[A/N. I'm not sure I like this story as much as I did the one before, but
nonetheless I am determined to finish it, so then I can write the next one
which I'm actually looking forward to. Therefore this one might not be as
long as the previous one, maybe only sixteen chapters as compared to the
twenty odd in the one before. It seems to me that in the last story there
was only one main thing happening- which was the marriage, and then Melody
leaving and coming back, but it all revolved around the marriage. This one
seems to have a few different things happening in it, but I suppose when
you think about it that's kind of VC Andrewsish? Anyway, I hope everyone is
enjoying it regardless.]
FIVE:
"May came to me the other day for some advice." I admitted. "She was having boy troubles and she wanted my opinion."
Aunt Sara frowned. "Why didn't she come to me? Her own mother? We've never had trouble talking before." A hurt look flitted across her face.
"I think she thought that you wouldn't want to talk about this kind of thing with her." I said diplomatically. "Anyway I gave her my advice, and I haven't seen her since. That was about a week ago."
Cary was looking at me strangely. "Melody, what exactly did she want to know?" He asked slowly.
I shook my head. "I promised her I wouldn't tell you Cary, let's just say it was advice about boys and leave it there."
He looked like he was going to protest, but then he turned away, back to Aunt Sara. "Think Ma- where would May go to if she was running away?"
Aunt Sara shook her head. "I don't know." She cried, tears beginning to run down her cheeks. "I have no idea where she'd go."
Cary crossed the room to put his hand on her shoulder. His face was impassive, like a rock, something I'd always admired about him. Cary had strength, but then he'd always had to. Uncle Jacob expected him to act like a man, and when Uncle Jacob died Cary'd been left as the man of the house. "Right, this is what we're going to do." He said. "Ma- you're going to go into town and look around. Check to see whether she bought a bus or train ticket too. I'll go and check Kenneth and Holly's place as well as the Judge. Melody- who seems to know everything about my little sister's life- can check with her friends, and since she's the one who knows about the so- called boy trouble, perhaps she could check with whoever she thinks might know something."
His tone cut me to the quick, but I didn't let him see it. I held my head high. "Just let me get Lara changed and I'll go." I replied.
A few minutes later Lara and I were in the car as I drove towards the home of May's boyfriend. It was lucky I knew his parents or else I would have had no idea where to go, and from the inferences in the letter I was pretty sure May's sudden departure had something to do with Tommy. Needless to say Tommy was pretty surprised to see me when I knocked on the door.
"Aren't you May's brother's wife?" He asked me.
"Yes, Melody Logan." I replied, holding Lara in my arms. She was awake and alert, looking around at everything with interest. Cary had just been saying the night before that he thought she was very advanced for her age, and how proud he was of her. I pushed the thought of Cary out of my mind for the moment since the last time I'd seen him he'd been glaring at me in anger. "Can I come in please?"
"Oh right, sure.." He said moving aside, looking confused at what was going on. We went through to the kitchen which is where he'd obviously been sitting before my arrival, doing his homework.
"Would you like a drink?" He asked, trying to be polite, but I shook my head and took a seat instead. He hesitated and then sat next to me.
"I'll get to the point I think Tommy. May's run away." I said.
He looked shocked. "Run away?" He repeated. "But I only saw her just last night. Gosh, I hope she's all right. Do you have any ideas why she went?"
I frowned slightly. He wasn't making it easy. "No, but I was hoping you might." I said.'
He shook his head. "Why would I have any?" He asked me.
I sighed, and decided that I was getting nowhere fast. "Look Tommy, it's none of my business really, only May came to me for advice last week. Advice about you, and advice about sex. In the note she left for her Mom she said she'd done something really bad, and that her Mom would think she was a sinner for it." I said bluntly.
Tommy put his head in his hands for a moment, apparently thinking before looking up at me. "Look Melody, I love May." He told me. "I've never met someone like her. She's so sweet and so nice..."
"I have no doubt that you do- and she loves you too." I assured him.
"Last night my parents were out and May came over. She told her Mom she was coming to study I think, and things kind of went further than we'd planned. Afterwards instead of being happy, May was upset. She told me that her Mom would be so disappointed in her. I told her that it wasn't her Mom's life, it was hers, but she was pretty upset. When she didn't come to school today I was worried, and I rang to see whether she was sick, but there was no answer. I sort of thought that perhaps her Mom was out and May was alone which would account for the no answer, and that's all I know. I have no idea where May could be though. But if there's anything I can do to help let me know!" Tommy said.
I'd been watching him as he spoke and I knew he was telling the truth- he had no idea where May had got too.
I sighed then and ran a hand through my hair. "Do you know anyone who might know where she would be?"
"I guess you could try Sally Watson- she's May's closest friend at school." Tommy suggested, and I stood up.
"Do you know where she lives?" I asked.
Tommy nodded and explained it for me, and I left to see whether I could get more information out of her. On the way I thought about Tommy- he seemed like a nice enough, sincere guy, and he clearly loved May very much. I knew that when Cary and I were alone next I would have to tell him what May had asked me and I knew he wasn't going to like it. May was his little sister and the first thing I'd noticed when my mother had left me here a few years back was how protective of her he was. And the angry look on his face today reinforced it to me.
When I spoke to Sally it was clear enough that she knew where May was, but wasn't going to tell me. She didn't look me in the eyes as she spoke and her words sounded rehearsed. She was a nice enough girl, but it was obvious that she'd given May her word and was reluctant to break it.
"Look Sally, I'll level with you." I said eventually, getting a little tired of the games. "If you don't tell me where May is Cary will come over here later, and he won't be so nice as me."
Sally's eyes widened. "Are you threatening me?" She demanded.
"Oh for heavens sake!" I cried. "I'm not threatening you- I'm merely appealing to your good judgement and sense of friendship. I know you think you're doing the right thing by keeping May's whereabouts secret, but you're not. May can't survive out there without her friends and family, and surely you know that. And think about her Mom- she's out of her mind with worry. May was her only daughter now and she doesn't know where she is."
Sally bit her lip, and stared over my shoulder for a long time before finally speaking. "Fine." She said. "But if she never speaks to me again it will be your fault."
"I can live with that." I said dryly.
"She's staying at a motel at the moment- you know the one just out of town. Room 112." Sally said.
"A motel?" I repeated. "How can she afford that?"
"I lent her some money, and she has her own savings." Sally explained. "And then she was going to go to LA."
"LA?" I repeated. "What on earth would she do in LA?"
"Get a job." Sally replied as if it were all so simple.
I shook my head and stood up. "I better get over there and talk some sense into her. Thank you for this Sally."
She didn't answer, and I let myself out and drove to the motel. Needless to say May was shocked to answer the door and see me there.
"Go away Melody." She signed and started to close the door, but I pushed it open and went into the room. I looked around, and wrinkled my nose at the place. How could May stand to stay here even one night?
May flopped herself onto the bed and regarded me angrily. "How did you know I was here?" She demanded.
I shrugged. "I just did. May everyone's so worried about you. Cary and your Ma are out of their minds with worry, and Tommy's pretty concerned too."
"Tommy? You've spoken to Tommy?" May asked.
"I did." I replied. "He told me what happened last night May."
Her face went red, but she didn't comment.
"May- I don't know why you think what you did was a sin." I said, and I moved over to the opposite bed, sitting so I was facing her.
"It was a sin!" May protested, signing in a fury. "If Dad was here he'd tell you that, he was always on about sinning and that was on the top of his list."
"May when two people love each other very much that's not a sin. It's a beautiful, wonderful thing." I told her. "It's when people do it with lots of different people without even caring about them that it's a sin."
May looked unconvinced, and I sighed. "May, listen, come back with me please." I pleaded. "Your Ma is so worried."
May shook her head and signed that she couldn't, that she'd done the wrong thing.
I didn't know how to tell her that it wasn't the wrong thing, since she seemed to be so clearly set on her opinion, so instead I asked her a question: "Do you think that having sex before marriage is the sin May?"
She looked thoughtful. "I guess, Dad always said that only harlots had sex before marriage, loose women." She said.
"Let me tell you something then May, and I want you to listen very carefully." I signed, deliberately slow so she couldn't miss a thing. "As much as I don't want to be the one to tell you this your Father was a hypocrite. He slept with my mother when she was younger and this was, in fact, the reason why I ran away when Cary and I were going to be married. I thought I might have been related to Cary. Eventually I confronted my mother who admitted that it wasn't Uncle Jacob who was the father." Here I conveniently left out the fact that my mother had also claimed to not have slept with Jacob, but if we're going to be honest who knows whether she ever told the truth or not? "But the point is May, that it's not a sin. If it's a sin then Cary and I have sinned as well, and so have a lot of people. You don't have to let your Ma, or Cary know why you ran away, we'll think of something, just please, please come back with me?"
May sighed, and she looked away considering. Then she turned back and asked "What kind of story?"
I sighed with relief. "I don't know maybe you skipped school or something?" I offered. "I know it's not a huge deal but Aunt Sara will buy it when she thinks about how well behaved you are." I didn't mention that there was no way Cary would buy it and I was probably going to have to tell him the truth, although he'd have to be sworn to secrecy.
"Okay." May agreed.
*****
"MAY!" Aunt Sara rushed to her to fold her into her arms.
May pulled back from her to sign to her that she was sorry for scaring her, but she had done something wrong at school and she was worried that she'd get into a lot of trouble.
Aunt Sara assured her that she couldn't do anything that was bad enough to think she had to run away, and a few moments later they left to go home, and I turned to go inside, only to find Cary on the steps, his arms folded across his broad chest, looking at me thoughtfully.
"Trouble at school?" He asked disbelieving.
I shrugged. "Well you know May." I said lamely.
"Are you going to tell me the truth or not Melody?" Cary asked.
"I can't." I said. "I promised May, but honestly Cary it's nothing major. May's a great kid, and you should know that more than anyone!"
"I DO know that." Cary said. "I just worry about her."
"Well don't." I told him. "She knows what she's doing. I know it's hard for you to accept that she's old enough to make her own decisions, but she is. Honestly Cary, I wonder what you're going to be like when Lara's May's age?"
Cary laughed. "Lock her in the house if she looks anything like her mother." He told me, his eyes softer now.
"Compliments will get you everywhere." I assured him. "In fact, if you put Lara down for me I might even make your favourite meal for dinner?"
"That's a deal." Cary said and he reached for his daughter, who went to him eagerly. "And by the way Melody, I'm sorry for getting mad at you before, it's just that I can't help but be protective when it comes to May."
I nodded. "Apology accepted, but you might want to think about not being so protective?"
"Suggestion noted." Cary said, and he took my hand and we went inside.
FIVE:
"May came to me the other day for some advice." I admitted. "She was having boy troubles and she wanted my opinion."
Aunt Sara frowned. "Why didn't she come to me? Her own mother? We've never had trouble talking before." A hurt look flitted across her face.
"I think she thought that you wouldn't want to talk about this kind of thing with her." I said diplomatically. "Anyway I gave her my advice, and I haven't seen her since. That was about a week ago."
Cary was looking at me strangely. "Melody, what exactly did she want to know?" He asked slowly.
I shook my head. "I promised her I wouldn't tell you Cary, let's just say it was advice about boys and leave it there."
He looked like he was going to protest, but then he turned away, back to Aunt Sara. "Think Ma- where would May go to if she was running away?"
Aunt Sara shook her head. "I don't know." She cried, tears beginning to run down her cheeks. "I have no idea where she'd go."
Cary crossed the room to put his hand on her shoulder. His face was impassive, like a rock, something I'd always admired about him. Cary had strength, but then he'd always had to. Uncle Jacob expected him to act like a man, and when Uncle Jacob died Cary'd been left as the man of the house. "Right, this is what we're going to do." He said. "Ma- you're going to go into town and look around. Check to see whether she bought a bus or train ticket too. I'll go and check Kenneth and Holly's place as well as the Judge. Melody- who seems to know everything about my little sister's life- can check with her friends, and since she's the one who knows about the so- called boy trouble, perhaps she could check with whoever she thinks might know something."
His tone cut me to the quick, but I didn't let him see it. I held my head high. "Just let me get Lara changed and I'll go." I replied.
A few minutes later Lara and I were in the car as I drove towards the home of May's boyfriend. It was lucky I knew his parents or else I would have had no idea where to go, and from the inferences in the letter I was pretty sure May's sudden departure had something to do with Tommy. Needless to say Tommy was pretty surprised to see me when I knocked on the door.
"Aren't you May's brother's wife?" He asked me.
"Yes, Melody Logan." I replied, holding Lara in my arms. She was awake and alert, looking around at everything with interest. Cary had just been saying the night before that he thought she was very advanced for her age, and how proud he was of her. I pushed the thought of Cary out of my mind for the moment since the last time I'd seen him he'd been glaring at me in anger. "Can I come in please?"
"Oh right, sure.." He said moving aside, looking confused at what was going on. We went through to the kitchen which is where he'd obviously been sitting before my arrival, doing his homework.
"Would you like a drink?" He asked, trying to be polite, but I shook my head and took a seat instead. He hesitated and then sat next to me.
"I'll get to the point I think Tommy. May's run away." I said.
He looked shocked. "Run away?" He repeated. "But I only saw her just last night. Gosh, I hope she's all right. Do you have any ideas why she went?"
I frowned slightly. He wasn't making it easy. "No, but I was hoping you might." I said.'
He shook his head. "Why would I have any?" He asked me.
I sighed, and decided that I was getting nowhere fast. "Look Tommy, it's none of my business really, only May came to me for advice last week. Advice about you, and advice about sex. In the note she left for her Mom she said she'd done something really bad, and that her Mom would think she was a sinner for it." I said bluntly.
Tommy put his head in his hands for a moment, apparently thinking before looking up at me. "Look Melody, I love May." He told me. "I've never met someone like her. She's so sweet and so nice..."
"I have no doubt that you do- and she loves you too." I assured him.
"Last night my parents were out and May came over. She told her Mom she was coming to study I think, and things kind of went further than we'd planned. Afterwards instead of being happy, May was upset. She told me that her Mom would be so disappointed in her. I told her that it wasn't her Mom's life, it was hers, but she was pretty upset. When she didn't come to school today I was worried, and I rang to see whether she was sick, but there was no answer. I sort of thought that perhaps her Mom was out and May was alone which would account for the no answer, and that's all I know. I have no idea where May could be though. But if there's anything I can do to help let me know!" Tommy said.
I'd been watching him as he spoke and I knew he was telling the truth- he had no idea where May had got too.
I sighed then and ran a hand through my hair. "Do you know anyone who might know where she would be?"
"I guess you could try Sally Watson- she's May's closest friend at school." Tommy suggested, and I stood up.
"Do you know where she lives?" I asked.
Tommy nodded and explained it for me, and I left to see whether I could get more information out of her. On the way I thought about Tommy- he seemed like a nice enough, sincere guy, and he clearly loved May very much. I knew that when Cary and I were alone next I would have to tell him what May had asked me and I knew he wasn't going to like it. May was his little sister and the first thing I'd noticed when my mother had left me here a few years back was how protective of her he was. And the angry look on his face today reinforced it to me.
When I spoke to Sally it was clear enough that she knew where May was, but wasn't going to tell me. She didn't look me in the eyes as she spoke and her words sounded rehearsed. She was a nice enough girl, but it was obvious that she'd given May her word and was reluctant to break it.
"Look Sally, I'll level with you." I said eventually, getting a little tired of the games. "If you don't tell me where May is Cary will come over here later, and he won't be so nice as me."
Sally's eyes widened. "Are you threatening me?" She demanded.
"Oh for heavens sake!" I cried. "I'm not threatening you- I'm merely appealing to your good judgement and sense of friendship. I know you think you're doing the right thing by keeping May's whereabouts secret, but you're not. May can't survive out there without her friends and family, and surely you know that. And think about her Mom- she's out of her mind with worry. May was her only daughter now and she doesn't know where she is."
Sally bit her lip, and stared over my shoulder for a long time before finally speaking. "Fine." She said. "But if she never speaks to me again it will be your fault."
"I can live with that." I said dryly.
"She's staying at a motel at the moment- you know the one just out of town. Room 112." Sally said.
"A motel?" I repeated. "How can she afford that?"
"I lent her some money, and she has her own savings." Sally explained. "And then she was going to go to LA."
"LA?" I repeated. "What on earth would she do in LA?"
"Get a job." Sally replied as if it were all so simple.
I shook my head and stood up. "I better get over there and talk some sense into her. Thank you for this Sally."
She didn't answer, and I let myself out and drove to the motel. Needless to say May was shocked to answer the door and see me there.
"Go away Melody." She signed and started to close the door, but I pushed it open and went into the room. I looked around, and wrinkled my nose at the place. How could May stand to stay here even one night?
May flopped herself onto the bed and regarded me angrily. "How did you know I was here?" She demanded.
I shrugged. "I just did. May everyone's so worried about you. Cary and your Ma are out of their minds with worry, and Tommy's pretty concerned too."
"Tommy? You've spoken to Tommy?" May asked.
"I did." I replied. "He told me what happened last night May."
Her face went red, but she didn't comment.
"May- I don't know why you think what you did was a sin." I said, and I moved over to the opposite bed, sitting so I was facing her.
"It was a sin!" May protested, signing in a fury. "If Dad was here he'd tell you that, he was always on about sinning and that was on the top of his list."
"May when two people love each other very much that's not a sin. It's a beautiful, wonderful thing." I told her. "It's when people do it with lots of different people without even caring about them that it's a sin."
May looked unconvinced, and I sighed. "May, listen, come back with me please." I pleaded. "Your Ma is so worried."
May shook her head and signed that she couldn't, that she'd done the wrong thing.
I didn't know how to tell her that it wasn't the wrong thing, since she seemed to be so clearly set on her opinion, so instead I asked her a question: "Do you think that having sex before marriage is the sin May?"
She looked thoughtful. "I guess, Dad always said that only harlots had sex before marriage, loose women." She said.
"Let me tell you something then May, and I want you to listen very carefully." I signed, deliberately slow so she couldn't miss a thing. "As much as I don't want to be the one to tell you this your Father was a hypocrite. He slept with my mother when she was younger and this was, in fact, the reason why I ran away when Cary and I were going to be married. I thought I might have been related to Cary. Eventually I confronted my mother who admitted that it wasn't Uncle Jacob who was the father." Here I conveniently left out the fact that my mother had also claimed to not have slept with Jacob, but if we're going to be honest who knows whether she ever told the truth or not? "But the point is May, that it's not a sin. If it's a sin then Cary and I have sinned as well, and so have a lot of people. You don't have to let your Ma, or Cary know why you ran away, we'll think of something, just please, please come back with me?"
May sighed, and she looked away considering. Then she turned back and asked "What kind of story?"
I sighed with relief. "I don't know maybe you skipped school or something?" I offered. "I know it's not a huge deal but Aunt Sara will buy it when she thinks about how well behaved you are." I didn't mention that there was no way Cary would buy it and I was probably going to have to tell him the truth, although he'd have to be sworn to secrecy.
"Okay." May agreed.
*****
"MAY!" Aunt Sara rushed to her to fold her into her arms.
May pulled back from her to sign to her that she was sorry for scaring her, but she had done something wrong at school and she was worried that she'd get into a lot of trouble.
Aunt Sara assured her that she couldn't do anything that was bad enough to think she had to run away, and a few moments later they left to go home, and I turned to go inside, only to find Cary on the steps, his arms folded across his broad chest, looking at me thoughtfully.
"Trouble at school?" He asked disbelieving.
I shrugged. "Well you know May." I said lamely.
"Are you going to tell me the truth or not Melody?" Cary asked.
"I can't." I said. "I promised May, but honestly Cary it's nothing major. May's a great kid, and you should know that more than anyone!"
"I DO know that." Cary said. "I just worry about her."
"Well don't." I told him. "She knows what she's doing. I know it's hard for you to accept that she's old enough to make her own decisions, but she is. Honestly Cary, I wonder what you're going to be like when Lara's May's age?"
Cary laughed. "Lock her in the house if she looks anything like her mother." He told me, his eyes softer now.
"Compliments will get you everywhere." I assured him. "In fact, if you put Lara down for me I might even make your favourite meal for dinner?"
"That's a deal." Cary said and he reached for his daughter, who went to him eagerly. "And by the way Melody, I'm sorry for getting mad at you before, it's just that I can't help but be protective when it comes to May."
I nodded. "Apology accepted, but you might want to think about not being so protective?"
"Suggestion noted." Cary said, and he took my hand and we went inside.
