Hello, everyone! I am really sorry that I haven't posted this chapter earlier. School life is getting harder each semester. That's why I'm announcing that I will disappear for a period of time after I finish this fiction. I'm going to finish the next story before posting it. That's right I have another story after this. What kind? Well, you'll just have to find out…
One more announcement. I have a beta-reader: Jooles! Hooray! The only being that had the courage to face my horrible grammatical errors. Thanks, Jooles!
Thanks to everyone that read and reviewed. All of them are very much appreciated.
Standard disclaimers apply.
Chapter Ten
Unexpected Visitors
~Friday, 9:00 am
Phoebe grabbed the last of the dirty plates and began cleaning it with a soapy sponge. A sigh escaped her lips as she recalled the disastrous results of her plan.
They were supposed to be together after spending a relaxing day on the beach. The plan was perfect but it seemed as if even a perfect plan cannot put those two back together. Maybe she should just give up…
She began rinsing all that soapy dishes. No! She wouldn't give up. A new plan is just what was needed but she couldn't think of any more.
'Oh Kami, God, Yahweh, Allah, whatever You are called. It would be a great help if You would send me a miracle.'
DING! DONG!
Phoebe dried her hands with a towel and proceeded to go to the front door. 'I wonder who it is?'
She opened the door and met three women and one man. One of the women, a brunette, immediately said, "Take me to your kitchen."
Phoebe gave her a puzzled look but the blonde female explained, "I apologize for that. We're looking for Arnold, Helga and Katey. Are they here?"
"They just left. Umm, can I ask who you are?"
"Oh. Well, we're friends of theirs from Canada. I'm Alicia, the brunette is Tish, the red-head is Chelsea and he's Patrick."
The Asian woman smiled. "Oh, they told me about you guys. Please come in." She opened the door a little bit further. The group complied.
Phoebe led them to the couch and made them sit. "Would you like some refreshments?"
"I'll help you make one," Tish said.
Phoebe looked at her for a second and then smiled. "Okay."
Chelsea laughed weakly. "You have to forgive Tish. We had a long tiring flight and we also got lost."
"So that means you're hungry too. That's okay. The kitchen's this way, Tish." Phoebe stood up and Tish followed.
The sounds of rummaging were heard from the kitchen. Minutes later Phoebe arrived with a tray of drinks. "Uh, Tish chose to remain in the kitchen." She paused, looked down with a slight agitation and looked back at them. "She's working on something to eat. Or that was what looks like she was doing since…" A clutter of metals clanking cut off Phoebe.
The visitors laughed. "That's our Tish. Don't worry, Phoebe. She makes excellent food, and she cleans whatever mess she makes," Alicia explained.
"Mess?" Phoebe uttered in a small voice.
Chelsea swatted Alicia's arm. She then faced Phoebe with a soft smile. "Alicia's kidding."
Phoebe slowly sat down while looking at the group. "If you say so."
Silence.
The hostess looked up with a slight blush. "Um, you mentioned awhile ago that you got lost. What happened?"
"We arrived from the Seattle airport two hours ago and then rented a car. Lizi gave us Helga's old address but thanks to 'old compass' here…" Patrick paused as he pointed to Chelsea. "We got lost. She wouldn't listen to Alicia or my suggestions."
"I was trying to get the feel of the place," the redhead answered indignantly. "Anyway, I was so captivated by the buildings and the look of the place. I feel like I've been living in a country!"
Alicia made a 'tsking' sound. "You sound like a country bumpkin."
"Helga tells me that Ottawa is much better than Seattle," Phoebe said.
"It is," Alicia agreed.
"How long will you be staying here?"
"About a week." Chelsea grinned. "We all claimed our saved vacations from work. Oh. Before I forget Logan will arrive soon. He's just finishing up his work since he's a famous news anchor and all," she nonchalantly said.
A snort was heard. Chelsea faced and glared at the kitchen. A second or two had passed and then she faced Phoebe with a smile. "Helga mentioned that you two had been best friends ever since kindergarten. You must really know her, huh?"
Phoebe nodded. "And I would surmise that you came here to try and figure out why they broke up." She sighed. "Yesterday, with great help from Katey, I made Helga and Arnold stay together for some hours. I thought I had a perfect plan, but now, they're even more angry at each other."
"That's a good sign," Tish suddenly said.
All looked at the doorway and saw Tish covered various colored substances. "Our snack will be done in half an hour, but I made us some crackers while we wait."
She disappeared for a moment and then reappeared with crackers on a tray. The crackers had butter, cheese, marmalade, peanut butter and fruits. "Eat up. It goes great with the fruit juice Phoebe and I concocted."
Phoebe looked at Tish in astonishment as Tish presented the tray to her. Tish misread her reaction and said, "I know it isn't much but this was what I could do with what you have. I could go to the supermarket later and prepare us a proper meal and snacks."
A nervous smile appeared in Phoebe's lips. "Uh, okay." She took a cracker with fruits on top and bit into it. "Wow! This taste good."
Tish bowed her head. "Thank you."
Phoebe finished her food and then asked, "Why did you say that it was a good sign that Helga and Arnold are livid with each other?"
Tish sat down next to her on the couch. "Those two are known for not telling us anything whenever something big happens. We were just told that they broke up with no emotions shown. Therefore we can't even have a glimpse of why they broke up."
All were silent.
But it seemed that not all were trying to understand what Tish had said since Phoebe nodded. "What you're saying is that by making them face the problem we are in actuality showing it not as a hindrance but an assistance." She paused. "When we were young Helga does tend to do that but Arnold…" Phoebe shook her head. "I find it rather hard to believe that he would do that."
"Maybe it's because of his marriage to Helga. He might have been influenced," Tish hypothesized.
"Or maybe it's because he must really be hurt by the flow of events. Therefore he must really love her," Chelsea added.
Tish and Phoebe nodded. "It's possible," both replied.
"So what do we do?" Alicia asked.
Patrick added his two cents. "A new plan?"
Tish nodded. "It's hard to make a new plan. Let's just let nature take its course and give them time to mull things over."
"And what do we do now if we aren't going to do anything?" Alicia asked.
"Have our vacation, of course." Tish slowly shook her head. "Alicia, Alicia. Lighten up."
A burst of laughter immediately came out of Patrick. Chelsea followed and the Phoebe. Pretty soon, even Alicia laughed.
Arnold stopped and stared at the old, beaten door of Sunset Arms. He gave a mental smile as a wave of memories washed over him. A tug in his right hand brought him back to reality. Arnold looked down and saw Katey looking at him and stretching the hem of her blouse with her other hand.
"Can we go in now, papa?"
Arnold smiled. "Sure."
He turned the knob as he yelled a greeting. "Grandpa! Grandma! I'm home!"
A crash was suddenly heard in the kitchen.
Still holding Katey's hand, Arnold immediately went through the living room. He was about to go to the kitchen but stopped when he saw an old man and woman sitting, watching television.
"Kimba!"
"Arnold, good your home! Why don't you change the channel for us."
The crash he had heard from the kitchen suddenly vanished from his mind as he let go of Katey and hugged them. "I missed both of you so much!"
"We did too, short man. But I guess I know now why you never came home for four years," Phil replied, hugging him back.
Arnold let go of them and looked at his grandfather looking at someone from behind him. Arnold turned and saw Katey shyly smiling. "I'm sorry, Kat-Kat. I forgot about you." He motioned her to be closer and she complied. Arnold looked at his grandparents. "Grandpa, grandma, I would like you to meet Katey, my daughter."
Gertie immediately grinned. "Katey, huh? Are you a little firecracker then?"
Katey just looked at her. The older woman patted her lap. "Don't be scared of your grand mere, ma cherie. Come here and let me tell you why I said you were a firecracker."
At those words, Katey ran to Gertie and climbed her lap.
"You see, a man called Shakespeare…"
Arnold leaned a little bit closer to Phil. "Grandma changed."
Phil chuckled. "You'll see."
Katey giggled. "His names sounds like a drink."
Gertie smiled. "You know, you're not the only one who said that. In fact, his best friend Puck said that…"
Arnold shook his head. He tuned out his grandma's conversation with Katey as he turned to his grandfather. "How are you, grandpa?"
"Never better, short man. Casa Paradiso has been a real… uh paradise. As you can see Pookie and me have a tan. You should have been with us. We had a great time." He paused. "Wait a minute. I take that back. It's a good thing you weren't there because your grandma sunbathed in the nude."
Arnold chuckled. They never did change.
"Life had been pretty dull without you around, short man. Gerald and his family would often visit. Sometimes Bianca, Gertie and I would play game boards but other than that it's dull. But that was all in the past, before she came along."
"She?"
Phil gestured at the kitchen were an auburn haired woman wearing white pants and turquoise short-sleeved blouse was smiling. "Hello, Arnold."
He slowly approached her. "Lila?"
Lila gave him a small smile. "It's been a long time, Arnold."
"Yeah."
Silence.
Phil cleared his throat. "Lila's our personal homecare nurse."
Arnold nodded. "Gerald told me that he hired a nurse but he never told me it was Lila."
Lila briefly looked down and then shyly looked at his face. "How - "
"So, Arnold where's Katey's mother? Is she the cranky girl with the one eyebrow?" Phil suddenly asked.
Arnold faced him. Phil noticed a fleeting frown on Lila's face.
"How did you know?" the younger man asked.
Phil jerked a thumb at Katey. "She has the same color of hair as her mother's. Your hair is more of a darker yellow. Katey's a lighter shade."
"Papa, great grandma is going to teach me how to yogi!" Katey suddenly cried.
Arnold grinned as he faced Katey. "That's yoga, Katey." He then turned at Gertie. "I think Katey's a little young for that, grandma."
"Nonsense! No one is too young for some stretch relaxation," Gertie stated.
"How about I just show Katey the whole building?"
"Well, okay," she slowly consented.
"Let's go, Katey."
Katey hopped off Gertie's lap and skipped to her father's side. "Can we go to the sauna, papa? Great grandma told me they have one."
The two were already out of the living room when they heard Lila announce, "Lunch will be ready in two hours, everyone."
"We'll both be here," Arnold called before they were out of sight.
Lila looked at his retreating back and sighed. She still needed to clean up the broken bowl.
"You're home!"
Helga wasn't able to come up with any reply because her mother immediately hugged her. It was quite a surprise really. She had never experienced coming home and being given a warm welcome. The therapy her parents had been attending the past few years must really be working. Miriam released her and Bob came into her view. Father and daughter just looked at each other and then a slow smile wove into his lips. "Welcome home, Olga."
Helga quirked her eyebrow but she then noticed that he was hiding a smirk. "Hello, Bob."
Her parents moved aside to let her in. Helga looked at the home she lived when she was young and noticed a great improvement. No longer was it drab and lifeless, now it was vibrant and homey. "The house is great! You did a wonderful job, mom."
"Hey, I helped too," Bob added.
Helga looked at her father and rolled her eyes. "Like, dark mauve and green are the perfect colors for a home. Yeah right."
Bob looked away and softly muttered. "Well, I moved the furniture."
She laughed. "Lighten up, dad. I was just kidding."
He then sported a smile.
Miriam suddenly sighed. "Now how about some smoothies?"
Helga groaned. "Oh, mom! I don't want those kind of smoothies."
Her mother pursed her lips. "For your information, Helga, I make fruit smoothies with no other additions." She turned her back at them and proceeded to go to the kitchen. "I'll make you strawberry smoothies."
Helga immediately went after her saying, "Mom! I'm allergic to strawberries, remember?"
Helga's mother was busy cutting small chunks of melon but now and then she would look back on Helga. It had been a long time since she saw her, about three years, but still Miriam wished that she were still a child again. Miriam felt a small pang of sadness. If she could turn back time again she would be a much better mom than she was before.
Miriam smiled at the sight of her daughter listlessly twirling a fruit shake. A nostalgic smile appeared on here lips as she recalled a ten-year-old Helga also slowly twirling a fruit shake.
Miriam's smile vanished as she remembered why the younger Helga was lethargic. It was because she'd written another short play commemorating all the presidents and it turned out that Bob had a business meeting and she had to attend Olga's school play.
No. She had to stop feeling guilty about the past. It wouldn't do any good here in the present. To amend for what she did in the past she had to actually show her affection… her love for Helga.
Miriam looked at Helga again and softly smiled. She was proud of her daughter.
"Is there something wrong with my face?"
Miriam was startled. "What?"
The younger blonde frowned a little. "You've been sneaking glances at me ever since I came in the kitchen." Exasperation seeped in her voice. "Kindly tell me, mom, if there's something wrong with me."
Her eyes became teary as Miriam fully faced her. She shook her head to banish both the tears and to disprove what was earlier said. "I-it's not your fault!" Miriam faltered as she heard her broken voice.
She forced a smile. "I was just reminiscing the past, that's all."
After Miriam's outburst Helga looked at her in worry but now she noticed a flash of sadness appear in her eyes. The last look was covered by exasperation. "It's the play right? The one were I tripped? Oh jeez, mom! Of all the memories you had to remember you had to pick that!"
This time a real smile appeared on Miriam as she resumed her position by the kitchen counter. She placed the chunks of melon in the blender and other ingredients she might need. After pushing the button on the kitchen appliance Miriam sat down beside Helga. "I refuse to answer that question on the advice of my lawyer because it might incriminate me."
"Mo-OM! You have been watching too much of those so-called lawyer shows."
Miriam girlishly giggled.
It was at this scene that the Bob entered the room. Miriam, still smiling, looked up at her husband. "B, do you want some melon smoothie? I'm making's plenty."
Bob frowned a little as he sat across Helga. "Uh, sure."
Her smile brightened. "Great! When the last batch finishes we could all toast with our smoothies." She stood up and went to the blender, which just stopped.
Bob worriedly looked at his wife for a second then leaned close to Helga. "Did she drink any particular smoothie?" he whispered.
"No, dad. She's just giddy because she told me a new lawyer joke."
"Oh."
The two resumed their former positions as Miriam faced them carrying two peach colored smoothies. "So, Helga, what brings you here?" She sat down beside her husband.
"Can't I just drop in my old home without any reason?"
"Yes, but I know you. Now, what's wrong?"
Bob stirred his smoothies with his straw. "And does it have to do with the fact that Arnold and Katey aren't here?" He looked up to face Helga.
"They're here, dad," Helga's voice faltered as she looked at the kitchen floor. "They're not here here but here in Seattle."
"Did you two have a fight?" Miriam asked.
"Yeah," Helga answered softly. "And we're also getting a divorce."
Her father jumped from his seat. "That no good… I told you that boy wasn't the right one for you!"
"It's not his fault!"
Both parents looked at her in shock. Helga was looking at them in anger and they knew very well that look. She was hiding something.
A thought came to Miriam and she smiled to her daughter to placate her. "Helga, have we ever told you how you're father and I met?"
A confused look answered her. "Uh, no."
"Miriam, what in heaven's name does that have to do with anything? Our wonderful son-in-law had just harmed our daughter and you're…"
Miriam gave him a stern look, which immediately silenced him. She then faced Helga with a small smile. "I think now's the best time to tell you." She looked at Bob. He wasn't pleased with what she was going to do but he kept his mouth shut.
She faced Helga again and began. "I'm the eldest in my family and, before I went to college, the only girl. I was born and raised in a ranch in Dakota with a father who believed that the role of child rearing was the wife's and a mother who accepted that role." She paused. "That's how far you know, right?"
Helga nodded. "Also that you were very stubborn to learn how to ride horses."
Miriam grinned at that memory. "Oh, yes. But it wasn't only then I was stubborn. You see, I was 'the most hardheaded and stubborn mule in the ranch', as my father fondly calls me. I hated the way he treated mother and his children but I still did the chores my parents always asked me to do. It was only when he scolded me when he learned that I asked your Uncle Devlin to teach me how to ride the horses.
"'Horse-riding is only for the men,' he says. 'You couldn't handle it!' Like I couldn't handle one of our horses when the bear scared him. You know, I could handle most of the chores without tiring myself unlike Victor who was only two years younger than me. I was the one who fixed the roof after a…."
"Miriam! Give it a rest!"
Miriam looked at Bob in surprise and then sheepishness. "Sorry. Anyway, after finishing high school I told my parents that I was accepted to study here. During the last year I applied to all universities that was far, far away from the ranch. And since I always keep good grades my father let me go with a few amount of cash. It was only my mother who cried at my leaving." At the last sentence her voice became a bit subdued.
"So I came here in Seattle knowing no one in the city, but I was determined to live my life here. I settled comfortably in a small apartment and began looking for a job before school starts; And after that I lived a rough life between school and work but I was used to it. I was on my own. No one told me what to do and what not to do. I was free.
"I was in my second year when I decided to join the swim team. I was a very good swimmer back home so I was a natural at the pool. By the end of the same year I was made captain."
"One late afternoon, I was training for a swim meet when…"
Wonderful water. You always unwind me whenever life at the ranch became too unbearable. You always lighten my problems.
Even when I was a girl I would look at the lake in fascination whenever I went to the forest to get more firewood. I wondered how something so transparent and having no taste can sustain all the fish and us. Why in all of substances in the world, you have to be the most plentiful?
When I saw Aunt Miranda swim in you I discovered another use for you. Recreation. That was why I begged Aunt Miranda to teach me to swim. I had to know all of your usefulness. I had to learn how to swim. And when I finally learned I relaxed. Life became less harsh. I could finally tolerate…
What was that feeling? It felt like someone is watching me.
I stopped in mid stroke and looked at the culprit who dared to interrupt my communion with the water.
An eyebrow arched, as I looked at a tall, burly young man in a football uniform. I recognized him as the school's star quarterback.
'Big' Bob Pataki, as he was dubbed by the school reporter.
My mouth was set in a half-frown. "Did you enjoy watching my little dog paddle?"
A grin appeared in his face. "I didn't know they changed the name of the butterfly stroke with the dog paddle."
So he wasn't stupid after all. "You surprised me. A jockey who actually knows something."
"Does that mean you're stupid? You are an athlete after all."
"Swimmers aren't jockeys."
"Right," he disbelievingly replied.
Who does this guy think he is? I narrowed my eyes at him. "What do you want?"
His annoying grin was gone. "Mrs. McGrath sent me to give a letter to Ms. Clark. I'm new to this building so I was wondering if you knew where she is."
Honestly! He could have just looked around. There's a hallway to your left. Go there and after three doors in the right side you would see a plaque on the fourth door. That's where the coach's room is," I exasperatingly replied.
He grinned again. "Thanks, Miriam! See you around!" After giving me a mock salute he left.
That Neanderthal! How did he know my name?
"Miriam didn't remember that the swim team was also featured in the school newspaper," Bob remarked.
Miriam ignored him. "After that first encounter it was followed by another and another until Bob finally asked me out. I rejected him of course but he didn't give up. The only way I was going on a date with him was if he pulled something underhanded." A scowl appeared. "The next day I found myself sitting in front of him in a diner waiting for a waitress to get our order."
Her audience chuckled.
"The glare that she was giving me was very touching. It beat every smile that other girls I dated gave me," Bob stated.
"Mom, I never knew you could be a little spitfire."
"Spitfire? No, Miriam's more of a raging inferno."
"That's so sweet, honey," Miriam sarcastically replied.
"So after our first date I continued to do little things that would make her agree go out with me. Even until this day I'm surprised I was able to trick your mom eight times into going out with me before finally acknowledging she had some feelings for me. We continued dating for about a year."
Miriam gave a soft smile. "We were so deeply in-love that when your father proposed before my third year, I quickly accepted it."
Her smile wavered. "That was the biggest mistake we ever made."
Bob reached Miriam's hand and squeezed it. A small smile flitted her lips. "We told our folks about the wedding." He looked at his daughter with a wry smile. "Since ma was the only one who objected we went ahead and got married."
"She said that we were rushing things and that we should finish our studies first, but I didn't listen to her. I thought of myself as a man, with his own mind and his own rules." Bob gave a slight chuckle. "How wrong I was."
"Bob and I got a simple civil wedding, which our parents and a few of our siblings attended. We only had a week left of our vacation for our honeymoon before classes started. At first we were able to adjust well with our school and married life but pretty soon the assignments and projects began to pile up."
"After classes, football practices, after-school jobs and a marriage, we were severely stressed. I was beginning to panic because my grades began to slip. The only reason I stayed in school was because of football. The game itself was my release for all the pent up emotions I hid," Bob added.
"When I told your father that I was pregnant he told me that I had to quit school. I was in my fourth year of veterinary studies when that happened," Miriam continued. She noticed the anger in Helga's face and quickly added. "He had to tell me that, honey. I was severely strained from exhaustion both physically and mentally."
"Your father had to drop out of college after Olga was born to get more money. His first job was a truck driver for a produce company."
"Hmm. That's where he experienced his 'abduction', right?" Helga asked.
"Hey, that was a true experience!" Bob retorted.
"Sure, dad. Now what happened next, mom?" Helga inquired.
"Well, the job didn't pay too well so he asked his uncle who lived in the next town to lend him some money. His uncle promised to give him money only if Bob became an employee of his beeper store. Bob agreed. By that time, we moved and settled into this house."
"Life still hadn't become easy by that time. I had to start work from the bottom and I also had to work overtime just to be able to make ends meet. I was very frustrated at myself at that point since my parents didn't had a life like that when they were newly married. So whenever I came home I took my anger out at your mom," Bob added.
Miriam briefly looked at Bob before looking down. "That was the last thing I needed." She looked up at Helga with teary eyes and said, "I thought that I wouldn't be like my mom when I was married, but I found out Fate wasn't with me. I realized that maybe this is really what a wife's duties were, so I accepted the role, but you see, deep down I hated what was happening. I loathed what was happening to me so I chose to forget everything. I couldn't really drink alcohol with a child in the house, so I hid them in smoothies."
"I then became even more angry at your mom," Bob said.
Helga looked at both of her parents. "Then why didn't you got a divorce? If you were both so miserable it would have been easier to separate."
Bob and Miriam laughed. "Yeah, that would have been an easy choice," Bob acknowledged.
Helga looked at her parents in confusion. Did she just miss something?
Miriam saw her confusion and stopped laughing. "I'm sorry but you see sometimes easy choices aren't necessarily the right ones."
Helga raised an eyebrow. "Of course it was the right decision! You both were having a rotten a marriage. Both of you tried to make it work but it didn't. You said it in your own words that you were miserable."
"Honey, remember that what we are talking about is in the past. Your father and I are both happy now," Miriam soothed.
"That is, after we spent a huge amount on therapy," Bob muttered. Miriam elbowed him.
"I was just joking!" Bob defended. Miriam shook her head.
"But, mom, dad, why did you endure all those years together if you were unhappy?" Helga inquired.
"Simple. We love each other," Bob answered. Miriam blushed.
A smile slowly weaved into Helga's lips.
Bob became serious again as he looked at Miriam. "Now tell me why did we tell the story on how we met when our daughter's no-good hus-"
Miriam quickly clamped his mouth shut and looked at Helga with a smile. "I'm missing my dear granddaughter, Helga. When can we see her?"
"Well, she's with Arnold right now. They're visiting Phil and Gertie."
"Are they still alive? How old are they now? 200?" Bob questioned.
"101, B. And you should be more respectful of them. They are, after all, family," Miriam answered. Bob scoffed.
"Why don't you watch some TV, dear? I think 'Juvenile and the Agitated' is on."
His eyes briefly widened. "Criminey, Miriam! Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Bob quickly stood up and left the room.
Miriam looked at her daughter with a smile. "It always works."
This was it. This was where she faced some of her most trying days as a girl. The pig and the locket, the tape, my pink book, the egg. When he dared me to go to the train; when I gave up my snow boots and when he nearly heard my confession.
This is it. This is where I will know whether they have told him the truth. Where I will find out if he will mock me or laugh at me.
She was about to reach out to open the door when it opened. Phil gave her a toothless grin. "You were taking a long time. I would have waited for you but my bones aren't what they used to be."
Helga looked at him in shock but quickly became serious. "Then you should be resting instead of standing around." She raised an eyebrow. "Why were you standing around the door, Phil?"
Phil smiled. "Waiting for you." He fully opened the door and began to walk away. "Katey's in Arnold's old room and Arnold's grocery shopping."
'Waiting…for…me… He knows that I am… was Arnold's wife. He might have told Arnold the truth.'
Helga was brought out of her thoughts by a fierce hug. "Welcome home, dear daughter –in-law." She looked at the person who hugged her and saw Gertie.
"Uh," was all she could say.
The older woman nodded. "Yes, yes. Thank you. Now why don't you come in? We can't get to know you outside." Gertie took hold of Helga's hand and led her in the living room. Helga allowed herself to be led.
Gertie sat down on the couch and gave a small smile at Helga. Phil, who was seated at the one-seater before the arrival of the ladies also looked at her with a slight grin. As for Helga, she was beginning to grow nervous again.
She rubbed her right arm and tried to look at their faces. 'They're smiling. He mustn't have told them yet. I can't tell them the news right now. It has to come from him. Besides, I'm scared enough as it is.'
"Uh, can I ask who's with Katey right now?"
"Oh, Lila's with her," Phil answered.
She couldn't help but feel a brief surge of jealousy at the mention of her name. Helga managed to act the tiniest curious. "Oh, Lila's here," she offhandedly replied.
"She's takes care of us. Lila's a nurse," Gertie continued. "She and Katey are doing great so Arnold decided to shop. He'll be here in a few minutes."
"Okay," Helga commented. 'Lila must be the reason why he didn't tell Gertie and Phil the truth. Maybe I should just go back to Phoebe's and talk to them later.' She looked at them. 'No, I can't. I'll just keep them company until he arrives. Yeah, that's it.'
"So how are you both?" she asked.
"We're doing great for a couple of fossils," Phil answered.
"What do you mean?" Gertie quickly remarked.
He looked at his wife. "Sorry, we're doing fine for a fossil and a primordial human."
Gertie ignored that remark. "So tell me, Helga, how you and Arnold got married. I'm afraid the only news about you that we got from him was that you lived with your grandmother and went to the same college."
Helga was surprised to hear herself answer. "It wasn't really a magical or romantic. Arnold just stuck by me when I needed him. Even if I pushed him away he wouldn't leave me alone." She tried to hide her blush and succeeded.
"But his act meant the world to you," Gertie softly stated. She reached over and squeezed one of Helga's hands. The younger gave a shy smile.
Now her earlier feelings of nervousness were gone. Helga now began to tell them some of their escapades before and during their marriage. She was about to begin the part where her joyous world slowly shattered when a deep voice announced his arrival.
All occupants of the living room turned to the opening where Arnold entered. He grinned at his grandparents but when his eyes fell on Helga it vanished. Helga felt as if something cold washed over her.
"Papa, papa, papa, papa, papa!" a joyous greeting broke the tense air. Arnold immediately caught Katey as she launched herself in his arms. "Papa, auntie Lila taught me how to dance!"
"It wasn't much," Lila said. Now all eyes turned to face the newcomer in front of Arnold. "She's a good dancer, Arnold."
"Probably got it from her mother," Phil suddenly interjected.
When Katey looked at him she saw her mother near Phil. She jumped from Arnold's hold and ran towards Helga. "You're here!" Helga eagerly opened her arms and let the little girl settle into her lap. "Mama, do you know auntie Lila? She told me that you and her and papa used to be classmates. Is that true, mama?"
Helga grinned and nodded. "Yeah."
"Wow!"
Helga turned to face Lila and gave her a smile. "Hi!"
Lila waved at her.
Helga then looked at Katey. "Can you and auntie Lila show me around Sunset Arms?"
Katey quickly nodded.
In the corner of Helga's eyes she saw Lila look at her in confusion. "Let's go." Katey jumped off and walked beside her. Helga walked toward Lila but not before approaching Arnold first. She briefly gave him a significant look and then she spoke to Lila. "Do you clean the whole Sunset Arms?"
"Well, not everyday. On weekends I do clean all of the rooms, but I have Phoebe to help me," Lila answered.
"Oh." Helga led the trio up the stairs. The remaining people could hear her say, "Don't you get tired from cleaning everything? I would. If I lived here I would've made Arnold help me clean the place " before the three disappeared upstairs.
Helga didn't know that her last words affected him so much. Their marriage was finished. They were over, right? If they were, why would she say those words?
Arnold was still looking at the same area where Helga disappeared when Gertie talking to him. He forced his earlier thoughts away and faced his grandparents. "What did you say, grandma?"
"I asked if anything's wrong. Is it something big that Helga had to herd the others out of hearing distance?"
Arnold slowly entered the room and sat down beside Gertie. "Well, Katey knows the gist of it."
"Stop being so mysterious Arnold, and tell us the news," Phil interjected.
Arnold looked at them and immediately felt much worse. "I don't know how to tell you this. I'm robbing you of something that you just briefly got."
"Spill it Short man!"
Arnold looked at them in the eyes. "Helga and I are getting a divorce."
No reactions. After a minute had passed, his grandparents looked at him, still with stoic faces. They spoke no words.
Arnold expected their surprise, but not utter shock. Even though he was confused with their reactions he continued anyway. "The marriage isn't working out so we decided to separate. Helga and I explained everything to Katey. Well, we tried to explain it to her."
"How about explaining it to us first, Arnold?" Phil asked.
Arnold faced him. "It just didn't work out."
Phil looked at him.
Arnold sighed and looked at the floor. "Helga has always arrived late during the last few months. I asked her where she had been, but she wouldn't explain. I—I guess, I lost my temper at her and threatened to divorce her. She just looked at me without any remorse. A few days later she agreed that we should break up."
He was expecting them to say something like, "That's it?" Or lecture about the ethics of marriage but what he only heard was silence.
Arnold looked up at his grandparents and saw them looking at each other. They then looked at him.
"When do you two make the divorce legal?" Phil asked.
Now that was the last thing he expected them to say. Arnold looked at his grandfather in confusion but answered, "We haven't decided on a date yet."
"Well, you should talk to Helga and discuss it with her. The longer you put it off the more Katey would suffer," Gertie advised.
Arnold looked at them with uncertainty. Had old age made them this way?
The three females watched the traffic go by. Katey would occasionally wave at some of the passing motorists or passersby.
Helga leaned back on the stoop and took a sideling glance at the auburn-haired female on her left side. "So, Lila, how long have you been working here in Sunset Arms?"
Lila exhibited surprise. They were silent ever since they came down from the roof. When they passed Arnold and his grandparents, her thoughts were mainly on Arnold and his family. So Lila was surprised when Helga suddenly asked her a question. "Uh, more than a year. I began working here last October."
"Oh."
A car honked and a hand waved from the passenger car. Katey called out a greeting.
Silence.
Now it was Lila's turn to be curious. She faced her former classmate and said, "Hey, Helga."
The blonde turned.
Lila smiled at her. "Congratulations!"
A half-smile appeared at her face. "Thanks."
More silence.
"So you finally fulfilled your dreams, huh?" Lila commented.
Helga didn't answer her.
Puzzled, Lila faced Helga.
Suddenly, Helga stood up. "Katey, stay with aunt Lila. I got too much of the sun already."
"Okay mama."
Helga turned around and without a word to Lila went inside. Lila could have sworn she heard Helga softly say, "If Arnold comes to you, please take care of him."
Helga was scared. She was terrified. She knew that Arnold had a crush on Lila years ago. Now, seeing how wonderful Lila had turned out, Helga knew that there was a possibility that he might go to Lila.
She closed the door and climbed up the stairs. She stopped at the corner of the stairs, sat in one of the steps and buried her head in her hands. Helga was losing him.
Why was she feeling this? Their marriage was over when Arnold confronted her on that night. Why was she scared of losing Arnold to someone?
'Because you're still in love with him.'
She was. She was still in love with him.
"You know, you two are being really selfish."
'Wait a minute. That does not sound like my conscience.'
Helga looked down and saw Gertie getting ready to climb up the stairs. She was holding the banister on one hand and had a cane on the other.
Helga quickly went to her and aided her in going up the stairs. "What do you mean by us being selfish? And who's 'us'?"
"Arnold and you! Who else?"
Helga felt compelled to snap at Gertie but held her tongue. Instead she said, "Now why are you going up the stairs. You shouldn't be tiring yourself out."
"I'm going up because my room is on the second floor. Besides I need my exercise if I'm to see my great-great-granddaughter grow up."
The two continued to slowly walk upstairs. When they finally reached the second floor Gertie gently released her hold on Helga. "If you two don't stop thinking about your own problems your marriage will be really over." With that she wobbled over to her room. Helga just looked on in bewilderment.
It was already dark when Helga stepped out of Sunset Arms. Arnold offered to walk her over to Phoebe's house, but she declined. She was a city girl, born and raised. Helga could take care of herself. Besides, Phoebe's house was just two blocks away. In the meantime, she could take a look around the town she had left behind for twenty years.
Seattle improved a little. There were still litter on the streets, but the trashcans looked sturdier. The bus stops now had two benches that had a small roof over them. There were stores that she recognized and some that were new. The post office became even bigger and cleaner that the old one.
A breeze blew so Helga wrapped her thin sweater around her. Summer would soon be over.
Pretty soon, the Heyerdahl-Johanssen came into view. Helga climbed up the stoop and was about to knock when she heard familiar voices. 'No way…'
Helga tried the doorknob and found it to be unlocked. She turned the doorknob and went in. Inside she found Alicia, Chelsea, Phoebe, Bea and Patrick eating some finger food. She then heard a voice from the kitchen say, "Dinner would be ready in a few minutes. In the meantime continue with the appetizer."
"Phoebe, Bea, you two better learn some self-control because while these guys are here you'll gain some weight."
All turned to face her. Bea waved at her while Chelsea came over and hugged her.
"Hey, Helga!" Tish called out from the kitchen. "We're having lasagna for dinner."
Helga smiled at that comment. She then went to the living room where everybody was and sat down beside Patrick.
"So how was the visit?" Phoebe asked.
"Pretty okay. Mom makes smoothies while Dad watches soap operas."
Phoebe chuckled. "Something's never changed."
Helga nodded. She then looked at her Canadian friends. "Why are you guys here?"
Chelsea made a 'tsking' sound. "Such impoliteness. We're here for vacation and also to see your infamous friends of PS 118."
"Right. Why don't you just say that you all missed me?"
"Hah!" Patrick exclaimed. "Actually, we had a party when you left. What we missed was the presence of Katey and Arnold."
"Pfft! Oh yeah sure!" she deadpanned. Helga smiled again as she faced Phoebe, who was seating in a one-seater with Bea in her lap. "Phoebs! Have you invited the guys for the Parent's Day?"
"Oh, I forgot! Everyone, can you come to the Parent's Day this weekend?"
"Parent's Day? What's that?" Alicia asked.
"It's kind of like a school Olympics. Mr. Simmons actually invented the event so our parents and us kids can bond. Now it's a combination of that and a reunion," Phoebe answered.
"Are you sure we can come?" Chelsea inquired.
"Sure, friends are welcome too."
"Well then, we accept. Maybe then we can finally see all your former classmates. Especially, Curly. I think he's very intriguing."
"That's an understatement!" Helga cried out. Phoebe and Helga began laughing.
Helga slowly put on her shoes. It had already been a week but she still hasn't seen him. 'Maybe he's too busy, but I hope that I would have the chance to thank him alone.'
When she was finally able to finish putting on her shoes, Helga quickly stood up. She wanted so bad to…
"Hey, Helga!" a voice with a hint of a southern accent called.
Helga looked up and saw across from her a tall and lanky young man in a business suit. He was sitting on the short wall and smiling at her. Helga quickly went to him.
"Stinky Peterson!" she greeted him.
His blazer was placed on the wall beside him and his tie was loosened. "Helga Pataki. Or should I say Mrs.…uh… gee willikers! I still don't know Arnold's last name!"
Helga laughed. "Far be it with me to indulge you what his last name is."
He briefly frowned at her but then smiled again. "I was hoping to catch you tonight and see how much you've changed. Before Parent's Day, that is."
Helga smiled. "So you're going too. I thought that you'd be busy, with you being a lawyer and all."
Stinky shook his head. "Nah. I just heard from Rhonda that everybody would be there. Even Torvald."
"Really? Wow." A thought came to her. "Uh does everybody know that Arnold and I are… you know?"
Stinky shook his head. "Nope. I just happen to talk to Nadine in the library. Rhonda only knows that you and Arnold are here but she doesn't know you two are married." He grinned. "You're bringing along Katey right?"
Helga raised an eyebrow. "When did you become such a sadistic man, Stinky?" She then chuckled. "I am bringing her but not to be used as a tool for revenge, you understand?"
He raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. I solemnly swear that Katelyn will not be used as a tool for revenge even though it would bring me great pleasure to see Rhonda finally realize that she does not know everything about anybody."
She glared at him "Stinky!"
"I was just joking!"
Some of you have been wondering if Arnold & Helga will get back together. All I can say is by the end of the story that everything will be resolved. (You should note that I didn't say that they would get back together. ~I am so evil!~)
One more thing: I'm also going to work on a sequel for Changed. It will be just a short story. When I will finish, it is uncertain.
Constructive criticisms and reviews are very much welcome. Thanks for reading! See you next chapter!