Melody (13 page)

“What about the rest of my things, Mommy? I don't have much.”

“I'll get in touch with Arlene and see about having them shipped up here. Don't worry,” she said. May was still watching us with great curiosity.

Mommy noticed the girl. “Hello, honey.”

May smiled at her but turned quickly to me. Then she
thrust her hand at mine and seized my fingers tightly, tugging me to go someplace with her.

“Go on, honey,” Mommy said. “Richard and I will see to your things.”

“But. . .” May pulled again. I let her lead me away. She quickened her pace when we reached the sand and soon I was running alongside her.

“Where are we going?” I cried, for a moment forgetting her deafness. We were heading toward the dock and the ocean. First, we had to climb to the top of a dune covered with scrub pine. The sand gave way beneath my feet. It was hard to run on the dunes, and before long, I felt my calf muscles ache. Little May didn't seem to have the least bit of difficulty. She was as light as air, remaining ahead of me all the way to the crest of the small sandy hill.

When we reached it, I paused to look at the vast ocean. In the distance two fishing boats trolled toward shore and farther out, a sailboat gracefully glided over the waves, its white sail fluttering. Off to my right there were shacks along the dunes. Above us, a flock of Canadian geese flew north in formation against a deep blue sky dappled with smoke-blue puffs of clouds. The sight was invigorating and the fresh sea air seemed to wash the sadness from my heart. This, I thought, was once my father's playground. And now, for a while at least, it would be mine.

May tugged on my hand and pointed toward the dock.

“Car . . . ry,” she said. “Come on.”

I laughed and followed her down the dune. We continued to run, my chest heaving. Finally we slowed to a walk as we reached the dock.

My uncle's lobster boat bobbed gently in the water. It was a white and gray boat, and although it looked old, it looked very clean and well kept. The boat was named
Laura
and the name had been recently repainted on its side. At first we saw no one, but then Cary came out of the cabin with a pail and a brush in his hands. He had his
shirt off and didn't see us immediately. May called up to him.

“Car-ry.”

When he saw us standing on the dock, he immediately put down his pail and brush so he could sign to May. Whatever he was telling her, he was telling her emphatically. He looked angry, too.

“Is anything wrong?” I asked. The falling sun gleamed off his shiny brown skin. He looked muscular and hard and wore a silver necklace I hadn't noticed before.

“She knows she can't come down here by herself,” he said.

“She's not by herself. She's with me,” I replied.

“You're a landlubber,” he snapped. “It's the same as if she were by herself.” He signed again and May turned and started back toward the house. I stared up at Cary.

“She only wanted to show me,” I said.

“She knows better. Take her home,” he ordered and picked up his pail and brush. Turning his back on me, he returned to what he had been doing. I fumed for a moment and then hurried to catch up to May, who was walking much more slowly with her head down. I grabbed her hand when I caught up with her and she smiled.

“It's all right,” I said. She tilted her head. She had beautiful hazel eyes, bejeweled with flecks of blue, green, and gold on the soft brown. “Your brother shouldn't have gotten so nasty,” I added, but she looked confused and I felt frustrated. I was speaking loud, as if that mattered. It made me feel stupid. I glanced back once and saw Cary looking after us. Behind him, the sky was turning a dusky lavender.

“If it's so dangerous around here,” I muttered, “why live here?”

I pounded my feet into the sand and clung to May's hand as we returned to the house. When we arrived, I found Mommy and Archie waiting by the car. May released my hand and ran into the house.

“Where did you go, honey?” Mommy asked.

“Just for a walk to the dock to see the lobster boat, but that was apparently off limits for May,” I said. “Cary isn't very nice.”

“Oh, I'm sure it's just because you two don't know each other yet,” Mommy said.

“Haille,” Archie said raising his eyebrows.

“Honey,” Mommy said stepping closer so she could take my hand. “Archie and I think we should start out now so we can get back down to Boston. He has someone for me to meet there tonight.”

“You're leaving now? But what about dinner?”

“We're just going to grab something on the highway,” she said.

“Didn't you want to look at the town and—”

“Oh I know this town,” she said laughing. “Don't forget how long I lived here.”

“But. . .” I looked at the house and then back toward the ocean. “Don't you want to talk with Uncle Jacob?”

“I think he'll be happy to avoid it right now,” she said. “We put your things in your room. It's a very nice room, honey, nicer than what you had in the trailer. The window looks out on the ocean. Aunt Sara is going to see to it you get enrolled in the school and the school will get all your records from West Virginia easily enough. I've already signed the papers I needed to sign to give Aunt Sara the authority,” Mommy added.

“When?” I asked, astounded at how much had really been done already.

“Um, just now. Aunt Sara found out what had to be done. She's very excited about having you.”

Archie got into the car and started the engine. My heart began to beat wildly like a jungle drum.

“Mommy?”

“Now don't make this any harder than it has to be, honey. I'll be calling you in a few days to tell you where I am and what I've been doing, and before you know it, I'll be coming back for you.”

“Time ticks,” Archie called.

“Can't you stay a little longer?” I pleaded. My heart was doing flip-flops.

“A little longer isn't going to make any difference to you, but it will make a lot of difference to us because we have to drive so far, honey. Please.”

She hugged me, but I kept my arms at my sides. Then she kissed me quickly on the forehead.

“I don't have to tell you to be a good girl. I know you will be. See you soon,” she added and turned toward the car.

“Mommy!”

I ran to her and hugged her tightly, clinging to her, clinging to the only life I had known, clinging to the memories of our laughter and tears. Maybe she wasn't the best of all mothers, but she was the only mother I had, and there were nice times, too. There were the picnics and the dinners, the Christmases and birthdays. All I could remember now was being a little girl and clinging to her hand as we walked through the streets of Sewell. Everyone looked at us; Mommy was so beautiful and I was so proud.

“Melody,” she whispered.
“Please,
honey.”

I let her go and backed away.

She smiled. “I'll call you soon.” She walked quickly around the car to get in.

Archie smiled at me. “Don't do anything I wouldn't do, kid,” he said and winked.

“There's not much you wouldn't do,” I replied. He laughed.

“Going to miss you, princess. I got no one to be my gopher.” He laughed and backed the car out of the driveway. I took a step forward.

Mommy turned as they pulled away, waving.

Another picture to press down into my memory. I watched as the car disappeared down the street. I stood there, still in disbelief.

Then I heard the door open behind me and I turned to
see Aunt Sara nervously wiping her hands on her apron. “Laura always liked to help set the table. Would you like to help?”

I nodded and she smiled.

“I thought so.”

She went back inside. I lowered my head and followed. I felt like someone who'd been cast off a boat. I was searching desperately for a lifesaving raft.

6
 
Laura's Things

Aunt Sara had the dinner dishes on the kitchen counter and the silverware piled next to them. She folded linen napkins. The kitchen was as long as it was wide, with pots and pans hanging on the wall, two metal sinks side by side, a large cast-iron stove, and a refrigerator. There was a pantry off to the left. The late-afternoon sunlight poured through the large window on the west end, providing the only light.

“I'm putting out my better china tonight,” she said smiling as she meticulously folded the napkins. “Your arrival is a special occasion. Set out five places,” she told me. “You'll sit directly across from May and next to me. That's where Laura used to sit.”

“Where is May?” I asked.

“May went up to her room, probably to start on her homework. She's a diligent student. Laura taught her that.”

“She took me to the dock and Cary yelled at her,” I said.

Aunt Sara nodded. “He won't permit anyone else to take her near the water. He's afraid.” She took a deep
breath and held her right palm against her heart. “We're all just a little more afraid,” she muttered.

I gathered the dishes and brought them to the dining room. I felt I was sleepwalking. Was this really happening? Had Mommy truly gone and left me here?

When I returned to the kitchen to get the silverware and folded napkins, Aunt Sara was checking the chicken. Something simmered on the stove. Potatoes baked while pies cooled on the windowsill. The hustle and bustle in Aunt Sara's kitchen gave me a warm feeling. Everything smelled wonderful. I had been too nervous this morning to eat much of a breakfast, and except for the few clams I had nibbled when we first arrived, I had eaten very little all day.

“Laura loved to cook with me,” Aunt Sara said as she worked. “While other girls her age were off giggling over boys, she was home, helping. She was always like that, even as a little girl. You never saw a more selfless person, worrying about everyone else before she worried about herself.

“You know what Jacob says?” She turned to me. “He says the angels must have been so jealous of her, God granted them their wish and took her to heaven sooner than planned.”

She smiled, her face softened, her chin quivering. Tears glittered in her eyes.

“I'm sorry,” I said. “I'm sorry I never got to meet her.”

“Oh, yes. Wouldn't that have been wonderful?” She thought a moment and then sternly added, “You should have met.”

I wanted to ask her why we hadn't, why this family had been so bitter and mean to each other, but I thought it might be the wrong time to bring up such questions.

She took a deep breath. “You better put out the silverware, dear.”

After the table was set, Aunt Sara said she'd take me to
my room. “Your things are already there. I want to show you where to put them away and all that you can use, too.”

“Use?” I wondered what she meant as I followed her up the short stairway leading to the second floor. The steps creaked and the railing shook as we ascended. At the top was a small landing.

“May's room and Cary's room are down that way,” she said pointing right. Without windows, the hallway was dark. “Jacob's and my room is the last room on the left and your room, which was Laura's room, is right there.” She pointed to the first door on the left. “That's the bathroom, of course,” she added, curtly nodding at the doorway across from what was to be my room.

“Here you are.” She stood back after opening the door. I gazed in slowly, shocked at what I found. The room was cluttered with things that had once belonged to my dead cousin. It looked as if she had just died yesterday. The walls were covered with her posters of rock and movie stars, the shelves crowded with stuffed animals and ceramic dolls. There was a collection of ceramic and pewter cats on one shelf. Below the shelves was a small table with a miniature tea set and a big doll in a chair.

It was a very pretty, cozy room, with pink wallpaper spotted white. There was a canopy bed, just like the bed Alice Morgan had, only the headboard didn't have a heart design. The bedding, comforter, and pillows all matched the mauve shade of the canopy, and at the center of the two fluffy pillows was a large, stuffed cat that looked almost real and very much like the one I had brought.

There was a vanity table with a large mirror and a matching dresser. In one corner was a desk and chair. An open notebook lay on the desk and beside it was a pile of school textbooks and what looked like library books.

Why weren't they ever returned? I wondered.

The sliding doors on the closet were open, so I could
see the garments hanging inside. On a hook next to the closet doorjamb was a pink terrycloth robe. The slippers were at the foot of the bed.

Two open windows, one on each side of the bed, faced the ocean. The breeze made the curtains flutter and wave. The scent of the sea air overpowered the vague, sweet perfume I smelled when first looking into the room.

“Isn't it beautiful?” Aunt Sara said.