Chapter 42

After slamming the trailer door, Tabby furiously made her way up the gravel path leading to Rodeeia's front door. The red-headed woman opened the door in an aggressive manner, stopping briefly to dust off her flip-flops prior to entering the structure. Upon entry, she closed the door behind her, making her way across the living room and into the hallway.

Inside the small bathroom, Katie had completed her business and was in the process of washing up at the pedestal sink. After scrubbing her pale hands, the thin woman shut off the water and proceeded to dry her hands on one of the soft white towels, hung adjacent to the sink. After doing so, she gazed upon her reflection in the vanity mirror, running her fingers through her matted hair with an expression of sadness. She then examined her teeth by adopting a smile; to her astonishment, her typically plaque-colored and yellow teeth appeared as white as the marble sink, due to Tabby's efforts the previous night.

After a few more seconds, Katie adopted a genuine smile as she turned away from the sink. She then proceeded to take hold of the diamond door knob, at which point she opened the door and proceeded out into the hallway.

Katie's smile quickly disappeared, for upon stepping out into the hallway, she was met with quite the surprise. As soon as she breeched the threshold, she was quickly grabbed by the shoulders and slammed into the wall with force, finding herself face-to-face with her seemingly angry older sister.

"Alright, spill it!" said Tabby in a quiet, yet aggressive manner, "Where the fuck did you find it?

"Find what?" asked Katie.

"The Maestro, dipshit," said Tabby, "I finally got the nerve to go back in there a couple years ago, and I spent hours searching every nook and cranny trying to find that thing to no avail. I thought some asshole broke in and sold it for money, but surprise surprise you had it all along."

"Yeah, so?" asked Katie in an angry manner as she swatted Tabby's hands away, "I got some spare cash a few years ago and decided to take a trip up there to at least try to protect it. I put sheets over the furniture, and tried to take as much of the old stuff as I could. I found it next to your dumb box in the nursery, which went off when I tripped over that one loose board that Jimmy had to take up when the pipes started leaking. For your information, I would have taken that too to protect it, but I didn't have enough room

Tabby sighed, adopting a much calmer demeanor.

"That explains a lot," said Tabby, "But now that I know you've been prowling around up there, let me ask you a very important question. I searched all of the closets, but I couldn't find any lockboxes or any clues to the whereabouts of the deed. I assume you took possession of it?"

"Oh now all the sudden you care?" asked Katie, "You're the one who..."

"I'm the one whose been paying the taxes on it all these years so the township didn't take it," said Tabby, "So I think I deserve to know where it is!"

Katie paused for a few moments prior to continuing.

"I don't have it," said Katie, "I searched everywhere for it too, but I had no idea where she kept shit like that. Wherever it is its long gone, I guess didn't pay enough attention to adult matters back then."

"For what it's worth, it's still in their name," said Tabby, "But enough about that. It seems the girls have taken upon themselves to do a little bit of investigation on you."

"Say what?" asked Katie.

"I just caught them going through your stuff in the trailer," said Tabby, "Marie is very much like her momma, very determined, sassy, and somewhat stubborn. However, unlike her, she is not at all shy with regard to voicing her opinion or speaking her mind when an idea comes into her head. She is starting to become very suspicious of you, and if you want this little operation to work, you will have to try harder not to bring attention to yourself, understand?"

Katie sighed.

"Tabitha..." said Katie, "Is it really worth it? I mean, do you think anyone even remembers..."

"This is the way it has to be," said Tabby, "I am very much in the deep, and unless some kind of miracle happens, I am in this for the long haul. I dug my own grave with this, and it's time for me to answer. But one thing's for damn sure, I have no regrets about what I did. I did it for my family, and I'd do it again and gladly go to prison if it was Gods will, as long I knew I tried to keep her safe...and I kept my promise."

Tabby began walking away from Katie.

"The girls will be back with milkshakes in a bit," said Tabby, "Why don't you get one of those stupid movies that you like ready, and we can have a little slumber party?"

Katie remained still for a few moments, observing her sister walk down the hallway, turning the corner into the living room. A few moments passed, at which point Katie slowly followed suit, intent on proceeding with Tabby's suggestion.

As these events unfolded indoors, a completely different set of circumstances was occuring out in the backyard. The yard consisted of several square feet of well-manicured, green grass, it's fringe butting up against a small concrete patio that acted a transition from the sliding glass door leading into the house. In the far corner, a small koi pond had been installed, decorated with two turtle statues that were designed to appear as if they were spitting water from their mouths. The water spouts ejected water into the pond in long, laminar arcs, filling the air with the sounds of their small trickles.

In contrast to the grass covered soil typical of most backyards, the side of the yard opposite of the koi pond appeared completely different. A 20 foot square area of the yard had been paved over with concrete, and had been painted with markings commonly found on a basketball court. Of course, a ten foot tall basketball hoop, complete with a net and backboard, had been installed, acting as a means for the basketball-loving Williams family to practice their favorite sport.

Following Rodeeia's lead, Lee and Lindsay had made their way out into the yard, and were currently standing side-by-side on the concrete surface. They had changed out of their ordinary clothes, adopting attire much more suitable for athletic activities. Lindsay had traded her typical sky blue designer shoes for a pair of running sneakers, and had ditched her lavender sundress for a pair of red, loose fitting shorts and a white athletic tank top. Lee had adopted similar attire; while her shorts matched Lindsay's to a t, she had decided to trade her green tank top for her Peach Creek High School gym uniform t-shirt. Both girls had tied their hair up into tight ponytails, and Lee has removed her glasses.

While Lee donned her typical expression of neutrality, Lindsay appeared quite nervous as she gazed upon the concrete surface before her. Rodeeia has placed several cones around the area, meant to be used as " markers" for her training exercises; she has also marked several locations with white "x's", using chalk she had obtained from the garage.

The girls were quickly broken out of their thoughts as Rodeeia returned to the yard, now dressed in a red and white athletic track suit. Without warning, the somewhat large woman quickly switched to her "coach" persona, speaking in a booming authoritative voice.

"Alright ladies, time to see what we're working with," said Rodeeia, "Annalee, front and center."

At Rodeeia's command, Lee took a few steps forward towards her instructor. She retook her position, standing with her toes pointed slightly outward in a straight, upright posture.

"Look at this," said Rodeeia as she circled Lee, examining her legs, "Judging by your posture and those nicely built legs, you are either a soccer player, or a dancer."

Rodeeia glanced downward.

"Those pointed toes are the giveaway, you are definitely a ballet dancer" said Rodeeia, "Your hip flexors have adapted to all those crazy ass positions your momma used to try to get us to do. I bet you have no problem touching your toe to your head!"

"Easy!" said Lee with a sly smile as she proceeded to rise to the tip of her left toe. As she did so, she gracefully lifted her right leg upward, leaning her body slightly to the left for balance. Her leg eventually came to rest in a near vertical position, with her foot almost directly adjacent to her head.

"Impressive," said Rodeeia, "At least we know flexibility ain't an issue with you, we just have to work on your endurance."

Rodeeia turned towards Lindsay.

"How bout you?" asked Rodeeia, "Can you touch your toes?"

At the conclusion of Rodeeia's statement, Lindsay emitted a small sigh and proceeded to attempt to reach downward; however, her general clumsiness and physical awkwardness caused her to lose her balance, prompting her to begin to fall forward as she approached the ground.

"I can't," said Lindsay, "I'm just not cut out for this kind of stuff."

Rodeeia remained silent for a few moments, staring at Lindsay with an expression of curiosity. After a brief pause Rodeeia turned towards Lee

"Tabby Jr.", said Rodeeia, "Since you already got the flexibility going on, how bout you work on your endurance while I work with Little T."

Rodeeia reached downward, taking hold of the whistle suspended from her neck. She placed in her mouth and blew into it, causing a brief high-pitched shrill to emanate through the air.

"Alright, let's go!" yelled Rodeeia, "Ten laps around the block, and no slacking. I'll be watching and timing you to check your baseline. Then I'll know what kind of drills I need to give ya for when you get home."

Lee nodded slightly, after which she proceeded to to begin jogging away from their position. Rodeeia and Lindsay watched as Lee made her away across the yard, disappearing from view as she rounded the corner of the house.

"Go ahead girl," said Rodeeia with a smile, "Now the real work begins."

Rodeeia turned towards Lindsay,

"So," said Rodeeia as she placed her hands on her hips, "You say you ain't cut out for sports?"

"No," said Lindsay as she stared downward into Rodeeia's eyes, "I'm just not coordinated enough."

"Well I'm here to tell ya that you're wrong," said Rodeeia, "Once upon a time, a girl that looked just like you said the same exact thing. The funny thing is, she was right. She was not coordinated at all whatsoever...yet."

Rodeeia placed her hand on Lindsay's shoulder.

"Let me ask you something," said Rodeeia, "How long have you been over six feet?"

"Since February," said Lindsay in a sheepish manner.

"And here we are in June and you have put on 7 inches," said Rodeeia, "That's a lot of growing to do in a short amount of time, and the same exact situation your mom was in back when she was your age."

Rodeeia took hold of Lindsay's hand, lifting it upward for examination.

"You're nails are very pretty," said Rodeeia.

"Thanks," said Lindsay, "I do them myself."

"Damn girl, your gonna have to give me the tutorial later tonight," said Rodeeia, "It helps that you have those long beautiful nail beds, and your momma's long spider fingers."

Rodeeia gazed upward into Lindsays eyes.

"Marfan Syndrome?" asked Rodeeia.

Lindsay's eyes widened with surprise.

"Yes," said Lindsay, "I'm surprised you know."

"Girl, let me tell ya something," said Rodeeia, "When I heard God took your momma to heaven, I was heartbroken just like most everyone else in our circle of friends. I always had a feeling she had some kind of underlying issue, cause there ain't too many girls with her proportions in the world. When I got into physical education, I did a lot of research and after reading a little about it, I found out that she was the textbook example; as are you."

Rodeeia paused.

"It's great that you and your dad know, cause now you don't have to be afraid to exercise," said Rodeeia, "As long as the doctor cleared you for sports, there ain't no reason for me to hold back with you."

Rodeeia turned away from Lindsay, and began making her way towards the center of the basketball court.

"First things first, let's work on getting your coordination in order," said Rodeeia, "Just like your momma, your body grew so fast that your brain didn't have time to adapt to your ever changing proportions. Well it just so happens I have some exercises that will help you regain control of that beautiful body of yours, and it's time to get to work."

Rodeeia suddenly turned towards Lindsay.

"Front and Center!" yelled Rodeeia in an authoritative manner, prompting Lindsay to nervously dash towards her position. Upon taking her place in from of her mentor, Lindsay observed as Rodeeia began to lecture her on her first exercise.

"Here's what we gonna do," said Rodeeia, "You're gonna run laps from cone to cone, that's the equivalent of 30 feet. In between the cones, you'll notice I marked the ground with a series of X's. These x's are each spaced five feet apart. As you jog, I want you to pat downward as if you are bouncing a beach ball every time you pass an x. This will help you train your body to respond to what you are telling it to do."

Rodeeia adopted an expression of determination.

"Do you understand?" asked Rodeeia.

After pausing momentarily, Lindsay nodded in a nervous manner.

"Good," said Rodeeia, after which point she placed her whistle back in her mouth and proceeded to blow it, "LET'S GO!"

At the sound of the whistle, Lindsay proceeded to dash back and forth between the cones, patting her hand towards the ground upon passing the x's as instructed. While initially struggling with the timing, Lindsay quickly adapted to the challenge, performing the exercise with nearly perfect execution as she completed her last lap. The exercise was not without consequence though, as the unconditioned Lindsay was quite winded by the time Rodeeia signaled her to stop.

"Excellent start," said Rodeeia, "Thirty second break, and then we are going to try something new."

Rodeeia took her place in the center of the court, standing halfway between the cones.

"You're gonna do the same thing," said Rodeeia, "But now, when you get to me, I'm gonna point my finger to either the right or the left at random. When I do, you are going to stop in your tracks, and perform a quick side step in that direction in order to get around me. As you do so, you will also be mindful of your hand, and continue to pat downwards whenever you come across an x. Is that clear?"

"Yes," said Lindsay, attempting to get her words out between breaths.

"THEN GO!" yelled Rodeeia.

At Rodeeia's command, Lindsay once again began her dash towards the opposite cone. As she approached Rodeeia, the short haired woman blew the whistle, simultaneously signaling Lindsay to sidestep left.

Unfortunately, as Lindsay attempted the maneuver, her lack of coordination managed to catch up to her. Her lanky legs became entangled, causing her to trip and plummet to the ground.

"Dammit," said Lindsay as she rose to her knees, pounding her fist on her thigh as she did so.

"It's alright girl," said Rodeeia, "Shake it off and try again, you'll get it eventually."

"No I won't," said Lindsay, "Its no use, I'll never be able to run right with this stupid Amazon body."

"Hey!" yelled Rodeeia as she kneeled down towards Lindsay's eye level, "What kind of talk is that about hatin' yo self? Be proud of who you are girl, you are a descendant of Tiffany O'Leary, the smartest and most athletic girl in our high school class. She was a fighter, just like you are at heart. She too hated herself for her height at one time, and even though she was never happy about it, she turned those perceived weaknesses into her greatest strengths."

Rodeeia rose to a standing position.

"Your daddy named you Tiffany for a reason," said Rodeeia, "It's because he knew you'd always make him proud. It's because he knew you would always be a fighter. And most of all, it's because he knew you would never give up on anything you set your mind to, including becoming a better runner."

Rodeeia reached downward, holding her hand outward to help Lindsay back to her feet.

"I want you to stand up and say your name," said Rodeeia.

Lindsay reluctantly took hold of Rodeeia's hand, rising back to her feet in a nervous manner as she did so.

"Well come on," said Rodeeia, "Say it!"

"Tiffany Statorowski," said Lindsay in a quiet manner.

"Be proud of yourself girl!" yelled Rodeeia, "Say it louder, and tell the world how tall you are!"

"I'm Tiffany Statorowski!" yelled Lindsay in a slightly elevated manner, "I'm 6'7" tall."

"I can't hear you!" yelled Rodeeia.

"I'm Tiffany Statorowski!" yelled Lindsay in a much louder manner, "And I'm 6'7" tall!"

"That a girl" said Rodeeia, "Tell the world who you are, and don't ever be afraid to be you. Think about it, when someone tells you to reach for the stars, you know you are the only woman who can do it both literally and figuratively. There ain't no reason for you to have a lack of confidence in yourself, do you understand?"

"Yes," said Lindsay in a determined manner,

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?" yelled Rodeeia.

"YES!" yelled Lindsay

"Then get back to work," said Rodeeia, "And I wanna see that hand bouncing that beach ball!"

At the conclusion of her statement, Rodeeia once again blew her whistle, prompting Lindsay to continue running laps between the cones. The heavyset woman couldn't help but smile as she observed Lindsay continuously improve her form, completing lap after lap as the sun disappeared over the horizon.