Confused, I paused outside of Belinda's
bedroom door. She was laughing and talking with great animation, but I knew she had no visitor and I also knew I had not had her phone reconnected. She laughed again. I opened the door slowly--and gazed at her seated at her table, the phone receiver pinched between her shoulder and her head as she polished her fingernails.
"Belinda?" I said and she turned, swinging her eyes up at me.
"Oh, sorry, Arnold, my sister just walked in. I have to hang up. Call me tomorrow," she said. "I'll be waiting," she sang and cradled the receiver.
"What are you doing?" I asked, my heart pounding.
"Just talking to some friends," she said. "I know, I know. I spend too much time on the phone. Don't go running to Daddy," she said. "Don't you like this color, Olivia?" She showed me her fingernails. Her right hand had a dark red and her left had more of a pink. "I'm going to do my toenails in it, too. Quin thinks it's hysterical. Why do girls do their toenails? he asks.
Hardly anyone ever gets to see them, he says. But that's not true. Lots of times I walk barefoot or I wear sandals or . . oh dear," she s
uddenly said. "I'm sorry."
"What?"
She picked up the phone again.
"Hello. I can't talk now, Louise. Can you call me in an hour? Thanks." She hung up. "So," she said turning back to me, "what's up?"
"I hope you didn't forget that you were leaving today, Belinda."
She blinked rapidly and then smiled.
"Oh no, I didn't forget, but I haven't had a chance to do much packing, Olivia. Don't start chastising me. It wasn't my fault. This phone hasn't stopped ringing since everyone heard I was going on holiday. They're actually all jealous."
"The car is here, Belinda. Don't worry about your things. I'll have them sent," I said.
"Oh, will you? Thank you, thank you. I really do appreciate how efficient and reliable you are, Olivia. Most people would kill for a sister like you looking after them all the time. Well," she said looking around. She stood up. "I guess I'd better put on my jacket then. I decided to wear the light blue coat. It's good for traveling, comfortable and easy to keep," she said and went to the closet.
I watched her put on her jacket and then look at herself in the mirror to fluff her hair. I must have seen her do that a thousand times, I thought. She smiled, content with her appearance.
"I guess we can't keep my driver waiting any longer. I'm ready," she said.
I stepped out of the room and she followed.
"I didn't get to everyone, Olivia, so a lot of my friends will still be calling. I know it's a bore, but you'll tell them where I am, won't you?"
"Yes, don't worry about it," I said.
"Good."
She went down the stairs with a light bounce in her step and paused at the door to wait for me to catch up.
"You look so sad today, Olivia. You wish you were coming along, don't you? Why don't you? You can stop working for a while," she said. "We could have fun together, be real sisters for a change, just doing silly things."
"I'll follow later, Belinda," I said.
"Will you? Good," she replied and we walked out. The nurse was waiting at the car. She opened the door and looked at me in anticipation.
"Everything's fine," I said. She nodded and turned to Belinda.
"Hello, Belinda," she said. "My name is Clara."
"I love your hair. Is that your natural color?" Belinda asked her. She smiled at me.
"Yes, it is."