Chapter 6 The One Left Behind
Today was Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. In a week was Yon Kippur, the day of Atonement, not that Petunia paid attention anyway. It was always the first holiday after they left, when Petunia really began to realize they were gone. The Evans weren't Jewish, they were actually Unitarian Universalists, but their extended family was Jewish, so every time a holiday rolled around, Chris and Violet dragged their remaining daughter to the family reunions.
Of course, it was Petunia's job to look after her cousins. A job she loathed. Petunia had exactly five cousins who came over on this event. All except one was younger than her, and all of them adored Lily beyond any other relative. The only one who was older, Natalie, was a friend and partner in crime to Rose. None of them cared about petunia. Well, they did, they just didn't like hanging around her.
Whenever Lily was looking after the younger ones, she and eleven year old Claudia kept eight year old Meagan and seven year old Julia from killing each other. Ten-year-old Sophie would mainly spend her time on the computer. During this time, Rose and Natalie would be talking amiably about what was going on and horses, Natalie was an avid rider. Where did that leave Petunia? Right where she wanted to be, up with the adults. But with Lily and Rose gone, she was stuck down here with the kiddies.
"Lily, Lily!" Julia, Meagan and Claudia would cry whenever she came over. The three of they would rush over to be spun around and hugged with Sophie at their heels. Natalie would come over and give Rose a hug first before turning on Lily. Then they would separate. Petunia had to make a conscious effort to get their attention. So today, when Petunia came down, all of them just glanced her way and turned back to what they were doing.
"Hi," Petunia said to the room and slumped onto the couch beside Sophie, who was playing a video game with Julia while the others watched.
"Hi Petunia," they said. Natalie, who was on the other side of her gave her a quick hug and that was the end of the greeting.
The party wore on, and after what seemed like hours it was time to go home. If Lily had been here, Meagan would have clung to lily and called her Mama in a baby voice, but Lily wasn't here so that didn't happen.
The ride home was a silent one. "How did you kids get along?" Violet asked Petunia.
"Fine," Petunia answered shortly.
"What did you guys do?" Chris inquired.
"We watched Sophie and Julia play video games."
"Lily always organized a play, they were all so funny," Violet laughed at the memory at many a wacky Cinderella play.
"Well I'm not Lily."
"I never said you were dear," Violet replied.
"It's quiet again, I only have two girls instead of four, it always takes an adjusting, doesn't it?" Chris asked.
"Yes it does, I always come home expecting to hear an argument in process and a peace treaty being monitored," Violet said.
"I always expect to hear Rose singing with Lily playing the piano in accompaniment," Chris put in. He smiled. One would think Chris and Violet weren't aware of their daughter's singing talent, but it was the opposite. They loved to hear her, but they realized that she was the type of person who would never get anywhere if she didn't have to fight. She would never be happy unless she had earned it with her own sweat and blood. "What do you miss, Petty?" Chris asked his oldest daughter.
"I don't know," Petunia said in a sullen voice.
"You probably miss them terribly, you guys are like three peas in a pod, you need each other to be complete, even if you don't realize it"
Petunia thought on that for a minute. No they weren't like three peas in a pod. Wasn't it said that threes a company? They didn't need Petunia and never had. She was all alone.
