"We're going to visit one of Jordan's relatives," she replied.
"Relatives?" He grimaced with disappointment. "What's so important about seeing relatives?"
"It's important to Jordan and to me. What do you care?" she snapped back at him. "You doing something better today?"
"I can think of something."
"Think later," she said. She turned up the music, more to drown him out than listen. I thought.
I sat back and stared out the window while they talked and mostly teased each other. I still couldn't throw off this feeling that I was being carried along in currents so powerful there was no way to turn back or to stop. There were no hands to reach for, no arms to embrace me and lift me into safety. Ian was so positive that everything had a cause and effect. One thing he'd always spent time explaining to me was why-- why this happened or that or why this or that would happen no matter what.
What was the why about me? I wondered. Why was I here? Was it simply because my parents had gotten into a bad car accident? If I thought about that and how Ian had explained it. I could keep asking why forever. Why had Grandmother Emma and
Grandfather Blake brought up my father to be the way he was? Why had they married? Why was
Grandmother Emma so different from Great-aunt Frances? The why questions would go back so far until-- and this made me smile when I thought of it-- I would ask why this tadpole met this egg and turned it into me.
As Alanis and Chad continued to tease each other, laugh and listen to their music. I wondered if any of these sorts of why questions ever occurred to either of them. Did Alanis ever wonder why she had the mother she had? Should I ask her?
I thought not. I closed my eyes and thought about my mother. I listened hard for the sound of her voice and tried to not hear any other, but it was too hard to do in a car with music playing loudly. Ian had known what I had to do when he'd told me to find a very quiet place.
After what seemed at least an hour. Alanis turned to tell me we were almost there.
"When we get there, we might have to tell them you're her grandniece." she said.
"What do you mean, she might have to tell them? I thought she was visiting a relative," Chad said.
"She is, but the relative is old and has a bad memory," Alanis replied without skipping a beat.
I'd never met anyone who was as good or as fast at coming up with a lie as she was, -When I'd first arrived. I would have said I wasn't interested in that, but now I thought it would be better to be able to make up stories sometimes. I couldn't help thinking I'd be better off being more like she was,
"Pull into that garage," Alanis ordered after we saw the sign announcing we had entered Johnsville. "I need to get us directions."
As soon as he stopped, she jumped out and went into the office.
"She's one crazy girl," Chad said. "but that's why I like her. You never know what Alanis is going to do or say next. She's an original. Know what that means?"
I shook my head.
"She's different from the other girls, who are boring and predictable. She's full of surprises. Say. I like her hat on you, by the way. That was another surprise. I never thought she'd give that to anyone. I thought it was attached to her head. She must like you a lot"
I didn't say anything. I wasn't sure Alanis wanted him to know we were being like sisters.
"Who is this relative?" he asked.
I felt myself panic, and then I remembered what Alanis had told him and said. "Another great-aunt."
He nodded and moved with the music until Alanis returned.
"Keep going until we reach the third traffic light and then turn left." she told him when she got into the car.
"Yes, boss," he said, saluted and drove on.
Johnsville was a prettier community than ours. The houses looked clean and newer or well kept, and their lawns and bushes were trimmed to look like they were in a painting. The streets had no potholes, and the stores we saw looked busy. What struck me about our town was the empty feeling in the streets.
After another turn, we saw a sin indicating we were closing on the Sisters of Mercy adult residence.
"That's it." Alanis told him.