Rainbows from the Attic

Chapter II

July 3rd, 05

Okay, so here goes.

Today we left my house for P.E.I. We were driving along, my four year old sister Mari was scribbling in her colouring book and getting snot all over my blanket. My dad was mumbling along with the radio and being his usual anti-social self. I was texting my friends on my cell because that makes him angry and makes me a little less angry. The usual.

Then I noticed something was up. He missed the turn off for the highway and was driving along calmly and collectedly, like nothing was wrong.

"Uhh dad, you missed the turn off you know..." I said

"...you can't be everything you wanna be before your time...although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight..." he mumbled, unresponsive and comatose

Then it hit me. It was obvious.

"I cannot believe you..." I said something like that at least, genuinely at a loss for resentment

"What?" now you have to understand when he said what? he scratched his chin stubble in a really, really irritating way and sort of looked at himself in the rear view. Then the rage came.

I said something along the lines of "I know what you're doing...I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING! You're not coming with us! I can't believe you." Then I let out this insane laugh that I think scared my sister a little because she started wailing.

I've calmed down a bit since then but I was so angry. If there had of been a mirror I would have punched it and done the whole Avril Lavigne bit, believe me. You know that surge when the fury pumps through you and just spreads until every inch of you is shaking in wrath and aggravation. My head was pounding and my toes were rioting. You don't understand.

And then he just proceeded to sit there calmly and put his face in his hands and rub his eyes, then scratch his beard some more. He's such a selfish... seeing as how you're a teacher I can't say what I want to.

"I don't know what you want me to do. What do you want me to do?" he started to raise his voice a little, Mari was still balling

"I'm not going...I'm NOT a babysitter. Someone else can go." I believe I crossed my arms and looked out the window at this point

"Well they actually asked for you specifically..." he looked around and ruffled the hair at the back of his head, "They wanted to see Ravyn's daughters."

"That's a little creepy. Who are these people anyways... I bet you don't even know. You're sending your four year old daughter to stay with some strange old hermit, loner lady who probably lives on a cliff or something weird. You're so annoying. I hate you." Oooh... I hadn't pulled out the 'I hate you' thing since... a few months anyways. It didn't seem to faze him, Mari however stopped crying and sniffled a little.

"It's not my fault okay? You always, always blame people and I just can't deal with this right now. I just can't."

By 'this' he meant us. I decided I better back off though, something told me to. Maybe the fact that I realized that he used my mother's name for the first time in a year or maybe just the fact that he looked so tired, sort of wildly and savagely tired if you know what I mean. I felt really small in my seat and I couldn't find my voice. So, I just took my sister's sticky, sweaty little hand and opened the car door. Wondering vaguely what doom awaited me but not really worrying about it.

I got our ancient plaid suitcase from the trunk and wheeled it around to the driver's window. He handed me the train tickets and muttered something about:

"Roslin is a nice lady, and you have lots of family over there. Some of them came to the wedding. Call me at the office if there's a problem."

Then he just stared at us, silently and motionless. Then, all at once, he shifted into gear, wheeled around and drove away leaving us in the barren plain of the empty Via Rail parking lot.

"Goodbye daddy!" said Mari, waving her hand

"Yep. Goodbye. Com'on, we better get moving." I said quickly, finding my voice hoarse and catchy

Now we're on the train and Mari's head is lolling onto my shoulder and I'm sure she's drooling all over my new sweater. But there's one of those smiling old ladies who knit and think the entire human population under the age of 10 are their grandchildren and I think she might purse-slap me to death if I make a move. She keeps looking over here as if she wants to harvest our youthful organs and it's creeping me out.

I'm not really much for old people and little kids or babies. Sure babies are cute looking sometimes, I'll give them that. But otherwise they are whiney and gross and stupid until they can look after themselves. See why I shouldn't be babysitting? I'm too pretty.

In other news; I can't decide if I want to cut all my hair off or not. I always feel like doing something drastic to it when life hands me lemons, I don't really like lemonade. Maybe I'll give the old lady a thrill and keep it for a while, my mom used to say her family was famous for it; but she didn't get it and Mari didn't get it. I got it.

Anyways that's what happened to me today. Now I see why you assigned this. Wow my life is so fulfilled. NOT! This has been the adventures of seething and teething; Astrid and Mari Cleary. Until next time...