Daniel opened the door and we both just fell through but before we could say anything or breathe mom turned to us with her hand up "Don't say anything about the pool. I'll call first thing in the morning"
I hadn't really given the pool a second thought after seeing it, yeah it sounded good having our own pool, but we'd have to share with the rest of the complex not my idea of fun.
"Did you tell that old lady where we were from?" I asked Ma putting boxes on the floor as she turned to us quickly with a huge grin on her face "Yes. Didn't she remind you of Aunt Tessy?"
Daniel laughed out loud "More like Uncle Louie" even I cracked a smile at that one.
"I really think we're going to do good here," Mom told us cleaning around "I have a very positive feeling, I'm telling you kids I just know it's going to work" How my mother can be so positive at times is beyond me.
Daniel grabbed a bowl from the box I was holding and walked over to the sink, only to be soaked when the water started to shoot up like a fountain. I laughed at his misfortune.
"The faucet's broken," ma told him after he learned the hard way. "The real estate lady said there's a fix-it guy. See if you guys can find him".
I looked at her with wide eyes "why both of us, why can't he do it on his own" I argued not wanting to spend any more time with him than I already had to.
Daniel looked me with a grin and teased "Why? Do you want to go find your lover boy Freddie" I clenched my jaw at the jab, he knew it would get to me, and here he is teasing me about someone I hardly said two words to.
"He is not my lover boy Daniel," I hissed making him flinch at the sound of my voice, but still Daniel pushed it further when he told mom that Freddy Fernandez from apartment 17 couldn't stop staring at me with googly eyes.
My anger flared as I lashed out pushing him harshly "You have no idea what you're talking about" Daniel looked at me with scared eyes as my mom shouted at me "Katherine Anne LaRusso you apologize to your brother right now."
"Why?" I asked dejectedly "he started it with all his lies" she just shook her head and explained that Freddy might like me, but she still made both of us apologize to each other which we did begrudgingly.
Daniel took the bowl of water which he managed to catch and shuffled to the door "What's that for?" mom urged trying to change the mood this was nothing uncommon in our household.
"Uncle Louie's dog" he explained carrying the water carefully "He's cute," she told us, I knew mom would fall in love with the dingy looking dog I mean she did fall for our father.
I followed Daniel to the door knowing Ma would still make me go with him; it's like she still thinks we're still ten years old, I'm just glad she doesn't make us hold hands anymore and wear our 'get along' shirt.
My brother stopped in front of the door and turn to our mom who was busying herself in a box "I got invited to a party tomorrow" he explained to her " me too" I added with a mocking wave knowing my brother was seething inside.
"Great. You see?" Ma told us with a smile looking happy that we had got invited to a party but not asking what type of party it was.
"But you wanted us to help you unpack" I questioned, pointing to all the stuff in boxes not sure if I was even in the mood to be social, but I was not going to pass up an opportunity to annoy my big brother.
"I don't remember saying that," she said and shrugged her shoulders with a twinkle in her eye "I must have had you mixed up with somebody else," Daniel replied smiling at our mom.
I walked over and kissed her cheek "Thanks, Ma" she grinned at my unusual sign of affection but she deserved it, she knows how hard this is for us and is trying to make up for it.
I followed Daniel back down the stairs to where the gypsy woman was still sitting with her dog and paper, but she was now smoking a cigarette and still very much reminding me of my Aunt Tessy.
"Could you tell me where the maintenance guy is?" I asked her nicely, and wow she even looked at me this time when I talked to her.
"Hey, pup" I heard Daniel say and saw him put the bowl down by the hot looking dog to which he happily lapped up the water.
"You go in through there, turn left, not too far...then right, go inside, and you'll find him on the left" I lost her when she began talking so I hope Daniel was paying attention to what she was saying.
Daniel started walking in the direction of what gypsy aunt Tessy told us "So I go right then left?" obviously I wasn't the only one who didn't listen.
She sighed at us obviously annoyed at the two new kids "No, left then right, then inside on the left" We wandered in the direction she told us and came to a stop a set of wooden green doors.
Daniel knocked on the door and opened them to walk through and looked at me to see if I was following. "Hello?" he called out as I looked around at the room.
All I could see were bits and pieces; it's like our maintenance man is a hoarder.
Daniel and I stood side by side at a glass door "Are you the maintenance man?" I inquired to the man who had his back to us who was doing something with chopsticks.
"We're the new people in apartment 20," I told him still not getting any answer from him.
Looking at Daniel annoyed I put my hands up and gave up on talking to the man "Yeah The faucet's really leaking there" Daniel said opening the door taking over from me.
The man turned around slowly, and I could see he was quite old and Japanese looking he was also wearing a white & Black bandanna. He glared at Daniel, and my brother just stared back as he quickly shut the door.
"Could you come fix it?" Daniel asks him quietly as the Japanese guy nods with a grunt "Can I tell my mom when?" my twin continues diligently.
"When what?" the old Japanese man mumbles back to us, I don't think he's even listening to a word we're saying.
"When you're going to fix the faucet," I challenged him sharply getting very annoyed at the disregard of the old man. I tried being polite, I tried being quiet and letting Daniel talk to him, but he's really starting to get on my last nerve.
"After" was his short and sweet reply, well not so sweet "After what?" I asked between gritted teeth trying to keep as calm as I possibly could, we didn't need a hulk like situation here.
"After after!" the old Korean man shouted at us, I through my hands up in the air frustrated again and stormed back off to the apartment angrily ranting to myself "Ugh! people!".