Chapter 11
Linda sat on the sofa, a cardboard box on her lap, with her family surrounding her.
"This was her hospital bracelet from when she was born." Linda held up the yellowing strip of vinyl, and Tina and Gene leaned in closer. "Five pounds, eighteen inches long, born at 6:25pm on Monday, November 23rd, 2009." She gently placed the bracelet back in the box, and pulled something else out. Now that they had a only week to go until the trial, Bob and Linda felt like they needed to take a break from hearing about courtrooms and judges and speeches, and other things that made them feel anxious. Linda had wanted to go through the contents of this box ever since Louise had died, and now seemed a good time to do it.
"Oh, her little sleep suit," said Bob, reaching out to take it. "This is what she wore when we brought her home from the hospital." He examined the tiny white jumpsuit with pink lining the cuffs, gently running his fingers over the soft cotton. He could remember her as a newborn so clearly; the tiniest baby he'd ever seen (he'd only really seen three babies, but still), with a shock of black hair and big, brown eyes. She was so different to baby Gene and Tina; Tina had been a very content, almost silent baby, while Gene had been a noisy mama's boy from the get go. But Louise was a wriggler and a starer, and very vocal; she was happy enough to lie in Bob's arms, it seemed, but he could have sworn that even at her young age, Louise just seemed to be figuring life out, and she already knew what she wanted. At times, she would refuse her bottle if she deemed it too early for meal time, and seemed to refuse to sleep if she didn't want to. At least, that's what it had felt like.
A small smile tugged on the corners of his mouth as put the clothing back in the box.
"What's that?" Tina pointed at something small and pink half hidden under the jumpsuit and a video tape.
"Oh, these are her first pair of shoes," said Linda, holding up the pastel coloured soft soles. "Here..." she handed one to Tina, and the other to Gene, and Tina held the tiny shoe, almost unable to believe that shoes that small could be made. It was barely half the size of her hand, and had Velcro T-bar straps, with a darker pink and green flower on the front. As Tina moved the shoe, she felt the little bumps that covered the sole, and she ran her thumb over it. It felt nice, and she continued to do so as Linda brought out yet another item from the box. "This was her first pacifier; I think you guys have seen the picture of her wearing it; it was bigger than her face." Though an amusing memory, Linda only chuckled half-heartedly, as she passed it to Bob, remembering aloud at how surprising easy it had been to wean Louise off it. By the age of three, Louise appeared to no longer care for it, and had made no fuss when Linda had delicately suggested getting rid of it. Linda had been rather grateful, actually; it took Gene the better part of six months to sleep through the night without his (so long as Linda stayed with him until he fell asleep), and Tina had had to be bribed with a ride along horse toy. "I suppose she wanted to be a big girl," Linda mused.
"What's in this box?" Gene picked up a little porcelain box with lilac edging.
"Louise's baby teeth," said Linda, opening it and showing him. As all milk teeth looked alike, there wasn't anything to distinguish them from belonging to any other child. There were only about three teeth there, and Gene wondered why Linda stopped collecting them, and he asked her. "Oh, I never really planned on keeping all everyone's teeth; it's just a big deal, losing your first teeth, you know? I kept most of yours because you were afraid of the Tooth Fairy."
Gene nodded and gave the little box back to her.
"This!" Bob gasped, reaching over Tina to pull out a small photo. "This was the first scan," he told the kids, holding up the picture. "Lin was around.. three months here? I think, and this is technically when we saw her for the first time."
"It doesn't look like anything," said Gene, not unkindly, and Bob grunted in amusement, and shifted forward.
"That's her head," he said, pointing to one end of the photo, " and this is her body, down here; the doctor guy said she was lying on her back."
"She was a real kicker when she was in the womb," Linda added. "Felt like she was trying to kick her way outta there."
Though Tina stared hard at the picture, tilting her head and squinting her eyes, she doubted that she would ever see anything but black splotches and white wavy lines. How could that possibly resemble a baby? But she smiled and nodded politely anyway.
"It still doesn't look like anything," said Gene, and Bob chuckled, putting the photo back.
"Once you see it, you'll always see it," he said.
"Oh, look, this is her little teddy bear that Bobby got for her before she was born." Linda produced the little pink bear with a sewn smile and black bead eyes. It was quite floppy and ragged. "She couldn't sleep without this," said Linda, looking fondly at the toy. "She slept with this every night until she got General Woundwort; and she slept with that until she got Kuchi Kopi."
The moment the words left her lips, Linda drooped, and her eyes began to water. She looked down at the little bear and took a few deep breaths. "This was from Gayle," she held up a fifty cent piece. "It's from the year Louise was born. She came to visit, and didn't have anything to give, so she gave this."
Gene took the coin from her and examined it, while Linda pulled out the last thing in the box; a DVD. Technically, the video tape was the last thing in the box, but the same footage was on the DVD; Linda just hadn't the heart to throw it away.
She put the disc into the player, and settled back down on the sofa, and they all silently began to watch. It was full of footage of Louise as a baby, stuff that Bob and Linda hadn't seen in years, but that Gene and Tina had never seen. Tina slumped back against the sofa; she didn't know this DVD existed. If she had, it could have been used in her tribute video.
On the television, they could see baby Louise, about six months old, in a green onesie patterned with pink flowers, sitting in a baby bouncer. She was kicking her legs and squealing happily as Linda could be heard cooing over her in the background.
"Who's my little baby? N'aw, who's my little baby girl?" the Linda on the screen could be heard saying. "Are you Mommy's baby? Are you Mommy's girl?"
Baby Louise stopped squealing and kicking, and surveyed Linda with a stare that could only be interpreted as 'are you kidding me?' On-screen Linda gave a little chuckle as Louise focused her big eyes on Bob, who was holding the camera. "Wow, she's definitely a daddy's girl, huh?"
Linda couldn't help but feel... not resentful; perhaps disappointed was the right word, over not having more one-on-one time with Louise, though it had never been for lack of trying. She felt a bit jealous of Bob. One part of her wanted to go back in time, and squeeze all the hugs she could out of Louise, and the other half wanted those cuddles to come naturally.
Not that Louise never initiated hugging her mum; Linda could remember one time a couple of years ago when Louise, almost seven, was home sick from school, and Bob and Linda would alternate leaving the restaurant to check on her, as it was too busy for one person to manage the kitchen and the diner. Louise had a high temperature and had been vomiting, so her parents had been giving her small amounts of water and soup, and lots of cuddles from Linda. That particular day, it was Linda's turn, and she'd gone upstairs. Louise had never been very good company when she was sick, and so as soon as the front door closed, her tired, weak voice could faintly be heard demanding water, TV, more blankets, and food. Linda remembered being pleased that Louise had, for once, not asked her to leave and send Daddy up instead, and so she took her time feeding Louise her medicine (mixed in with orange juice), along with a few sips of water, though Louise insisted on feeding herself the chicken soup.
Linda stayed with her after Louise had finished eating, to make sure she didn't throw up, and, at Louise's request, gathered up the toys from the shelves and arranged them on the bed around her daughter.
Linda had been just about to leave when Louise had grabbed her sleeve and asked for a story, and of course, Linda couldn't refuse. Settling on the edge of Louise's bed, she had picked up "The Adventures of Kuchi Kopi," and began to read. She was sure Bob wouldn't mind. Linda read and read until her daughter's eyes began to droop, and she subtly lowered her voice, reading a bit slower. When she was sure Louise was asleep, she carefully closed the book, and stood up. She had almost reached the door when a little voice called her back.
"Mom?"
Linda turned and went back to the bed, kneeling down.
"Yes, sweetie?" Her jaw dropped and her heart melted when Louise wrapped an arm around her.
"Thanks for the story," she said.
"You're welcome, baby." Linda planted a kiss on her forehead, and waved goodbye as she left the room.
Or that time when Louise had been asking for one of those Japanese plush toys she loved so much, and Bob and Linda had had to explain to her that, though not terribly expensive, it would probably be a birthday present. However, Linda had found it online with the price slashed, and she couldn't resist. She couldn't wait to see Louise's face.
One evening, when they had closed the restaurant, Linda had called Louise into the kitchen and had produced the toy from behind her back. Louise, though clearly ecstatic, had feigned nonchalance.
"Oh, you got it? I'd forgotten about that. Thanks."
But before Linda knew it, Louise had given her a sneaky hug before taking the toy to her room.
Linda cherished those moments when Louise revealed herself as the little girl she truly was, and she also cherished it when Louise had allowed herself to bond with her mother. Linda had loved it, and never took a single moment for granted.
"Look!" Bob's voice jerked Linda from her thoughts, and she raised her eyes to the screen. "This is the first time she walked!"
On the screen was baby Louise, standing next to the coffee table, taking a few wobbly but confident steps.
"How old was she there?" asked Tina, looking confused. Louise looked far too young to be walking.
"Oh, about eight months; she was an early walker," said Linda. "I caught sight of her pulling herself up by the table, and I yelled at Bobby to get the camera out, 'cause I didn't wanna miss it."
Bob chuckled, remembering clearly her panicked shrieking; they couldn't miss their precious baby's first steps! "And we just got the end of it. We asked her to do it again, but..." Linda only gestured to the screen.
"Come on, Louise, do it again, sweetie. Walk for Mommy," the Linda on screen encouraged, while baby Louise stared at her. "You tell her, Bobby; she might listen to you."
"Louise, walk for Daddy. Walk over to Daddy, honey." The camera wobbled slightly as Bob tried to hold it steady, and the image blurred for a moment. When it had refocused, Louise was still standing by the coffee table. Slowly and determinedly, she sat back down, and fixed them with an insolent stare. Most people would agree that babies, especially babies that young, couldn't possibly be insolent, but those people did not know Louise Belcher.
"When did we walk?" asked Tina.
"You walked at about ten months, but you'd only do it when no one was looking. If one of us saw you, you'd stop, and Gene didn't walk until he was about fifteen months." Linda ruffled Gene's hair playfully.
"Gene just preferred to crawl everywhere, or for Lin to carry him," said Bob, remembering how chubby baby Gene would slither across the floor like a snake rather than actually crawl, but he knew better than to say the "S" word aloud. "Tina, even as a baby, you had stage fright; Linda made me keep the camera on you practically 24/7 so we didn't miss your first steps."
"Did you miss them?"
"No, we managed to get it," said Linda. "we had to pretend we weren't watching, because if you saw us looking, you'd stop. We got both yours and Gene's first steps on video, too, and lots of other videos. Wanna see?"
"Um, maybe later," Tina said, returning her attention to the television.
"All right, then." Linda, along with Bob and Gene, resumed watching the video in silence.
"Hi, kids," Teddy grinned as Gene and Tina approached. "Got the day off?"
"Yeah," said Tina. "Is it all right if we get our bikes?"
"Sure thing." Teddy walked over to the garage and opened it. Their bikes were stashed against a wooden work table, leaning against one another, and the kids went over and got them. They avoided looking at the small green bike collecting dust at all costs, and they called their goodbyes to Teddy as they rode down the path together.
They biked in companionable silence, their hair flying behind them in the wind, and soon enough, they had arrived to the place where they now usually went on their days off.
Once they had put their bikes somewhere safe, they headed over to the farm paddock, where Kopi instantly came trotting over to them; he knew them very well by now. Gene and Tina often went as a way to keep out of their parents' hair; it had become suddenly very busy in the little apartment. Bob, Linda, and their lawyer could be found sat at the kitchen table, surrounded by papers, talking about things she couldn't understand. And if it wasn't the lawyer, then it was Pop-pop, Gayle, Teddy, and video calls with Al and Gloria, as they all needed to make arrangements for the trial, so this was a way for the kids to escape from all that for a while.
"Gene, do you wanna practise saddling and bridling him today?" asked Tina, as she reached over the fence and stroked Kopi's nose. She'd already been there earlier that morning to feed him, as she did every morning. Bob and Linda hadn't been too eager about Tina biking there, usually by herself, so early in the morning every day, but she had agreed to take the emergency phone, and text them when she had arrived, and also texted them when she was on her way back, and would return in time for breakfast. Knowing she was safe made Bob and Linda feel better.
"Sure," said Gene, and Tina went to fetch the equipment after sending a quick text to her father. She soon returned with her arms full, carefully adjusted them on her shoulders, and tied Kopi to the post.
"This is the saddle," she held up the brown leather saddle embroidered with her name and surrounded by pink flowers – a gift from Pop-pop. "And this goes on first. Well, after the rug," she explained, "but first, we groom him," and she produced two brushes. "Just brush him gently, going with the grain, just like brushing your hair." Of course, Tina knew all of this, by heart, and she was trying very hard to not make it seem boring for Gene. To her, even touching a horse was the most thrilling thing ever, but she had to remind herself that not everyone felt the same way (though she couldn't understand why), and not everyone knew every single minute detail about horses like she did.
Together, they brushed Kopi, who was enjoying it immensely, and Tina picked out his hooves. Upon her instructions, Gene placed the star and moon themed blanket on the horse's back, and then Tina picked up the saddle, and adjusted the stirrups and straps before handing it to Gene, who struggled briefly with the size. "Then you just lay it over the blanket."
Gene did so, needing to stand on tiptoe, and gently laying it on Kopi's back. He wasn't afraid of horses, not really, but they were really big up close! His chin just about lined up with the horse's underbelly.
"He's pretty big." Gene tried not to gulp. "How tall is he?"
"They said he was sixteen hands, which means he's five and a half feet."
"He looks a lot bigger," Gene observed. "Why do they say hands?"
"I don't know," Tina admitted. She knew that horses were measured in hands, but she was never too sure why. Every time she thought about it, she pictured dozens of disembodied hands lining up on top of one another, fingertip to heel of palm. "They've always done it that way."
"Oh."
"So, now, you bring the stirrups down, and secure the saddle."
Under Tina's watchful eye, Gene followed her instructions; he adjusted the stirrups, and fastened the girth under Kopi's belly, double-checking to make sure it wasn't too loose or too tight. Tina got Kopi to lower his head, so that Gene could reach up to take the halter off. Gene took the bridle that Tina gave him and turned back to Kopi, feeling nervous.
"He won't bite me, will he?"
"Of course not," said Tina. "Mr Farmer Man told me that Kopi's been trained ever since he was a foal and has never bitten anyone."
Privately, Gene thought there was a first time for everything, and Kopi's first bite could be today, and he let out a small, Tina-like groan as he lifted the bridle. With Tina's words guiding him, Gene carefully, very carefully eased the bit into the horse's mouth, and slipped the noseband over the muzzle. When he had done that, he put the crown over Kopi's ears, and buckled the straps into place. "Great job," Tina praised, and she moved forward to inspect his work.
"I did it?" Gene blinked. "He didn't mind at all."
"No, he loves it." Tina checked all of the straps, before turning to Gene. "It's great; we can ride him now; you did it perfect," she told him, and Gene nodded, his mouth twitching in a brief smile. "You ready to ride him?"
"Sure," said Gene. After petting Kopi one final time, he climbed onto the fence and mounted him. Tina made sure he was sitting correctly before passing him her helmet. When he had put it on, and was holding the reins, Tina climbed awkwardly over the fence, untied Kopi from the post, and began to lead Gene around the paddock.
Gene concentrated on keeping the reins slightly loose, and following the motions of Kopi's head, just like Tina had taught him, while she walked slowly along the perimeter of the field. The more he did it, the easier it got, and he was discovering the more he did it, the less scary he found it, as well.
"Do you feel like trying a trot today?" Tina asked after they had gone around the edge of the field in a complete circle.
"Um... I don't know." Gene wasn't too sure if Tina could keep up with Kopi; what if he wouldn't stop running?
"You'll be okay," she encouraged, and Gene eventually nodded. Tina clicked her tongue and started to jog, causing Kopi to speed up his pace as well.
Gene tightened his grip on the reins as he bounced up and down. For an activity which involved him sitting down, he found he got out of breath very quickly, but he would take this over running laps any day.
Tina soon had to stop, to get her breath back, and Kopi slowed down along with her.
"Do you wanna have a go?" Gene managed to steer Kopi toward the fence; leaning down, he grabbed the top of the fence and dismounted somewhat clumsily.
He didn't have to ask her twice; in a flash, Tina had taken hold of the reins and climbed on Kopi's back, settling herself in the saddle. Gene didn't think he'd ever seen her move that fast. He made himself comfortable on the fence and held onto a nearby post as Tina urged Kopi into a trot.
Gene watched in increasing admiration as Tina and Kopi trotted around the paddock several times, before she started to canter. There was a look of peace and serenity on her face that he didn't think he had ever seen.
For Tina, it was a feeling of pure and utter bliss that she knew would never fade. She felt like nothing could truly go wrong when she was astride her horse. It was the only time when she could be just Tina Belcher, and not the teen with a (previously) loud brother and a dead sister. Here, riding Kopi, no one else mattered but her. At times, she felt like she could literally ride off into the sunset and live among the clouds. Sometimes, she wanted to; she wanted to go off to that magical fairyland where there were no problems and everything was good and happy.
Tina closed her eyes as Kopi ran faster. She didn't worry about falling off or Kopi losing control; he wouldn't do that to her, she trusted him. The feeling of the reins in her hand, the wind blowing back her hair, her feet in the stirrups, and the feeling of Kopi beneath her all contributed to that feeling of magic. She never thought she would get to experience this, that she would get to ride a lovely, placid, experienced horse that actually liked her. Jericho had been great, but she wished deeply that Kopi had been the first real horse that she had ridden, and not Plops.
When she had gotten her fill (which took a while), Tina brought Kopi back to the fence, dismounted, and loosened his girth, her cheeks pink.
"That was good," she sighed, leaning against the fence, catching her breath.
"You look like you had fun," said Gene.
"I did." Then Tina hesitated. "Did you?"
"Yeah," said Gene honestly. "I think I just need to get better at it."
"You're really good at it already," Tina said, moving away from the fence and began to remove Kopi's saddle, checking his back and sides for any bumps or sores, of which there were none.
Gene clambered down from the fence, and helped Tina to walk Kopi over to the big water trough, where two other horses were situated. After a few moments, Kopi began to drink, and they stepped back slightly to give him space.
After that, Tina and Gene led Kopi back to the barn, stopping just outside of it. "Gene, I'll just tie him here while you get the hose."
Gene went into the barn, where he spotted the hose coiled up just inside the doorway to his left. He picked up the end, and turned the tap, directing the flow to the straw-covered ground. When he felt that the water was running just right, he brought it back outside, where he handed it to Tina, who had removed Kopi's bridle.
Ordinarily, Tina, and Gene as well, would have enjoyed hosing down a horse; the joy that Kopi displayed to the water was contagious, but they just didn't feel the joy. Both of them were thinking about Louise, and whether she would have enjoyed this. Perhaps she would have; not so much the horse riding part, but she definitely would have liked playing in the water spray. If Louise had been there, the three of them would have come back absolutely drenched. But... Tina's stomach clenched... if Louise was still with them, then they wouldn't be at the farm. It wasn't that she was angry that she had never gotten a horse until now; she understood that they needed a lot of time, money, and space – it wasn't like looking after a kitten. Tina felt bad that she had to lose her sister to get Kopi. Much as she loved him, she would give him up in less than a heartbeat if it meant Louise would come back.
Tina adjusted the hose, feeling guilty. Now she felt bad for Kopi; he loved her (she could tell), and he would be upset if she never saw him again. But it wasn't like she had to pick between them, so why did she feel so bad? It was all very confusing for her.
"Louise would like this," said Gene finally, each word sounding like it took a tremendous effort to say. He looked down at the floor.
"Yeah," was all Tina could manage.
After Kopi had sunned himself dry, Tina checked his legs, making sure there were no cuts or swollen areas, before picking out his hooves once again.
Gene headed for his bike while Tina took Kopi back to the paddock. There, she removed the lead, and Kopi began to walk off. However, he turned back and approached her again. "See you later," Tina whispered, and Kopi leaned forward and laid his chin on her shoulder. His head tilted delicately and his face rested against hers. When Tina realised that he was hugging her, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thanks," she whispered, kissing his nose, before leaving the paddock.
When she got her bike, Tina saw that Kopi was still watching her. His eyes looked sad, like he knew she was upset about something.
She pulled the phone from her pocket, and let her parents know that she and Gene would be home soon, and she noted the time, unable to believe they had been at the farm for that long. "Bye, Kopi," she called as she climbed onto her bike, while Gene waved at the horse. Tina could have sworn that Kopi nodded his head in reply.
Later that evening, Tina sat up in bed, her old diary resting on her knees, and her new one beside her. She drummed her fingers nervously on the paper, before flipping back a few pages. Although she still wrote nightly in her new diary, she didn't dare read the entries back; she hadn't been in the best frame of mind back then (Tina wasn't sure whether or not she still was), and she was certain reading what she had written would only disturb and frighten her.
Tina stopped on a page dated "February 24th, 2019", and she began to read.
'Dear diary, school starts tomorrow, and Louise is still in the well. Mom and Dad say that Gene and I don't have to go back until she's out, which I hope is soon. The doctor is giving her water, and two policemen are talking to her. I talked to her and she sounds sad. I hope she isn't scared. Mom and Dad made us come home, and then Mom told us what happened when Louise was born. I can't wait to see her when they get her out.'
'February 25th,
Dear diary, Wharf Park is getting really crowded. It looks like everyone in the state is coming to watch. I don't really like all the people; it feels like there's no room to move sometimes. The diggers are getting closer to Louise, which is good, but they haven't reached her yet, which makes me really worried. I wish I knew how to make Mom and Dad and Gene and Louise feel better, but I don't know what to say or do. This doesn't seem real.
'We all talked to Louise, and she told us she was scared of dying. Mom and Dad were crying hard; I didn't know what to say. She told us all she loved us, which was nice of her. I can't remember her ever saying that to me, and we told her we loved her back. When we went home, Mom and Dad were honest and said there was a chance Louise could die, and we all cried and hugged each other. I'm so scared. I think everyone else is, as well. I don't want her to die. I'm afraid.'
'February 27th,
Dear diary, guess what?! Mom and Dad woke us up, and said the diggers have reached Louise! We're just getting dressed, and then we're going back to the park; none of us want to miss it. I'm writing this quickly as I don't want to wait, but I'm so excited. Who knows, maybe by the time we get there, they'll have just got her out, and then we can finally see her. I know Louise will be happy to see us. She won't be happy to go to hospital, but I think she'll just be so glad to be out of the well that she won't care. I hope I can give her a hug soon.'
Tina couldn't read any more after that, and shoved the book in her night stand drawer. She slowly picked up her new diary, and flipped to an empty page. Her pen poised over the paper, and she began to write, realising that she hadn't even written Louise's name since that last entry.
'June 29th, 2019,
Dear diary... I don't know what to say. I just miss her so much.'
That was all Tina had the strength to write. Placing the diary aside, she pulled back her blanket, and cautiously padded out of her room. The apartment was dark and quiet, but Tina still tiptoed into the kitchen, not wanting to wake anyone up.
Opening up the fridge, she examined the contents, and grabbed the plate of cupcakes that Nat had dropped off a few days ago, balancing the plate in one hand. Picking up a cupcake, Tina awkwardly held it against her chest as she briefly struggled to remove the red casing with one hand, before biting into it. Swirly pink frosting smeared her upper lip, but Tina didn't register that and kept eating. Although she tried her hardest, she couldn't stop at just one cupcake; she managed to leave one each for her family, and moved onto the jar of pickles, eating most of them, too.
Tina couldn't seem to help herself; she closed the fridge, and headed to the cupboards. Pulling out a packet of Oreos, she opened them very, very slowly, so as not to wake anyone up, and stuffed two into her mouth, then two more, and then two more. Before she knew it, the entire packet was gone, and she stopped to take a breath.
Now she felt full and sick, rather than empty and sick. She stood there for a moment, hoping she wasn't going to throw up. Her eyes kept darting to the doorway and the floor and back again. She crossed over to the sink and poured herself a glass of water, drinking it slowly. The feeling of sickness hadn't gone away, and so Tina shuffled back to her room, and carefully climbed into bed.
Her stomach swirled, but she laid on her back and took deep breaths, and she fell asleep when the sickness began to dissipate.
Bob walked down the street, ignoring the people around him. He was determined to walk everywhere he could whenever he went out on his own, because he just didn't trust himself behind the wheel. He knew he would get careless. Sometimes, he wasn't sure if that was a good thing. One half of him desperately wanted to be with Louise, and the other half wanted to stay with the rest of his family. Bob had already had a few close calls, but the only thing that stopped him was the fact that he didn't want to leave his family, and they needed him, and he needed them. When the fog lifted, he felt absolutely awful for even thinking those terrible thoughts. It wasn't like he would ever go through with it, but he couldn't help thinking about it. Bob supposed this was normal, and would go away with time.
When he arrived at About a Toy, he waited outside for a moment, looking at all the brightly coloured books and toys in the window, before he went in, and walked straight up to Clyde. Clyde, who was sat down behind the counter, flipping through a magazine, noticed Bob rather quickly and stood up, placing the magazine to the side.
"You won't remember this, but I came in five years ago with my daughter, and we bought -"
"A pink hat with bunny ears," Clyde finished.
"Yeah. Uh, we need another one. Do you have another?"
"I haven't had one of those in store for years," he said, and Bob deflated. "But I can order it for you."
"Will you?" Bob could scarcely believe it. He briefly wondered why he had not thought of this so long ago when Logan had stolen Louise's bunny ears; it would have helped a lot, but then he had to make himself stop thinking about that. The mere thought of Logan made him want to trash the place. Sometimes thinking about Louise made him think of doing that, too.
"No problem; it'll be here in about a week or two. If you leave your number, I can give you a call when it arrives."
"Thanks," was all Bob could manage to say, and he had to quickly leave after writing his number down.
As he meandered back to his apartment, he found his mind drifting back to Louise, as it always did. She would probably be home from the hospital by now. Would her ankle still be broken? Wait, no; broken bones didn't take five months to heal; Louise would be walking around like or normal. Or perhaps with crutches, or even a wheelchair; Bob didn't know how severe the break had been. No matter what, Bob had no doubt that Louise would be back to her old self, ruling the roost, perhaps using her injuries for special treatment and extra snacks.
When he got home, he found Linda and Tina on the sofa together; Tina was leaning into Linda, her head resting on her mother's shoulder. Both of them were constantly dipping their hands into the large bowl of potato chips that rested between them, and their eyes were glued to the TV screen, which was playing "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang". He noticed that Gene wasn't there, and decided to check the bedroom, but Gene wasn't there, either. He found Gene in the kitchen, fixing himself a very large snack.
"Hi, Dad," he mumbled, focusing on arranging the yoghurt covered peanut butter mini doughnuts around the small pile of sandwiches. There was barely enough room on the plate, what with the cookies and the family sized bag of chips, but he made it work.
"Hey, Gene. Are you gonna join your mom and Tina in the living-room?"
"No; I don't feel like it."
"Are you feeling okay?" he asked, noticing that Gene hesitated when he said that.
"Not really," the boy admitted.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Bob asked, and Gene shook his head.
"Not yet," he said, but he felt at times that he never wanted to speak of what was troubling him. Even though he knew his family would never judge him for anything, it didn't make him feel more comfortable. He picked up his plate, and was about to move when Bob put his hand on his son's shoulder.
"Do you wanna join us for the movie?"
Gene paused, his back to his father.
"Yeah, okay," he said eventually, and they both walked into the living-room, and joined Linda and Tina.
Bob didn't tell anyone about where he went earlier; he didn't want to get anyone's hopes up, just in case Clyde wasn't able to get another pair of bunny ears. He needed to see those ears again, needed to hold them. They wouldn't be the same, as they weren't Louise's, but it was better than nothing.
Bob decided he should perhaps see if they were the right ones before letting his family know. It wasn't keeping secrets, or hiding things, he just didn't want to disappoint them.
That weekend, the family arrived at Wagstaff Elementary School. Teddy, Gayle, and Big Bob met them at the door, and all of them headed to the gymnasium, where the fundraising bake sale was being held, and had already gotten underway.
The room was filled with both people and lots of folding metal tables, which were lined around the edge of the room; shabby chic bunting decorated walls, chairs, bleachers, and pink and green balloons littered the floor. Large speakers on stands were placed in the corners, and were playing typical party music; some pop, some classics, and some cheesy dance tunes, loud enough that it could be heard, but not so loud that it overpowered people's voices.
Against one side of the room were a small group of the long tables and benches, brought in from the cafeteria, where several people were sat together, eating and chatting. Another long table nearby, draped in an extremely colourful tropical cloth, was being manned by two men and was laden down with several bottles and cans of soda, jugs of different flavoured juices, cups, and straws. Another table next to it was full of paper plates and napkins, a variety of pink, green, and white.
The stalls were covered in cloths, some white, some patterned, and some of them had more bunting attached to the front and sides, and had numerous platters piled up with delicious looking treats. On each table was a small chalkboard, listing the offerings, along with the prices.
Olsen Benner was walking around, microphone in hand, being followed by her cameraman, Brian, and interviewing various people.
The Belchers, plus Teddy, stood and looked around, seeing several people they knew. Most of them were behind the stalls; several of the students and their parents had gotten involved, but also some of their friends had joined the cause. In a prime spot almost in the direct centre was Colleen Caviello, standing proudly behind her table. In front of her were a fair amount of her famous rose cupcakes, arranged to look like a bouquet, and packaged in little plastic pots (eight cupcakes to a pot), artfully decorated with colourful cellophane. Of course, no food-based event would be complete without Colleen's banana bread, though Linda still refused to eat it out of principle.
"Hi," Colleen grinned as the Belchers approached. "Want some banana bread? Only a dollar a slice!" She gestured grandly to the chalkboard to her left.
"No, thanks," said Linda, feeling extremely scruffy in her oversized sweater and jogging bottoms next to the immaculate Colleen. She pulled at the hem self-consciously, and gazed up at Colleen.
"Well, how about a cupcake bouquet? Only five dollars!"
"Can you put one aside for us?" Linda had to admit, they did look delicious, and Colleen was an excellent baker, whether Linda liked it or not (when she wasn't cheating with store bought cake mixes, that is).
"Sure, no problem."
Linda could see several more boxes of these bouquets on the floor behind her, and a tiny part of her wanted to roll her eyes; of course Miss Perfect had to make much more than was needed. (Linda chose to ignore the fact that they were going to sell like hot cakes, literally.)
They passed people selling ordinary cupcakes with either vanilla, strawberry or chocolate frosting, people selling different varieties of cookies; chocolate chip, pecan, raisin and oatmeal; delicious looking Rice Krispie squares, some plain, some drizzled with either milk or white chocolate.
Harley and her parents were standing together behind a table that was selling whole cakes, available to buy as is or in slices. Harley waved at Tina and Gene, who waved back.
After coming to another cupcake stall, they each purchased one before continuing to walk around. The green frosting, though slightly wobbly, was delectable, and when Tina bit into her cupcake, she discovered the inside was filled with gooey melted chocolate, which was a pleasant surprise.
"Hey, guys!" At a table covered with a pink cloth decorated with skulls, was Nat, a frilly apron over her pink suit, and she smiled at them.
"Hey, Nat," said Linda as they approached the stall.
"Did you make these yourself?" asked Tina, pointing to the gingerbread girl cookies with moulded gingerbread bunny ears, topped with pink icing.
"Yes, I did. I'm not much of a baker, so Theresa did have to give me a hand. But we did try them, and they're cooked properly and everything, and they taste great, if I do say so myself. Try some," she urged, and Linda picked one up. "You can take one each," Nat encouraged, and the rest of the family followed suite.
"They are really good," said Tina honestly, through a mouthful of gingerbread. "They taste really nice."
Even Bob, who had only had the tiniest nibble, had to agree; they weren't as 'tangy' as normal gingerbread, but somehow it worked, and the flavoured frosting elevated the taste.
"Well, thanks, that's good to know," Nat smiled. "Consider those a sample," she waved her hand when Linda tried to pay her. "I know, I know; we're all here to raise money," she continued, "but you guys are my favourite people, so this is the least I can do."
"Aw, thanks, Nat," said Linda. "But we'll buy some more, anyway. They're really good." She handed over the money, and Nat gave her a small box of six gingerbread girls.
One of the most popular stalls was the one being run by Zeke and Regular-sized Rudy. When the Belchers approached, with Teddy in tow, they were momentarily floored. Did he actually make - ?
"Kuchi Kopi Cupcakes!" Zeke and Rudy grinned, having clearly practised this, and gestured to several large platters. Tina edged closer, gazing at the vanilla cupcakes with two large cake pops on top, one slightly smaller, covered with green marzipan, and decorated. Next to them were trays of Kuchi Kopi shaped cookies, decorated with the same green marzipan and fondant eyes.
They looked so well made that she wondered if they had gotten a grown up to make them.
"Oh, no, it was all Zeke," said Rudy when she had asked. "I can't bake anything, so he helped me; he did it all, really."
"Well, it was really Rudy's idea," Zeke shrugged modestly, as a young girl approached the table. "He came up with everything; I just made them. Rudy's the brains behind it."
"What are these?" the young girl asked, pointing to the cupcakes.
"They're Kuchi Kopi," said Rudy. "It was Louise's favourite character from her favourite books."
"I've never heard of that."
Rudy couldn't be annoyed with her; she looked very young, perhaps five or six, and Kuchi Kopi wasn't exactly Mickey Mouse.
"That's all right; not a lot of people do. It's from Japan."
"Wow, really?" The girl's eyes sparkled with curiosity, and she purchased a cupcake and a cookie.
"How did you know about this?" Tina gestured to the cakes. "About Kuchi Kopi?"
"Louise told me," said Rudy. "I remember I once asked her what her walkie-talkie was supposed to be. She looked so shocked that I didn't know." A small, fond smile crossed his face. "She told me all about it, and made me read the books."
Tina moved a bit closer, as Zeke chatted with a few new customers.
"Really?" she asked, and Rudy nodded.
"Yeah; I thought they were really good, so that made her happy," he chuckled. He was certain she enjoyed having someone to talk about it with, as well.
"Well, they look delicious," came Linda's voice to her left. She handed Zeke a dollar and picked up a cupcake.
"Careful, Mrs Belcher; they have toothpicks in 'em. To hold the cake pops together," Zeke clarified. Linda nodded, and carefully pulled the top cake pop off, and ate it.
"It's really good," she said with her mouth full.
"Aw, thank you, ma'am," Zeke smiled and pulled Rudy closer to him. "This guy's the brains behind it, though!" He slung his arm around Rudy's shoulder. Rudy only smiled and shook his head slightly, looking a bit embarrassed.
Quite a crowd was beginning to form around the table, so the Belchers, plus Teddy, each bought a cupcake and a cookie, before moving away to survey the rest of the stalls.
They passed Millie and her mother, who were running a stall selling individual alphabet shaped cookies spelling Louise's name (Fifty cents per letter, or $2 for the whole name.) The cookies were decorated with artistic pink and green swirls, and covered in edible silver balls.
After they had walked around once and examined every stall, they took a seat at one of the tables, where they made a start on the many goodies they had procured. As they munched and nibbled, they looked around, surveying the event. It was nice of everyone to do this, and just as with the lip synching competition, everyone looked as though they were enjoying themselves, and it looked like they were going to raise quite a bit of money. It looked as though Louise's Garden could possibly start the building process by the end of the year. No one knew for sure what it was going to look like, but it was such a kind-hearted gesture that the Belchers knew they were going to love it.
Mort soon joined their table, and they chatted briefly, before Gretchen came over, as well.
Now that they were in a collective better state of mind, Bob and Linda didn't mind the visits from friends now; it was just the thing to keep their minds busy, and it was sweet to know that all these people cared about them.
They left a few hours later, laden down with several Tupperware boxes.
~ X ~
I spent an embarrassing amount of time researching how to correctly saddle and bridle a horse (I wanted to do Tina proud). I took some riding lessons when I was younger, but only a few. Horses are a little bit scary to me, haha!
What did you think? I'd love to know!