Rain (Hudson 1)

"Shut up," Alison snapped.

"Alison!"

"He's such a dork." She looked at me. "I suppose you like hip-hop music the most."

"Actually no. I like Mozart. Your grandmother has a great collection of classical music."

"Oh pleeeeze. Classical music," Alison complained with a sour face.

"Why don't we all go for a walk down to the lake?" Brody suggested.

"Too many bugs," Alison said.

He looked at me and I glanced at Grandmother Hudson. She wore an expression of deep concern, but I didn't want to appear as rude as Alison.

"Sure," I said. "We'll have lunch in an hour, if that's all right, Mrs. Hudson."

"We should wait for my business adviser, my other daughter," she said, "but yes, an hour's fine."

"Can I watch television?" Alison asked.

"You came all the way here to watch television? Why don't you go with Brody and Rain?" my mother asked. "It's so beautiful today."

Alison folded her arms and stared down in a sulk.

"I'm tired," she said.

"Do what you want," my mother said.

We heard the front door open and moments later, Victoria appeared.

"Hello, Aunt Victoria," Brody said. "How have you been?"

"Busy," she said looking at Grandmother Hudson. Alison looked up and greeted her, sounding like a tape recorder.

"Can the three of us spend a few minutes together, Mother?" Victoria asked.

"We're just going for a walk before lunch," Brody told her.

Alison jumped up.

"And I'm going to watch television."

Brody and I left the house.

"My sister's a little bitch these days," he offered as an explanation. "I guess it's just a phase girls go through."

"I never did," I said. "Where I come from you don't have the luxury of going through a phase."

"Tell me about where you come from," he said as we walked.

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything." He smiled. "That is, everything you're willing to tell a complete stranger."

Yes, I thought, we are complete strangers. The blood going through your body is similar to mine. If you looked closely at me, you might see resemblances you never expected. We have the same mother, and yet, here we are, strolling down this beautiful walkway toward a lake that glittered like a new dime, hearing each other's voices for the first time.

I told him about my family, about school life in the city, about Beni's horrible death. He listened with interest, not saying a word. I didn't realize how much I had been talking until we were standing on the dock, looking at the rowboat.