Merula 1:3

Chapter 1:3 -Strangeness and charm

The next morning came too sudden. I was ripped out of my dreams by the sound of sizzling bacon and sausage, boiling water, the morning paper being turned page by page and voices discussing some trivial matter. It was nothing like home. For the first time since I got here I felt uneasy and the memories from yesterday popped up in my head right on cue. But I easily pushed them away and got up. Both Mandy and Adeline were up and I looked forward to see what the younger sister actually looked like. Somehow I pictured her with short spiky red hair. I checked my face and hair in a tiny mirror on Mandy’s bedside table. My short black hair stood out on all sides and my blue eyes looked extremely tired. Had this been home I wouldn’t have bothered and just walked out in the kitchen with my hair all crazy but this wasn’t home. I searched the room for a brush. Besides the mirror the little table was covered by tons of makeup, scattered all over, a brush full of red-brown hair and some vintage looking jewellery. From what I had seen yesterday after my and Mandy’s shop tour she was a vintage lover. Her own story, that she told me when we drank coffee, behind her nostalgia of the past was simple. When she was young and just started school the Evaeus family had been poor, a lot poorer than now, and they had bought most of their clothes second-hand. They used to visit different stores and at one there had been a mix of clothes from every decade. As a little girl Mandy thought the old beautiful dresses were a lot prettier than the clothes she wore. It had been her dream since then to wear a dress like that. From what I could see from her room she had succeeded in her dream. Her bed was covered in dresses in all kinds of colour and shapes. I imagined that when she went all out she would look like Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
I tip-toed outside the kitchen before I coughed up some courage to meet the whole family I was going to live with for a long time. They sounded like a happy family. I could hear them joke with each other. Maybe I would like it here.
I took a step forward, tried to make it look natural as if I came direct from the room instead of standing outside eavesdropping.
-Oh, morning Edith. Oh right, you wanted to be called Edi, wasn’t it so? Mandy’s mum, Hazel, smiled warmly and pulled out a chair for me beside Mandy and her dad, Owen. There were two twin brothers sitting opposite me and they watched me closely. They looked like I’d pictured Adeline, with spiky red hair. But Adeline wasn’t there. Neither was Blake or the third, or was it the fourth, brother.
-Who are you? One of the twins asked me.
-You look like a boy, the other twin said with innocent eyes.
Before I could respond Hazel answered instead of me.
-This is Edith and she’s going to stay with us for awhile. Be nice, boys. I’m sorry Edi, these are my baby boys, Chase and Alli.
Hazel filled my plate with scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon and fried tomatoes. This definitely wasn’t home. At home I ate yoghurt with muesli and fresh fruit.
-I hope you didn’t sleep all too bad in the camp bed? Hazel added with guilty green eyes. –We’ll get you another one as soon as we can afford.
-Oh, it’s alright, don’t worry about it.
Blake walked into the kitchen with a dazed look. Hazel immediately turned to her son.
-How is he? She asked with a low, tense voice filled with worry. –He came home late last night.
-Yeah, but he was happy then, almost chirpy, Blake shook his head in disbelief and sat down by the table.
-Oh, that’s good, Hazel said hopeful and filled her son’s plate to the brim with breakfast.
-Yeah, but this morning he’s a bit surly. Bad dream I suppose.
Hazel’s smile turned down a little in the corners, but she tried to keep it up.
So far, I understood that they talked about the fourth son. Or was it third? I started to count on my fingers.
-Oh, well, maybe he’ll cheer up with some breakfast, Hazel said transparent and turned to the stove.
-Doubt it, mum, Blake said. –Mornings are never good.
-Blake, your mum’s only trying to be positive, his dad chided him.
-She won’t have much for it, she’ll only be disappointed. I’m off now, before hell breaks through.
Blake disappeared into the hallway.
-Blake, you hardly ate anything! His mum called after him.
-I ate enough. I’ll be home late, gonna watch flats with friends, he called back and the front door closed behind him.
-What was all that about? I whispered to Mandy. Their conversation had made me curious, it was as if I had been watching some soap opera.
-Hm, Mandy answered distantly, too busy concentrating on her sandwich. –Oh, that. It’s about my little brother, he’s moody.
At that time Mandy’s little brother walked into the kitchen. But he wasn’t all that little. He must have been around my age. He had dark hair, resembling his father more than his mother. The corner of his mouth was turned down and he looked really grumpy. He looked, all in all, moody. He took Blake’s seat and Hazel placed a plate with food and a cup of tea in front of him. He reached for the honey which stood right in front of me. He must have noticed me because he lifted his head and our eyes met. I looked into a pair of dark brown eyes. Brown and warm like brownies.
-Oh, right, Rogan this is Edith, she’ll be staying with us while her parents are away.
Those brownie eyes narrowed and their warmth disappeared. He pulled back his hand as I’ve bitten him and quickly rose from the table. A few seconds later a door slammed and Hazel sat down in the chair Rogan just left. She looked exhausted.
-“Surly” is misjudging it completely. I don’t understand, why he’s reacting this way? Hazel sighed.
I knew the answer. Who would expect the girl you kissed yesterday to show up in your kitchen the following morning? Mornings really wasn’t his time of the day.
But still, was this the way to react? Couldn’t he just pretend like nothing- like I had to do! He could at least have said hi. We’d kissed, ok, so what? It wasn’t the end of the world and it was only the two of us who knew. I, for sure, would bring this secret to the grave. How embarrassing wouldn’t it be for me to say “oh, was that your son, we kissed yesterday”. It just a kiss! Did he have to slam the door as if he was upset over something big, like… being grounded, I know it’s not that big of a deal either but it was the best my shocked brain could think of. This was overreacting for sure. The more I thought about it the more upset I got. His behaviour was completely out of line. Rude even!
Another door slam, some brisk movement in the hallway and yet another door slam. This time the front door I concluded from the sound it. The whole family breathed out.
-Oh dear, don’t think we’ll see him for the rest of the day, Hazel sighed once more.
-Yeah, lucky us, Mandy cheered unenthusiastically with the sandwich in her hand and the twins giggled.
-Mandy, her dad rebuked her.
Mandy put on a fake innocent look with pouting lips. Owen went back to reading the papers with a snort.
-Are you done with your breakfast? Mandy asked me and I hardly got to answer before she dragged me away from the kitchen.

To be continued...
By J.L.Frick