Family Secrets
While running from Neil Kellerman, we found another cabin, which was further away from the others but that made it more intriguing. Andy and I watched while Jack ran to open the door. "It's stuck"
Andy ran towards the door "move!" and he banged the door down. We ran inside and pulled the door up to it's original position. As I turned around I saw that this room wasn't much different from the one we had been in before only this one had a bed in it and some old clothes. It was like someone had left in hurry and never wanted to come back. I sat down on the bed while Andy and Jack checked for Neil and looked again at the picture in my hand. My parents looked so different, especially my mom. She looked scared and was in very different clothes compared to the others. I looked then to my dad he looked like he was more into Penny than my mom. "The coast's clear, Katie, Katie are you listening" I looked up from the photo to see Jack standing in front of me waving his hand in front of my face. "Yeah, I heard the coast's clear" I looked from Jack to Andy, who was moving a suit which looked familiar "Andy hold that suit up for me" I looked from the suit to the photo and then I realised where I recognised it from "that's Dad's suit this is his room" I looked at Andy and Jack's confused faces and realised that I was sitting on something uncomfortable, other than the bed, It was a diary. Ignoring Andy and Jack's questions I opened it and recognised the handwriting immediately "And this is his diary"
I opened the diary again and turned to the first page "Katie you can't read Dad's diary. It's not right" I handed Jack the photo "what am I supposed to be looking at here?" He couldn't see it but Andy could "Your Dad…and Penny!" Jack now realised who he was looking at but neither of them could see who was in the background "look behind them not at them then tell me who you see" Both moved to look closer then looked at me with a look of shock "That's Mom and Billy". Andy looked at the diary "open it see what it says cos I can't believe that your Dad and Penny were a couple in 63" I opened the diary "do you want me to read it aloud" The guys looked at each other "Hell yeah"
"31st July 1963: I'm back here again at Kellermans the one place I hate in this world, but hey I need the money and I can't say that I hate seeing Penny again. Max gave me the usual speech 'don't talk to any women don't do anything with them just teach 'em how to dance' I've been hearing the same speech for the past five years and it's the women who touch me. Its 8:45 I better get to the main hall Penny and I are gonna do the mambo in the main hall before the games"
"Do you guys want me to read on" Jack answered "We need to know what this picture is about, keep goin'"
"Hey I'm back. And I found another reason to be here… the dancin'. Despite some little rich kid, I think her name was Baby, hangin' around the house. She wasn't bad lookin but she couldn't dance to save herself. I better sleep one of the Bungalow bunnies is booked in for a lesson tomorrow some woman named Vivian Prestman Her husband seems rich it might not be too bad. 1st August 1963: I am gonna kill Robbie Gould!!! Penny's pregnant and he knocked her up and what makes it worse, Billy told little miss perfect Baby Houseman who'll now run and tell Neil Kellerman, her little management boyfriend. I am so mad I could smash this room up but then I'd get fired for sure"
"I don't think I can read any more we know what the photo was about Dad didn't know Mom that's all" Jack seemed to agree with me but Andy didn't "yeah we know about the picture, but not about Penny's baby. Claire is a year older than we are, right? Which means that she was born in 64 this diary was written in 63. Where's Penny's baby?" This unnerved me but I could see his point what did happen to that baby? "Maybe Penny had it adopted or she had a miscarriage we're never gonna know are we." Andy took the diary from my hands "we'll find out if we read this"
"2nd August 1963: Maybe that kid Baby isn't so bad she gave Penny $200 to go to a doctor and get rid of the baby the only problem is that the appointment is on Thursday the night Penny and I dance at the Sheldrake so I'm landed with Baby instead she can't dance at all I'm gonna lose my job I know I am. 5th August 1963:She seems to be getting the hang of the dance but I'm nervous about showing her the lifts. 8th August 1963:We did it we did the dance everything except one of the lifts she was amazing the only problem was waiting for us when we got back. Penny's appointment had gone wrong and she was bleeding in pain Baby stepped up though She went and she got her dad-Dr Jake Houseman-he saved Penny's life but he looked at me as though I was dirt. His attitude didn't rub off on Baby though she came to the cabin about an hour later and we…"
Andy slammed the book shut "I don't think I wanna know any more." Jack seemed to be in agreement "Yeah I definitely don't wanna read that but there could be some more useful information in there." I looked at the diary and then looked at Jack "ok then look through it and find things that we may be interested in don't read it word for word." As Jack looked through the diary I got up and looked around the cabin "It says here that Dad was sacked for sleeping with Mom well that makes sense considering Max Kellermans start of year speech" Just as I turned round I saw Neil Kellerman running through the forest "Guys we've gotta go-Kellerman. Don't just sit there grab that diary and run!"
Please r&r and I'll post more soon.