Alora Funk- The Deliverance: Book 1

  Chapter 13

  The unveiling-

  At home, I interrupted Peggy’s TV time by handing her the letter. She ripped it open and found two letters in there. One she signed. “Return that to the office tomorrow,” she told me as she thrust it at me. The other letter she reread and pondered for a moment.

  “This is the names of professional tutors in the area. The school thinks you would benefit with private tutoring at home. You said you already knew Mandy Heart, is that right?”

  I nodded.

  “Do you like her enough for a full time tutor?” My heart leapt in excitement. I loved Mandy. “All right, bring me the phone, and I will call her for you.”

  I went to get the phone from the cradle, but it wasn’t there. I searched through the messy house for an hour, pushing aside stinky garbage and dirty clothes, but still no phone. My hands were burning from all the gross things I touched. While I searched, I heard Peggy giggle.

  “The phone was under me the whole time,” she said pulling a ringing phone out from under her. “Hello,” she said into it.

  I plopped down on the worn couch. A piercing sensation jabbed into my bum as a spring stabbed me, forcing me to move around until I found a spot which didn’t hurt to sit on. Waiting for Peggy to end her phone conversation with the intrusive caller, I tried to be patient, but it was hard. I was dying for her to call Mandy. Oblivious to my restlessness, she gabbed for forty five minutes until finally hanging up. I stared at her, waiting for her to call Mandy. It seemed to make her uncomfortable, for she turned to me and growled, “What? Why are you staring at me?”

  “I thought you were going to call Mandy?”

  “Oh yes,” she said then dialed Mandy’s number. After a long drawn out phone call, she put the phone down and went into the kitchen to start on dinner. I followed behind her until she finally acknowledged me.

  “Well, whatcha want?” she asked with irritation behind her voice. She had pulled food out of the fridge.

  “What did Mandy say?”

  “Mandy said a lot of things.”

  “What did she say about tutoring me?”

  A piece of chicken slipped out of her hands and splattered onto the floor. “Mercy me!” she exclaimed as she reached down and picked it up and put it straight ino the pan.

  “What?” she grumbled.

  “Is Mandy going to tutor me?”

  “You know, I forgot to ask. We were so busy catching up. She did tell me she tutors you every day at school. When you see her tomorrow, why don’t you ask her yourself, then set something up. Anything you decide will work for me.” She took a hammer looking thing and beat the rest of the chicken. “You can go now,” she said.

  I left the kitchen a little bit bummed. Why hadn’t Peggy asked? What if Mandy told me no? I didn’t want to be the one to ask.

  We had a nice chicken dinner. She had put cheese and ham in the middle and rolled it in bread crumbs, cut in small pieces. I had only managed to get two portions. The chicken was so good, but it only left me wanting more. Later, Peggy took Taz and me out on the boat. We fished in silence, just the way Peggy liked it. I was busting at the seams to talk to her, but out of grace, I remained quiet until she was ready to talk. Finally, Peggy broke the silence.

  “How are things going at school, Alora?”

  “They put me with peer support.”

  “Oh good, good. Who?”

  “Aleaha and Britney.”

  “Aleaha Wight and Britney Jackson?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. I didn’t know their last names.

  “I am sure it is those girls, they are good girls. You will like them.”

  “I do,” I said.

  “Are you talking to them?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good, good. I am so glad. Are you talking to anyone else?”

  “Well, I really haven’t had the chance, but I will.”

  “I haven’t really heard you talk to any of the kids at home.”

  I looked away from her. “I know,” I said.

  “Are you going to?”

  “Yeah.”

  “When?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Why don’t you start tomorrow? I will call a special family meeting, and you will blow everyone away. You should share a lesson in it.”

  My heart raced, hating the idea. “I really don’t want to do a lesson.”

  “Hmm,” Peggy said. “Maybe we should keep it simple. You can start talking at breakfast tomorrow.”

  “If I start talking for the first time right before school, it will make us late for the bus.”

  “You are a smart girl. It probably would, then I would have to drive you all there. That would be bad. How about you talk for the first time after school?”

  “What would I say?”

  “I don’t know; anything.”

  “I don’t know,” I said. My stomach was sick at the idea of a whole bunch of eyes watching me talk.

  “Come on Alora, the more you put it off, the harder it will be.”

  “I know, I know.”

  “How about you ring the bell for dinner tomorrow, then you shout ‘Dinner Time’. That will get everyone’s attention. Then as we eat dinner, answer anyone who talks to you. If no one talks to you, then talk to me, that way everyone can hear your voice.”

  I liked the idea.

  The next day at school, Britney and Aleaha supported me, escorting me to my classes and eating lunch with me. I was pretty quiet around their friends. I thought it was hard to talk to them one on one, but to talk in a group was mortifying. I discovered I really liked Aleaha, such a happy, fun person. Sometimes I forgot she had been assigned to me. She had a way of making me feel good. Both Aleaha and Britany had light pink auras, much like the one Mandy had.

  During my tutoring with Mandy, she agreed for me to ride home with her after school for tutoring. Peggy would pick me up at 5:00pm.

  I was so happy after my conversation with her. Alora Funk was going to get smart!

  …

  That night, I rang the dinner bell and barely squeaked out, “Dinner.”

  “Come on,” Peggy challenged. “You can do better than that.”

  With all the nerves I could muster, I yelled, “Dinner!” I smiled so big when I was done, pride filling me. The Sanibel clan passed through the family room and into the dining room, not even acknowledging I had announced it, as if I had always called out dinner. I must admit, I was a bit disappointed when there was no reaction. Maybe there was too much noise in the house for anyone to realize the call had come from me. Peggy sensed my disappointment. She swung her hip into my hip, sending me a bit off balance.

  “Don’t worry, try again at dinner. Remember; ask me for the mashed potatoes.”

  Everyone gathered around the tables and prayed. When the prayer was over, they consumed the food in seconds, all acting like a million flies on rotting flesh. The food disappeared quicker than the time it took to carry it to the table. Peggy held the pot of potatoes in her lap. Some of the kids noticed and tried to wrestle it out of her hands, but she wasn’t relinquishing it.

  “Give me the potatoes,” Cordon demanded.

  “Yeah, Mom, why are you hogging them?” Rhett asked.

  Peggy looked at me and shot me a stern look. I think she was ready for me to ask. I went to talk, but the lump in my throat got in the away. I shook. I wanted to hide, but I had to do it. I had to become Alora to them, not their dumb, mute sister. I swallowed away my fear and said, “Mom, please pass the potatoes.”

  It became immediately quiet. I don’t know what effect I was going for, but this one frightened me. Everyone stared at me, while their food became forgotten. Their guards were down. Anyone could have come and stolen their food from them. Except for Mike. He didn’t take much time to think about it as he went back to eating, but everyone else stared at me. Peggy was crying in the mashed potatoes.

/>   Finally the silence was broke. “I knew you were faking it,” Angela said, shoving a fork full of food into her mouth. Her words seemed to snap everyone back into reality. Each person reacted differently. Nina looked at me and giggled. Alashia gave me a big smile and said, “Way to go!” Jill said, “Now will you tell me about your time in the cement room?” Christian put some peas on his spoon and flung them at me. Emma came over and gave me a big hug. Joshua hid under the table and tied my shoes together. Elizabeth clapped for me. Traydon laughed and snorted. Rhett and Cordon whispered to each other as they stared at me.

  “Why you crying?” Elizabeth asked Peggy.

  “Did you hear her?” Peggy said.

  “Of course we heard her. We are all right here, but I say she has been faking. It’s not a big deal,” Angela snorted.

  “Oh it is a big deal. Did you hear her? She called me Mom.”

  I blushed when she said that. I’m not sure why I called her Mom instead of Peggy. It sure made an effect on her. Her tears flowed freely. Angela was tired of watching her mom blubber in the potatoes, so she yanked them out of Peggy’s hands. Several of the other kids swarmed Angela as they all tried to get a scoop or two on their own plate.

  I didn’t say another thing the rest of dinner. My impact had been made. The ice had been broken. Everyone knew I could talk.

  When the excitement died down after dinner, Peggy developed a migraine and retired to bed early. I felt bad for her and hoped she would be alright. She ended up kicking Mike and his XBOX out of their room so she could rest in peace and quiet. He sulked in the family room, forced to play his XBOX where all the noise was. He was especially grumpy, screaming and yelling at the family the rest of the night.

  I left Mike to his orneriness and went to my room. I had slipped into my checkered pajamas when there were several knocks and tapping at my bedroom door. I opened it to find Emma and Elizabeth standing on the other side. Their arms were loaded down in blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals.

  “Can we have a sleep over with you?” Elizabeth asked. I stared at them for a minute, when I remembered I was talking now.

  “Sure,” I said.

  The girls came in and set up blankets and pillows on the floor. They had big smiles on their face and they giggled a lot.

  “How do you like our family?” Emma asked.

  I paused for a moment. How did I like their family? I really hadn’t formed a solid opinion yet. I thought they were loud and overwhelming, but I couldn’t tell the girls that. I felt at times they were disconnected and they fought too much, but I wasn’t going to share that either. I hated how there was never enough food to eat, and when there was, you had to be quick to get it or you didn’t eat. I hated how my wardrobe was made up of ugly hand-me-downs. I didn’t mind hand-me-downs, but, when Peggy had told the girls to gather me some clothes I could wear, you better believe they weren’t bringing in their cute things. They were probably getting rid of things they had stopped wearing a long time ago. I had to really think about their question. What did I like?

  “I like how you spend time together on Mondays. I also like how your mom cooks,” I finally said.

  “Oh yeah, she’s the best cook in the world,” Emma said with pride. Emma was ten and Elizabeth was nine, and I could tell their mom was still the center of their universe.

  “Sure is,” Elizabeth agreed.

  “Hey,” we heard from outside my door. It was Jill. “No fair, I want a sleep over too.”

  “No, it’s the cool girls,” Elizabeth said.

  “I’m telling.”

  Elizabeth and Emma looked worried. They probably weren’t supposed to be in there. If Jill ratted them out, then there would be no sleepover.

  “Fine, get your stupid stuff,” Elizabeth said.

  “Yippee!” Jill called out as she scampered off to get her things.

  “Do you have brothers and sisters?” Emma asked as she turned back to me.

  “I have you guys.”

  They both seemed to like my answer, but still curious. “No, like your own family, your own siblings, or are you like an only child. I wish I was an only child. Mom used to be fun, but she is always saying how much everyone wears her out. I wouldn’t wear her out if it was only her and I.”

  “I might have brothers or sisters, but I can’t remember anything. And to stop any future questions, I can’t remember my past. I know I was found in a cement room, but I can’t even remember that. My memories start at the hospital. If you have any questions about my past, save them, because I don’t know.” I didn’t want any more questions. Maybe the sleepover was a bad idea.

  They were silent for a while. They had probably planned to stay up all night talking about all my mysteries. I didn’t have anything to give them. Jill broke the silence when she came dragging in her bed gear. She stepped on Emma several times, which caused Emma to cry out in pain. Then to make matters worse, Jill accidently dropped all her things on Elizabeth’s head, so Elizabeth slugged her in response. Jill cried.

  “If you cry, Alora will make you go to your own room,” Elizabeth threatened.

  “I am sorry,” she said, “I am sorry. Give me another chance.”

  She laid out her puffy, pink sleeping bag and climbed in. It had a unicorn in the clouds on the front. It looked really soft. She wiggled around until she was comfortable.

  “Sit still,” Elizabeth barked.

  “Yeah, stop moving so much,” Emma said.

  “Sorry,” Jill replied.

  We played for several hours. It was the first time I had really played. I liked pretending with dolls. It was such a new thing to me. Soon we forgot our sleepover was secret, and we ended up getting really loud, when we did, Mike bounded up the stairs, shaking the house as he did. All the girls hid under their bedding, as if he wouldn’t know they were in there. He entered my room with so much fury, flinging the door into the wall as he opened it. He hollered at the top of his lungs, “Shut up!” His face was twisted in anger. His aura was a dark red, almost black. He was not happy.

  “It is midnight and what are all my girls doing? They are having a toy party. NO! NO! NO! If I hear another word out of you, then Pizza Friday is off!”

  The girls shut up instantly. I am not sure if it was the fear in their dad, or the fear of losing their beloved Pizza Friday. Whatever it was, it had worked. Mike slammed the door behind him as he left the room. The house rattled as he descended down the stairs. The girls giggled again. At first, it was whisper, but then it got louder.

  “Stop it,” Elizabeth warned. “We don’t want to lose our Pizza Friday.”

  Everyone stopped laughing. Soon, we all drifted to sleep.