Shadows 02 Girl in the Shadows (30 page)

"We're okay,"
I
said firmly, 'Both of us are okay."
"That's good." He raised his eyes and then smiled at Echo and stood up. "Well. I just stopped by to see how you two were and to tell you my plans. Everything's still on go for her and the school. right?"
"I'm sure it is." I said.
"Something smells pretty good." he said. and I suddenly realized there was something cooking on the stove. I hadn't done it, of course.
I signed to Echo and she signed back that she had put up a casserole her grandmother had made and left in the freezer.
"I guess I slept through it all," I said. "I guess she's capable of a lot more than everyone thinks.'
"She is and she'll grow even more so when she enters the school. By this time next year, you won't recognize her."
"I won't be here that long. Tyler."
"No. Of course not," he said.
"But I'll come visit."
"Sure." he said. smiling.
We stared at each other for a moment. "I'm sorry," he said. "I really acted--"
"Let's stop apologizing. Tyler. I'm hungry." I said, and he laughed. "Echo," I said, turning to her and signing, "should we invite Ty to dinner?"
She nodded so quickly and emphatically.
I
thought her eyes would roll.
"Then let's set the table," I said.
We all went to work. It felt good to be happy, to joke and to enjoy ourselves. Moments after the table was set, the doorbell rang and we greeted two police officers. Looking past them. I saw my car. They asked me to sign that I had received it and then I thanked them and they left.
Just as we sat at the table to began to eat, the phone rang. Tyler and I looked at each other, both holding our breath. I rose and answered it in the kitchen. He remained at the table with Echo.
"Hello." I said. Every time this phone rang, it made my heart pound.
"It's Doctor Battie, Just wanted to let you know that we will be doing the pacemaker tomorrow morning. She's not exactly where I'd like her to be, but we decided not to wait any longer on it."
"What time?"
"Early. It should all be over by eight o'clock," he said.
"We'll be there," I told him.
"Okay. And how are you two doing?"
"Much better," I said.
"Good. Don't worry," he said.
I thanked him and hung up.
Don't
worry?
I gazed at my reflection in the kitchen window and then signed to myself: right fingers on my temple and that over-the-top grimace.
The strings that tied us all together were wobbling. I only could pray they wouldn't snap in the morning and put Echo into that limbo I had been fleeing ever since my parents died.

Tyler didn't want to go right home after I told him about Mrs. Westington's surgery in the morning. We of course agreed Echo should not yet be told. In the morning I would take her to the hospital pretending it was just another visit. We decided we'd amuse her until she was tired enough to fall asleep and that way keep her from thinking about the bad things that had happened and could happen. Actually, it did the same for me.

Tyler helped me bring all Uncle Palaver's magic tricks down and carried Destiny down as well so I could perform a magic show in the living room.
I
returned to the motor home and brought in more of the illusions that we used in the road shows. We had Echo sit on the sofa and Tyler stood to my right and signed and explained everything I said.

I began by pretending to hypnotize a handkerchief so it would straighten up on its own in my hand. It was an easy illusion because a flattened straw was sewn in the hem of the handkerchief and I just pressed on it to make the handkerchief rise.

Using Destiny. I went through card tricks, disappearing ball tricks, and a variety of coin and mirror tricks. Tyler sat in a chair while
I
magically pulled a handkerchief through his head and then levitated him a few inches off his chair. Even he was amazed and impressed. I ended up with the answering pendulum trick, which was as close to real magic as anything
I
had seen. At the end of a string, Uncle Palaver had a small fishing weight. He then would have a member of the audience ask a question and the ball would either swing in a straight line for a yes response or swing in a circle for a no.

"How does it do that?" Tyler asked me after I had Echo ask a question. She asked if the casserole she had heated up for us was delicious. It went into a straight line. She clapped her hands and then asked if she would have any nightmares tonight and it went m' to a circle.

I shrugged. "Uncle Palaver couldn't explain it either. He said it was like an old-fashioned divining rod. Maybe it's our subconscious thoughts that influence it." I smiled. "And then again, maybe not."

Tyler nodded. He gazed at Destiny, who had her arms raised as she shook her head, and he laughed.

"No, but as Mrs. Westington says, you can't stay on the road forever and run from yourself, put your head in the sand."

Destiny, whose eyes closed.
Echo asked Tyler if he was returning in the
morning and while he glanced at me, he told her he
would see her at the hospital because he was going to
visit her grandmother. too. That pleased her. She
asked me if I was going to sleep now as well and I
told her I would be coming up soon. I wanted to put
away my magic show. She looked at Tyler and then at
me and nodded. After she left. Tyler helped me take
the tricks and illusions out to the motor home. "Destiny stays in the house with us," I said. We then went upstairs to check on Echo and
found her asleep, embracing Mr. Panda.
"I see you have a dream catcher, too." he said.
"Not taking any chances. huh?"
"Not anymore."
He smiled. All that had happened appeared to
have freed him inside so that he wasn't as guarded
about his feelings and as afraid of trusting them. We went downstairs again. I saw how he was
hesitating.
"You don't have to hang around any longer.
Tyler. We'll be allright."
"If you don't mind. I'd like to," he replied. "It
helps me to feel better."
"Okay," I said. surprised.
We sat on the sofa in the living room and talked
about his new plans and mine. I tried to keep awake.
but after a while, my eyelids just shut down and I felt
myself leaning more and more against him. He rose
and fixed a pillow under my head and then he sat
across from me in Mrs. Westington's chair. When I
opened my eyes with the morning light streaking
through the window, he was still there, asleep himself. I sat up and he opened his eyes.
"Hey," he said, looking about. "What time is
it?" He checked his watch. "Wow. I guess I was more
tired than I thought, too."
"I've got to get Echo going. I'll get her some
breakfast and then we'll drive over to the hospital." "Right. I'll meet you there," he said. He rose
and stretched. Then he smiled. "Great show last
night."
"Thanks."
"See you soon." He hurried out.
I wondered what he would be telling his mother
when he got home or if that even mattered anymore. Echo and I showered and dressed. I made some
coffee. I was unable to eat very much. My stomach
felt as if it were full of baby snakes. Echo had some
juice and a little cereal. I thought she was suspicious
about my moving her along quickly and getting us out
so early, but she didn't ask anything about it. We got
into my car and started away. I couldn't stop my
nerves from twanging. Although getting a pacemaker
was usually not a terribly dangerous procedure, it was
for Mrs. Westington at her age and under her
circumstances. As she would be the first to tell me. I
knew enough to be dangerous. Mostly. I knew the
doctors were afraid of her having a much more severe
stroke.
Tyler was already in the parking lot waiting for
us when I drove in. He got out of his car quickly to
greet us. Echo was happy to see him, but very
surprised as well. She kept looking at me for more of
an explanation. I knew we could hold back the truth
only a few more minutes because once we were inside
and she saw we weren't going to her grandmother's
room, she would know something more was happening. I was glad I had Tyler with me to help
explain it all with his expert signing.
At the reception desk, we found out where to go
to wait. When we reached the lounge. Tyler and I
finally told Echo exactly what was going on. She sat
there absorbing it all and looking very frightened and
small. I held her hand and tried to reassure her. By
doing that I was reassuring myself. A little after eight
o'clock, Doctor Battie appeared. I held my breath until
I saw him smile. As he spoke. Tyler signed to Echo. "It went well," the doctor said. "That woman's
got spunk. Give her a few hours and then we'll have
you visit. I'll let her know you were here and were
updated."
Joyous and feeling as if a ton of trouble had
been lifted from our shoulders.
I
declared I was finally
hungry. Tyler confessed to not having had much
breakfast either so we headed down to the hospital
cafeteria. Echo had a better appetite as well. The three
of us sat at a table and watched hospital staff, other
visitors, and doctors going in and out.
"I'd like to work in a hospital someday." Echo
told us. "and help people."
"After you go to school, you can be anything
you want." Tyler signed, and she smiled.
"What is it really like for the hearing impaired
as far as careers go?" I asked him.
"Their opportunities have improved
considerably. She's a ways off from making a career
decision, but you'd be surprised at how much she can
do. Maybe she will work in a medical lab someday, or
even become a doctor."
"A doctor?"
"Who knows? She's bright enough to do most
anything."
Suddenly. Echo's eyes widened. I turned to look
in the direction she was facing and saw Trevor
coming toward us. He looked angry enough to tear the
cafeteria into shreds. His eyes went to Tyler and then
to me.
"She's all right. We're all right," I said quickly. Trevor's shoulders relaxed. "Why didn't you
have the police call me at my cousin's home?" he
asked. "When I phoned the house and couldn't get
anyone. I called a friend of mine in Healdsburg at the
Mars Hotel. Seems the whole town's talking about
what happened. When I heard the grisly details. I got
an earlier flight out and just drove right to the
hospital."
He sat. "They both in jail then?" he asked me. "Yes, Trevor, Skeeter was wanted for a lot
more and Rhona's in big trouble now."
"I'm not surprised and not disappointed either,"
he said.
"Can I get you a cup of coffee. Trevor?" Tyler
asked.
Trevor glared at him a moment and then
nodded. "Sure. Black, no sugar." he said. and Tyler
leaped to his feet. "How's Mrs. Westington doing now
then?"
"She had a pacemaker put in this morning and
the doctor says she's doing well, Trevor."
"And the little one here?"
"She's all right now. She's going to be fine. We
all are. Trevor."
"That's good. I'm sorry I wasn't here," he said,
shaking his head. "I knew I shouldn't have left you
with those two. You didn't tell me the whole truth
about what was going on in that house. I bet. You
didn't want me to stay and you knew I wouldn't leave
if I knew everything,"
"You were where you had to be."
"I'm not so sure. You can give me the details
later." he said. He jerked his shoulder toward Tyler. "I
thought he was gone from the scene."
"He's sorry he left us," I said. "He's taking a job
at the school Echo will attend. too. It'll make it easier
for her."
"That so? What's his mama got to say about
that?"
"Not much it seems," I said. smiling.
"Looks like a lot more than I knew went on
right before my eyes," he said, smiling.
"Mrs. Westington's going to be even happier
when she sees you and knows you're back," I said to
change the subject.
"Oh, she'll find something to blame me for.
Don't you worry about that," he said. and I laughed. Tyler brought him his coffee. "Sorry to hear
about your mother. Trevor," he told him.
Trevor looked up at him. "Thank you. April
here told me about your new career plans."
"Yes," he said.
"Sounds good," Trevor said.
Tyler nodded. "Maybe the jury's finally in on
me." he told me, and we both laughed. Even Trevor
thought that was funny and Echo laughed because she
was wrapped in our good feelings.
When sufficient time had gone by, we went to
see Mrs. Westington. Normally, the ICU nurses wouldn't have let us all in at once. but I think they were just as afraid of hearing Mrs. Westington complain as they were of hearing their superiors complain. We gathered around her bed. She looked at
our faces and nodded. Then she turned to Trevor. "How did you get back here so fast?" "Put my whole mind to it," he replied, and she
smiled.
"Don't you all stand there looking down at me
like I'm hovering above my grave."
"What are you telling us?' Trevor asked her.
"That old man you saw through the window of your
soul ain't looking in on you anymore?"
"He'll come around when I tell him he can and
not a minute before." she replied.
"I bet he won't," Trevor said. laughing. "I just
bet he won't."
The doctors wanted Mrs. Westington in the
hospital one more day. Of course she complained, but
she gave up when she realized she was actually going
to walk out of there. She promised and swore that she
would behave and not do too much too quickly, but
we all knew those promises were as good as the air
they were written on, as she would say about other
people's promises. After she came home. I tried staving on her, taking things out of her hands, moving to do things before she could, and constantly pleading with her to sit and rest. She bawled me out for being a
Nervous Nelly.
Trevor gave me as much help as he could with
her, and so did Echo, who probably had the most
influence. Tyler came over almost every night and we
had some fine dinners and times together. The day
after Mrs. Westington came home. Detective Temple
came to see me again and to tell us that Rhona and
Skeeter had been arraigned and a hearing before trial
was being scheduled. Skeeter was also wanted in two
other states and would be extradited to stand trial
there as well.
Despite her anger and disappointment, Mrs.
Westington suffered some quiet moments of regret
and sorrow about Rhona. She talked about the
mistakes she might have made bringing her up and
declared that she bore some responsibility for her
whether or not she liked to admit it. In the end she
decided to pay for an attorney, not to get Rhona off
scot-free as much as to provide for her having some
hope somewhere down the line,
"It's throwing good money after bad." she told
me. "but I can't help it. You'll discover that you do many things you don't want to do because of your
parental obligations sometimes. April."
Who said I would ever be a parent? I thought.
She saw the doubt in my face.
"Don't count yourself out of anything, girl.
You're too young to come to any of those kinds of
conclusions," she advised.
Maybe she was right. I decided.
When Mrs. Westington was strong enough, we
all went to the school Echo would attend to meet with
the headmaster and some of her prospective teachers.
We were shown the dormitories as well. I watched
Mrs. Westington's face the whole time. I could see the
battle going on in her mind. She was impressed with
the facilities, the achievements of the students and
their interaction, but she also saw her granddaughter
drifting away from her. The ties that had bound them
together were snapping loose. She was wise enough to
recognize that some of those ties kept Echo far too
constricted and trapped her in a little girl's world
when she should be expanding, growing, maturing,
and becoming independent.
"Funny." she said as Trevor drove us home that
day. "but I think I'll have had more success bringing
up a girl with a hearing disability than one who was
healthy in every way."
"Not every way," Trevor said, scowling back at
her. "She inherited some rot from some ancestor. Of
course, not on your side of the family." he added, and
she smacked him playfully on the shoulder. Echo and
I watched it from the rear and both laughed. "Stick to our grapes," she told him.
"Our grapes? Now they're our grapes?" "They always were. I just humored you so
you'd do a good job."
"Well, I'll be... you hear that. April? Is this
woman the mother of all deception or what?" "Oh, go eat your hat," she told him.
The following day we returned to the mall to
buy Echo some more new clothes. It was Mrs.
Westington's idea after she saw what the other
teenagers at the school were wearing.
"I guess if they all want to go on looking
foolish and clownish with those baggy pants and cut
up blouses and pants, there's nothing I can do about
it," she decided. "I just hope she doesn't go and get
rings put through her nose."
The purchases delighted Echo. I couldn't
remember seeing her happier and neither could Mrs.
Westington. Echo and I carried everything up to her room and I helped her organize her things for her
move to the school in what was now two more days. Her preparations reminded me of my own first
days at school: the anticipation, the nervousness, and
the hope.
Late that same afternoon. I received a phone
call from the lawyer who had been taking care of
Uncle Palaver's estate. He told me it was now possible
to put the motor home up for sale and he had arranged
for someone to come by in the morning and drive it
over to the auctioneer. He wanted me to be sure I had
taken everything out of it that I wanted.
I had known this news would be coming
anytime, but actually hearing it put a chill in my heart.
I told Mrs. Westington and she saw it all in my face. "You've got to let go now, April," she said.
"You've got to cut the past away. I know what I'm
talking about. I've done it many times and I'm doing it
now. Sometimes it's painful and sometimes it's not,
but it has to be. We move on.'
"I know," I said. "I guess I'd better go through
the motor home and get what I don't want thrown out
or taken by someone."
"You want me to help you?"
"Oh, no. I'll be just fine," I said. Of course, we
both knew that was a boldface lie.
When I entered the motor home. I simply stood
there looking at everything at first, not knowing where
to start. I went through all of Uncle Palaver's drawers,
putting things in small bags and cartons. I discovered
old pictures of him and my mother, even pictures he
had saved of Brenda and me when we were much
younger. There was one picture of him and Daddy
that brought tears to my eyes. They both looked so
young back then, so young and full of hope and
energy. If only there was a way to bring pictures back
to life, to return to those happier times.
I found another cache of money hidden in a pair
of Uncle Palaver's socks, And then. I found a shoe
box with clippings and pictures of the real Destiny.
There was a great deal of illusion in this motor home.
I thought. after I had gathered all the tricks and
paraphernalia that were part of Uncle Palaver's act,