I looked back at Great-aunt Frances, who was still on her knees washing the tub, and Lester Marshall, who was examining the sink faucet. Once again. I felt a great urge to run after Felix to beg him to take me home. but I didn't. I watched him disappear down the stairs. then I went to my room to get my bathroom things. I did go to the window, where I looked out for one last look at Felix. I saw him pause, gaze back at the house. Shake his head, then get into Grandmother Emma's limousine. A few moments later he was driving off. He was the last person connecting me to my past world, All I had now were Ian's letters waiting to be read.
As the limousine made its way down the gravel drive, the girl and the boy I had seen in the basement crossed in front of the house and walked toward the small house. The girl wore an apricot-colored round crown hat. They were laughing, but suddenly the girl pushed the boy away. He looked like he protested, but she ran and he ran after her. I watched them until they disappeared from my view. Then I returned to the bathroom with my toilet articles.
Lester was gone. but Great-aunt Frances was sitting on the side of the tub looking exhausted. She had her hand over her breast.
"It takes so little to tire me out these days. That's why I can't do very much. Mae Betty will just have to work harder now that you're here. too. I'm not used to house cleaning," she whined. "And I'm too old now to start. You can't teach an old dog new tricks. The tub is as clean as I can get it." She paused and then smiled. But don't worry, dear. We'll be all right. Everything will be all right. We don't have to be so uppity about ourselves, do we? If Emma doesn't like it, she'll just have to hire more help for me."
While she spoke. I put my things in the medicine cabinet.
She saw me put the tampons in the bottom cabinet, but she looked away quickly.
"You know I had my first period already. right?" I asked her. She shook her head, keeping her gaze on the floor.
"I don't talk about that. I hate to talk about anything that isn't pleasant. That goes for doctors and hospitals especially. I don't like to think about them. I hate going to the dentist. too. Dr. Evans comes to see me once in a while, and he's going to come see you soon, too. Emma's lawyer told me it's all arranged. so I don't have to be concerned about any of that," she said, looking at me again and smiling. "We don't want to even think about unpleasant things, now do we. Jordan? Okay? Okay?" she pursued, now with more urgency.
I nodded. What else couldn't I tell her about? What was I supposed to do about my problems? How could I swallow back everything?
"The only unhappiness we will permit in the house will come over the television set in my programs. That's all right, isn't it? If someone says anything unpleasant to us, we'll just pretend he or she is not there. It's like changing the channel on the television set. It's that easy. You just close your eyes for a second and go. 'Click!' in your mind and poof, whoever it is and whatever unpleasant thing they said or did will be gone.'
She stood up quickly.
"I must remember to go tell Lester what we want him to get us for our dinner. Because it's Southern. I'm going to put on a Gone With the Wind dress, I have all sorts of old clothes stored in the basement. I'll find something you can wear, too. I'll go look right now. What a fun, wonderful way to have our first dinner together."
She hurried out of the bathroom and down the hall before I could ask any questions. What was a Gone With the Wind dress? I also wondered if she would realize those kids had been down there.
More important, I wondered why Grandmother Emma thought I would be better off living here than back at the mansion with my father, even with his girlfriend there.
I closed the medicine cabinet and left the bathroom as Lester returned with tools to fix the faucet.
"It's a beautiful day," he said. "You shouldn't shut yourself up in here. Why don't you go over to the house and see what Alanis is doing."
"Who's Alanis?"
"That's my granddaughter.'"
The girl in the basement, I thought. "Is there a boy there. too?"
"Oh, that's her latest. Chad Washington, By the time you walk over there, he might be gone and some other boy will be knocking on the door."
He laughed and went into the bathroom.
As Ian might say, the door to my curiosity was thrown open. I started for the stairway. I could hea
r Mae Betty cleaning up the kitchen. The clanging of pots and pans, the sound of silverware being tossed and the jerking and pushing of the chairs and table told me she was still in a rage. I avoided her and quickly went to the front door and outside.
It was still a warm day, only more clouds had come slipping in under the blue so that the sun was hidden enough to cast a layer of light gray over the property. I could hear music coming from Lester Marshall's house. Some of the windows were open, and whatever was playing the music-- radio or CD player-- was turned up to be very loud.
I walked down the steps carefully and started slowly toward the house. I could hear the chickens Felix had told me about. They were in a pen next to the barn in the rear of the main house. When I drew closer to the Marshall house. I heard another window being thrown open. The curtain parted and the girl I had seen in the basement leaned out. The music was turned down, too.
"Hey!" she called. I walked a little faster toward her. "Who are you? What are you doing snooping around here?"
The boy she was with appeared over her shoulder and looked out at me.
"I'm not snooping," I said. "Mr. Marshall told me to come over here. Are you Alanis?"
"Mr. Marshall told you?" She laughed, looked at the boy and then at me again. "So who are you?"
"I'm Jordan March." I said.