Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the movie.
Chapter 7: Friends and Journals
I made contact with Eric. An old friend of my father's. I tried Tracie, but her daughter said she was out of town. Eric said I could come over and we will discuss my mother, what he knows of her. I got his address from the phone book and looked a map. I wasn't quite sure where his place was.
When I got there, a woman answered.
"Yes?" She asked politely.
"Hi, I'm Isabel Carter, I'm looking for Eric." I inquired.
"Oh yes." She said and "Come in." She lead me in and told me "He's in the backyard. You may go out." She pointed to some French doors covered on lace curtains.
I nodded and walked outside. I found Eric on the porch swing.
"Eric?" I asked. This black man, the same age as my father, looked up. His hair had some white streaks in it.
"Yes, ma'am?" He asked with a smile.
"I'm Isabel Carter. We spoke on the phone." I said staying where I was.
"Oh, of course." He said. He closed the book he was reading and patted a spot for me to sit. "Come sit."
I wasn't sure, but I felt that I could trust him. I stepped forward and made my way to the swing. For autumn, it was a rather warm day. Warm enough to wear a sweater without a jacket.
"Now, what can I do for you?" He asked turning a bit and putting his leg up on his knee.
"I found this." I said pulling the yearbook out of my purse.
"Oh my." He said taking it and "I haven't seen this in years." He flipped it open.
"Did you remember anything about Jamie Sullivan." I asked.
"Yes. She was the shy one. She didn't care what people thought of her and was always involved in charities." He said. He continued to look though the yearbook. So my mother was the shy on and my dad was the bad the one. Opposites really do attract. But why would my dad want the shyest person to be his wife, when I bet there was badder girls around.
"Did you like her?" I asked.
"No, not really. She was always trying to be nice and sweet to everyone. I didn't understand why Landon wanted to be with her. But I finally did when I met my wife. He really loved her. Nothing could break them apart even if Belinda tried, they just wouldn't separate." He explained.
"Really?" I asked. That's all I could think of.
"Yes, they were. I still can't believe you're Landon's daughter." He said looking over a me. Aren't you forgetting I'm also Jamie's daughter?
"Why do you say that?" I asked.
"The way Landon acted before Jamie came along, I didn't think he cared that much." He said. Ew. Did he just say that my dad had other girlfriends. He doesn't even have one now.
"Well, he's changed a lot. He practically had to raise me and my brother. After my mother died. He had to, he didn't want to break up his family." I said. Eric was really nice, but I still hear the boy in him.
"Of course not. You came from Jamie. He wanted to hold to what he had left." Eric said.
After awhile, I wanted to leave. My dad would be home soon and he would wonder where I was. I used to believe that he didn't care. He was to wrapped up in his work and his dead wife to pay any attention to me. But he always seemed to make it to my school programs and parent/teacher conferences. I thought I just a measly girl in his eyes. Dylan was his one joy. He was the son he wanted. Even though I was first born and expected to do the best work.
I returned home Just before my dad got home. I started supper when the phone rang. I quickly wiped my hands and picked up the phone.
"Carter's residence." I said. My father taught us to answer the phone like that. So the person on the other line will know whether or not they got the right number. We also have a caller id and we're suppose to look at it before we answer, but this time I didn't.
"Is Isabel Carter there?" The other person asked.
"This is she, who may I ask is this?" I asked.
"This is Tracie. My daughter said that you were asking for me. What is it?" She asked. She sounded kinda rude, but she may be able to help me.
"Were you friends with Landon Carter?" I asked. Just to make sure.
"Yes, why?" She asked. She doesn't take to time to get to the point.
"Well, I'm his daughter and I'm trying to find out about my mother, Jamie. Could you help me?" I asked as polite as I could.
"Just ask you dad." She said. Don't you think I've tried?
"I did, but he won't tell me anything. So far I've learned more about him than my mom." I explained. She finally said that she will help me, but I have to come over to her house. So that next day, after my dad went to work and Dylan went to a friends, I drove over to Tracie's.
I parked in front of the house and walked up to the door. I was nervous, but kept my cool as I rang the doorbell. After the second time. The door finally opened.
"Yes?" This young girl answered.
"Hi. I'm Isabel, I'm here to talk to Tracie?" I said.
"Oh yes." She said. She opened the door wider and let me in. She also lead me to the porch. Tracie was sitting on a chair, looking out into her lawn. " Mom, there's someone here to see you." Her daughter said. Tracie turned around and looked at me.
"Holy shit. Your a spitten image of Jamie." She said.
"Thank you." I replied not knowing what else to say.
"Come sit." She said. I sat on a chair. Tracie decided to light up a cigarette. "You don't mind do you?" She asked. I shook me head. She lit it and took a puff. "Now what is it you wanted to talk about?" She asked.
"My mother. Jamie." I said. She took another puff.
"Oh yes. Little miss perfect. She wasn't very liked in our group. Most of the school ignored her, except the Drama Club. She was in every damn play the school put on." Tracie said. I wanted her to go on. "We really didn't hurt her, until senior year. Landon got in trouble and had to do the spring play. We thought we go and see it, then, of course, make fun of him the next day. Belinda happened to take some photos and when she got them developed, she showed them to us. Dean, the asshole who left me for no damn reason, had an idea and at the time we thought it was funny, but now I realize that it was mean. We pasted her head to a swimsuit model's body. After that, we saw less and less of Landon. Until the day they got married. He invited us, for some reason I'll never know." Tracie explained and took a puff of her cigarette.
Later, after Tracie told me some other things about my father and mother, mostly my father. I left.
'What I'm I gonna do?' I asked myself and 'I'm not getting anywhere.
I was sitting on the living room couch, when my dad walked in.
"Isabel?" He asked.
"Yes, dad?" I asked back. He sat next to me.
"I have something for you." He said. He handed over a journal. He said "This was your mother's. Every night she would sit at the desk in our room and write about her day, her dreams, and what miraculous thing her babies did. It might help you with your discovery and you might learn more about the woman you call mom." He said. I grasped the leather-bourn journal.
"Thank you dad." I stuttered. He smiled and walked back to his office. I slowly opened the book. Imagining my mother opening this night. I first say her name. Jamie Elizabeth Sullivan-Carter. I ran my fingers over the dry letters. Next I flipped opened to the first page.
12/25 Friday
'Today was my baby Isabel's first Christmas. She's only a couple month's old, but she enjoyed all the attention. Landon bought this adorable little Santa hat and we took a picture of her. She's such a smiley baby. She lights up my life and has loosed Landon up. He seemed so stressed from work, but when he comes home and see's his little girl smiling, it takes the stress away and he is relaxed through the night.
After we put Izzy to bed, Landon told me that he had one more gift to give me, actually two, but I won't get into that. He gave me this nicely wrapped book, I thought maybe he bought me a new Bible, but nope, he bought me this beautiful journal. He said that I always wanted something to leave behind for my kids and that I could put my dreams and hopes into this and they can better understand the person I am. I know that when a new set of eyes look onto this book, I will gone. But for now, I can enjoy my life and my family.' Jamie Carter.
P.S. What da ya Think? I'm really sorry I haven't updated in such a long time. I've really busy. Two plays, school, and boy problems. Well, let me know what you think and have any ideas, let me know.