She checks herself in the mirror as she walks to the door. Heavens! She quickly applies mascara.
She opens the door to find a tall woman dressed surprisingly well.
“Good day. How may I help you?” She couldn’t hide her thick English accent.
“Oh, how exciting! Your English?” the woman responded.
“Yes.” The woman put her on edge. “And who, may I ask, are you?”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. My name is Beth Roberts, and I am working on an article for a magazine called 'Southern Living'. You may have heard of it. Would you mind if I asked you some questions?”
That was forward. Annabell really didn’t want to, but she didn’t dare sound rude.
“Of course, please come in,” She directed Beth to the small living room with her two small arm chairs. “May I offer you some tea?”
“That would be wonderful, thank you.”
As Annabell assembled the tea, she watched Beth out of the corner of her eye investigate her living room.
“From where and when did you move here?”
“I moved here from Leeds, England about three weeks ago.” She didn’t dare expand.
“I don’t mean any rudeness, but why move here? It’s a dump.”
Why did I let this lady come in?
“It’s no dump here! I’m gobsmacked by the beautiful river. You wouldn’t believe your eyes if you walked it at dusk.”
Golly, that was a daft response.
Obviously unsatisfied with Annabells response, Beth looked at the family picture on the side table.
“Who is this?”
Why? Why? Why?
“It was a family portrait we took when I was 13: My mother, father, little brother, and me.”
In the following silence, Annabell struggled to stop tears from escaping her eyes. She couldn’t bare looking at the picture. Her aunt had taken it three weeks before her mother was killed in the car accident. Three weeks before she began leading a very different life.
Suddenly, someone in the hall yelled “Out! Reporters, out!” and shot a gun.
“If you are a resident. Don’t move. If you are a reporter, come out into the hall. Don’t make me cock this trigger another time! Do you understand? Either leave peacefully, or not. Either way, you will be gone by the time I make it back to this floor.”
The guilt and sadness left Annabell at once. “Bloody hell! She’s lost her mind! Americans and their guns!”
Without even a goodbye, Beth bolted out of her apartment, leaving Annabell to look out her wide open door.
After Beth stormed out of Annabell's apartment, Jamie walked in. At the time, Annabell failed to know who he was, but after about five seconds, she remembered. It was a revolutionary moment. She felt a huge rush of joy that she hadn't felt in years. Jamie was her stepbrother. She hadn't seen him since she was a little girl. They parted ways as children. Annabell stayed in England, and Jamie went with his father to America after their parents got divorced for the second time. It was hard hearing their parents fight all the time, so they would sleep outside under the fort of blankets they built every night with sweet, sweet Cornjulio.
ReplyDelete"Hey, Anna. I heard you were in the states and when I found out you were living in the same apartment as me, I had to come and see you."
Annabell ran up to Jamie and gave him a big hug. One of the biggest he's ever received. Annabell needed this. She was lonely in this apartment and didn't know anyone.
"You've changed so much, Jamie. Is Cornjulio still kickin'?"
Jamie chuckled only a little. "You know it."
"Let's move in together!" Annabell said very quickly, avoiding eye contact with Jamie
Jamie had nearly forgotten how Annabell was. She was the girl who got what she wanted. He loved her, but in a way, he was like a jealous best friend. Annabell always got to use the pogo stick, she took ownership of the remote, she got to pick the colors of the blankets they used to build the forts. She was the kid who dropped her ice cream on purpose just to get a new flavor.
"You know, I'll think about it, Anna."
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Jamie quickly left the apartment feeling absolutely distraught about what he had just done.
After Beth stormed out of Annabell's apartment, Jamie walked in. At the time, Annabell failed to know who he was, but after about five seconds, she remembered. It was a revolutionary moment. She felt a huge rush of joy that she hadn't felt in years. Jamie was her stepbrother. She hadn't seen him since she was a little girl. They parted ways as children. Annabell stayed in England, and Jamie went with his father to America after their parents got divorced for the second time. It was hard hearing their parents fight all the time, so they would sleep outside under the fort of blankets they built every night with sweet, sweet Cornjulio.
ReplyDelete"Hey, Anna. I heard you were in the states and when I found out you were living in the same apartment as me, I had to come and see you."
Annabell ran up to Jamie and gave him a big hug. One of the biggest he's ever received. Annabell needed this. She was lonely in this apartment and didn't know anyone.
"You've changed so much, Jamie. Is Cornjulio still kickin'?"
Jamie chuckled only a little. "You know it."
"Let's move in together!" Annabell said very quickly, avoiding eye contact with Jamie
Jamie had nearly forgotten how Annabell was. She was the girl who got what she wanted. He loved her, but in a way, he was like a jealous best friend. Annabell always got to use the pogo stick, she took ownership of the remote, she got to pick the colors of the blankets they used to build the forts. She was the kid who dropped her ice cream on purpose just to get a new flavor.
"You know, I'll think about it, Anna."
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Jamie quickly left the apartment feeling absolutely distraught about what he had just done.