Chapter 17
A few hours had passed since the Kankers had left Peach Creek. The yellow disk of the sun had disappeared behind the distant Manhattan skyline, ushering in the twilight period. The sky had gone from a bright shade of blue to beautiful shades of pink, orange and magenta.
Within the last hour, the Kankers had finally arrived in New York City. For reasons unknown, Tabby had sought out a small RV park in the Bronx section of New York as a stopping point; her intention being for her and the girls to take the subway into the city for their show. Outside, the weather was quite tranquil; a slight breeze permeated through the air, rusting the green leaves adorning the trees; as night set in, this would eventually give way to the sounds of crickets and cicadas, creaking and hissing in their characteristic rhythmic patterns.
Tabby had parked Rods truck at a free space, and after attaching electrical power and temporary water utilities to the trailer, made her way upstairs to dress herself, as her girls did the same on the lower level. The red headed woman currently remained within its silver walls, seated on the her bed in silence as she spun a small pen in her left hand. Her opposite hand was occupied by what appeared to be a small Polaroid, and object she was currently staring at with an expression of sadness.
Downstairs, the Kanker sisters and Lindsay had taken their seats at the kitchen table, transforming it into a makeshift fashion studio. Dozens of makeup accessories were scattered across the table, having been put to hard use over the last hour as Lindsay crafted the Kanker sisters theater looks.
At this time Lee and May's makeovers had been completed. Lee had traded in her usual summer capri jeans for a pair of jet black dress jeans, which complimented her black high heeled boots; a green dress blouse completed her "flashy look". She had removed her green headband, allowing her red curls to hang freely wherever they pleased. As typical of the proud ginger girl, she refused to allow Lindsay to conceal her freckles, but did allow her to apply a significant amount of black eye-liner, accenting the girls ice blue eyes.
May had donned a yellow knee-length dress, and a pair of silver high heeled shoes. Her blonde hair was no longer straight as usual; Lindsay had styled it into loose hanging waves, much like those she had worn on the night she and Ed had declared themselves an item. The excited girl was currently standing in front of a tall portable mirror, admiring her clothing as she repeatedly performed pirouettes.
As Lee observed her little sisters antics with a sardonic expression, Lindsay and Marie remained seated across from each other at the table, as the tall girl gingerly continuing her work on Marie's already pretty face. As she did so Lee decided to initiate a conversation.
"Whoah there Anna Pavlova," said Lee as she observed May performed another pirouette, "With the way that dress is flaring out every time ya spin, you're gonna wind up liftin' off and going through the roof!"
May clicked her tongue, deciding to respond in a playful manner.
"Don't be jealous of my cute yellow dress," said May, "I bought it just for tonight, but I just know Big Ed is gonna love it when I eventually show it to him!"
At that point, the excited May performed a powerful pirouette of around three turns. Unfortunately, just as May completed her third turn, the edge of her dress managed to snag a small nail protruding from the mirrors wood frame. The result was a slight zipping sound, as a prominent tear formed in the bottom of the dress.
"Oh no," said May as she took hold of the dress, using both of hands to examine the fabric.
Lee giggled slightly.
"Well Big Ed will certainly gonna love seeing your little cute undies," said Lee as she chuckled.
May did not respond, electing to simply stare in Lee's direction with watery eyes. Sensing her little sisters innocent state of distress, Lee began making her way towards the front of the trailer, waving her hand in an effort to signal May to follow into the living room.
"Come on goofball," said Lee, "I got some yellow thread in the sewing kit. Let's get ya fixed up."
May's frown quickly turned into a smile as she began to follow her sister out into the trailers rather spacious living area.
"I'll be right back," said May as she gazed towards Marie, "Don't stress out too much on Marie's makeup Lindsay, you'll never get her looking as hot as I do now."
May giggled slightly as she dashed away from Marie and Lindsay's position, making her way disappearing from view around the corner. As Lindsay giggled, Marie turned around to face the the living room, attempting to project her voice for May to hear.
"Come back and see me when you learn not to rip your clothes, bubble butt!" yelled Marie.
After delivering her statement Marie turned back towards Lindsay. As she did so, the tall girl retrieved a large makeup brush from her kit, dipped it in a small can of rouge, and proceeded to gently powder Marie's cheeks.
The two girls remained in complete silence for a few moments, after which Lindsay decided to initiate a conversation with a smile.
"You and your sisters crack me up," said Lindsay, "It's so obvious that you love each other more than anything, yet you always seem to be fighting about something."
"Yeah," said Marie, "We fight and make fun of each other, but it's usually all in good fun. May is always happy-go-lucky about everything, and while it can be annoying some times, I wouldn't trade her for the world. And you know as well as I do that Lee is the best big sister and friend anyone could every have...even though she's a total grouch sometimes."
Lindsay and Marie shared a giggle.
"You know," said Lindsay in a drawn out feminine manner as she retrieved a tube of ruby lipstick from her kit, "I'm honestly kind of surprised you are letting me do your makeup. I was beginning to think you'd hate me forever."
"Well, I figured it's been around six months since you and Lee made up, so why not let bygones be bygones?" said Marie, attempting to portray a stoic demeanor, "Plus what normal girl would turn down a free makeover?"
Lindsay said nothing, responding only by sharing a slight smile with Marie. After a few seconds, she decided to continue their conversation.
"Are you sure you don't want me to try to work something up for your hair?" asked Lindsay as she continued to work her magic on Marie's lips.
"Nah," said Marie, "I tried everything, but these ponytails are the only thing that work at this length. I'm actually starting to really like them, they keep my hair tame and frame my face well, so why mess with success."
"Work it girl," said Lindsay in a playful manner as she placed the finishing touches on Marie's face.
With one final stroke, Lindsay closed the tube of lipstick and placed it back into the top drawer of her kit.
"All finished!" said Lindsay. She then proceeded to take hold of a small hand-held mirror, lifting it into position to facilitate Marie's view of her reflection, "What do you think?"
"Wow," said Marie, "This is perfect! You really know how to bring out somebody's features!"
"Thanks," said Lindsay.
"I'll have to get you to do this again when we get back to Peach Creek," said Marie, "Double Dee's jaw is going to hit the floor."
"I'm sure it will," said Lindsay, "You really are one hot mama!"
"Thanks," said Marie, after which the two girls shared a giggle. After a few moments of staring at her reflection, Marie decided to continue.
"Wanna know how to make my dream boats face turn red and his head to sweat?" asked Marie in a playful manner, "Check this out, he calls it my 'amorous look.'"
At that point, Marie placed he mirror onto the table and rose to her feet. She then cocked her hip slightly to the left, placing her left hand on her pelvis while allowing her right to hang freely. While doing so, she adopted a sly grin, simultaneously squinting her right eye ever so slightly as attempting to appear as sexy as possible.
Lindsay did not respond to Marie's statement; instead, she remained fixated on the black haired Kanker's face with what seemed to be an expression of concern. Taking notice of Lindsay's demeanor, Marie decided to comment.
"What's wrong?" asked Marie, "Is there something wrong with my makeup?"
"Hmmm" said Lindsay, "On second thought, maybe that lip stick is a little too much. It's bugging me how it turned out, and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you left my makeup chair looking less than stunning. Here sit down and let me fix it."
"Why?" asked Marie as she picked up the mirror, "I think it looks awesome! It really fits my look and accents my lips. I'd prefer to keep it!"
Lindsay remained silent, merely biting her bottom lip as the sound of foot steps emanated from the direction of the living room. Within seconds, the girls attention was drawn away from their conversation as an exuberant May dashed towards their position.
"I'm back and good as new!" said May as she performed another pirouette, "See?"
"Hey, easy on the spinning nimrod!" said Lee as she approached the booth in a much slower manner, "There ain't no guarantee that I'm gonna be able to fix it again!"
Lee turned towards Marie, instantly taking notice of her new look.
"Damn Marie, you clean up nice" said Lee with a sly smile, "That must have been your toughest task yet Liz!"
Marie clicked her tongue, gazing towards Lee with a playful glare.
"Lee," said Marie in a seductive voice, "You don't know how hard it is being a woman, looking the way I do."
Marie giggled as Lee rolled her eyes.
"First of all, ya gotta at least have a pair of tits before ya try to act like Jessica Rabbit," said Lee in a playful manner, "But, in all seriousness you look great."
After sharing a slight smile, Lee gazed towards the stairs, ensuring that her mother was still out of earshot,
"I think it's time we get down to business." said Lee.
"Do you really think we should go through with this?" asked May, "I mean, Mom seems to want to keep whatever is at that address a secret?"
Lee sighed.
"Mom's usually not one to make waves or talk about her emotions unless she has no other options," said Lee, "The only way we will be able to relieve her stress is to find out what the problem is ourselves. And this is probably the only opportunity we are gonna get to do this. Mom's preoccupied with getting dressed and getting the bed ready for tonight, so we should be able to sneak out undetected."
"Well we've only got two hours before the show starts," said Marie, "Are we going to be able to make it there and back before then?"
"No problem," said Lee, "According to the map app, the place is only two blocks away. We'll be there and back way before then."
At the conclusion of Lee's statement, Lindsay rose from her seated position, taking hold of her makeup chest as she did so.
"While you are there, I'll go find a corner store and pick us up some snacks for tonight," said Lindsay, "I'll see you guys when you get back. Good luck and be careful okay!"
"Thanks Liz," said Lee, "We'll see ya when we get back.
At the conclusion of Lindsay's statement, the two girls interlocked their pinky fingers for a few seconds, a common ritual that had been established back in kindergarten as a symbol of the girls unbreakable bond. Lindsay then took her leave, making her way out the door, on her way to the nearest convenience store.
"Well girls," said Lee, "It's now or never."
"Let's do it!" said Marie.
One by one the girls made their way through the front door and out of the trailer, remaining completely silent as they did so. Once outside, they proceeded towards the exit of the park, walking side by side at a relatively rapid pace.
Unbeknownst to the three girls, the sound of their footsteps had attracted the attention of a distant observer. Within the trailer, Tabby had risen from the bed and had made her way towards the solitary window. Using her index finger and thumb to gingerly separate the closed blinds, the redheaded woman peered through the small slit, observing her three daughters with a blank stare. As the three girls disappeared from view, Tabby released her hold on the blinds, causing the leaves to spring back to a closed position. She then turned towards the interior of the trailer, staring towards the far wall in silence. A few moments passed, after which the freckle-faced woman took hold of her purse, and proceeded to make her way to the trailers front door.
Ten minutes was all it took for the girls to reach the 200 block of 22nd avenue, the block on which they hoped to find the address their mother had received during her trip to the city a few days ago. Typical of the surrounding neighborhood, the block consisted entirely of two story masonry row houses, most of which appeared to have seen better days. Many of the houses have already been torn down due to being in a terminally dilapidated state, leaving weed and debris filled lots in the places where they once stood. The remaining houses on the block were in varying states of partial collapse; the city had fitted with red warning tags to the graffiti covered houses, indicating that the properties were immanently dangerous of collapse.
The girls observed the state of their surroundings in awe as they made their way down the street in a slow manner. After taking a few steps, Marie decided to initiate a conversation.
"Well one things for sure," said Marie, "Someone's pulling moms leg."
"Yeah," said May, "These houses are all abandoned. There sure ain't anybody living here."
"Don't be so hasty," said Lee, continuing to observe her surroundings in a serious manner, "Remember the 'badlands, that we had to walk through to get home from school back in the city? There were tons of houses like these, and most of them had been taken over by the homeless and the junkies claiming squatters rights. There is no reason this would be any different."
Lee paused prior to continuing.
"Be careful, watch your surroundings, and stay close to me" said Lee in a quiet manner, "We don't know who or what is lurking in these lots and alleys. Let's just find this address, see what's up, and get back to the trailer before it gets dark."
"Right," said Marie and May simultaneously as they continued to follow Lee's lead.
After a few moments of walking, diligently counting the house numbers as they did so, the girls had finally arrived at their destination. The address of 245 22nd Avenue did indeed exist, although it wasn't exactly what one would call a home. The windows adorning the two story masonry property had been covered in plywood boards; it's front facade was covered in graffiti and adorned with cracks. The wrought iron railing mounted to the marble steps leading up to the front was rusted beyond repair; the wooden door itself appeared quite dry rotted.
"Well girls," said Lee, "Here it is."
"So what do we do now?" asked May.
"What else?" asked Lee, "Let's knock to see if anyone is home!"
Without hesitation, Lee slowly ascended the three steps leading up to the front door. Her sisters watched as she lifted her hand, created a fist, and delivered a series of five raps to the wooden surface.
To the girls surprise, they did not have to wait long for a response; in response to Lee's knock a faint voice emanated from the interior of the property. The voice was that of a female, speaking in a highly hoarse manner, as if the owner were overcome by lethargy.
"Occupied!" said the voice, "Find some other place to go. No visitors!"
The girls shared an expression of confusion for a few moments, after which Lee turned back towards the door to provide a response.
"Excuse me miss," said Lee, "But we are not looking for a place to stay. We are actually looking for someone who lives at this address, and you might be the one."
"I'm certain you don't want to see me," said the voice, "Go away and leave me in peace."
Lee paused for a few moments, at which point she decided to issue her trump card.
"Do you by any chance know a woman named Tabitha Kanker?" asked Lee.
No sooner than Lee had posed her question, the sound of creaking floorboards filled the air, seeming to grow louder as the inside occupant approached the front door. In a matter of seconds, the sound of the doorknob unlatching filled the air, after which the door began to open.
Lee observed with curiosity as the occupant slowly moved the door to the halfway open position, eventually revealing the source of the voice. Standing behind the door was a rather petite woman, who appeared to be in her early thirties. Her thin frame was covered in a loose fitting oversized grey t-shirt; the shirt reached the area of her thighs and was torn in several places near the bottom edge. Her legs were covered by a pair of loose fitting flannel pajama bottoms, contrasting with the light brown color of the worn bedroom slippers she donned on her feet.
Physically, the woman was of a light completion and appeared rather similar to Lee; he face was covered in red freckles, and her head was adorned with shoulder length red curls. However, in contrast to Lee, who's curls hung smooth, the woman's hair was quite frizzy and unkept. The pupils of her ice blue eyes were dilated (as if she were under the influence of a depressant), and displayed an expression of melancholy; the bottoms of their orbits appeared dark and saggy, as if the woman desperately needed sleep.
The woman stared into Lee's eyes for a few seconds, prior to replying in a hoarse sounding voice.
"I know nothing of a Tabitha Kanker," said the woman as she stumbled slightly, as if she were struggling to remain standing, "Not that I would want to speak to that spoiled brat anyway."
Before Lee could respond, Marie decided to inject herself into the conversation, taking a few steps forward to make eye contact with the woman.
"Well which is it?" asked Marie, "If you don't know her than why would you suggest you didn't want to speak to her?"
Unfortunately, as soon as the woman made eye contact with Marie, her demeanor suddenly changed. Her generally lethargic demeanor vanished, and was suddenly replaced with one of extreme distress. The women backed away slightly, adopting a fearful expression as she began speaking in a highly incoherent manner.
"No, no, no, no, no!" said the woman, as she turned towards Lee, "Why'd you bring her here? Are you from the city! I'm not interested, I've been through too much already! I tried, I tried, I tried, but it wasn't good enough. I tried to tell her, she didn't listen! She didn't listen! I can't take it any more! I lived with these demons all these years and I'm not allowing them in anymore!"
"Whoah lady calm down!" said Lee as she reached toward the woman, attempting to calm her by grabbing her hand.
Unfortunately, the demented woman had other plans; without warning, she reached behind the door, and retrieved an old rusty metal baseball bat.
"LEAVE ME IN PEACE!" yelled the woman as she lifted the bat above her head, as if preparing to deliver a powerful strike to Lee's tall frame.
Upon laying eyes on the weapon, Lee's self defense instincts promptly kicked in. The redhead adopted a defensive posture, preparing to use her skills to wrestle the weapon out of the woman's hand, and perform a counter strike of her own. However, the woman's aggressive actions were suddenly halted when a familiar female voice echoed from behind.
"HOLD IT!"
The woman froze in place as if she were a statue, turning her attention towards the source of the voice; simultaneously, the three Kanker girls turned around to lay eyes on the familiar figure of their mother, Tabby. The somewhat heavy set woman stood with her pelvis relaxed to the right, her right hand placed on her hip as she stared into the woman's eyes with an angry scowl.
Upon laying eyes on Tabby, the woman slowly lowered the bat, clenching her teeth as she did so.
"You..." said the woman in a long, drawn out manner, with intonations of intense anger.
"Yes, me," said Tabby as she began making her way towards the stoop, "You're just as fucked up as always. You are lucky I stopped you before my daughter took that bat off of ya and shoved it up your ass."
"Daughter?" asked the woman as she gazed intently into Lee's eyes. After pondering her thoughts for a few moments, a proverbial lightbulb seemed to ignite over her head.
"Annalee?" asked the woman, after which she turned her attention towards Marie. After staring intently into Marie's eyes for a few seconds, she turned her attention back to Tabby.
"Now it all makes sense..." said the woman in a hoarse voice.
"Mom..." asked Marie, "You know this degenerate lunatic?"
"Well Annemarie," said Tabby, "As much as I hate her guts, I guess as your mother I should request that you show respect to your elder relatives...no matter how much of a loser they may be."
The girls briefly shared confused glares as Tabby came within feet of their position; she proceeded to deliver another statement with a sarcastic smile.
"Girls," said Tabby, "Allow me to introduce you to your Aunt Katie."
Chapter 18
"What!?" asked all three girls, in a simultaneous manner that evoked extreme surprise.
"C'mon Mom," said Lee, "You're pulling our legs, this makes no sense."
"Yeah!" said May in her typical adenoidal voice, "Aunt Katie's been dead since before we were born!"
Kate, who had since descended the stairs to the sidewalk, turned towards Tabby with an expression of surprise and anger.
"Wait, what!?" asked Katie, "You were telling people I was dead!? What the fuck Tabitha!"
"Well you are dead to me, so the shoe fits!" said Tabby.
"Well, the feelings mutual," said Kate, "It's only fitting for the no good floosie that split our entire family apart!"
Without warning, Tabby suddenly lunged towards Kate, growling angrily as she did so. In an instant, Tabby took hold of Kate's hair using her left hand, violently pulling it downward as she proceeded to use her right hand to repeatedly bludgeon Kate's head. Kate responded with a flurry of wild punches, delivering several violent body blows to Tabby as she did so.
"Jesus Christ!" yelled Lee as she dashed towards Tabby in an attempt to separate the two women; Marie immediately followed her sisters lead. After a few moments of struggling, Lee was eventually able to gain control of Tabby, pulling her away from Kate in a full nelson as Marie gained control of the still screaming Kate.
May watched with concern as the two girls released the still fuming sisters. After a few seconds, the two women managed to calm down slightly. As Tabby continued to stare angrily into Kate's eyes, she uttered a few words in a calm timbre.
"Girls," said Tabby, "Go back to the trailer. I'll be back in a little bit for the show."
"But mom," said Marie, "What abou..."
"THE TRAILER...NOW!" yelled Tabby at the top of her lungs, as she pointed towards the street corner.
The three Kanker girls remained completely still, staring at their mother with expressions of confusion, as well as sadness. After a few moments, Marie and May slowly turned, and began making their way down the street in silence.
Lee, currently standing in the vicinity of Tabby, began to follow her sisters lead; however, as she began to take her first step, Tabby gently took hold of her arm, stopping her in her tracks. As Lee continued to stare forward, the older red headed woman leaned her lips towards her ear.
"I know this seems nuts, but trust me I know what I'm doing," said Tabby, "I know you know more than what you are letting on. We'll be back soon."
Tabby pulled away, gazing into her eldest daughters eyes with a genuine expression. Lee delivered an affirmative nod, after which she continued on her way, discretely jogging in an effort to catch up with her sisters.
Tabby observed as her daughters rounded the corner, after which she turned her attention back towards Kate, igniting a cigarette as she did so.
"So," said Tabby, "Are you surprised to see me?"
"As a matter of fact I am," said Kate, "I'm actually surprised you were able to find me, but before I ask you how the hell you managed to know I was here, answer me this...was that who I think it was?"
Tabby remained silent, staring towards the ground while taking a puff of her cigarette. Kate responded by grabbing hold of Tabby's arm, shaking it as she did so.
"Answer me now!" yelled Kate, "Was that, or was that not who I think it was!?"
"Get your damn druggie hands off of me," yelled Tabby as she swatted Kate's hand away, "It is, ...but it's not like it's any of your fucking business."
"But how?" asked Kate, "How did you manage to..."
Tabby gazed back towards the ground, flicking the ashes off of her cigarette as she did so. Kate, taking notice of Tabby's melancholy demeanor, placed her hand over her mouth in shock.
"Oh my God," said Kate, "You didn't..."
"I did what I had to do," said Tabby, "I'm a family oriented person, unlike you."
"What the fuck Tabitha!" yelled Kate, "Are you out of your mind! You could have went to prison! How the hell did you possibly explain..."
"I didn't you nutjob!" yelled Tabby, suddenly whipping around to face Kate once again, "That's why I went through hell and high water to find you! What do you think I actually came here for a reunion? As much as I hate to admit it, you're the only person that can help me at this point, and you damn well know I'm not asking for me!"
At that point, Tabby took notice that several individuals had appeared on the surrounding stoops; all were of various ethnic backgrounds, and appeared to be homeless as well. The freckle faced woman lowered her voice, addressing Kate once again.
"One things for sure," said Tabby, "These people don't need to know our business."
Tabby took another draw of her cigarette as she pointed towards the abandoned house.
"Go in the house and get all your dope, and anything you need to shoot it up," said Tabby, "Make sure you ration, because we're going for a long ride. I'm taking my daughters and their friend on a road trip, spending some time with the people I love and care about, and if it means waiting three weeks to get ya home to have you do what I need ya to do, so be it. As much as I can't stand drugs, I don't need you withdrawing and throwing your guts up all over the place."
"For your information, I have never shot up," said Kate, "Even the thought of it is disgusting. I snorted when I used dope. I've been going to rehab, and while I had a few relapses, they eventually started me on methadone tablets. Gives the same high and relieves the withdrawal, but on the plus side is legal."
Kate giggled sarcastically.
"Just traded one poison for another," said Kate, "I'm still a fucking junkie, just addicted to pills instead of smack. Not like you care..."
"You're right, I don't give a shit what you put in that disgusting body of yours," said Tabby, "But guess what, even if I did we don't have time to talk about it, I got a show to see in around an hour."
Tabby tossed her cigarette butt on the ground, after which she leaned into Kate's face with an angry glare.
"Here's the deal," said Tabby, "I got no problem feeding ya, but let me one thing clear. I'm using Daddy's old fishing trailer as a camper, and you will NEVER show your face outside of the upstairs bedroom unless I give you permission."
"Whatever," said Kate, "What about the three nieces that thought I was dead? I guess I'm not allowed to get to know my own family. I mean, it's such a shame that they had to deal with being raised by you."
Tabby grabbed Kate's shirt collar.
"Especially them," said Tabby, "You stay away from my daughters, especially when you are as high as a kite. Look at you now, you can barely keep your eyes open, and when they are they're as red as a baboons ass. They have no reason to see that!"
Tabby released her grip on Kate, turning away from her and igniting another cigarette in the process.
"You should have been more careful and not lost those stupid sunglasses back when you were sixteen," said Tabby, "They would have finally came into some good use."
Tabby giggled sarcastically as Kate seemed to adopt a disheartened expression. Within seconds, the thin woman regained her angry composure, and proceeded to stomp up the stairs towards the front door.
"Fine," said Kate, "But I'm doing it for the family, not for you. Two weeks is all you get, and after that we're through."
"Don't take too long in there," said Tabby as she puffed her cigarette, "You're wasting my time."
At that point, Kate opened the door, entered the building, and proceeded to slam the door shut with an audible thud. As she did so, Tabby turned towards the street corner, puffing her cigarette as a small tear began to trickle down her left cheek.