Authors Note: Anything in Italics are journal entires.
Not even three hours after getting here, I was already bored. So I did what any normal teenager would do: I plopped myself down on the couch and turned on the TV. But every channel I turned it to was static. Groaning, I got up from the couch and founds Grams, in her little art room.
"Can I help you?" she asked turning to me.
"There's something majorly wrong with the cable. I think you ought to call and light a fire under someone's ass," I said.
"We don't have cable," she said.
"Wait, say that again," I said.
"I said we don't have cable," she repeated.
"How do you survive without cable?" I asked shocked.
"Oh, yeah, it's really tough Callie, sometimes we cry ourselves to sleep at night," she said sarcastically. "You know you can always rent video tapes."
"Video tapes?" I asked. "Come on, who lives like this?"
"Oh stop the histrionics Callie, for goodness sakes, there's so much to do around here! There's the whole ocean right there! Take my bicycle, ride along the boardwalk, then you won't have time for TV," she said.
"So you want me to sacrifice reality TV for purely impurical experiences?" I asked.
"Yeah, that's my recommendation," she smiled.
"Fine," I said and walked away.
Ocean Grove. More like Ocean Grave. No wonder Mom left this place when she was seventeen. It's so passé. I'll make her pay for this torture when I get home. That is, if I make it home.
I spent a good hour walking along the shore. It got warm, so I decided to take a dip in the cool water. I didn't even care that I didn't have a suit. When I was done, I started walking along the boardwalk, coming across a restaurant with a help wanted sign out. I shrugged my shoulders, deciding to give it a shot.
"The way I see it, what does experience have to do with anything? I mean I've been served by a thousand waitresses and the job just doesn't seem that tough. I'm sure it has its nuances just like anything else, but I'll figure it out," I said to the manager, smiling.
"You're soaking wet," he said sipping his water.
"Oh, come on, Lou! I'd say the wet t-shirt look definitely trumps experience," a random worker said.
"Does he have all of his shots?" I asked.
"Let me get you can application," he tried.
"What the hell for? It's a yes or no decision," I argued.
"Not really. It's-," he began.
"Lou, give her the job. You're gonna give it to her anyway," another worker said.
"Zip it, Sam," Lou said.
"See, this is how it works, you ask him something, he pretends to chew on it. He can't say no to nobody, so you got the job. Don't even worry about it," Sam said.
"I don't need your help," I said.
"I'm trying to help you. Hell, I don't even know you. I'm trying to help Lou. One more night that he's shorthanded, he's gonna develop and ulcer and it's gonna be problematic for all of us," Sam said.
"Get back to the dungeon you," Lou said.
"I'm just saying, man. I'm just saying," Sam said walking away.
"I can start tomorrow. Would you like me here at four o'clock?" I asked.
"Um-," he began.
"Or how about lunch? Then I can learn everything. It'll be all good," I interrupted.
"Uh-," he began again.
"Great, see you then," I said walking away. As I was walking away I could hear the last things Sam and Lou said.
"That girl's trouble," Sam said.
"I think I just hired her," Lou said. Smirking I walked out the door.
By the time I got home, it was ten thirty. Surprisingly my grandparents were sitting on the porch playing cards.
"Oh my god, you guys are still awake?" I asked. "You do realize it's past nine right?"
"You do realize that you missed dinner?" Grams asked. I shrugged my shoulders.
"Why are you all wet?" she asked.
"Oh, I went swimming. New York doesn't use that ocean as a toilet do they? Is my hair starting to turn green?" I asked.
"Callie, your mother called, you were supposed to let her know that you got down here alright," Gramps said.
"Well did you tell her that I was still alive?" I asked.
"Why don't you tell her. There's a phone on the piano," Grams said. Sighing, I went inside and dialed home.
"It's me, what do you want?" I asked, as my fingers skimmed over the piano keys.
"I see you survived the bus trip after all," she said.
"I'd rather have ferried across the River Styx," I said.
"How's my old room look? Does she still have her sea shells everywhere?" she asked ignoring my last comment.
"It's a shell hole, Mom," I said. "Why are you doing this to me?"
"You know why. We've discussed this. Edgar and I are trying to sort things out," she said.
"Well you sorted me right out of there didn't you?" I asked.
"Callie, I am trying to save my marriage," she said.
"You would have better luck trying save the polar ice caps, mom," I said raising my voice. "Why is it that your marriage only works when I'm not there?"
"You noticed that too, huh?" she chuckled. I was near tears now. "I'm sorry I didn't mean-"
"Take as much time as you need, ok, Karen? Sort things out, shuffle them together, do whatever the hell it is you need to do to try and save this marriage, ok? I'm here and I'm fine. Don't even worry about me. I'm fine!" I said angrily and hung up. I kept a hold of the phone trying to pull myself together. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Grams staring at me.
I didn't say anything else that night, just retired up to my room, to pretend like nothing happened.
If dad was alive, we'd do stuff, like paint. Maybe I'd be friends with the kid down the street. Him and mom would argue about petunias instead of money. If dad was alive, he'd teach me how to play the guitar. If dad was alive.