"It's a beautiful house Olga, isn't it guys?" Helga asked us.
"Yes Mommy," I said. I looked at my brother. He was looking around in
fascination. Never had we seen a house so big.
"So what's happening to the boarding house?" Olga asked.
"Oh, there are still tenants in it, I'm keeping it. I just couldn't stay
there, you know?" she told her sister. Helga looked down and missed the
small satisfied smirk that crossed Olga's features. But I saw it.
"Daddy doesn't know you're here. I moved him in after mommy killed
herself," Olga said.
Helga's head went up.
"When did that happen?" she asked, sounding upset.
"About three weeks after you married him," she said.
"That him, you keep talking about has a name," I snapped. Olga whirled
around and glared at her.
"While you're in my house, you will obey my rules, understand?" Olga
hissed. I looked to my mother who looked genuinely shocked at this
outburst. "One is to not mention your father's name. That goes for you to
Helga. I don't want daddy overhearing and getting upset all over again. He
narrowly survived his heart attack last time,"
"When did that happen?"
"After you ran off with /i, and then again after mommy's death.
He's in a wheelchair you know. He's very sick. Your stunt caused a lot of
trouble Helga. I hope you don't plan to do something like that again. Daddy
hasn't forgiven you. He knows nothing of your children, so you will have to
hide them for a while. The younger ones should be okay to keep down here. I
never told him of the death of my twins. I didn't think he would be able to
handle it," Olga declared clasping her clasped hands in between her breast.
"Probably not," Helga sighed.
I looked at my mother, and could barely recognize her. This couldn't be my
real mommy. This had to be an impersonator. A really bad, impersonator. Her
mother never let her shoulders droop, or her head down with tears ready to
burst fourth. My mommy was alive, and feisty and always had to do things
her way. The only person she submitted to was daddy. I had a really bad
feeling coming in over me. And as I looked out the window to see the sky
darkening, the feeling only got stronger . . .
We made our way farther and farther upstairs. "Where a you putting us, the attic?" I snapped. "No. I'm putting you in the East wing. Precautionary reasons of course," Olga told us, "The servants don't come here often," she said. "And you will speak to me with respect," We turned down a long, dark, narrow hallway, which was lined with doors. "Jessica and James will share a room, separate beds. I mean it. I will have no hanky-panky in my house," Olga warned. "Olga! They're brother and sister. I hardly think they will get up to anything, for gods sake!" Helga yelled. "That's what we used to think of you and Arnold," she snapped. "Me and Arnold weren't brother and sister," Helga said through gritted teeth. "No. But you were sinners; you both went behind our backs. Arnold was welcomed into our home and you were trusted to be left alone with each other and look what happened?" Olga said, pointing at me and James. "It's in their blood to sin," "Oh, Olga stop it! Since when were you such a big god-fearing, church- going, bible-bashing psychopath?" Helga asked with zest. 'Go Mommy!' I thought. "Are you saying faithfulness is psychotic?" Olga asked outraged. "Only when your mind puts a brother and sister in bed with each-other because they're parents had pre-marital sex," Helga snapped back, that old fire returning to her eyes. "They will sin, Helga, and it will be yours and his fault," "ARNOLD! His name was Arnold! Not him or he or his. A-R-N-O-L-D!" "Here we go," Olga said, ignoring Helga's yelling. Olga pulled out keys and unlocked the door then pushed it open. They filed inside. br There were two beds, a chest-of-drawers a closet, and a window. Helga put the suitcases down. "The twins can sleep on the next floor down. After daddy dies, which will be very soon, you will be let out," Olga said with an expressionless face. I could see mommy trying to read her sister's face. "I will help them to unpack, and then come down-" "NO! Helga, they a big children, I'm sure they know how to unpack their own stuff, and put it away," she said. She turned to me and James. "This room is to be kept spotless. There is a bathroom through that door, there," she told them pointing to a door they hadn't seen. "The beds will be made every morning. I or you mother will bring up your breakfast at 8am. Lunch will come at 12.30pm and dinner at 6.30. Before each meal you will read a chapter from the good book and say prayer before each meal and before you go to bed at night," Olga told them. Me and James looked at our mother, who looked at Olga shocked. Then at us and smiled. "Sure," James said. Oh how he was like daddy. I was more like mommy. "I guess we could," I agreed reluctantly. "Good. Helga, come on. Father will want to see you," Olga said. I saw mommy shudder. What was the worst thing that grandfather Bob could do to mommy that would make her go that pale and shudder? We watched as they left the room, mommy first, Olga second. Olga looked back at us and smiled. Not the kindly smile that an aunt would use, but a smug smile, the "nya nya nya nya nya" smile. And then she closed the door. And locked it. James went and truned the door handle. "It's locked," he said. "Why the heck would she lock us in a room?" I asked I knew I wouldn't like the answer.
As Olga had said at 6.30om she came in with our dinner. James was playing games with the twins while I sat on a bed and sulked. I couldn't help it. I was miserable, and I missed daddy so much and the door was frigging locked! And to top it off there was no t.v! "I expect you o eat it all. Leave it by the door on this tray, where I will collect it in the morning," she said, then turned to leave. "Wheres mommy?" I asked. She turned and smiled at me. "Talking to our daddy. She will come to see you as soon as she is free to do so," she told me. "Why did you lock the door?" "Our father is very sick, Jessica, the last thing he needs is noisy little children running around the house," she snapped then walked out the door. We heard her lock it in place. "I don like her," keri said. "I wanna go play on da swings" she said. "Me too!" Keith shouted. "Well we cant, not yet. Maybe tomorrow," James said. Optimist.
We made our way farther and farther upstairs. "Where a you putting us, the attic?" I snapped. "No. I'm putting you in the East wing. Precautionary reasons of course," Olga told us, "The servants don't come here often," she said. "And you will speak to me with respect," We turned down a long, dark, narrow hallway, which was lined with doors. "Jessica and James will share a room, separate beds. I mean it. I will have no hanky-panky in my house," Olga warned. "Olga! They're brother and sister. I hardly think they will get up to anything, for gods sake!" Helga yelled. "That's what we used to think of you and Arnold," she snapped. "Me and Arnold weren't brother and sister," Helga said through gritted teeth. "No. But you were sinners; you both went behind our backs. Arnold was welcomed into our home and you were trusted to be left alone with each other and look what happened?" Olga said, pointing at me and James. "It's in their blood to sin," "Oh, Olga stop it! Since when were you such a big god-fearing, church- going, bible-bashing psychopath?" Helga asked with zest. 'Go Mommy!' I thought. "Are you saying faithfulness is psychotic?" Olga asked outraged. "Only when your mind puts a brother and sister in bed with each-other because they're parents had pre-marital sex," Helga snapped back, that old fire returning to her eyes. "They will sin, Helga, and it will be yours and his fault," "ARNOLD! His name was Arnold! Not him or he or his. A-R-N-O-L-D!" "Here we go," Olga said, ignoring Helga's yelling. Olga pulled out keys and unlocked the door then pushed it open. They filed inside. br There were two beds, a chest-of-drawers a closet, and a window. Helga put the suitcases down. "The twins can sleep on the next floor down. After daddy dies, which will be very soon, you will be let out," Olga said with an expressionless face. I could see mommy trying to read her sister's face. "I will help them to unpack, and then come down-" "NO! Helga, they a big children, I'm sure they know how to unpack their own stuff, and put it away," she said. She turned to me and James. "This room is to be kept spotless. There is a bathroom through that door, there," she told them pointing to a door they hadn't seen. "The beds will be made every morning. I or you mother will bring up your breakfast at 8am. Lunch will come at 12.30pm and dinner at 6.30. Before each meal you will read a chapter from the good book and say prayer before each meal and before you go to bed at night," Olga told them. Me and James looked at our mother, who looked at Olga shocked. Then at us and smiled. "Sure," James said. Oh how he was like daddy. I was more like mommy. "I guess we could," I agreed reluctantly. "Good. Helga, come on. Father will want to see you," Olga said. I saw mommy shudder. What was the worst thing that grandfather Bob could do to mommy that would make her go that pale and shudder? We watched as they left the room, mommy first, Olga second. Olga looked back at us and smiled. Not the kindly smile that an aunt would use, but a smug smile, the "nya nya nya nya nya" smile. And then she closed the door. And locked it. James went and truned the door handle. "It's locked," he said. "Why the heck would she lock us in a room?" I asked I knew I wouldn't like the answer.
As Olga had said at 6.30om she came in with our dinner. James was playing games with the twins while I sat on a bed and sulked. I couldn't help it. I was miserable, and I missed daddy so much and the door was frigging locked! And to top it off there was no t.v! "I expect you o eat it all. Leave it by the door on this tray, where I will collect it in the morning," she said, then turned to leave. "Wheres mommy?" I asked. She turned and smiled at me. "Talking to our daddy. She will come to see you as soon as she is free to do so," she told me. "Why did you lock the door?" "Our father is very sick, Jessica, the last thing he needs is noisy little children running around the house," she snapped then walked out the door. We heard her lock it in place. "I don like her," keri said. "I wanna go play on da swings" she said. "Me too!" Keith shouted. "Well we cant, not yet. Maybe tomorrow," James said. Optimist.
