The Clash
Chapter 2: Surprise!
"Why don't we surprise them?!" exclaimed Cate, eyes wide.
"Oh, dollface." Sharei sighed "I think our phone call will be enough of a surprise. It's a bit rude to show up on people's doorstep." Especially when you need something she added silently.
"But Uncle Tracker and Uncle Sean love us. I'm sure they won't mind." Cate answered matter-of-factly, taking her mother's hand and giving her a pleading look.
"Alright, alright. But, we can't show up like this. Look at you, dirty bird!" scolding playfully Sharei led her out of the telephone booth and looked around for a bathroom. Inside, she felt something tug at her heart. They were all dirty and in the end it was probably her own fault. Cate and Thalia would never see her cry though.
In the bathroom, Sharei spent 20 minutes making them all look as perfect as possible with the utilities she had at hand. Sure, they got a few glares. But, not as many as the woman sleeping on the heater. Sharei made it a point not to disturb her. She had been that woman more than once before.
Next, she had a mission; to find out how to get to 47 S. Oak Avenue. After getting the brush off from a few rushing commuters and at least an attempt from some people that didn't speak English, Sharei got an idea. They rushed back to the platform and found the coffee stand that they had sat at earlier. There was no line, so Sharei ran up to the counter. "Coffee stand Craig! Please tell me you know this area!"
"Okay, I know this area." Craig answered sarcastically, but with a smile.
"I'm serious! Do you know where South Oak Ave. is?"
"Yeah, actually. My friend lives over there."
"Well, how do you get there?"
"From here? It's too far!" Craig exclaimed.
"Don't worry about it. Just tell me how to get there!"
"Look, I get off soon. Let me take you there."
"Uhhh…no!" Sharei said defensively. She didn't need anyone to be a witness to her crazy family reunion. "Don't worry about it. I can't wait. Just tell me how to get there. I'll be fine. Promise."
Craig scribbled directions down on an order pad and handed them over. "Good luck." he said.
"Thank you! You've just been saving me left and right today." Sharei looked down at the directions and waved before turning to leave.
It took them well into the afternoon before they reached the corner of South Oak Avenue. As banged up as the neighborhood was, Sharei had never felt more safe knowing that her brothers were just a few houses away. Her thoughts were interrupted when a motorcycle turned the corner just as they were. She watched the bike disappear beyond a bush and into a driveway. Although she couldn't see the house number, she knew that this was where she had to go. They approached the house slowly, with anticipation. But, anticipation of what, Sharei didn't know. From behind the bush, they could hear Tracker and Sean talking.
"How'd it run this time?" asked Sean with the clanking of tools and metal boxes in the backround.
"I don't know. Something's still missing. I think it's the…brakes." Tracker spoke slowly when he suddenly noticed the expression on Sean's face change. He turned around.
The three girls were now visible at the end of the driveway. Cate ran happily to greet the uncles that she has missed. Tracker and Sean hugged her half-heartedly and silently, still shocked. Sharei approached cautiously and with a small smile to break the ice, said "Surprise."