Scattered Leaves (28 page)

thought and returned to the attic door to knock and call to Great-aunt Frances. She hadn't eaten lunch.
She must be hungry
, I thought.
"It's dinnertime. Great-aunt Frances. Are you coming down? What should I make? Do you want to put on any special clothes?"
As before, there was no answer. She's fallen asleep, I thought. She will come down when she wakes up, In sure. I went down to the kitchen and looked for something to make myself for dinner. Miss Puss appeared again, this time looking more alert and curious. I imagined she was hungry, too. so I poured some of the cat food into her dish and she went right to it. Then I found another box of macaroni and cheese and followed the directions. There was some bread and butter and some grape juice to drink.
Even though it tasted good. I felt strange eating alone in the silent house. Halfway through. I lost my appetite and dumped the rest of it in Miss Puss's plate. She smelled it, ate some, then left the kitchen. I washed everything and cleaned up. After that, I went to the living room and looked out the window. The world looked even darker to me. I felt as if I was shrinking under the enclosing blackness.
Without the television going or Great-aunt Frances moving about, and no one else here, silence fell like a stone curtain around me. I wondered if Miss Puss had gone back upstairs to wait at the door. I kept expecting Alanis, anticipating her bursting in and complaining about her granddad. I actually missed her company and hoped she would return, but the hours went by and I heard or saw no one outside. Every time I peered through the window curtain in the living room. I saw no one. Without lights and this far from the road, there was barely a glimmer.
It started to rain harder, and soon I heard thunder and saw a flash of lightning. It drove me back from the window. Ian loved to see lightning. He was in awe of the energy and loved to count the seconds until we heard a nimble or a roll of thunder.
I wondered how Great-aunt Frances felt about lightning and thunder. I half hoped that it would terrify her and drive her out of the attic and down to me. When was she going to come out? How could she stay in there so long? I wondered, and then I remembered what Mrs. DeMarco had told us about Great-aunt Frances being confined to the attic for months and months, even locked in it. Surely, if she had been able to stand that, she could stay up there now for a day. But why would she want to? And why wasn't she worrying about me? She couldn't be that angry.
The rain sounded like bugs hitting the windows. I could hear the wind sweeping sheets of it onto the porch and against the walls. The wind itself was whistling around the house, seeping in every crack. It was a real Indian summer storm. I cowered on the sofa, then decided to just go upstairs to bed. Sure enough. Miss Puss was sleeping at the attic door. I listened, put my ear to the door, knocked and called once more for Great-aunt Frances, but she didn't reply and I heard nothing. She must have gone to sleep herself I thought. Miss Puss was still asleep. My noise hadn't woken her.
I washed, brushed my teeth and headed for my bedroom. I thought
I
heard something and stopped to listen, but it was only a window shutter rattling. Practically diving into bed, I pulled my cover around me, said prayers for my parents and Ian, then tried to drown out the sounds of the storm by pressing my ear to the pillow and practically pulling the blanket over my head. I wondered again about Alanis. Had she come home? Had she gone to a friend's house? She couldn't be wandering about the streets in this storm,
I
thought, and then I imagined that was just what she was doing and felt sorry for her.
Sometime after I had fallen asleep. I woke to the sound of a telephone ringing. I listened, and it stopped. I had no idea how long it had been ringing. Or what time it was.
"Great-aunt Frances?" I called to the open bedroom doorway and the hall. I waited, but I didn't hear her call back or moving about. The storm had stopped and there was just a light wind circling about the house now. I could hear the water still running down the gutters. It sounded like marbles. After a few more moments of listening. I fell asleep again and didn't wake this time until sunlight crawled over the bed and nudged my eyelids with soft fingers of brightness,
Eager now to see Great-aunt Frances. I rose quickly and dressed. Then
I
looked first in her bedroom and was terribly disappointed to see she wasn't there and the bed hadn't been touched. I hurried out. Miss Puss wasn't at the door, which gave me hope. I practically leaped down the stairway, calling for Great-aunt Frances as I descended, but when I reached the kitchen. I saw she wasn't there. She wasn't anywhere,
I
discovered Miss Puss in the living room near the sofa, and for a moment. I just turned about, stunned and confused.
She can't still be up in the attic
, I thought.
She can't.
Nevertheless. I returned to the attic door, listened, and knocked, and called. There was no response, and it was still locked. I couldn't help but start crying a little, and then...
I looked down and saw the ants.
They were coming out from under the door. Ian's ants!
Streaming out in a thin line right toward me.
I screamed and backed away, nearly falling over in my haste to retreat. Spinning around. I charged down the stairway and tripped, just catching myself on the wobbly banister. I heard it cracking and let go, balancing myself.
Crying harder now. I continued down and charged out the front door.
Lester Marshall, wearing paint-stained overalls and carrying a can of paint and a brush, was heading toward me. He stopped for a moment. I simply screamed "'Ants!" and he dropped the can of paint and the brush and ran toward the house.
"What is it?" he asked.
I was sobbing so hard that I couldn't breathe or speak. The words just wouldn't form.
"Miss Jordan, what's wrong?" he asked.
I was choking now. I felt the porch floor start to wobble and the whole world begin to turn, as if I'd been in a huge bubble and it had started to roll.
I heard him call out to me. and
I
felt his hands reach out and catch me under my back just before I hit the porch floor.
That was all I remembered until I woke up in the living room on the sofa. I felt the cold washcloth on my forehead. Lester Marshall was standing there looking down at me, a glass of water in his hand.
"Drink some of this." he said. He knelt down to help me lift my head, then guided the glass to my lips. I drank some and closed my eyes. "Where's Miss Frances?" he asked.
"She's... up in the... attic," I said. "The attic?"
"She's been up there all the time. The door's locked. And now ants..."
"Ants?" he said, twisting his lips. He stood up, looking very concerned.
"Ian's ants." I muttered. "He said to watch out,
"You babbling, child. You just rest here a while until I see what is what," he said.
He turned and left the living room. I heard him going up the stairway. Then I saw Miss Puss appear. She walked toward me, stood looking up at me, then curled up beside the sofa. I closed my eyes. My stomach was churning and turning, and I was still very dizzy.
I know I called out for my mother. It seemed as if I was doing it in a dream.
And then. I was sure. I was positive. I heard her. Ian was right. The telepathy would work. Mommy would hear me. She called my name. She told me not to be afraid. She said she would watch over me. She said everything would be all right. I felt myself relax, and moments later. I was asleep.
When I woke again, there was a great deal of noise and activity around me. A kind-looking woman in a paramedic's uniform was at my side, smiling down at me. She knelt and told me I shouldn't be afraid.
"I know," I said. "My mother just told me that, too...
"Oh, did she?" She held her smile. I thought she had very pretty dark brown eyes, more like the shade of pecan brown with tiny gold specks. "When did you see her?" she asked.
"I didn't. She's in the hospital in a coma, but she talks to me through telepathy. Ian taught her how
to
do
it."

"Ian? Who's Ian?"
"He's my brother."
"Oh. Well, that's very nice. I'm happy for you.

I remembered being nauseous and shook my head. "I was nauseous," I told her.
"I'll give you something to help that. In the meantime. I want you to drink some water and then we'll make sure you're fine, okay?"
I nodded.
She was very nice. Mother would like her, I thought. Ian might even trust her.
"Where's Great-aunt Frances?" I asked.
"We're taking care of her." she said. "Don't you worry. Your name's Jordan. right?"
"Yes."
"I'm Alexandra,
but
everyone calls me Alex."
I heard more noise just outside the living room and sat up to see other paramedics carrying a stretcher on which Great-aunt Frances lay. They had one of those bags with what looked like a wire going into her arm, just the way my mother had. Oh no, I thought, she in a coma, too. I felt the tears filling my eyes.
"Great-aunt Frances is in a coma."
"No, she's not. She needs medical help, but she's not in a coma. Don't worry."
Everything started to come back to me. I rattled it off. babbling. Alex seemed to be pleased. though. Another paramedic arrived and spoke with her, and then he left. I saw Lester Marshall for a moment talking to what looked like a policeman this time.
"Is Alanis back?" I asked.
"Alanis?" Alex asked.
"She's Mr. Marshall's granddaughter. She ran away."
"Oh. I don't know. I haven't seen anyone, any other girls about."
"Where's Miss Puss?" I asked. "Miss Puss? The cat?"
I nodded.
"Oh. I saw a cat in the hallway. I think she's just hiding from all the noise and people. I'm sure she's fine." she said. smiling.
The other paramedic returned to the living room doorway. and Alex went to speak with him. Then she returned to me.
"Well now, someone is coming for you. so I don't want you worrying any. Jordan,"
"Who's coming?" I asked.
"Your father's coining." she said. "He'll be here as soon as he can."
"My father?"
"Uh-huh. Evervthing's going to be fine," she said. "Drink some more water for me. okay?"
I started to drink when I remembered
something important.
"What about the ants?" I asked.
"Ants?"
"In the attic. Ian's ants:'
"Oh, there weren't many ants. No problem," she said.
I suddenly became a little suspicious. Would Ian trust her after all?
"They were coming out from under the door," I said. "I saw them."
"If there were any, there were just a few." she said.
Lester Marshall returned and stood in the doorway, looking in at me.
"How's she doing?" he asked.
"She's stable. I gave her something for her nausea. She'll be fine," Alex said, smiling at me. "Right?"
I looked at Lester.
"Did you see the ants?" I asked him. "Coming out of the attic?" He pulled his head back and then looked at Alex, who held her smile but widened her eyes.
"Oh," he said. "Right. There were some ants. but I sprayed. They're gone now," he said. "No worries." he told me. "You just relax. Miss Jordan. Your daddy's on his way."
"Is Alanis home?"
"She's home," he said, losing his smile. "Don't concern yourself about her,"
I looked from him to Alex, and then I closed my eves and lay back again. I don't know how long I slept this time, but when I awoke. I heard my father's voice. I heard Felix and I heard Lester Marshall. Moments later, my father wheeled himself into the living room. Felix was right behind him.
"Hey. Jordan," Daddy said, wheeling as close to the sofa as he could. "How you doing?"
I blinked and stared. Was he really here? Was I really awake, or was this another dream?
"Great-aunt Frances wouldn't come down from the attic," I told him. "And there were ants."
"Yes. I know. We'll talk about all that later." he said. "Nancy is upstairs getting your things together. I'm taking you home," he told me.
"Nancy?"
I
looked at Felix.
"I
thought Nancy wasn't working for you anymore."
My father laughed. "She's changed her mind. There are a few other changes at the mansion. too," Daddy said. "Kimberly is gone. She decided
I
wasn't quite worth all the effort after all. Your grandmother will be pleased,"
"My gandmother,"
I
muttered. Should
I
just tell him everything now?
I
glanced at Felix, and his face seemed to have the word Wait! written across it. Was it possible that he knew everything?
"Yes, your remarkable grandmother," he said. "She's sitting up, writing, getting speech therapy. There's the terrifying possibility she'll be coming home soon," he added and laughed.
"I
spoke to Mammy,"
I
told him.
He raised his eyebrows
"Ian told me how to do telepathy."
"Is that so?"
"I
knew everything would be all right. She told me it would be." My father looked up at Felix and then back at me.
"Well, maybe. Who knows what is and is not possible anymore? Certainly not me," he added.
We saw Nancy in the hallway. She had my suitcases. Felix moved quickly to take them from her. Then she came in to see how I was.
"I missed you," she told me. "Your room is all set for you at home."
"I'm not going to live here anymore?" I asked my father.
"No. Your father is going to try to be a responsible adult again. Not that I ever was, according to your grandmother," he added. "There's no one to look after you here anyway. Jordan. Great- aunt Frances needs care herself."
"What happened to her?" I asked.
"Something upset her and she took a few too many sleeping pills, but fortunately, thanks to you, she'll be all right. Later, you can tell me what upset her." He smiled. "You do know what upset her, don't you. Jordan?"
I wanted to shake my head. I bit down on my lower lip. Felix wasn't there. Nancy was standing and looking down at me. Lester Marshall was doing something else with someone outside. Alanis wasn't in the room to help me make up a story. There was too much noise and too many people around me to try Ian's telepathy and speak with my mother.
I struggled with my thoughts, turning this way and that in my brain, looking hard for one of Alanis's convenient exits. Everyone has to lie, she'd told me. You'll find out. You'll have to be, too.
Can you swallow down the truth? I wondered. And if you do, will it keep coming up like a burp?
Until you can't stand it anymore and you have to get it out, just as Mrs. DeMarco had.
Daddy sat there in his wheelchair, already having spent months and months feeling terrible about himself, wishing he'd been dead, maybe looking to hide, hating everyone and everything, willing to give me up and disappear.
He looked like he was coming back, going home, just like me. Should I tell the truth?
Grandmother Emma once told me people who lie are afraid and weak. Was that what I was? Afraid and weak? Or was Alanis right? Sometimes, you do it not to hurt someone you love.
No matter what. I couldn't help but love my father.
I shook nay head.
"No, Daddy," I said. "I don't know why she was upset."