Chapter 36
It was a crystal clear night, and the moon and stars were shining bright outside of Double Dees bedroom window. At the same time that Eddy was entangling the rest of the cul-de-sac boys in his web of lies, Double Dee was enjoying the company of Marie as they stacked television on Double Dees father couch. Double Dee decided to open up a new conversation.
"So Marie, how did your mother like the music box?" asked Double Dee.
"Double Dee, I have never seen my mother's eyes light up like they did as soon as she saw it!" said an excited Marie.
"Really?" said Double Dee, "That's great that she was excited."
"Yeah" said Marie as she began to tell her story, "A little while after Ralph, is that his name?"
"Rolf," replied Double Dee, "With an O."
"A little while after Rolf yelled about you missing from Ed's yard, we finally finished washing all of our clothes. We all headed into the trailer and had cheeseburgers while we spent some time with my mom in front of the TV. I finally remembered that I had the box up in the bedroom, so I went upstairs to get it."
Marie paused.
"When I came down the stairs, my sisters and my mom were completely glued to the TV. I made sure that I had dusted the box off to make it look as good as new. I placed the box into her arms, and as soon as she looked down to see what I had given her, her face literally lit up. Her eyes actually began to tear up, something that I had never seen before. She opened the box and watched the silver figure spin as the music played. I looked at Lee and May and saw that they were happy for her too."
"I am so glad to hear that your mother loved seeing her music box again." said Double Dee.
"She looked at the engraving and then closed the box speechless and looked up into my eyes, holding back tears of joy. She asked me where I found the box. I told her that you found it in her old house."
"You told her that I am responsible for finding her box?" asked an alarmed Double Dee, as he was still slightly intimidated by Tabitha's "biker chick" appearance.
"Yeah silly." said Marie, "It's the truth wasn't it?"
"But that means that she knows that I have infiltrated her previous residence and possibly stumbled upon personal deep dark secrets that were meant to be kept in total sec….."
Marie placed her hand on Double Dees mouth.
"Double Dee!" yelled Marie as she smiled, "You are over thinking it, calm down so I can finish my story, okay Oven Mitt."
"Please continue Marie, and I wholeheartedly apologize for my rudeness." said Double Dee smiling at Marie.
"Thank you, it's great to have my Double Dee back." said Marie jokingly.
"So where was I?" asked Marie, "Oh yeah, I told her that you had found it in her old playroom while we were hanging out in the house. After I told her that you found it, she said that I have to bring you over to the trailer the next time that she's home so that she can give you the biggest hug in the world for finding it."
"Wow," said Double Dee, "Well tell her that I am so glad that I could bring joy to her day."
"Trust me Double Dee, you have," said Marie, "In all of my 14 years of living with her, I have never seen my mother as happy as she was today. It was like she revisited her childhood in Peach Creek, and she had a blast of nostalgia."
Marie paused.
"She told us about the day that she got the music box. It was Christmas Morning, 1982 and she was 6 years old. She can remember her first time opening the box and being amazed by what was inside, as I have told you before that she had wanted to be a dancer. She used to dance and play with my Aunt Kate in the foyer, my Poppy would move all of the furniture and move the chairs so that it looked like he was sitting in the audience while my mom and my aunt used their imagination and danced around the foyer."
Marie paused.
"Even though I probably would have never have been born, I would love to see what kind of person my mother would have been if she hadn't gotten lost. I don't know exactly what happened to her once she moved to that neighborhood, but I really think she and my aunt were bullied for being poor and not being able to afford nice clothes." said Marie.
"At least my mother remained away from drugs other than her cigarettes, although she used to drink. Hey I can't blame her for that, her alcohol problem was probably the reason I was created and the reason why I'm sitting with you right now!"
Marie began laughing at the joke she had made. Double Dee was surprised that Marie could have made a joke at such a sad situation, but nevertheless, he couldn't resist joining in on her joke.
"I have never met my Aunt Kate" said Marie, "I knew that she had passed before I was born, but it wasn't until today that my mother told us why."
Marie took a breath before continuing.
"In middle school, at about the age we were now, she was introduced to marijuana, and pressured into smoking it with her friends. Thankfully, my mother was smart enough not to get involved in that situation, as the marijuana eventually led to her trying crack cocaine. After the cocaine didn't give her what she wanted anymore, she had turned to heroin."
Marie looked towards the window and continued.
"Eventually, she started prostituting in order to support her habit. My Mom Mom and Poppy were fed up with it and tried to get her help, but she refused and walked out of their apartment, never to return police eventually found her lying in the street in an alleyway in between two factories. My mom was pregnant with Lee at the time, and my Aunt was three days away from turning 18. She died from a combination of being beat, most likely by one of her clients, and a drug overdose."
"Marie, that is truly a sad story," said Double Dee, who felt horrible for Marie's aunt's death, as well as imagining how her grandfather and grandmother must have felt after losing their daughter.
"I just can't believe that someone would be so weak to take that road through life." said Marie, "I guess that's why my Poppy really tried to be there for us as long as he could, and make sure that we didn't make the same mistakes as his children did. If you ask me, moving back here was probably the best decision my mom could have made for us.
" "Did your grandmother pass away before you were born?" asked Double Dee, who hoped that he just didn't ask a rude question.
"No," said Marie, "She actually watched us sometimes when we were really little, the times when my Mom, Dad, and Poppy were working. She died a little after May was 2 years old."
Double Dee stopped and thought about the tragedies that befell the Kanker family. With one poor decision, a man who was trying to do all of the right things in life and raise his family peacefully was uprooted out of his home, and forced to move to a hostile environment. While he had never met him, Double Dee couldn't help but feel extremely sorry for Mr. Kanker.
"Marie, I absolutely cannot imagine being your grandfather and watching my two daughters literally be ripped away from me as they were. He must have been an emotionally strong man to maintain his will to live." said Double Dee.
"Yeah," said Marie, "When I think back on it, I can't help but feel sorry for him. I really wish he was still here, he would have LOVED to meet you and talk to you about science and technology."
Marie chuckled with Double Dee.
"Does your mother ever visit her old home herself?" asked Double Dee.
"That's another thing we talked about today," said Marie, "She said that she can't even bring herself to walk by the old house because she hates seeing it in the condition it's in and it reminds her too much of my Poppy. She said it also makes her miss her childhood, and her dream to dance."
"That's understandable." said Double Dee. Double Dee paused for a few seconds.
"Your mother must have really wanted to be a ballet dancer as a girl, I couldn't help but notice her tattoo of ballet shoes on her arm" said Double Dee. Double
Dee and Marie laughed for a few seconds before Edd began speaking.
""So it was true then, in a sense." said Double Dee.
"What was true?" asked Marie
"Do you recall in the beginning of the school year when we had to write a report on the history of Peach Creek?" asked Double Dee.
"Yes I do," said Marie.
"Well when we finally found out that that book that Eddy had found was just another of Eddy's brothers childish prank, we began to believe that you had pulled the wool over our eyes as well when you added that last page that stated Peach Creek was founded by your family." said Double Dee.
Marie chuckled.
"We actually did prank you guys. It is so funny how things always worked out when it came to our little pranks and you and your friends." said Marie.
"Whatever do you mean Marie?" asked Double Dee.
"We found that paper in an old family scrap book, and were planning to show you guys it later that day and claim it was our family who founded Peach Creek. It just so happened that your adorable little self was running around with a book missing a page. I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to play a little practical joke." said Marie as she grinned.
Double Dee was speechless, he had not realized how crafty the Kanker sisters really were when it came to messing with the Eds.
"Wow, you girls really did know what you were doing when it came to causing trouble for my friends and I." said Double Dee as he giggled.
"Credit that one to Lee once again!" Said Marie as she giggled.
"Nevertheless Marie," said Double Dee, "The prank you have pulled may have had some truth behind it. Your great-grandfather owned all of the land that we now live on at one point. So he in essence founded Peach Creek!"
"You know what Double Dee, you're really something." said Marie smiling as she leaned up and kissed her boyfriend on the lips.
Marie paused for a few seconds.
"Eddy's brother really is a jerk isn't he." asked Marie.
"Oh yes Marie," said Double Dee, "I couldn't believe how belligerent of a person he was upon meeting him. A brother who is 12 years older than their sibling should be setting an example for their younger sibling, not ruthlessly beating them to kingdom come."
Double Dee paused.
"And after what had occurred within the confines of his trailer with your sisters, what little respect I did have for him was absolutely lost." said Double Dee.
"He's a creep, a pervert and a bully." said Marie, "Scum of the earth! Anyone can beat up someone that is 12 years younger than them! He's a coward! I hope he gets more than just a steel door upside the face by someone his own size in the future"
"In fact, his abuse was the reason Eddy was the way he was prior to our meeting with his brother." said Double Dee, "I had moved to Peach Creek just shy of a few months after Eddy's brother had moved out, so I had never had the opportunity to become acquainted with him prior to meeting him at his amusement park. However, all of the other kids including Ed remembered him well. He was apparently a fixture of authority in his own mind, and the sheer prescience of he and his friends walking down the sidewalk was enough to make all of the kids scatter. He apparently referred to the neighborhood as 'his cul-de-sac'. However, it was much worse for young Eddy behind closed doors. Since the incident, Eddy has told me stories about his brother locking him in one of his friend's trunks, at the tender age of four, while he was supposed to be watching him so that he could party in Eddy's parent's house."
"That's horrible!" said Marie, "Poor Eddy."
"Yes, it was pretty tragic," said Double Dee, "However, as much as Eddy was brutally tortured by his brothers hostile demeanor, for some reason he wanted to live up to his brothers example. He concocted lies about his brother, and spread them all throughout the cul-de-sac. He had had us all fooled into thinking that his brother was a suave man, who was relatively close to Eddy, and would protect him no matter what. On one occasion, he even threatened the whole cul-de-sac that his brother was returning, causing a large uproar amongst the children."
Double Dee paused
"It was a blessing that we were able to meet up with Eddy's brother once again, as the ordeal allowed Eddy to reflect on his ways. At that moment, he realized that his brother was everything that he didn't want to be in life, and he decided to change himself to become a better person." said Double Dee.
"Double Dee." said Marie as she leaned into Double Dees face, "I remember the exact moment when Eddy admitted his wrongdoings that afternoon. While Lee was busy eyeing up Eddy's brother, who was passed out at the time, I was watching the whole thing between you and Eddy. I was absolutely touched that you consoled him, and that you were a good enough friend to be the first to reassure him that everything was going to be alright."
Double Dee was speechless as he looked into Maries eyes.
"It was at that moment that I knew I didn't have to be scared any more to talk to you. I knew that you had a knack for seeing the good in people, and that you would be able to look over our violent past and see the real me. Although I was afraid to do it right away, I knew that I could someday open up to you and show you who I really was and how I really felt about you."
Double Dee smiled.
"I am glad I possess those kind of life skills," said Double Dee, "Or else I would have missed out on the most beautiful, kind hearted, and adventurous girl anyone could imagine."
Marie's eyes filled with tears of joy at that moment, before they could even begin to slide down her face, she broke the silence.
"OOOOHH come here you!" yelled Marie as she grabbed Double Dees face and pulled it into hers, kissing him sweetly yet passionately. The kiss lasted for around a minute before Marie pulled away from him. The couple sat in silence for a few moments before Marie began speaking.
"You have to admit that it was satisfying to see that son-of-a-bitch go down hard after being cracked by that iron door." said Marie as she chuckled.
"I usually abhor violence, but I must say that it was quite satisfying to see that evil man pay his dues." said Double Dee.
"You don't know how much I wanted to give him a punch in the face of my own after he started picking on you and calling you a girl." said Marie. "And then, when he actually put his hands on you when you were sticking up for Eddy, I was seriously going to grab a metal pipe out of the dumpster and use it to beat him, thankfully May stopped me."
Double Dee and Marie sat alone with their thoughts for a few minutes, after which Double Dee remembered something that he had wanted to do for quite some time.
"Marie," said Double Dee, "Would you mind if I put on some music?"
"No I wouldn't at all" said Marie, "What do you have in mind?"
"Well let's see." said Double Dee as he walked over to his stereo system. With a quick search, he found the song he was looking for, and turned the system on.
"I used to play this song with my father and James." said Double Dee as he clicked the play button, "And to be perfectly honest Marie, this song makes me think of you." he said nervously.
With the click of the play button, the sound of Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton began emanating through the speakers. Marie's eyes lit up.
"I love rock music and I love this song." she said as she stood up, "It's so pretty!"
Double Dee was nervous, but he decided to take the lead and be spontaneous as Marie always was with him. He held his arms out to Marie.
"Would…you like to dance Marie?" asked Double Dee nervously.
"I would love to." said Marie.
With that, Marie walked closer to Double Dee and wrapped her arms around his neck. Double Dee placed his arms on her waist and began attempting his first real slow dance with a girl. Both Marie and Double Dee had never done such a thing before, but the couple had gotten used to the prospect and the actual steps by the end of the songs introduction. As the couple danced around Double Dees room, they stared into each others eyes deeply.
After a while, Marie leaned in and placed her head on his shoulder as they continued dancing; she couldn't help smiling.
Finally the song ended, and with the ending Marie kissed Double Dee on the lips for around ten seconds after the last chord.
"That was very sweet Double Dee." said Marie, holding back tears of joy.
Double Dee smiled and gave Marie a quick kiss.
Unfortunately, it was a school night and the clock was showing the time to be 9:30. The couple decided that it was once again time to say goodbye to each other for the night.
"I always hate this time of the night Double Dee." said Marie as she walked towards the door.
"I concur Marie," said Double Dee as he opened the door for his girlfriend. The couple began walking down the hallway towards the stairs when Marie stopped Double Dee.
"Double Dee," said Marie, "I have a couple of things to ask you."
"I'm all ears Marie." said Double Dee. Marie pinned Double Dee up against the hallway wall while she donned her cute smile.
"Well first, I was wondering if you wanted to come over to the trailer tomorrow night, maybe for another movie and to hang out again. Lee is going to be out with my mom, but May will be home if you don't mind."
"Sure, I would be delighted to join you for yet another fun filled evening." said Double Dee smiling.
"Okay, great!" said Marie, "Now for question number two, I just wanted to give you a heads up a couple days before. Every year, my Dad gets free tickets to the ice rink just outside of town from his union for a family skate night. He takes us to the rink every year to ice skate. He is allowed to take as many tickets as he wants, and he usually just takes five, but this year I asked if he could bring home an extra ticket.
" Double Dee immediately knew who the extra ticket was for.
"Double Dee, would you be my date to the ice rink on Tuesday?" asked Marie using her cute smile.
"I would be delighted to attend Marie, but unfortunately I do not own a single pair of ice skates." said Double Dee, rather nervously
"You don't have to silly," said Marie, "We don't have anything either, we can rent them when we get there."
Marie chuckled.
"Silly me," said Double Dee, "In that case, I would love to go!"
"Great," said Marie, "My Dad's picking us up around 6, so I guess I can tell him to be at your house around that time too?"
"Sure that works for me." said Double Dee.
Double Dee walked Marie down the stairs and to the front door. After sharing, a kiss, and their goodnights, the couple parted ways for yet another night. Double Dee watched his girlfriend turn the corner and blow a kiss at him as she did so.
Double Dee shut the door and retired to his room, thinking of all of the things that were said and accomplished today as he changed into his pajamas. His beautiful thoughts were soon interrupted by a horrible realization; he couldn't roller skate if his life depended on it, let alone ice skate.