your chores. Get up orI'll turn your bed over with
you in it. Get up!'"
He reached out and I screamed and screamed. "Stop it!" I heard Aunt Victoria snap. She
turned on the lamp on the nightstand. "Why are you
shouting? Now you want to get out of this room? Who
brought you up here? Not me. I leave for a little while
and you turn this house upside down. What a mess
and I have no maid hired yet to keep after it and clean
up after you.
"Oh my God," she cried looking down at the
stale towel by the bed. "This place is disgusting and
you stink. Where's your mother while all this is going
on. huh? She's off at some Mediterranean resort
basking in the sunshine, drinking cocktails, listening
to music and dancing with Grant while I'm left here
looking after you."
She turned on more lights. At least she's back to
being Aunt Victoria again. I thought even though that
was like being grateful that the devil was only Hitler. "Well, what am I supposed to do with you
now? I can't carry you downstairs, you know. I don't
even want to touch you, you smell so bad."
She stared at me.
"What are you smiling about?" she asked. Was
I smiling.
"You think this is funny? You think you're hurting me? Ridiculous girl. First, you go and scrape yourself up on the driveway and I have to deal with that, and now, you get yourself up here and into my
mother's bed and mess and I have to handle that. too." She shook her head.
"Even I have limitations,"' She sighed. "All
right. I'll do my best. I'll fill a tub and help you into it
and then we'll see about getting you out of here." "Get... me... to the hospital." I pleaded. "Don't tell me what to do. You think I would
allow anyone into the house the way you've messed