Shadow Cave (27 page)

***

“
Hush now, I think she
’
s waking up.
”

“
Well, I dare say, it
’
s about time.
”

The voice broke through my subconscious.
I opened my eyes to find my new uncle and a man in a brown tweed coat peering at me with hopeful anticipation.

“
Uncle?
”
I made a face when I heard the sound of my own voice.
‘
Hoarse
’
did not even begin to describe how terrible I sounded.

“
Here, drink this.
Sip it slowly, now
,
”
the
man in the coat cautioned.

My uncle helped me into a sitting position while the other man held a cool glass to my dry lips.
I tried to raise my hands to take the glass, but it was like wading through
Jello
.
I gave up and accepted the help.
The cool water felt good, although my voice still sounded raw.

“
I
’
m sorry I threw up in your carriage.
”

“
Don
’
t you worry about that, child.
”

“
I think the nap helped.
I
’
m hungry, though, if it
’
s not too much trouble.
”

“
You can eat some soup today.
Take it slow and remember to keep up on your pain medicine, at least for today.
Take on
e
pill every four hours.
If you wait until you have a headache to take it, you
’
ll be in pain a lot longer than you have to be.
”

“
I will make sure that she takes her pill.
Thanks for coming
out
Todd.
”

“
Anytime, Bob.
”
He smiled at my uncle, whose name was Bob, apparently, and turned to me.
“
You
’
re going to be weak today.
”
He checked his wristwatch.
“
It
’
s four o
’
clock in the afternoon right now.
Rest and stay in bed for the night.
Have a good breakfast in the morning
,
and you can walk around a bit after.
”

“
Will do,
”
I promised.

“
Call me if you have any problem.
”
He took his leave and Uncle Bob reappeared in the doorway carrying a tray.

“
Here, let
’
s get you propped up, Annabelle.
”

“
Thanks.
I
’
m so weak; I can hardly move a muscle.
That must have been some nap
—
I feel like I slept for hours.
Was that the doctor?
”

“
Yes, love, that was the doctor.
And yes, that was some nap.
You
’
ve been asleep for three days.
”

“
Three days? Ouch!
”
Yelling was still a bad idea.

“
Hush now and be careful of your head.
”

“
Well, am I going to live?
”
I was only half joking.

“
You most certainly are going to live.
You have a concussion.
You
’
ve got several bruises on your face and a bump on your forehead.
You had a small cut on the back of your head, too.
It was dirty and the doctor thought infection might set in
,
so he gave you a shot three days ago.
”

“
An antibiotic?
”

“
Yes.
”

Interesting
, I thought, taking another bite of the chicken soup.
I could tell it was homemade
,
and I eyed the old man in front of me with renewed interest.

“
This is very good.
”

“
Marta will be pleased to hear that.
”

“
I thought that perhaps you made it
,
”
I confessed.

“
Me?
Oh, no I am not much good in the kitchen, dear.
Although, I don
’
t recall ever being in a kitchen…
.
”

I laughed.
“
Maybe you should try it sometime.
”

“
Maybe so,
”
he
hedged.

“
Is Marta your wife?
”

“
No.
My wife, rest her soul, has been gone for nearly twenty years.
Marta is my housekeeper.
”

“
Oh, I am so sorry.
”

“
You don
’
t remember Marta?
”

“
Um
—
well, I remember a woman, you see, so I just assumed.
”

“
No, it
’
s ok
ay
, dear.
The doctor said you might have some memory loss for a while.
”

Actually, my memory was just fine, but I was not about to tell Bob that.

“
Anyways, I am sorry about your wife.
”

“
Yes, although I guess I wasn
’
t surprised.
I think I always knew she had it in her.
”

“
Excuse me?
”

“
Well, to tell you the truth, my son
—
he doesn
’
t much favor me.
Looks more like his mama, and I have always wondered.
”

“
Ok
ay
.
Wait.
”
I interrupted.
“
What are you talking about?
”

“
My wife
’
s affairs; what are you talking about?
”

“
I was talking about her death
,
”
I answered slowly, thoroughly confused.

Bob
'
s laugh rang out and he had to catch his breath before he spoke again.

“
Oh, merciful child
,
she
’
s not dead.
She ran off with an insurance salesman that came to our door one afternoon.
”

“
Oh.
Well…I am sorry to hear that.
”
I could feel my face heat up.

“
Then again, I suppose that might not be true.
”

“
She didn
’
t run off?
”

“
Oh, no, she ran off alright.
But she might be dead by now, come to think of it.
”

I accepted another bite of soup and glared at him.

“
Well, she could be
,
”
he
said innocently.
“
I haven
’
t seen her in twenty years.
”

“
Right
;
so about Marta?
”

“
Marta was originally my nanny.
Came to work for me a few months after Pam took off.
Your cousin was eight year
s
old.
”

“
How is he?
”
I hoped that I had guessed correctly.

“
Oh, he
’
s fine; just fine.
Went away to school around the same time you disappeared.
”

I was not sure how I was supposed to respond to that.
I hoped that he wouldn
’
t question my
‘
disappearance
.
’
He did a second later.

“
If you aren
’
t up to it, just tell me, but I wanted to know
—
”

“
Where I have been?
”
I supplied helpfully.

“
Yes.
”

“
Oh, but it
’
s such a long story, Uncle Bob.
”

He brightened at that.
“
So you do remember?
”

Damn.
“
Well, yes.
”
I wet my lips.
“
It
’
s a long story you see.
”

“
Yes, dear, you said that already.
”

“
Yes.
Yes I did.
Well, I…I don
’
t know where to start.
”

“
Did it have anything to do with that boy?
”

“
Boy?
”

“
I suspected back
t
hen that you were secretly seeing a boy.
I could never prove it, but you were talking in your sleep.
”

Oh, this ought to be good
, I thought.

“
Did I
? What
did I say?
”

“
Most of it made no sense.
”

“
I bet
,
”
I mumbled.

“
What?
”

“
It
’
s nothing.
”
I coughed.
“
You were saying?
”

“
You called for someone named
‘
Mike
’
quite a few times.
Was he important?
”

“
Yes
,
very much so
,
”
I said softly.

“
Your boyfriend then?
”

“
Yes
”
I lied.
“
We, um, we ran away together
—
seven years ago.
We were going to get married, but he…he left me.
”

“
You were going to get married without your dear old Uncle Bob?
”
he
bellowed.
“
Why, I won
’
t hear of it.
”

“
No
,
of course I wouldn
’
t
,
”
I reassured him.
“
He left me once we got to Coztal, anyways.
”

“
More fool he, I say.
”

“
Thanks.
So…
.
”

“
But that still doesn
’
t explain where you
’
ve been all this time.
”

“
I joined a…band of gypsies.
”

“
Gypsies?
”

“
Yes, the gypsies.
I have just been roaming around until now.
”

“
With men?
”
he
demanded.