Rainbows from the Attic

Chapter IV

July 6th, 05

So I missed a day or two... What are you going to do?

So we were dropped off at this crazy railroad station that was falling apart and filthy and everything, in the middle of this absolute god forsaken hick town. And wouldn't you know it... Nobody was there to get us. Sweet right?

Then this total loser geek scum of the earth arrived. And it was made even more frustrating because he could have been hot, and actually made my trip worthwhile... If he weren't such an absolute king of awkward Nerddom. It really bothers me when that happens... I might have pretended he was just one of the guys back home, but then he kept doing something nerdy things and it just was not fair...To me...And maybe him, I don't know how his type lives. You know... khaki shorts, collared shirts, probably plays a musical instrument of some sort and most likely reads those "novels" you speak so highly of. Hardy har har.

About a zillion hours later we got to this ugly yellow house, with white gingerbread swirls snaking down the trim and a reddish coloured roof over which I could make out a rickety old barn... yuck... But of course that's when this dude decides to stop and say:

"Here it is... Tell your aunt I say hi will you?"

No I will not give my great aunt any such message. My god... Such enthusiasm! He was so annoying!

"What are you...The neighborhood grandson?" I said to myself for amusement, or at least I thought I did, maybe not, because then he laughed for no apparent reason and shook his head

Mari didn't seem to want him to go away...the little hussy. She started whining and pouting and stomping. I took a seat on a bench and rested my chin in my hands. It was unbelievably hot and sticky, none of these Atlantic breezes they tell me about were anywhere to be found.

He told her she'd see him again while he finished attaching the wagon back on to his lame bike and swung a leg over the seat.

"See you around Astrid," he said to me, or someone in the near vicinity with my kick-ass name. Okay it's not so kick-ass, I hate it... It makes me sound like a medicine woman. But whatever.

He probably would have tipped his hat and clicked his heels just to accentuate his lameness. But unfortunately for my sarcasm, these items were not available. So he just rode off dark locks streaming in the moist, salty breezes... You liked that didn't you, the descriptive sentence? You badass poetical dog you. Well cherish it because you ain't getting any more of that crap.

Well we lumbered up the walkway. I may add it was lined with these incredibly tacky seashells or something. I went up to the royal blue door and knocked upon it. Nobody answered...of course. So, tired, sticky, sweaty and peevish as I was; I tried the brass knob, it turned, and the door swung open.

I was hit with wafts of sweet baking smells and the unmistakable cat odour. The floors were a deep red wood, the doors were antique looking and had stupid little porcelain door knobs. There were hoards of books and shiny pointless knickknacks like you might see in a Magpie's nest.

I called out "hello!" once or twice...And then, in no mood for the social intricacies of walking into a person's house that you've never met before but is apparently the maiden aunt of your mother... I collapsed upon a fairly used couch and my aching calves praised me for it. Mari who had followed me in bounced down beside me, sucking noisily on a lollipop the boy had presented her with during our trek... To keep her quiet I guess.

The stubby coffee table that stood before me was strewn with the workings of a serial killer; old soft edged pictures, newspaper clippings and a random junk. Finding my Ipod out of batteries, I picked up some pictures and started flipping through them nonchalantly. As I said, I was in no mood for propriety (if that's even a word).

In them there were a few brown and beige people in ruffly bathing suits and bathing caps on the shore and some random portraits of stern, stiff necked anonymous strangers. I flipped to a Shirley Temple-like mug shot of a young woman in a graduation gown and cap. Kind brown eyes and irritating dimples; surrounded by wispy dark curls.

I was about to put the piles back on the table when something caught my attention and seized my eyes. Out of the piles of pictures a corner poked out exposing a portion of a face. I leaned over to get a better look and then thumbed it out further, my stomach plunged. Plunged like summiting the first hill on a roller-coaster, rounding corners in the dark, disembodied noise, shadowy movement in an empty house. I was paralyzed. My muscles clenched and liquefied.

Mari's eyes...It was a man but they were Mari's eyes. He was wearing a uniform or something. I cocked my head to the side and squinted. My hands were freezing and melting. I didn't dare draw it out further for all I was worth.

Then a noise shook me and my body tensed. I could feel Mari's nails digging into my thigh. I forced myself to look up. My chest and heart concaved... I looked down sharply at the pictures on my lap and the back up again. It was the girl from the graduation picture, but now old and senile. Come alive from beyond the grave and now bent on eating our brains so she could enslave us as her minions in her quest for eternal youth. I offered Mari as a human sacrifice but the zombie in the yellow sundress would not accept.

But, no... Breathe... She was smiling kindly and gently, clasping her soil covered hands

"Hello there" she said, soft and smooth and peanut buttery

Kind, dreamy brown eyes, wispy curled hair; white and lifeless and a barley legible dimple hidden in a crisscross nest of wrinkles.

The zombie removed a straw sunhat.

Listen to me, babbling like one of those desperate school freaks. I'm so delusional with boredom. You get up to some pretty crazy shenanigans when you're friendless, internet-less, phone-less, t.v.-less, hot boy-less. Holy mother moly. I swear to god if you show this to anyone my friends especially... I will not for one second hesitate to burn all your copies of Catcher in the Rye and all that Shakespeare...In front of you. And then I'm just assuming you would take your own life so I won't bother with even mentioning that... But don't take it for granted that I wouldn't do that too, because I would.

"I've been waiting a long time to meet you both," she said

Eww creepy

"My name is Roslin."

I still stand by my former verdict. She looked like she wanted to hug us or something. I gave her a look. We weren't huggers.

Then she spotted the pile of pictures on my lap and she swooped around the table to tear them from my hands and stuff them hastily in a nearby drawer. She must be one of those old people who turn out to be nimble and quick and dangerous, always giving me the feeling that they had a hidden agenda. She turned around with a smile again.

"I'm sorry about the mess girls; I have a geeky passion for geneology... And also that I wasn't here when you arrived; I was out back gardening. I wonder that Matty didn't come in and find me for you."

She didn't really say that. To tell you the truth I don't know what she said, my listening skills have never been all that great. I just nodded and then turned my body so Mari fell out of my lap and onto the couch beside me. I suddenly realized neither of us had spoken yet.

"Uhhh... So am I not supposed to be here? Because my dad said we were supposed to clean... whoever's... house up but then...uhh... That dude said that he didn't know that I was going to be there at that station and so I'm not sure..." it came out in one long string of words that just trailed off into nowhere.

She was still smiling. I don't know why but a hoarse lump formed in my throat and when I tried to swallow my eyes watered. And she was still smiling.

"If you don't w-want me I'll guess I'll be going..." I don't know what the hell came over me... My chin quivered like an idiot four year old... She just went on smiling

"I don't know how this could have happened. I thought your father said you wouldn't want to come. Of course I want you dear! Your mother was my favorite niece and it's lovely to finally meet her beautiful daughters." She sat down on a armchair across from us

Nobody said anything but then Mari leaned over and whispered to me that she had to go. I pushed her off of me.

"Now that you mention it, I guess I could use your help cleaning out Simon's attic," she looked overjoyed at the prospects, "Only if you want to of course. I daresay there are countless treasures hidden away up there waiting to be found. Those pictures you were looking at... He had them stuffed in a drawer all this time!"

It seemed senseless to point out that she had just stuffed them in a drawer herself. I wondered briefly if I should say something about her brother. It never seemed like "I'm sorry" cut it. It's more like "I'm sorry... I have nothing better to say and I want to get past this awkward moment so I can keep worrying about my own problems... I'm sorry."

Mari gave a whiney whimper and clamped her legs together.

"There's a bathroom there dear. Feel free," Roslin said kindly

Mari looked apprehensive but I gave her a nudge and she stumbled up and then beelined it over. Roslin chuckled.

We sat there in silence after I refused to bite at her conversation baits and she eventually gave up.

Mari came back and I felt that the initial unease of meeting had passed and we settled down into the apathetic lull.

"How are you Marilla?" asked Roslin, leaning over to Mari's level and taking her hand

She said it in a way that hurt my pride a little, a social worker way, sad and sorry and accusatory. Sure Mari was a little scrawny and her hair was a rat's nest. Her clothes were covered in gravel dust from the train station and her finger nails were uneven and dirty and gross. But this stranger had no right... Mari is really smart and I guess a little cute sometimes. She's already reading on her own and I know I didn't teach her and I'll be damned if my father did. As for this Marilla- I wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean but it seemed to suggest it was all my fault.

Mari looked at her and crooked her head to one side, "Who's Marilla?" she asked scrunching up her nose

"Well that's your name isn't it?" Roslin flashed a smile, looked at me and looked back at Mari, she was one of those people who took kids way too seriously

I turned to Mari... "Is it?" I asked

Mari shrugged.

Roslin coughed.

"Well you both must be very hungry anyways. I'll get some lunch."

"McNuggets?" Mari said hopefully and Roslin laughed a strange outlandish laugh that I wanted to hear again.

I pulled out my cell phone out of habit and started pressing a few buttons.

"Oh I'm sorry. You must want to call your father. There's a phone in the kitchen Astrid."

"Uhh no."

Call my father? Ahahah. Oh yeah... I guess that's what people do. Meh. I looked at my cell phone... Out of service, perfect...No one would be able to reach me.

"Actually yeah can I?"

"Of course."

I went into the kitchen. It was cheery with white walls, a bowl of lemons on the counter and pale sunlight streaming in through the panes of a giant window over a copper sink. But there were too many potted plants for my comfort. A black cat shot out from behind one of them and smoothed its body along my calf. I went over to the phone but hesitated as I reached to pick it up.

Oh man why did she have to be so trusting? It was too easy. I found I couldn't manage to call one of my friends after all. Not today anyways.

I checked my cell for service again hopefully and desperately. No dice. Nuts.

I wound through the open doors back to the front room where Mari was still sitting across from Roslin. Mari's eyes were wide and her chin was resting in her little fists as she listened attentively.

They laughed over something I had missed.

Mari smiled. Oh yes I could see the unquestioned infatuation in her eyes. They would be just the best of friends doing cute little grandmotherly stuff together and I would be the dark shadow, lulling in the corners and spoiling their snapshots.

Mari's always like that, she has no use for me but then some stranger will come along and she'll be all over them trying to get adopted or something. People were like that too, pretending to care about some little kid so much and then when they stop being cute and get awkward and pimply they drop them.

We had our sandwiches and then she showed us upstairs to our room. Mari and I have to share, which I'm not too happy about. The walls are papered green and the bed is wrought iron with a white bedspread. The window looks out into the garden and it has a seat built in. It suddenly started to pour outside and the rain soothed me into a drooly dreamless sleep.

When I woke up the house was dark and Mari was snoring beside me. I went to the window; the first pink lights were glowing on the far horizon. I couldn't get back to sleep so I went downstairs and I started writing. This seriously should count for at least three entries if there is any fairness in the world. That's all there is to it.