My Friend's Dirty Uncle

I, by contrast, was dressed modestly in a plain blue sweater and an beat-up pair of jeans. But I didn’t mind. I’ve never been into fashion, and finding clothes that fit my curvy body has always been a challenge.

Breathing in deep, I stared at the landscape flying by.

“Where are we going? I didn’t think your house was far away from the bus stop,” I mused. Salty air from the ocean made my hair an unruly mess and I frowned in the side mirror. Next to Justine, I looked like a chubby teen with unsexy plain brown hair.

“I’m driving to our house, where else?”

“But is this the way?” I asked, baffled. Somewhere in my head, I had a faint memory of winding roads and modest homes – not huge mansions with towering hedges.

Justine laughed.

“We moved a couple years back, silly. My dad wanted a gated community, so he and my mom picked this new house. It’ll be fun!” she giggled. “You’ll have your own room, even though we’ll share a bathroom.”

I nodded, looking at the passing neighborhood with wide eyes because it was really fancy. But then again, what did I expect? Justine’s father was a businessman. He was successful when I was younger, and his fortune had only grown with time. Sometimes my mom would talk to my Aunt Melanie, and from what little I had overheard, I knew that they were very well-off.

Sometimes I wondered if Aunt Melanie had offered Mom any money after my dad died. Mom would never have taken it though, and I couldn’t blame her. Susan was determined to make it on her own after my dad passed, and I respected her for that. Come to think of it, I’m a lot like that myself, and hoped feverishly that Justine wasn’t going to want to do things that were crazy expensive.

We turned off the road into a small street with another gate. My cousin clicked a button and the gate opened. She pulled through, and then entered what appeared to be a very exclusive lane. Each house was bigger than the next and all I could do was marvel at their incredible sizes. We passed a few with large ornate fountains in front, not to mention the luxury cars parked out front. I had never seen so many gorgeous homes before and I gaped because it was like something from a magazine. We took a few twists and turns until finally, Justine pulled into a large driveway.

“Finally home,” she chirped, killing the engine and unbuckling her seat belt. I stared at the home in front of me.

For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. This wasn’t just a house, it was a manor with at least three stories and large white pillars in front. It looked like something you would see in a movie. Justine started to walk up the front steps before she realized I wasn’t behind her. She turned around and looked at me.

“Coming, silly?”

I nodded my head, grabbing my duffle and dutifully walking up the steps. Justine led me into a huge entryway. I looked up and saw a golden chandelier that was dripping with diamonds. In the reflection of the marble floor, my bewildered expression stared back at me. In front was a long golden staircase that traveled up to the second floor, seemingly to another open area with large couches. The foyer alone was bigger than our humble kitchen and living room combined back home.

“Justine, is that you?” A few seconds later, an older woman appeared. “Daniella! My, how you have grown!” cooed Aunt Melanie as she walked over and hugged me tight. After a few minutes, she backed away, holding me at arm’s length. “You look so much like your mother was at this age. It’s uncanny.”

“Thanks Aunt Melanie,” I said as I took in her features. She looked no different from when I had seen her more than ten years ago. The only evidence of the lapsed time was a few wrinkles around her eyes.

She smiled wider, as she took me down the hallway under the giant golden staircase. “So tell me, how is Susan?”

“My mom’s fine,” I said as I looked around the hallway. It was full of pictures of their family. My eyes landed on a few photos that seemed to showcase family trips. Justine in front of the Eiffel Tower. Aunt Melanie and Uncle Craig holding each other on a gondola in Italy. My twin cousins Joey and Emma enjoying ramen in Japan. The whole family on camels in front of an Egyptian pyramid.

I felt a pang of jealousy as I gazed at the pictures but quickly brushed it away. Everyone has a different fate in life, and mine was to remain humble. Aunt Melanie smiled kindly at me, as if reading my mind.

“Well, I’m glad you’re here. You’ll have a wonderful time, sweetheart. I’ve been wanting you to visit these past couple of years.”