Ch. 10
I was getting all our bags packed and fixing the tent so we can head back home. When I was putting the luggage in the trunk the two teenage girls passed by the site with towels and shampoo in their hands. When I looked at them they were whispering to each other about how I was the one fucking the hot guy in the car. I saw Eugene coming out of the public bathroom with a towel around his neck and board shorts. His chest was bear and dripping with water. I could feel a drop of drool falling out the corner of my mouth. When he arrived at the site he helped me put the luggage and tent back in the car. He managed to put on a shirt before I started thinking of possible places I would fuck him without a sleeping bag. We both parked the car in front of the office and took one of the Disney buses to downtown Disney. We shopped for about two hours and we both had chocolate ice cream in Ghirardelli. We left around 2 and got back to the car and drove off for another 22 hour drive.
"Where do you want to get married?" Eugene said eagerly, taking my hand
"I always dreamed of a little wedding with all my close friends on a beach."
"Really? I was thinking of a grand vacation and getting married in court."
"why would you do that? dont you want to have your friends see you on your wedding day?"
"all my friends don't really care much for weddings."
I looked out the window and sighed.
"I want a big wedding." I let go of his hands and spread my arms wide
"Yea?"
"Yea. Picture this; a white sand beach, you and me holding hands in front of a flower arch and everyone standing behind us. The aisle is rose petals and the sun is about to set. The priest says 'you may kiss the bride' and I jump on top of you and kiss you passionately right before the sun is nowhere to be seen. Then, we go to a big reception in a small banquet hall and all your friends hit on my friends and all the guys from the snuggly duckling start to get drunk. Then when all the craziness is over we run to the limo waiting for us outside with cans attached to the back that said 'just married' and every one waves us good bye as we drive off to the airport to our honeymoon in Italy."
"Wow. You really planned this out haven't you?"
"mhm." I sighed and took his hand again
I started to space out and finally fell asleep. I woke up around 2 hours later.
"Morning sleeping beauty."
I yawned and stretched out, my feet touching the end of the seat.
"Where are we?"
"Gas station. Gotta pee?"
"noooo let me sleep!" I whined
He started shaking my shoulder and I gave him the death stare. He chuckled and kissed my forehead.
"Babe…im hungryyyy" I whined
"Babe…we don't have moneyyyyy" he mocked me
I rubbed my belly and looked at him
"Eugene…what would you say if I told you I was pregnant?"
"Yea-what? WHAT? YOU'RE PREGNANT?"
"No! What would you do if I was?"
"I don't know. Im not ready to be a father."
"I think you would make a great dad." I said smiling at him
"Punz…don't be getting any ideas." He said furrowing his brow
"I'm not! We are getting married Eugene. You know we are going to have kids at one point."
"Don't say kidssss." He said, emphasizing the S.
"You don't want more than one kid?" I said pouting
"I'll have to see what it's like with one. Babe, kids are expensive."
"Kids are like little miracles." I said twirling my fingers
"Kids are headaches."
"Eugene do you even want kids?"
"Not now."
"Okay. How about when we get married?"
"Babe…" he sighed deeply
"…I want to enjoy my time with you. I don't want to share it with someone else. I just want you." He said pulling back a little lock of hair from my face
I ignored him and continued
"What will you name him? Or her?"
"Punz…"
"Okay fine. Ill drop it."
He sighed and got out of the car to put some gas. I checked my phone for the first time since last night and I got a bunch of texts. All from Vlad.
'Rapunzel…text me when you get this text.'
'Punzie,answer.'
'Rapunzel!'
I checked my missed calls. I had about 6. Again, all from Vlad. I tried calling but no answer. I was starting to get extremely worried so I kept calling. I ended up calling the snuggly duckling and getting hook to answer the phone.
"Hook! Wheres Vlad?"
"Kitchen. Why?"
"Put him on."
I heard clanging and noises in the background until I heard a breathless voice
"Rapunzel?"
"Vlad?"
"Listen kid. I know you aren't going to like this but-wait hold on."
I heard more noises and music and shouting until there was silence.
"Punz…I don't know how to tell you…you're mom…she…she passed away."
"Passed away?" I held on to the phone tighter
"Chocked on her own vomit in a drunken haze. Seizures too."
"She's…dead?"
"Yea. She had some lawyer come into the bar and ask for you. He wanted to read her will to you."
I swallowed hard.
"Vlad…tell that man that I don't live there anymore. I don't want anything to do with my mother, understand? The next time he comes tell him to fuck off and that I had my own life now. I don't need my mother's money AND I don't have money to pay for her funeral. Listen, I have to go. Flynn is about to get in the car."
"Alright Punz. I'll tell him."
I hung up quickly when Eugene slid into the car, swiftly putting on his seatbelt and taking off.
"Who was that on the phone?"
"Vlad."
Eugene groaned
"What was he bitching about this time?"
"Nothing." I looked out the window to hide my face
"Punz…what's up?"
"My mom…"
"But I thought-"
"She's dead, Eugene. She died."
"She's…but…"
"She chocked on her own vomit and had a seizer or whatever. Im glad. She deserved it. Stupid bitch." I mumbled to myself
Eugene stayed silent and kept driving. He knew that if he said one word I would snap. I felt tears rolling down my eyes.
"FUCK!" I yelled extremely loud, pulling my legs closer to me
Eugene jumped and looked at me.
"Babe…"
"STOP THE CAR!"
Eugene pulled to the side of the road and I quickly got out of the car. I started pacing in the high grass next to the busy road. Why was I so flustered about a woman who locked me up in my room and would never feed me or care for me? Why was I crying for someone who wouldn't cry for me? The woman practically hated me.
"Babe…" Eugene got off the car and cautiously walked towards me as if I was a going to bite his head off.
"DON'T…" I tried calming myself down
"Don't…not now. I need space." I muttered
He backed off and got back in the car and started smoking a cigarette.
Why? Why did you have to die when I was happy? You like ruining these moments for me, do you? You love ruining my life even if it takes ruining yours. You stupid bitch. I hate you. I hate you. You're dead. You're gone. Now you won't see me get married. You won't see me have kids. You won't be there for me when Eugene and I fight. But then again you weren't there for me before so why would you bother now? I imagine you sitting on a rocking chair telling my future kids stories you would tell me when dad was still here; when you still cared. You're gone now. You left me. You failed to care for me yet again. It shouldn't be such a surprise.
I stomped back into the car, red as a tomato. When I slammed the door Eugene did nothing but put the key in the car and keep driving. We drove for about four hours. Both of us silent.
"Babe…" Eugene whispered as he reached for my hand
"I'm sorry." He said apologetically and kissed my hand
"Did she leave you a will?" he asked after my attempt at ignoring him
"Yea."
"And?"
"And, what? Im not going to read it."
"Why?"
"The witch is going to make me pay for her funeral."
"What if she had something to tell you?"
"I don't care."
"Yes you do."
"NO I DON'T"
"Babe-"
"I DON'T FUCKING CARE, ALRIGHT?"
"What if she wanted to apologize?" Eugene started raising his voice
"WHAT IF I DON'T WANT ONE? LISTEN, YOU DON'T KNOW MY LIFE! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IVE BEEN THROUGH! YOU-you…you don't know. You don't know what she did to me." I buried my head into my hands and managed to not cry for the 5th time
"Listen here, babe. I think I would know a thing or two about bad parents. I lived my life jumping from family to family. They would drop me back in the orphanage and say 'I'm not feeling this one' as if I was a fucking car."
"They never abused you."
Eugene scoffed loudly
"You would know."
"What do you mean?"
"My second adoptive parents. I was about 11 or 13. Puberty was a bitch and so was I. I ran away once and when they found me my 'dad' beat the shit out of me. He told me that if I ever tried to run away again he would kill Me." he chuckled lightly
"Why did they want you if they were going to abuse you?"
"I don't know. Ask them."
"So what did you do?"
"I ran away again." He smirked
"And?"
"I almost died." His smirk was gone
"How?"
"He was a man of his word."
I stayed silent for a couple of minutes
"So what are you going to do?" he asked
"What should I do?"
"Read it." He shrugged
For the next long four hours of the car ride I contemplated on what I should do. Should I read it and risk wasting money on a wicked witch's funeral? Maybe Eugene was right; maybe she did want to apologize. Maybe she wanted to tell me something and she never got the chance. All this thinking got me a bit anxious and worried. I wanted to read it and see what she'll say. But then again maybe she won't say anything. I was starting to get frustrated. I was rudely interrupted by my phone vibrating in my jean pocket. I checked to see who it was and it was Vlad.
"Vlad?"
"Hey baby."
"What is it?"
I saw Eugene glance at me then back at the endless road.
"Punz…I think there is something you should read about in this lady's will."
"Okay…why?" I said confusingly
"I can't tell you…you're going to have to come here and read for yourself."
"Okay Vlad. I guess I'll be there soon."
"Hurry back."
I hung up and looked at Eugene.
"Something about the will?" he asked as he looked at the rear view mirror
"Yea…"
"What about?"
"I don't know but Vlad says its important."
"Ah."
We drove for about 2 more hours, chatting away about what we thought would be on the will. Eugene got tired and we ended up in a shitty hotel about 6 hours away from town. We both slept rather uncomfortable because of the springy beds. I woke up the next morning at 8 and had back pains that I never had before. I dragged Eugene into the car and drove for 2 hours and we stopped for breakfast at some ma and pop café. After eating his heart out in pancakes and bacon he drove us out for another 4 hours until we finally got to our tiny, dull hometown. We dropped off our crap at my house and drove to the bar, which was completely empty except for vlad and some tall man with white long hair in a black suit. When I walked in the door the smell of old people and beer filled my nostrils. The man has been there for a long time, I could tell. This is not going to be good. I walked in and gave Vlad a big bear hug which he returned, as well as a concerning look I see whenever he sees me holding hands with Eugene. The tall man stood up and shook my hand. If he wasn't moving I would have confused him with one of his own clients.
"Hello, miss…Rapunzel, is it?"
"Yes it is. Nice to meet you mister…."
"Smith."
"Mr. Smith."
"Miss Rapunzel, are you ready to read your mother's will?"
"I am." I said shakily
I took a seat and Eugene sat next to me, holding my hand and kissing it softly. I felt as if my heart was going to rip out of my chest and ill bleed to death right here and join my mother. The man cleared his throat and fixed his glasses on the tip of his nose and started reading:
"My dearest flower,
I love you very much, dear. I miss you oh so much and I know that you don't. I am so sorry for everything that I put you through, after years of looking for you I found you in some bar with a tall man who seemed to be your husband or boyfriend. I left you alone and never tried to look for you. You seemed so…happy without me. As if you forgotten all about me. I never forgot you. I truly never did. When you left I picked myself up and stopped drinking. Well, sort of. I'm writing this now because I am already getting old and I don't want you to live your life without knowing this. My dear Rapunzel, you are not mine. Yes, you are adopted. Your father and I adopted you from an orphanage in Chicago when we were newlyweds. At the time you had long blonde hair for your age. You were almost a year old when we took you in and raised you as our own. Your father was also killed in a car accident when you were about 3 years old. He never left us; I just used it as an excuse to drink my life away. I sold the house we used to live in and I am currently living in a tiny apartment two hours away from here. I stopped bringing men to the apartment also. My psychologist says I have progressed a lot even though I still drink from time to time. I tried stopping but I can't. The doctor says that if I continue my liver will fail and I can die on the spot. I hope you are living a wonderful life without me. I know you don't miss me and I know you won't miss me when I'm gone. I just wanted to let you know I love you and I am sorry.
Your dearest mumsy."
I felt as if I was about to pass out. My head was spinning and I felt my breakfast coming up my throat. I got up and wobbled out of the bar, feeling the world crumble under my feet. My head started throbbing and I couldn't think straight. Adopted? I was abused for 18 years and I was adopted. My mother and father, my real ones at least, didn't love me and neither did my adoptive ones. I fell to the floor after my legs gave up on me. I was lying in the middle of the parking lot, trying to get my head straight. I have lived with some stranger for 18 years and I called her 'mom'. She tricked me into thinking she loved me. She tricked me into hating my 'dad' even though he never did anything wrong. I lived 18 years in a huge lie. My life was a lie. My existence was a lie. And now I can never retrieve the time wasted. Time wasted crying over lies. I felt like grabbing the gun in the glove compartment of Eugene's car and just shooting myself. I heard footsteps behind me I turned around and saw Eugene running towards me, brushing hair out of his face in the process. I sought the opportunity and blacked out in the middle of the parking lot. The last thing I remember was Eugene picking me up and dragging me into the car. I woke up the next morning in a white room with a needle lodged in my hand.