Chapter 27: Burden
Meanwhile, it is currently now 6 PM, and over at the Kanker's trailer, the trio of sisters were currently watching some TV; awaiting for their mother to return from her work, as they plan to inform her regarding the situation that they are now stuck in.
While watching, May asks her sisters, "What do you think the boys are doing right now?"
"Most likely planning out something that we're gonna do, should we encounter whoever this father of ours is. No matter which one it is, we agree that we're not gonna give him what he wants, right?" said Marie.
"You got that right!" states Lee, "But I'd care less about who this father is, I'd care more about what he's planning on doing exactly to go whatever he wants? You heard that Cassie chick; he's planning a crap ton of ridiculous weapons and machines to do this."
"Yeah:.. I honestly wouldn't even be mad if she was lying about it, because it'd be a lot less worrying, to tell ya the truth. But only time can tell I guess..." said Marie, staring off into the distance.
May then chimed in, saying, "What exactly can we do in the meantime? We can't just sit here and do nothing!"
"Well, first little sis, we gotta inform mom about this, because there's no way she'll be happy if we hide this from her, plus we gotta actually make sure she believes us, as this ain't something that's just gonna go away like that." said Lee, snapping her fingers. "So, once we convince mom that what's going on is actually for real, we're then going to join up with the boys, and see what they're doing. Got that?"
May nods her head in approval, while Marie says, "Speaking of mom, you think she's coming back anytime soon?"
"She has to Marie, where else do you think she's gonna go?" responded Lee, laughing a bit, while Marie rolled her eye at that response.
Lee then mentioned, "But remember, you two have to inform her first, as you lost the bet from before, hehehe. But don't worry, if mom doesn't believe you two, I'll join in to help out, because we gotta convince her, no matter what."
May and Marie shot each other glances of concern, but nevertheless, Lee was correct, they had to convince their mother that the situation was serious.
In what appeared to be convenient timing, the door to the trailer opened up, and Jane Kanker entered; leaving her jacket on a hangar near the door, and immediately headed upstairs to rest from her time at the Mandragora, running up the stairs in rapid fashion, and heading directly towards her own personal bedroom.
May and Marie reluctantly got up from the couch, and made their way upstairs, to their mother's bedroom. Before they decide to enter however, they eavesdrop on what their mother is currently doing inside; hearing noises resembling shoes dropping to the ground, and another noise that sounded as though someone had jumped onto a bed. This gives the pair the idea that their mother is currently resting; as they then hear what appears to be a TV playing some local news, which confirms their original idea.
"Are we gonna go in now?" whispered May to Marie.
"We can't delay it May, so yes." said Marie, as May reaches for the doorknob, but is stopped by Marie, who continues with, "Keep this in mind, try not to over exaggerate what we're going to tell her, okay?"
"Yeah." responded May.
With that, May attempted to open the door, but it turns out that the door is locked, to the surprise of both of them. Marie then decides to knock on the door three times, which gets the attention of their mother.
"Who is that?" asked Jane from the inside.
"Mom, we gotta talk to you about something important!" responded Marie.
"I'm trying to rest right now, tell me later." said Jane, which made May slightly worried, but Marie clench her fist in annoyance.
"Mom! This can't wait for later! It's very important! Let us in to tell you!" yelled Marie.
Jane groaned, before then saying, "Alright fine, wait!"
Jane then got up from her bed, and opened the door, allowing her two daughters to enter.
The mother's room consisted of a white, king-sized bed, along with a large, black drawer in front of it. On top of drawer stood a 30-inch TV, held up by a stand below it. Along with that, a small window located to the left of the bed was open, allowing the somewhat chilly breeze to enter the room; however not much light passed on through, due to the sun beginning to set. The room itself was mostly illuminated by two light bulbs. A closet, located near the left side of the bed, contained several shoes, boots, and shirts, the shirts being hung on clothes hangers of several colors. Lastly, a door to the left of the drawer was left open, revealing a bathroom within.
Marie and May take a seat on the bed, which their mother sitting next to them, as she asks, "So what do you two want to tell me?"
"Look, we think one of our dads might be back!" said May, which drew a small look from Marie, but Jane's eyes widened in response to that statement.
"Please tell me you're joking." said Jane, sounding more alarmed than ever.
"We're not mom." stated Marie, adding onto May's point.
What the three of them don't realize is Lee is right behind the wall leading up to the door; eavesdropping on the conversation to ensure that it progresses the way that she and her sister need it to. Should her mother not believe them, she'll intervene then.
Meanwhile, Jane responded with, "Are you two trying to scare the hell out of me?!"
"Mom! Listen, we-" stated Marie, but was cut off by Jane immediately.
"LISTEN UP ALL OF YOU IDIOTS!" yelled Jane, her voice booming across the entire trailer. "If you dare tell me such bullshit again, you won't like what will happen then, I PROMISE you that. Get out of here, don't speak to me for the rest of the day, got that!?"
"MOM! Stop it! You need to-" said Marie, attempting to speak again, but was once more cut off by Jane.
"DID I NOT MAKE MYSELF CLEAR TO YOU?!" fired back Jane, making Marie irritated, while May couldn't hello but feel somewhat uncomfortable and scared.
"I don't care about you being clear, listen already!" said Marie, her voice rising in volume.
"If you don't care about what I say, why should I care about what you have to say, you-" said Jane, before being cut off by Marie in the loudest voice possible.
"YOU HAVE NEVER CARED FOR US IN THESE PAST FOUR YEARS!" yelled Marie, a tear coming out of her exposed eye, which not only made May jump back a bit, but also made Jane stare at Marie with a stone-faced expression.
At that point, it was clear to Lee that it was going unsuccessfully, and she needed to intervene. She runs inside, and jumps on over to the other side of the bed to comfort her sister, while also saying, "Now you convinced this ain't 'bullshit' as you say?"
Jane stared down for a couple of seconds, before then taking a deep breath and saying, "Okay, okay okay okay. You three have got my attention. I'm not gonna like this, but what on earth exactly are you three trying to say?"
The Kanker sisters take turns each explaining parts of the information provided by Cassie, and what they have been doing with the boys and girls in regards to solving this mystery. Needless to say, Jane is surprised to hear all this information, but it is worth mentioning that she questions the authenticity of how her daughters managed to work with the people mentioned before.
"Wait a second, are those Ed boys the same ones you three used to go all lovesick for?" asked Jane, which made her daughters get a feeling of embarrassment.
"Yeah, but some stuff happened that made things change for the better, let's just say that alright?" said Marie, wanting to keep the details between herself and her sisters.
"Okay then, but what about all these other people? Never heard of a Kenji around here." said Jane.
"Oh yeah, we've also got some new friends too!" responded May, sounding slightly excited.
"Jeez, looks like a lot has happened ever since... nevermind. But do you guys know which of yours fathers might have returned?" asked Jane.
Lee answered with, "No, that's why we came to you, as none of us have any clue as to who it could be."
Jane puts her hand below her chin, thinking of who it could possibly be, and tells her daughters, "Let's see, Butch literally told me to my face he never wanted any involvement with a daughter, Bubba was too stubborn to listen and demanded too much from me, and Rod is too much of a good man to do any of this crap you three mentioned."
The trio of sisters were surprised to hear their mother compliment one of their fathers, but nevertheless, Marie asks her mother, "Which one of them could possibly do something like this?"
"I don't know, the relationships between all three of them ended the same way, so there's nothing I can really say that will help us figure out who it is." responded Jane, groaning slightly in frustration.
The sisters each shoot each other quick glances, and Lee decides to be bold and ask, "Mom, how did it end for you with all three of our fathers?"
Jane sighs for a second, before then getting up, with her hands behind her back, saying, "It is... quite the long story. But, it is time you all knew, as I've hid it for far too long."
She then begins slowly pacing back and forth, and says, "I'll start with your father first Lee, and then I shall get to all of you."
Jane takes a deep breath before then saying, "I had you Lee when I was 20 years old with Butch, your father. We had met initially when I was 19, at a restaurant I used to work as a cashier, and he was a customer that came in that ordered some food. At first, I thought he was quite handsome, though his very deep voice made him sound tough as nails. I'll tell you now, it turned that he was tough, all the time. But I'll get to that later, when he ordered his food, and once I gave the order to the cooks, he asked me if I would like to go out sometime with him. Being the fool I was, I decided why not, and so we scheduled a date the following day. I didn't realize that this date was going to be at his house, but I didn't really care, as I simply wanted to be with him at the time."
The trio of sisters stared at their mother once again with a expression of surprise, as Jane kept explaining, "So, once we had our date, we got together for around a couple months, but around June, I discovered that I didn't have my period, which made me think that I was pregnant. Sure enough, I got a test at a pharmacy, and I was. I had to tell Butch about it, as there was no way he'd forgive me if I hid this from him. But once I told him... it truly showed me who he was."
Jane clears her voice before then saying, "You see, Butch was actually not always stable emotionally, it seemed as though it took nothing to get him annoyed. I thought that I could help him with it, but it just turned out that he used me as mostly something to indulge in. I know this because, as soon as I told him about you Lee... he immediately told me, 'Best hope you got money to take of it, right?'. I didn't understand what he meant, but as soon as he shut the door in my face, I knew what he meant. I didn't even bother trying to convince him, as I knew it would've been a waste of time."
Lee stared at her mother when an expression of sadness, in which Jane takes notice, and walks on over to her, kneels down to bring herself to eye level, and says, "Listen Lee, it's honestly for the better. He was never going to be serious about the entire thing, and if that's the way he wants to be, fine, but I certainly don't him to cause trouble for you. Besides, your grandmother certainly cared enough to provide me with a place to be until I met May's father, but we'll get to that later. For now however, just know that he was never going to be a good influence in your life, my daughter."
The two of them share a very long overdue hug, with Jane have a small smile across her face. Marie and May watch in happiness, as their mother finally starts showing care, and for the first time in a while, love.
After around 20 seconds, Lee and Jane break the hug, with a smile on each other's faces. The latter than turns to Marie, and states, "Alright, Marie, now it's time for Bubba, your father."
Jane stands up, and says, "It's hilarious really, the same situation with Butch happened, except this time, it seemed as though he was much different. Allow me to explain. Bubba appeared much more gentlemen-like, I shall say, unlike Butch who looked like your gas station worker. No, Bubba loved to appear much more professional, which drew my attention, but I wasn't sure what to make of it at first however, but I knew that he was attractive."
Jane begins slowly pacing around once more, while saying, "Bubba and I met when I was 20, and Marie, you were born when I turned into an official adult, as some would say. We met at the same restaurant I continued working at until we moved here, the main difference this time being that he didn't really ask me out. Actually, I decided to make the first move this time, as he really was quite attractive. But I would soon learn too late that this was a mistake."
Marie, along with her sisters, put on a face of curiosity as Jane explains, "When I introduced Lee to him, I learned almost immediately that he wasn't fit to be a father. And when we would... get intimate, we didn't use protection, and once I told him about when you were coming to this world Marie... he said that he needed all this crap from me, but I wasn't having it. Broke up on the spot, and haven't regretted it since."
Jane takes a seat directly next to Marie, as the latter asks, "What exactly did he want from you?"
"It was actually creepy now that I think about it, as it seemed we was obsessed with trying to see what I was doing at all times. So, in short, he wanted me to always inform him of everything I was doing, no matter where I was. Absolutely not, I told him, as he sounded like an obsessed dog at that point, not a man. That's when we ended our relationship, and never spoke since. Sure, he was not nearly as prone to anger as Butch, but that's not close to enough." responded Jane.
Jane takes notice of Marie's face becoming somewhat sad, and puts her palm beneath her daughter's chin to face her, and says, "As I just told your oldest sister, he was never going to help you, me, nor any of your sisters. When someone attempts to take control and watch over everything you do... that's just stalking. Always remember that, okay?"
Marie nods her head as to say yes, and the two of them share another long overdue hug. After around 20 seconds, the two women smile at one another, before Jane gives a glance at May, and says, "Now, your father Rod."
Jane gets up once more, and with her back to her daughters, says, "May, you were born once I was 22 with Rod, who I'm not afraid to admit, was a good man. I actually didn't meet him at the restaurant this time, instead I met him at an event that I went to with some family, where he was the vocalist for a band who played covers of some old rock groups. The funny thing is, I can't even remember what song he was singing when I first saw him, because I mainly remember being attracted to him due to his hilarious stage banter, and the fact that one he was done performing, he asked me out for dinner. It was unexpected to be entirely honest, but I decided to go along with him."
Jane begins pacing around once more, and continues with, "While at dinner, I enjoyed my time with him, and I won't lie to you girls, when he puts himself to it, he really can put on a good look. But it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows that night, as I had to inform him regarding Lee and Marie, it just wouldn't be right to hide it from him. However, it caught me guard, what he said regarding you two girls."
The sisters puts on faces of wonder, with Lee asking, "What exactly did he say regarding me and Marie?"
"He already was interested in meeting you girls, and it seemed as though he actually wanted to give you two actual care, unlike the previous two. I actually tested up during the date when I heard that, as I couldn't believe that I had found someone who actually cared for you two." responded Jane, which surprised all three sisters.
Jane continues with, "But along with telling him about you two, I also told him about how you two came to be, and also how the other two partners quit. I'll always remember him saying, 'Those two were foolish to leave you behind'. At that point, I had already wanted to get to know him better, as he had something the other two men didn't have. Care. Unfortunately, his commitment to our two daughters at the time caused him to quit his band, but his bandmates were okay with it thankfully, and wished him luck on his way out. I felt somewhat guilty for it, but he reassured me that it was for the better."
May interrupts Jane to ask, "Sorry to stop you mom, but how long did he stay in that band of his?"
"Around two years, but then when Lee and Marie came into the picture, he changed paths to commit to his actual job, which was being a car mechanic." responds Jane, before then continuing with, "Which leads into how we got this trailer. You see, originally I mainly lived at my mom and dad's place, because I knew that it would've been an unintelligent move to move out with just myself, as my job simple didn't yield enough to do that. Of course, I've always done my part around the house, as my parents promised to help out with Lee and Marie at the time, seeing as they shared my disappointment regarding my previous two relationships. It was difficult for everyone really, but I refused to abandon you two."
Jane clears her voice, before then saying, "But, after around a month of being together, Rod managed to acquire this trailer off in another place called Peach Creek, that he showed me when we went on a trip here. He asked me if I'd like to come live here for the time being, as unfortunately there wasn't enough room in his house for all four of us. Before I took the offer, I asked him if there was anything I'd need to pay beforehand, and he told me that because he bought the trailer entirely, no rent or anything like that, the only thing I'd have to be concerned about was the water and electricity bills, along with the usual stuff. I must admit, when I heard that, we were inside this very room, and... yeah, you three probably already know what happened."
Everyone in the room shared a small laugh, after which Jane continued with, "So the same proceeds repeated yet again, I found out I was pregnant due to no period, but the main difference this time was that... I wasn't afraid of talking to Rod regarding May coming into this world, since he had already shown care for Lee and Marie before. Once he had learned about May, he actually told me that he'd be more committed than ever to you girls. It really showed who he was, as he was the one who helped me get a job at the Mandragora. Mom and dad were proud to see that I had found someone who really put effort into caring for you three, and once May was actually born, I've never seen someone get so emotional in my life. It really seemed to me as though he really wanted this family to last."
The trio of sisters took notice that their mother had a smile on her face when talking about Rod, something that was completely absent from when she was discussing the events with the previous two men. Nevertheless, May, curious, asks, "So, why isn't he here with us anymore?"
Jane takes a deep breath before saying, "That, is honestly my fault."
"Why?" asked Marie.
"You see, my daughters... in all honesty, I failed to realize how big of a task it was going to be to care for all you three in the future when you all were still very young. When you were in kindergarten and early elementary, it was pretty simple, but wasn't a cakewalk, I just had to be smart with helping you throughout most things. Even Rod was aware of this, and he did his best in regards to helping you three out. Though, I had to step-in to help you three out in regards to womanly stuff." responded Jane, sharing a laugh with her three daughters.
Jane then continued, saying, "But once you all started becoming less needy of me, so to say, I started to worry about how we would care for you three now. Rod and I tried to have several conversations on how we'd try to care for you, but we just couldn't agree on anything. Unfortunately, I took offense to his constant disagreement regarding how we'd go about caring for you girls, and... it was the stupidest decision of my life. We ended our relationship at that point, but thankfully, he told me that he'd still support his daughters by dropping off the occasional money at the mailbox in a letter. That is the main reason why there is no way that this father of your girls that has come back is Rod, he was never hateful in any sort of way really, it just wouldn't make any sense."
The trio of sisters noticed that their mother's tone of voice had gone up in pitch slightly, which was a stark contrast to the normal tone that she'd adopt. Either way, Jane further explained the situation, saying, "Look, I let myself get overconfident regarding taking care of you three. I thought that I could give you everything myself, that I didn't any support from anyone more, and no one should get involved. That's why I always told you, Lee, that you should do all this crap with men, they're good for this and that, and it was just stupid. Once you girls started leading yourselves around the middle of your 7th grade year... I gave up, thought that you'd no longer need my assistance outside of basic necessities."
Jane stopped pacing around, and took a seat on the bed, sitting next to the left side of May; but instead of directly facing her daughter, she lied down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, with tears forming in her eyes as she did so. Marie got up and walked on over to where her mother was lying down, and said, "Mom, please listen. If there's something we've learned over the past months or so, it's to focus on now, not on the past!"
Marie, in her mind, was feeling the influence that Double D had on her, which made her crack a very small grin in her head. Meanwhile, Jane exclaimed, "But it's important! I literally left you all to do stuff alone, that's not something I should've done when you all were barely even 13 or 12!"
"Listen, we didn't end up on the streets of hurt because of it, at least we managed to fend for ourselves, but all we want now is just your assistance, okay?" responded Marie, grabbing her mother's right hand.
May and Lee join in on the conversation, with the former saying, "Yeah! Can you at least help us out now mom?"
"Mom, look, what we need is someone who will stand up, and you've just stood up, and admitted your sins or whatever. I gotta admit, I'm surprised this turned out the way it did, but if you want to do better with us, we'll be right there with you." stated Lee, which makes her mother get up from his lying down position, and sits up, giving 3 second glances at all three of her daughters.
May decides to take the initiative, and gives her mother the final long overdue embrace; a smile displayed on her face while doing so. Naturally, Jane gives it back, but to her surprise, Marie and Lee give a shared hug aswell, which results in the first time that the Kanker family has had an actual sense of unity in years.
"I love you all." said Jane, a tear falling out of both eyes.
"We love you too." responded all three sisters.
After around a minute of the shared embrace, they break it off, and Jane asks her daughters, "So, why don't you three girls tell me what's happened in the past month? I can't imagine you three just became friends with those people you mentioned before in an instant."
The trio of sisters decide to tell their mother more details about the events that had occurred in the past month; the new romantic and friendly relationships they had made with their boyfriends and friends, respectively. As expected, Jane stared at her daughters with an expression of surprise.
"Wow, you've really found a group huh? That's really nice, if I do say so. I'll have to meet all these people soon enough, but I already know about those Ed boys you three would obsess over." stated Jane.
"How exactly did you know?" asked May, curious.
"One time, I came home to see drawings made by you three of you three being in several romantic moments with those boys." said Jane, which made each sister get a feeling of embarrassment, and Jane laugh a bit.
"Relax, I understand the feeling. At least you all wisened up and realized that all that crap will only scare those boys away." stated Jane.
Everyone shares a laugh with one another regarding that statement, and Marie then says, "Well, yeah we did. But mom, sometime later, we might come here and talk to you with more stuff regarding this father who's comeback for us. Will you still be willing to help us?"
"Don't you worry Marie, absolutely. In fact, why don't tomorrow, sometime in the afternoon, you girls bring over all of your friends, that way I can meet all of them?" asked Jane.
"You bet!" responded Lee.
"Excellent. Thank you girls, and I'm sorry... for everything." said Jane.
"Mom, it's okay, we'll begin a new, but relax okay? We're glad to have you back." responded Marie, with a smile on her face.
Jane then offers, "How about you girls head back downstairs? I shall be there in a moment to whip us up some good old soup, and we'll have dinner together?"
All three girls nods their heads in approval at that statement, and began making their way downstairs. The family might have shared their difference here and there, but one thing is for certain, they are all of the same mindset; making thing back to the way they should be between a family. In particular, Jane was finally happy to breakdown that forced isolation she had placed on her from her daughters, and actually felt as though she found a purpose once more. There was no question about it, now is the time to make it right with all of her daughters.
Speaking of her daughters, the trio of sisters couldn't help but get an overwhelming sense of happiness, that could only be compared to when they each got together with their sweet Eds. While they promised the boys to inform them of their status regarding their mother, the feelings shared between them, combined with the invitation to dinner, caused them to forget completely. Nevertheless, the sisters gladly awaited their first actual dinner with their mother in years.