Sorry that there has been a large delay in getting this out. The past week
has been busy. The past three day, I had state tests in school, tomorrow is
my prom, next friday is my graduation, and then I have my senior trip
coming up. And STILLhave a lot more state tests coming at me. Here is
another relatively short chapter.
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That night at dinner, the table was, once again, eerily quiet. The clock ticked loudly, and the three Brown's just stared solemnly at their food.
"Dad?" Delia asked, ever so quietly.
"Yes, Delia?"
"Can I puhlease go over to Nina's? Carl isn't there anymore."
"How do you know?" Andy asked, looking up curiously.
"I saw him put his bags in his car and leave."
"Why?"
"I don't know. His car isn't back."
"I don't think so, Delia. Not this weekend."
"But Dad! Sam and I had plans!"
"Delia," Andy said warningly. He had a way of saying her name, making it drawn out and very long. When he addressed her like that, Delia knew it was best to stop.
"Dad," Ephram said suddenly. "Just let her go." Andy glanced at his son.
"Ephram, don't get involved."
"She's just going to whine all night if you don't let her go. You might as well give in now, and not have to suffer torture." Andy sighed, knowing that was what was going to happen.
"Oh, fine. Go ahead, Delia. Pack your stuff, and I'll walk you to Nina's."
"I'm already packed," Delia said excitedly.
"Okay. Ephram, can you clear the table?"
"Whatever," Ephram responding, shoving a forkfull of food into his mouth. As Delia ran upstairs, Andy turned to face his son.
"Something is wrong with you, Ephram. And I intend to find out what it is." Andy paused. "So you might as well tell me."
"Nice try, but no. I'm fine," Ephram said as Delia bounded down the stairs. Andy looked at Ephram inquiringly, but took Delia's eager hand, and led her out the front door. Ephram began to clear the table as they retreated.
Andy knocked hard on Nina's door.
"Maybe she's at Mama Joy's tonight," Andy said.
"No," Delia said simply. "She's here." Andy rapped on the door once more.
"Nina!" He shouted. The door suddeny opened, revealing a puffy-eyed Nina. "Nina! What's wrong?" Andy asked, his mouth open in astonishment.
"Carl and I...," she whispered, but couldn't go on. Delia shifted uncomfortably, and, taking notice of this, Nina opened the door and let her run in. With that, she closed the door, and stepped onto the porch with Andy.
"What's wrong," Andy asked again, softly and tenderly. He looked around nervously. Should he hug her? he wondered.
"Carl... he had...," tears slid down Nina's face. She looked down to the ground. "An affair," she whispered softly. So softly, in fact, that Andy was sure he had heard wrong.
"A what?" he asked, concern taking over his deep brown eyes.
"You heard me, Andy," Nina said, soft once again. She looked up into Andy's eyes, and he uncomfortably watched tears slide down her cheeks.
"Oh, Nina, I'm so sorry," Andy whispered. He held his arms out. Nina collapsed into them.
"Me too," she whispered. "Me too."
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As Ephram unloaded the dishwasher, his thoughts turned to Celia, and their kiss in the park. He groaned. How had THAT happened? he suddenly wondered. He tried to think back, but it was a little unclear. He did remember that he went off on Celia, and hadn't seen her since then. A sigh escaped his lips. The phone suddenly rang. Ephram turned his head towards the phone on the kitchen wall. Knowing no one was going to answer it, he slowly walked towards the phone. He picked it up. "Hello."
"I-is this t-the Brown r-residence?" A stuttering voice asked. Ephram yawned.
"It might be. Who's this?"
"Celia."
Ephram was suddenly alert. But he didn't want to talk to her. He thought fast. Disguising his voice a bit, he said roughly into the phone, "I'm sorry, Celia. I'm afraid you've got the wrong number."
"But I-I'm sure I wrote it d-down right," Celia stammered nervously.
"Well, whoever gave you the number gave it to you wrong. I'm sorry I can't help you." Ephram started to hang up the phone.
"Ephram, cut it out and talk to me," Celia demanded loudly. The nervousness was gone from her voice. Ephram gulped, hand halfway towards the phone cradle. Then, without hesitation, he hung up.
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Sorry so short. More later this weekend.
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That night at dinner, the table was, once again, eerily quiet. The clock ticked loudly, and the three Brown's just stared solemnly at their food.
"Dad?" Delia asked, ever so quietly.
"Yes, Delia?"
"Can I puhlease go over to Nina's? Carl isn't there anymore."
"How do you know?" Andy asked, looking up curiously.
"I saw him put his bags in his car and leave."
"Why?"
"I don't know. His car isn't back."
"I don't think so, Delia. Not this weekend."
"But Dad! Sam and I had plans!"
"Delia," Andy said warningly. He had a way of saying her name, making it drawn out and very long. When he addressed her like that, Delia knew it was best to stop.
"Dad," Ephram said suddenly. "Just let her go." Andy glanced at his son.
"Ephram, don't get involved."
"She's just going to whine all night if you don't let her go. You might as well give in now, and not have to suffer torture." Andy sighed, knowing that was what was going to happen.
"Oh, fine. Go ahead, Delia. Pack your stuff, and I'll walk you to Nina's."
"I'm already packed," Delia said excitedly.
"Okay. Ephram, can you clear the table?"
"Whatever," Ephram responding, shoving a forkfull of food into his mouth. As Delia ran upstairs, Andy turned to face his son.
"Something is wrong with you, Ephram. And I intend to find out what it is." Andy paused. "So you might as well tell me."
"Nice try, but no. I'm fine," Ephram said as Delia bounded down the stairs. Andy looked at Ephram inquiringly, but took Delia's eager hand, and led her out the front door. Ephram began to clear the table as they retreated.
Andy knocked hard on Nina's door.
"Maybe she's at Mama Joy's tonight," Andy said.
"No," Delia said simply. "She's here." Andy rapped on the door once more.
"Nina!" He shouted. The door suddeny opened, revealing a puffy-eyed Nina. "Nina! What's wrong?" Andy asked, his mouth open in astonishment.
"Carl and I...," she whispered, but couldn't go on. Delia shifted uncomfortably, and, taking notice of this, Nina opened the door and let her run in. With that, she closed the door, and stepped onto the porch with Andy.
"What's wrong," Andy asked again, softly and tenderly. He looked around nervously. Should he hug her? he wondered.
"Carl... he had...," tears slid down Nina's face. She looked down to the ground. "An affair," she whispered softly. So softly, in fact, that Andy was sure he had heard wrong.
"A what?" he asked, concern taking over his deep brown eyes.
"You heard me, Andy," Nina said, soft once again. She looked up into Andy's eyes, and he uncomfortably watched tears slide down her cheeks.
"Oh, Nina, I'm so sorry," Andy whispered. He held his arms out. Nina collapsed into them.
"Me too," she whispered. "Me too."
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As Ephram unloaded the dishwasher, his thoughts turned to Celia, and their kiss in the park. He groaned. How had THAT happened? he suddenly wondered. He tried to think back, but it was a little unclear. He did remember that he went off on Celia, and hadn't seen her since then. A sigh escaped his lips. The phone suddenly rang. Ephram turned his head towards the phone on the kitchen wall. Knowing no one was going to answer it, he slowly walked towards the phone. He picked it up. "Hello."
"I-is this t-the Brown r-residence?" A stuttering voice asked. Ephram yawned.
"It might be. Who's this?"
"Celia."
Ephram was suddenly alert. But he didn't want to talk to her. He thought fast. Disguising his voice a bit, he said roughly into the phone, "I'm sorry, Celia. I'm afraid you've got the wrong number."
"But I-I'm sure I wrote it d-down right," Celia stammered nervously.
"Well, whoever gave you the number gave it to you wrong. I'm sorry I can't help you." Ephram started to hang up the phone.
"Ephram, cut it out and talk to me," Celia demanded loudly. The nervousness was gone from her voice. Ephram gulped, hand halfway towards the phone cradle. Then, without hesitation, he hung up.
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Sorry so short. More later this weekend.