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"I know you'd rather stay with Tracie."
It was Monday, December the second and only one day after Jim and Tracie had fallen out of that stupid tree. Tracie was having surgery for her arm in this very minute and Ella would probably have liked to stay at the hospital.
"Why can't I stay?"
"You already know the answer." I sunk down on my knees to reach her height and it came as no surprise. "But you know. For now, Tracie's sleeping. And then when she wakes up she'll be really tired and confused. Maybe we can go see her tonight…"
"Maybe?"
I probably shouldn't tell her that it might not be a chance until tomorrow we could go see Tracie- thinking of how she would feel after the narcosis.
"Come on…" I stopped outside the nursery. "We're already here. There's nothing you can do to help your sister." Ella pouted and a single tear rolled down her cheek. "I know, but you know the decision is up to your social worker Kayla and Mike."
The door to the nursery suddenly opened and a man came out, he was tall and muscular and didn't look anything like the person who would work at a nurse- or any other school neither.
"Hello Ella… you don't want to come in today?"
The man gave me a meaning look- we had called and told the staff Tracie wouldn't come for a while and explained what would be going on with Ella.
"No." Ella glared at me, then turned her back against me and hugged him instead, crying towards his shoulder while he stood up. "I don't want to."
"Don't you think you might feel better here, with your friends keeping your mind of things?"
Ella didn't answer, and with one arm around her he reached his hand out towards me and shook my hand
"William Bankrupt."
The name threw me off and for a few seconds I couldn't say anything.
"Okay. I know it's a weird name but…"
"I… I… I…" Without having said my own name. "I should probably leave."
"Can you at least tell me your name?" He laughed- but I wasn't so sure that would have been a good idea. "What is up with you?"
"I… I…"
"You look like you've seen a ghost… are you afraid of me."
Maybe I shouldn't…
But there had been so many years.
"I hate secrets." He said with a smirk. "And it's quite obvious you're keeping one."
Here goes nothing.
"Yes."
William Bankrupt raised an eyebrow at me.
"I think you want to kill me. Rather on this spot to make it quick."
And there it was said. I could only hope that he wasn't very much into the story of his and my family… or that it was just simply more than one family with that last name.
I knew I shouldn't have said anything but suddenly everything just came rolling out of me.
This was a freaking secret Emilia Peterson!
"I think your family and my family are in some sort of feud and my family had to run away and hide themselves and move far away or your family members would come and kill mine… which they actually did to my grandma and sister and… now I'm realizing that telling you this was a very bad idea…"
I suddenly felt very scared…
Mr. Bankrupt threw his head back and laughed out loud- I was probably safe.
"You're a Peterson?"
"Yep."
He laughed even more.
"Well, you can be calm. I am not a murderer, my mum's in a home and can't remember me and certainly not any feud and my dad died years ago of cancer. So you're safe…. And if your family wants to move back here then you'll all be safe."
At last I had to force a laugh. How long it was ago…
"You might want to look out for my four- year- old son though. One never knows what he might be up to."
I couldn't help but laugh. And didn't regret for half a second I had told him.
"Yes… I mean… it's weird. I'm Emma… Maybe that will be enough for today. Goodbye."
It was when I hurried back to the car where Mike sat behind the wheel that the passed my mind that things might not be as simple as they could have been.
Suddenly, I saw in front of me what I had feared all along as clearly as the road Mike drove on.
"I'm Emma… Emma Peterson."
I had let my last name slip without even thinking. Without even remembering the last name he had.
And at the name a dark shadow passed over William's face- he knew exactly what my family- name was about.
"You go inside." He put Ella down on the ground again. "We have something to talk about…" Ella dropped her hands down and with her shoulders slumping walked up to the doors where another teacher was waiting for her.
And as soon as they were out of sight William grabbed me by my shirt and pulled me so close I could feel his breath towards my face, smelling of coffee and cigarettes.
"Either you get far, far, far away Peterson." He fizzled in between his teeth. "Or I. Will. Kill. You. The first chance I get."
"What's going on?" Mike asked, and even though I couldn't see him I heard the confusion in his voice. "You look live you've seen a ghost- and a very scary one at that."
"Please just drive." I could almost hear the way he raised an eyebrow at me but did as he was told. For a moment we were just quiet. Then I just had to find something to talk about and maybe something else then the Bankrupt's. "Are you really sure it was the right thing with making her go to nursery today. I mean- after the whole thing with her parents and Tracie and everything she seems quite messed up."
"I know." Mike geared and turned into the street for downtown. "But I and Kayla talked about it and we decided that it would be better for her to at least return for a couple of hours instead of staying at home all day where there is nothing but thinking to do."
I was about to say that there were a whole lot of things to do at the dumping ground other than returning to Nursery right away but I wasn't in charge in this (Ella should have been)
"Well, we have two birthdays coming up." I was about to say more about Ella but Mike interrupted and kept speaking when I tried to. "The thirteenth is both Violet's and Jim's birthday." I couldn't help but think for a minute.
"So, Violet's a Lucia- baby… suits her."
"What?"
"Lucia is just a Swedish Christmas- tradition. People- usually in choirs or school classes walk in these… trains December the thirteenth. Anyway, the tradition is about a girl whose name was Lucia. And every year they want a blonde and blue- eyed one."
"Is that what the actual Lucia looked like then?"
"Nobody knows. But since the story happened years ago, in at the Seychelles…"
"Probably not."
"Nope… I could show the kids something about it. It's basically about being together, eating gingerbreads and drinking Christmas soda and then singing Christmas songs. I guess we could figure how to do most of that- at least all of it except for the soda."
"Gingerbreads?"
"And lussekatter…" Mike raised an eyebrow. "I guess I could make out of all of these- it's sort of like a bun but with saffron and raisins and they got a certain kind of shape… But anyway… What do you think they would want?"
I guess I'd already know some of it, and that Mike would only confirm what I thought.
"We both know what Violet wants, staying up all night, expensive jewelry, her own TV… she can't have neither of those so we'll just have to take it as it comes even though she wouldn't be happy if we so gave her… her…"
"…gold and green forests…"
"Another Swedish saying?"
"Yep."
"Well, I don't think she wants that."
"It's just a saying."
"Can you come up with anything?"
The silence fell in the car as Mike turned in a crossturn and then started glancing for a free parking in the big parking lot.
"Well…" I said at last. "…He likes reading and he likes pirates and knights… maybe he'd like one of those books… oh. I know- Charlie and the chocolate factory."
"Hmmm." Mike parked the car and turned the car off. "I think Jim could like that. But he's grown out of his old pirate costume so I'll get him a new one. Maybe along with another set of costumes. A santa or something… what do they were for that Lucia- tradition?"
"There's the Lucia with white dress and candles in her hair and with a red silk ribbon around her stomach. Then after her there's bridesmaids in white dresses, with glitter ribbons around her stomach and in her hair, and a candle in her hand. And after there are the starboys, with white dresses, a big hat on their head- whote with golden stars, and a stick with a golden star. Then there's Santa's little helper's and gingerbreads if people wants that."
"So what are the different candles and everything for… And that red ribbon."
"Actually… the story's kind of morbid really. So let's just leave it at that." Mike smirked at me. "Well, look it up on the Internet if you have to know- I'm not telling it."
"Do I even want to know what that red ribbon is for?"
"No."
I smirked back at Mike and rolled my eyes- after everything, knowing about something he had barely even heard about.
"So everything I would have to do is to get Jim a white dress and a red ribbon and glitter…. But then, for every person who saw it and everything about the tradition… is it bad enough for people to get nightmares from?"
Okay, I had had quite enough…
"Will you stop making fun of or questioning every Swedish word and say…"
We were both interrupted when Mike's phone started playing loud. He didn't say anything, but with a look towards me he answered.
"Yes, this is Mike… Oh yeah… Yeah, I'll come and get her then. Thanks for calling…" He hung up. "I'll go and get Ella…" He smiled slightly. "You stay in town…" I tried to come with him. "No Emma. Can you just get some things for the birthdays and Christmas and all of that."
"But…"
"Don't worry about it." Mike finally stopped in his tracks and I almost walked right into him. "I'll talk to her. I know she's upset…"
Upset was probably to say the least.
And I had noticed that ever since I began Ella had wanted me close. Ever since the day I had walked around meeting everyone and Ella said I was her favorite person in the house.
"But…"
"Yes. I know you're Ella's favorite… but I need to talk to her and everything… So you stay in here. Eat something and then go shopping. Don't worry about what you'll spend or not. The social services will help with some since it's for the kids. It's also great if you find some Christmas things. And then meet me again here… at let's say four PM?"
"But…"
"No buts. There's nothing you can do except try not to worry."
Without another word Mike quickly got into the driver's seat of his car and drove away so fast the gravel spurted around the wheels.
"And only to make sure I don't come with you."
I muttered to myself and showed him an un- mentionable gesture as the last before I put my hands down my pockets and walked into the first store of the main street that I passed. If Mike was serious, I could just as well do as he wanted. Even though what I wanted was to take the first, best bus back until the dumping ground and meet Ella.
I was barely even thinking about I when I collected a pair of fuzzy socks and a teddy bear with a heart reading "Get well soon" for Tracie in the hospital, a pirate hat for Jim, a phone case that looked like an old camera. Then at last, for Tracie I held onto a necklace with pink stars.
I dropped the necklace. I knew just as well as anyone else that Violet would hate me more than ever if I got her a cheap piece of plastic jewelry.
I left the store knowing, so frustrated and confused I barely saw what was around me. With that I only walked into the nearest shop- a book shop and looked around the shelves…
I hadn't been interested in Disney movies, or any movies at all really except Harry Potter and a couple of others I liked. But I did know Brielle liked Disney movies, especially lion king and quite quickly I found a DVD with the new version in a store. Along with the book Molly Moon's incredible book of hypnotism and the movie- I wasn't so sure who to give it to but it seemed a good Christmas gift.
I had only walked in and out of a couple of stores so far. I was on my way to the bus stop to take matters into my own hands when I suddenly saw something in a window. It was only a pack of different lotions and shampoo and conditioner, rose scented. Maybe at least Violet would like something like that.
It wasn't all cheap either and I winced when I checked the price. But as long as she would be happy…
Glancing around the store and all the clutter of things that was sold there I went towards the checkout line. Then I suddenly noticed something. Or rather, someone.
When I got out of bed this morning I would certainly not have expected so much of my past catching up with me as it did.
But there was no mistaken on the muscular, dark-haired guy in the line before me…
"Johnny?"
Who remembers Johnny Taylor from the series? And who remembers he and Emma were a couple until Johnny was an asshole who cheated on her? Well, it's in one of the last chapters of when the past catches up if you want to read- and so is the story about the Peterson's and the Bankrupt's…
The story about the Peterson's and Bankrupt's are in chapter 26 of when the past catches up.
Update as of 2021: I have re-written the part where Emma meets William. I can't believe I ever wrote that part. But now it suits some of the future storylines and the ending of the whole when-series so I won't change it. Now. Those were inspired by a storyline in an audiobook… or two. And as I've found. They're both on Youtube if you want to know to listen to them.
This is just without the supernatural part…
The books are called the haunted stables and the bewitched tree. They're both great and better than my version of it haha.
The first story in the when- series was the first story I ever wrote to put up here so it feels so strange it's so close to an end.
Random fact
I have walked in those "Lucia- trains" quite a lot of times. Once even as the Lucia at the front. (and no, I do not have blonde hair and blue eyes) I don't know why I ended up describing the Lucia I just… I just started and couldn't finish XD
The beginning of this chapter didn't make any sense. Why would they make Ella go to Nursery after everything that happened during the last couple of days?