naomi. "Effy showed up about five years ago when she was thirteen; she was the first one. Her mother Anthea and I were best friends at the time." Gina said, smiling, but then she turned serious. "Then Anthea showed up at my door one night around two in the morning. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying and alcohol consumption. She confessed to me that she had been cheating on her husband, Effy's father, and that he had found out. When Jim found out what she had done, he simply packed his bags and left without a trace. Anthea was so torn up about the fact she had broken up her family," Gina said sadly. "A few days after the night Anthea wandered up to my house, her son Tony, Effy's brother, committed suicide."
"God..." Naomi felt her heart sink. "That's awful."
"I think that's what really broke Effy and Anthea. Effy would go on drug and alcohol benders for weeks at time while Anthea just stayed locked in her room. Then, one morning, Effy woke to a note on the kitchen table that simply read, "I'm sorry -mum." Ever since then, no one has seen nor heard from her, and that's when Effy showed up at my door."
"Did Anthea... kill herself?"
"I don't think so." Gina shook her head.
"What did Effy do?"
"What she does best: acts as if nothing ever happened." Gina paused. "But I can tell she's better now."
Naomi didn't respond; she just listened as Gina continued.
"Then we happened upon Freddie a few weeks later," Gina proceeded. "Effy was out one afternoon and found him at the park crying. He confided in her and told her that his mother had passed away earlier that day due to a car accident."
"Jesus..." Naomi whispered.
"I think she felt a connection to him since the pain he was feeling was so familiar to hers. She brought him back here and we calmed him down enough so I could acquire his father's telephone number. His father was in pretty much the same state as Freddie. He asked to meet that afternoon, and I agreed and told him about a small coffee shop down the road that would suffice. When he got there he just kept apologizing and saying he couldn't handle a kid on his own. He begged me over and over to take Freddie in. I don't know what came over me but I didn't hesitate before agreeing." Gina shrugged. "I knew Freddie needed a stable environment and his father was anything but."
"Then what happened?"
"I don't know where his father went, but I'm pretty sure he left the country."
"And Freddie was okay with that?"
"He was a bit sad at the beginning but he adjusted quickly." Gina smiled. "That is one thing I could never forget about Freddie. He always had a smile on his face no matter what and I think that's what Effy needed at the time."
Naomi smiled.
"Then I started getting used to taking in randoms when Cook came along." Gina laughed. "Cook ran away out of complete rebellion and nothing more. I found him one night in the alley behind the diner, lying next to a dumpster shivering, and in the state he was in, can you believe that cheeky sod tried to pick me up?"
Naomi burst out laughing. "Actually, I can!"
Gina laughed along as well before continuing her story.
"Yeah I felt bad for the poor kid, so I offered him a place to rest since we had room available anyways, and he hasn't left since. Honestly," Gina said, shaking her head, "I wouldn't be surprised if I woke up one morning and Cook was gone. That's just who he is. He has the heart of a nomad. He never told me but I could tell he had been on his own a while before our paths crossed. I think the only thing that keeps him here is Effy."
"Effy's his girlfriend?" Naomi asked in disbelief.
"Heavens no!" Gina laughed. "But he wishes. Poor lad has been in love with her since he laid eyes on her."
Naomi just kept listening as she jumped to the next subject.
"Ironically enough, Cook is the reason I met my husband." Gina laughed. "Kieran taught at the college Effy, Cook, and Freddie attended. I got called in for a parent-teacher conference because he decided to bring a butt plug, two ninja stars, and a porno magazine to school." She chuckled. "Kieran caught him showing them off in class and confiscated them. After the conference was over he asked me on a date. Then a few dates turned into a few months together and then he proposed." She gushed, "After we married, he moved in with his two kids, JJ and Pandora." She smiled. "That brought us to five."
"Then, their last year of college, a boy named Thomas moved here from the Congo. One evening after school, Pandora came running home with Thomas in hand and began telling me he needed a place to stay just until he earned enough money to fly his family over and support them. Of course I obliged," Gina said, shrugging. "I gave him a room upstairs and a stable after school job down in the diner."
"That was kind of you." Naomi smiled.
She nodded a 'thanks' and returned Naomi's smile.
"And last but not least," Gina said, huffing as if she just ran a marathon, "Our latest instalment has been the Fitch Family. They came along about two years ago. From the stories they told me, apparently their mother Jenna was very religious and ran a strict household. Then, one day, Jenna found out her daughter Emily––" She paused, fumbling with her words a bit, "Umm, well, Jenna found out something about Emily she didn't approve of. She threatened to disown her and throw her out of the house if she didn't abide by Jenna's rules." Gina said the last part with malice. "That's when Katie and James stood up for her and said if Emily had to leave then so were they. Jenna didn't even bat an eye."
Naomi scoffed. "Pretty contradicting if you ask me. A religious mother kicking her three children to the curb."
"Honey." Gina fanned her hand out. "I'm from a place back in the states called 'The Bible Belt' and even I've never witnessed that before."
"What a bitch," Naomi said, disbelievingly.
"Tell me about it, sweetie."
"So how did they end up with you?"
"They came into the diner the very same night with their father. I overheard bits and pieces of their conversation and went over to ask if everything was okay. Of course Katie blurted everything out in a whirlwind of fury. Emily just stayed quiet. I knew she felt ashamed, but her siblings never blamed her once." Gina said with a small smile. "I pulled their father aside and told him if they needed a place to stay I would happily welcome them in. He pulled me into a back-breaking 'Fitch Hug,' he called it." She laughed. "And he thanked me over and over again. I asked the kids if they were okay with that arrangement and they happily agreed. Their father still keeps in touch but Jenna refuses to."
"Wait wait wait..." Naomi said, backing up the conversation. "So what did Emily do that was so bad?"
Gina paused for a few seconds before replying, "Well, that's not really my place to say, darling, but you're welcome to ask her yourself."
"Okay..." Naomi said, not really sure on what she should say next.
"And that's how I ended up with nine kids," Gina said, concluding her story with a smile.
If Naomi thought Gina was amazing before, she was now extraordinary in her eyes. She couldn't believe she had taken on so much responsibility like that.
"Before this all happened, did you ever picture living your life this way?
"I don't think in any of my lives would I have foreseen myself taking so many souls under my wing."
"Did you ever regret it?"
"I don't think I could even if I tried," Gina answered blithely.
"Wow..." Naomi said, lost for words, "I don't think I've ever met anyone quite like you," she said truthfully.
"I try, darling." Gina's signature smile returned to her face.
All of a sudden, Naomi got a shooting familiarity about Gina but quickly brushed it off.
"Well, enough with all this sappy talk," Gina said, clapping her hands as she stood up and walked over to the cupboard. "Would you like a cup of tea, maybe some coffee, or something even stronger, how about some tequila shots?" she asked brightly, pulling a large glass bottle filled with a brassy yellow liquid from the shelf.
Naomi hadn't realized how late it had gotten until she snapped her gaze up from the bottle in Gina's hand to the clock on the wall above her. 9:04, it read.
"No, I think I'll pass for now," Naomi laughed. "If you don't mind, I actually think I'm gonna turn in for the night," she said with a yawn.
"Absolutely, honey. Sleep tight," Gina said sweetly.
"Thank you," Naomi said as she pulled herself to her feet and made her way over to the entrance of the kitchen.
"Goodnight Gina," Naomi said, looking at her appreciatively.
"Goodnight Naomi."
And with that, Naomi quickly made her way up the stairs and into the guest room Gina had given to her.
As she laid down, she savoured how comfortable the cool sheets felt against her skin. It was a major contrast to the lumpy backseat of her car. Pulling the feathery blanket up to her chin, she created a warm cocoon for herself, then quickly drifted off as she replayed the conversation she and Gina had had downstairs in her head.
Maybe strangers aren't so bad, she thought just before she drifted off.
Meanwhile...
"Hey love," Kieran said, walking into the kitchen and dropping a kiss on the top of Gina's head.
"Hey sweetie," Gina said, as she studied an article from the evening paper.
She heard him grab a mug from the cupboard and pour himself a cup of tea. "Where's that Naomi girl?" he asked before taking a large sip.
"In bed," Gina said simply.
"Wow," he said, shocked. "At least someone goes to bed at a decent hour around here." He laughed.
Gina laughed along as well. "Oh..." she said, as she turned her attention to Kieran and pulled her reading glasses to the tip of her nose. "Did you call the girls like I asked?"
"I talked to Emily. She said they were on their way home because Katie got them kicked out of a shop." Kieran chuckled. "Katie thought their closing time was bollocks and refused to leave until she found a dress. Apparently she had to get escorted off the premises by security."
"That's my girl." Gina laughed. "And the boys?"
"They are staying at Gordon's tonight and coming home early in the morning."
"Lovely, I don't want them coming in all obnoxious and waking up Naomi."
"About Naomi," Kieran said, taking another swig out of this mug, "What's going on with that situation? Because she told me she was only staying for the night."
"That's probably what she has convinced herself," Gina scoffed.
"I don't know, love, she seems pretty adamant it's just for the night," he said doubtfully.
She looked up mischievously. "Care to make a wager?"
"Come on, Gina, it doesn't feel right, betting on the poor girl."
"Why?" she asked, innocently. "Scared you're gonna lose?"
Kieran stood there for a few seconds, debating, before he looked up from his mug with a smirk on his face.
"You're on."