Chapter Three: The End of the Road
I walked to the small bus station where I bought a one-way ticket to Toronto. I was constantly looking around me afraid that Frankie Bellows would show up. But he didn't and I boarded my bus. I sat beside an old man wearing a cowboy's hat. "Aren't you a little young to be traveling by urself?" he asked when I said down. "I'm sixteen years old Sir, I can travel alone," I told him. He was silent after that and he fell asleep. I couldn't sleep because I was so anxious and it didn't help that the old man was snoring louder than a bulldozer right in my ear. I watched the scenery fly by as I thought about what my real father would be like. I imagined him to be loving and caring if my mother had loved him so much. I finally dozed off near the end of the trip and woke up to the sound of the conductor shouting, "Everyone off, this is the end of the road," I rubbed my eyes and grabbed my small bag. The old man was already gone by the time I stepped onto the platform of the train station. When the train pulled away I felt strangely alone. The train station was deserted; it was 2:00 in the morning after all. I knew no one would know I was gone yet. Except of course Frankie Bellows. I shivered at the thought of what had almost happened in his trailer. But at least I got the money, I thought on the bright side. I sat down on a bench and pulled out Mama's box. I bought a map at the variety store in the station and looked up the street where the Jamieson's lived. It was late and I didn't know if I could face any new people tonight so I asked the lady at the tourist booth where a cheap motel was. The motel I found was called, Minnie's Motel. I bought the cheapest room available and collapsed to the bed asleep as soon as I walked in, not even noticing the smell or the room or the rat that scrambled over my foot.
The next morning I did notice the bad shape the room was in. The carpet was very worn out and it had unidentifiable stains all over it. The bedspread had holes in it and the curtains didn't block out any of the sunlight. I cringed in the cold shower that had hardly any pressure. I couldn't believe I had paid anything for this dump. It was 9:00am when I left the motel. I referred to my map for the direction of Greyburg Avenue and headed that way. It looked like it would be a twenty-minute walk, but it was a nice August day so I didn't mind. I was planning to go straight to my father's house but I spotted a McDonalds along the way and couldn't resist. I should use my hard earned money for something worthwhile right? I bought two egg and bacon Mcmuffins, a hash brown and some orange juice. I enjoyed my food very much since I hadn't eaten a good meal in a few weeks. It was then that I began to worry about my brother's and sister. I knew there was a bare minimum in the trailer of bread and milk. I wished I could take them some food from McDonalds. I pushed my feelings of guilt away and started back on my journey. As I got closer to Greyburg Ave, the houses got nicer and nicer and bigger and bigger. I gazed at the mansions as I passed by, wondering if that was where my father lived. Even the smallest house on this street could fit at least ten of my trailers inside. After making a few wrong turns I finally found 56 Greyburg Avenue. I was a large red brick house with a wrap around porch and a wrap around balcony of the third level. The house looked to have about five levels. I was utter awe as I stared up at the mansion these people called a home. I was suddenly very aware of my tattered T-shirt and cutoff jean shorts. I could see that behind the house there was a large forest, which I didn't think, there was very much of in this city. This house must have cost a fortune! There was a large white gate in front of the house and an intercom was off to the side. I didn't see any other way to get to the front door so I walked up to it. There was a number pad and a red button. I pressed the red button. "Jamieson residence, who is calling?" I proper sounding man asked over the intercom. I felt like I was calling on the phone. "Um, I'm Skye Andersen," I said into the microphone. "I'm sorry, you are not on the list," he said. "But um, I need to speak to the Jamieson's," I said. "I'm sorry, you'll have to call and make sure they can see you, they are very busy people you know," he said a matter of factly. "Okay, but-" "I'm sorry, you'll have to leave now," he cut me off. "But-" "Please miss," he said. "But, Zachary Jamieson is my father!" I blurted out. There was silence on the other end for awhile and I was starting to wonder if he had heard me when a woman's voice came over the intercom. "I'm Maxine Jamieson, please come in," she said. The gates opened slowly and I walked up the white brick driveway admiring the beautiful flowers. I front door was opened before I even walked up the porch steps by a tall, very skinny man with a suit on. He had a long thin face with dull gray eyes and a gray mustache. He was totally bald. "Miss," he moved aside to let me enter. A woman was standing in the foyer. She was wearing a stylish blue sweater and skirt. She had shapely legs and bright blue eyes. Her hair was brown with strands of gray running through it. She didn't have a wrinkle on her face. She was of medium build, about my height, a little heavier looking than me. She looked me up and down and confusion sparkled in her eyes. "You look like him," she said in a low voice, "Is this some sort of joke?" she demanded. "No, my mother is Hannah Peters, she told me Zack Jamieson was my father," I explained. "Hannah Peters," her eyes lit up, "my goodness," I shifted back and forth on my feet. "This is unbelievable," she breathed, "You are Zack's daughter," I stayed quiet, unsure of what to say. "Please, please come to the patio with me," she said, "Arthur, bring us some lemonade on the back patio please," "Very well Madame," the bald man named Arthur scurried away. Maxine Jamieson led me through her house to the patio facing out to the woods behind the house. I couldn't stop staring at the paintings and works of art placed around the house. The house was so beautiful and elegant. We sat on lounge chairs outside in the shade and we were silent until Arthur brought us our lemonade. I took this time to look around the backyard. There were beautiful flowers and bushes planted everywhere, there were even a few sculptures. I could see a gazebo a few yards away with roses climbing its poles. Finally Maxine spoke, "Of course you realize that this is very hard to believe," she said. "It is for me also," I told her taking a sip of my lemonade. I hesitated for a moment and then just decided to blurt it out, "Where is my father..Zack?" Maxine looked out into the woods sadly, "He died three years ago in a car accident," Tears sprung to my eyes. I had never known my real father and now I never would. I didn't know if it would be worse to lose a person you knew very well or a person you were hoping to meet. "Oh," I muttered, wiping my eyes. "But, enough of that," she shook her head as if shaking away the bad memories of her sons death, "Tell me everything," We sat out on the patio for the whole morning and part of the afternoon talking about my mother and how my life had been in Monkton. I told her of the box I found, Mama's letter and of Lola. She listened intently and for some reason I felt like she really cared even though I was a stranger that had just showed up one day on her doorstep. She told me that she knew Mama when she still lived in Toronto. She didn't tell me much about my real father, just that he went out of the country to serve in the Navy when my mother and Pop moved away together. She didn't know I was her son's child. "But Skye, I have to have you take a blood test, I have to know for sure you are Zack's daughter," she told me. I understood completely, I would be weary of a girl just showing up and claiming to be family too. "I want this test to be done quickly. I'm going to call my personal physician and tell him we are on our way," she told me. I was surprised at how quickly she decided we were going to take the test. I did find it a little odd that the first thing she though of when her long lost granddaughter came to the door was a DNA test. But I didn't argue. What other choice did I have other than to take the test? I certainly couldn't go back to Monkton; my mother had totally disappeared from my life. Her parents were both long dead. I had nowhere to go. So Maxine and I got into her BMW convertible and drove to the doctor's office. I was amazed at the car. We had a truck back in Monkton, but the thing was ancient and we rarely went in it. After taking the test, Maxine insisted it be analyzed right away, I had a feeling she paid the doctor extra so he would do just that. She even made us wait in the waiting room for three hours until it came make. I got the feeling she didn't want me anywhere near her house if I was related. She had seemed so nice before, now she just seemed cold and uncaring. Finally the doctor called us to his office and told us the results. "She is in fact your granddaughter," he said. I let out a sigh of relief, I didn't know what I would have done if I had not been. "Thank you," was all Maxine said and we left the building. She was silent on the ride back to her house. I shifted in my seat, unsure of what to say.
It was almost 9:00pm by the time we arrived at the house. We sat in the car in the driveway for a few minutes before going back in. "Well now I know that you are my son's child, I suppose I have no choice but to keep you here at La Vie," I must have had a confused look on my face because she smirked and said, "It means Life, that's what we call our house," I nodded, "I really don't want to cause any trouble, I'll just leave if you would rather that," I said a little sadly. I really wanted to have grandparents. But Maxine wasn't being very warm towards me. She seemed angry that I was here and it just made me feel all the more uncomfortable.
"Well you should know that you have a sixteen year old uncle who does live here," she told me, "he is away on a camping trip and won't be home until next week," I was a little surprised that I had an uncle that was the same age as me but I was anxious to meet him also, someone my age would make it easier to get settled here. "Your grandfather should be inside, let's go and introduce you," she got out of the car stiffly and I followed her into the house and to a small parlor. Sitting in a red velvet chair my the fire was a very distinguished looking man with dark brown hair , he looked considerably younger than Maxine. He turned to face us and his eyes widened at the sight of me. "Maxine..hello," he said. His voice was deep and very masculine. He had very dark eyes, almost black. He was very handsome. "This is Zack's daughter," Maxine said bluntly. She really did like to get straight to the point didn't she? The man stared at me, and finally he stood up. "Hello, I'm Gregory," I shook his hand and sat down on the matching red velvet settee. "I'm Skye," I said since Maxine was refusing to introduce us. I looked at her and she was staring intently back and forth between Gregory and I. Maxine told Gregory the story of how I came to be here and by the time she was finished it was 1:30pm. I was exhausted; it had been a long day. "Beatrice!" Maxine called, "BEATRICE!" she yelled again when no one answered. A mousy looking maid scurried into the room. She looked frightened. "Beatrice, please show Skye to a room, the blue one will do," Maxine ordered. "Yes Ma'am," Beatrice said in a quiet voice. I stood up and so did Gregory, "it was nice meeting you, I'm sure you will like it here," I said good night to them both and followed Beatrice. She led me up the stairs and through many corridors. She was quiet the whole way up. When we stopped outside the door she finally spoke. "Enjoy your sleep," she said and hurried away. "Thank you," I called but she didn't turn around. I went into the room but it felt more like I was stepping into the sky. The walls were painted blue and there were white fluffy clouds everywhere. The carpet was ivory and very soft like a cloud. The large queen size bed had a white canopy draped over it; you could pull the curtains down so the bed was enclosed within the curtains. I felt already like the room belonged to me, it matched my name perfectly. I ran to the huge walk in closet and gaped at all the empty space that I would not even be able to fill if I had brought all my clothes, as well as Anthony's Erin's, Tyler's, Pop's and Lola's! There was a large bathroom connected to the room with a Jacuzzi and shower. I was in heaven. I had always dreamed of my own room, but this was too much! I snuggled into my new bed happily. But as I fell asleep I couldn't help wondering what secrets were being kept from me. I didn't fully trust Maxine; she seemed to change moods as often as you would change the toilet paper roll. I pushed the cynical thoughts out of my brain and fell asleep on the feathery pillows, I felt like a princess in paradise. But I had no idea how short a time that would last.
I walked to the small bus station where I bought a one-way ticket to Toronto. I was constantly looking around me afraid that Frankie Bellows would show up. But he didn't and I boarded my bus. I sat beside an old man wearing a cowboy's hat. "Aren't you a little young to be traveling by urself?" he asked when I said down. "I'm sixteen years old Sir, I can travel alone," I told him. He was silent after that and he fell asleep. I couldn't sleep because I was so anxious and it didn't help that the old man was snoring louder than a bulldozer right in my ear. I watched the scenery fly by as I thought about what my real father would be like. I imagined him to be loving and caring if my mother had loved him so much. I finally dozed off near the end of the trip and woke up to the sound of the conductor shouting, "Everyone off, this is the end of the road," I rubbed my eyes and grabbed my small bag. The old man was already gone by the time I stepped onto the platform of the train station. When the train pulled away I felt strangely alone. The train station was deserted; it was 2:00 in the morning after all. I knew no one would know I was gone yet. Except of course Frankie Bellows. I shivered at the thought of what had almost happened in his trailer. But at least I got the money, I thought on the bright side. I sat down on a bench and pulled out Mama's box. I bought a map at the variety store in the station and looked up the street where the Jamieson's lived. It was late and I didn't know if I could face any new people tonight so I asked the lady at the tourist booth where a cheap motel was. The motel I found was called, Minnie's Motel. I bought the cheapest room available and collapsed to the bed asleep as soon as I walked in, not even noticing the smell or the room or the rat that scrambled over my foot.
The next morning I did notice the bad shape the room was in. The carpet was very worn out and it had unidentifiable stains all over it. The bedspread had holes in it and the curtains didn't block out any of the sunlight. I cringed in the cold shower that had hardly any pressure. I couldn't believe I had paid anything for this dump. It was 9:00am when I left the motel. I referred to my map for the direction of Greyburg Avenue and headed that way. It looked like it would be a twenty-minute walk, but it was a nice August day so I didn't mind. I was planning to go straight to my father's house but I spotted a McDonalds along the way and couldn't resist. I should use my hard earned money for something worthwhile right? I bought two egg and bacon Mcmuffins, a hash brown and some orange juice. I enjoyed my food very much since I hadn't eaten a good meal in a few weeks. It was then that I began to worry about my brother's and sister. I knew there was a bare minimum in the trailer of bread and milk. I wished I could take them some food from McDonalds. I pushed my feelings of guilt away and started back on my journey. As I got closer to Greyburg Ave, the houses got nicer and nicer and bigger and bigger. I gazed at the mansions as I passed by, wondering if that was where my father lived. Even the smallest house on this street could fit at least ten of my trailers inside. After making a few wrong turns I finally found 56 Greyburg Avenue. I was a large red brick house with a wrap around porch and a wrap around balcony of the third level. The house looked to have about five levels. I was utter awe as I stared up at the mansion these people called a home. I was suddenly very aware of my tattered T-shirt and cutoff jean shorts. I could see that behind the house there was a large forest, which I didn't think, there was very much of in this city. This house must have cost a fortune! There was a large white gate in front of the house and an intercom was off to the side. I didn't see any other way to get to the front door so I walked up to it. There was a number pad and a red button. I pressed the red button. "Jamieson residence, who is calling?" I proper sounding man asked over the intercom. I felt like I was calling on the phone. "Um, I'm Skye Andersen," I said into the microphone. "I'm sorry, you are not on the list," he said. "But um, I need to speak to the Jamieson's," I said. "I'm sorry, you'll have to call and make sure they can see you, they are very busy people you know," he said a matter of factly. "Okay, but-" "I'm sorry, you'll have to leave now," he cut me off. "But-" "Please miss," he said. "But, Zachary Jamieson is my father!" I blurted out. There was silence on the other end for awhile and I was starting to wonder if he had heard me when a woman's voice came over the intercom. "I'm Maxine Jamieson, please come in," she said. The gates opened slowly and I walked up the white brick driveway admiring the beautiful flowers. I front door was opened before I even walked up the porch steps by a tall, very skinny man with a suit on. He had a long thin face with dull gray eyes and a gray mustache. He was totally bald. "Miss," he moved aside to let me enter. A woman was standing in the foyer. She was wearing a stylish blue sweater and skirt. She had shapely legs and bright blue eyes. Her hair was brown with strands of gray running through it. She didn't have a wrinkle on her face. She was of medium build, about my height, a little heavier looking than me. She looked me up and down and confusion sparkled in her eyes. "You look like him," she said in a low voice, "Is this some sort of joke?" she demanded. "No, my mother is Hannah Peters, she told me Zack Jamieson was my father," I explained. "Hannah Peters," her eyes lit up, "my goodness," I shifted back and forth on my feet. "This is unbelievable," she breathed, "You are Zack's daughter," I stayed quiet, unsure of what to say. "Please, please come to the patio with me," she said, "Arthur, bring us some lemonade on the back patio please," "Very well Madame," the bald man named Arthur scurried away. Maxine Jamieson led me through her house to the patio facing out to the woods behind the house. I couldn't stop staring at the paintings and works of art placed around the house. The house was so beautiful and elegant. We sat on lounge chairs outside in the shade and we were silent until Arthur brought us our lemonade. I took this time to look around the backyard. There were beautiful flowers and bushes planted everywhere, there were even a few sculptures. I could see a gazebo a few yards away with roses climbing its poles. Finally Maxine spoke, "Of course you realize that this is very hard to believe," she said. "It is for me also," I told her taking a sip of my lemonade. I hesitated for a moment and then just decided to blurt it out, "Where is my father..Zack?" Maxine looked out into the woods sadly, "He died three years ago in a car accident," Tears sprung to my eyes. I had never known my real father and now I never would. I didn't know if it would be worse to lose a person you knew very well or a person you were hoping to meet. "Oh," I muttered, wiping my eyes. "But, enough of that," she shook her head as if shaking away the bad memories of her sons death, "Tell me everything," We sat out on the patio for the whole morning and part of the afternoon talking about my mother and how my life had been in Monkton. I told her of the box I found, Mama's letter and of Lola. She listened intently and for some reason I felt like she really cared even though I was a stranger that had just showed up one day on her doorstep. She told me that she knew Mama when she still lived in Toronto. She didn't tell me much about my real father, just that he went out of the country to serve in the Navy when my mother and Pop moved away together. She didn't know I was her son's child. "But Skye, I have to have you take a blood test, I have to know for sure you are Zack's daughter," she told me. I understood completely, I would be weary of a girl just showing up and claiming to be family too. "I want this test to be done quickly. I'm going to call my personal physician and tell him we are on our way," she told me. I was surprised at how quickly she decided we were going to take the test. I did find it a little odd that the first thing she though of when her long lost granddaughter came to the door was a DNA test. But I didn't argue. What other choice did I have other than to take the test? I certainly couldn't go back to Monkton; my mother had totally disappeared from my life. Her parents were both long dead. I had nowhere to go. So Maxine and I got into her BMW convertible and drove to the doctor's office. I was amazed at the car. We had a truck back in Monkton, but the thing was ancient and we rarely went in it. After taking the test, Maxine insisted it be analyzed right away, I had a feeling she paid the doctor extra so he would do just that. She even made us wait in the waiting room for three hours until it came make. I got the feeling she didn't want me anywhere near her house if I was related. She had seemed so nice before, now she just seemed cold and uncaring. Finally the doctor called us to his office and told us the results. "She is in fact your granddaughter," he said. I let out a sigh of relief, I didn't know what I would have done if I had not been. "Thank you," was all Maxine said and we left the building. She was silent on the ride back to her house. I shifted in my seat, unsure of what to say.
It was almost 9:00pm by the time we arrived at the house. We sat in the car in the driveway for a few minutes before going back in. "Well now I know that you are my son's child, I suppose I have no choice but to keep you here at La Vie," I must have had a confused look on my face because she smirked and said, "It means Life, that's what we call our house," I nodded, "I really don't want to cause any trouble, I'll just leave if you would rather that," I said a little sadly. I really wanted to have grandparents. But Maxine wasn't being very warm towards me. She seemed angry that I was here and it just made me feel all the more uncomfortable.
"Well you should know that you have a sixteen year old uncle who does live here," she told me, "he is away on a camping trip and won't be home until next week," I was a little surprised that I had an uncle that was the same age as me but I was anxious to meet him also, someone my age would make it easier to get settled here. "Your grandfather should be inside, let's go and introduce you," she got out of the car stiffly and I followed her into the house and to a small parlor. Sitting in a red velvet chair my the fire was a very distinguished looking man with dark brown hair , he looked considerably younger than Maxine. He turned to face us and his eyes widened at the sight of me. "Maxine..hello," he said. His voice was deep and very masculine. He had very dark eyes, almost black. He was very handsome. "This is Zack's daughter," Maxine said bluntly. She really did like to get straight to the point didn't she? The man stared at me, and finally he stood up. "Hello, I'm Gregory," I shook his hand and sat down on the matching red velvet settee. "I'm Skye," I said since Maxine was refusing to introduce us. I looked at her and she was staring intently back and forth between Gregory and I. Maxine told Gregory the story of how I came to be here and by the time she was finished it was 1:30pm. I was exhausted; it had been a long day. "Beatrice!" Maxine called, "BEATRICE!" she yelled again when no one answered. A mousy looking maid scurried into the room. She looked frightened. "Beatrice, please show Skye to a room, the blue one will do," Maxine ordered. "Yes Ma'am," Beatrice said in a quiet voice. I stood up and so did Gregory, "it was nice meeting you, I'm sure you will like it here," I said good night to them both and followed Beatrice. She led me up the stairs and through many corridors. She was quiet the whole way up. When we stopped outside the door she finally spoke. "Enjoy your sleep," she said and hurried away. "Thank you," I called but she didn't turn around. I went into the room but it felt more like I was stepping into the sky. The walls were painted blue and there were white fluffy clouds everywhere. The carpet was ivory and very soft like a cloud. The large queen size bed had a white canopy draped over it; you could pull the curtains down so the bed was enclosed within the curtains. I felt already like the room belonged to me, it matched my name perfectly. I ran to the huge walk in closet and gaped at all the empty space that I would not even be able to fill if I had brought all my clothes, as well as Anthony's Erin's, Tyler's, Pop's and Lola's! There was a large bathroom connected to the room with a Jacuzzi and shower. I was in heaven. I had always dreamed of my own room, but this was too much! I snuggled into my new bed happily. But as I fell asleep I couldn't help wondering what secrets were being kept from me. I didn't fully trust Maxine; she seemed to change moods as often as you would change the toilet paper roll. I pushed the cynical thoughts out of my brain and fell asleep on the feathery pillows, I felt like a princess in paradise. But I had no idea how short a time that would last.