California was, of course, huge. I’d never been to visit Aunt Lil, and Claire. They had always come to us in an effort to escape the city life. Now I could understand why. California was far from similar to the small Utah town I had grown up in. I looked out the window as we passed the ocean. The air was so moist you could almost taste the water in it. There was shrubbery everywhere, and I was surprised to see so much green. We passed through city after city after a few million we approached a very rural community, within it lay an excessively large gated community. There were guards on the towers, and huge houses lining the streets within it. I couldn’t believe that anyone could possibly call this a “small community” that’s how Aunt Lil had described her and Claire’s neighborhood anyways. Olive had her paws on the window whimpering. she had the same thoughts as I did. Are we going to live here? I scratched her behind her ears. We drove right through the gate and pulled up to a large stone house. There were a few balconies and a deck but my eye was drawn to the tower, it’s windows offering a panoramic view of it’s surroundings. Aunt Lil unlocked the door and I was awestruck
“Um, Wow. Aunt Lil, I knew you were rich but…wow,” I breathed. Just then, someone barreled right into me, her long tan arms wrapping around me.
“Renady!”
“Claire!” She pulled back, and looked into my green eyes. Tears filled her eyes.
“ I should have been there, at the funeral, but I just couldn’t. I-” I embraced her once more, tears filling my own eyes.
“I know,” I said. Aunt Lil joined us wrapping us in her arms, tears in her own eyes.
“Welcome to your new home,” she said. She stepped back, wiping away her tears. “Now, I think we can all agree that we’ve had enough sorrow for today. Your grandparents would be displeased. How about a tour of the house while the movers move everything in?” She offered.
“Sounds good to me,” I said smiling through my tears. She was right. My grandparents would be displeased. They would want me to be happy, to find joy in even the darkest of times, for it was always there. I made a pact with myself then, no more crying. I would instead find joy in the simple moments, knowing they were always with me, and it would be what they would wish.
It turns out the house was even larger than I had anticipated, and trust me, I wasn’t anticipating a hovel. There were five bedrooms including the master each had their own bathroom. They were spread out across three story’s not including the tower. The main kitchen, the dining room, a rec room, a living room, the Master Bedroom, the sun room, the library and two offices were all on the first level. There was an Ice cream/Candy shop, movie theater, gym, along with the two bedrooms and their adjoining bathrooms on the second level. The third level was my favorite Aunt Lil had renovated it especially for Claire and I so that it was like we each had our own apartment. I had my own entertainment room filled with books and games, and media. There was a small sitting room, a kitchenette, my massive bedroom and bathroom, and a mini library full of shelves for me to put my favorite books on with a reading loft above it. The tower, was placed in a way that it was between Claire’s and I’s apartment. There were two stories, that we could share. At first I was a little confused when I walked into my bedroom because it was completely empty. Then aunt Lil handed me a furniture and decor catalogs, paint swatches, and fabric samples. She also gave me four thousand dollars to do the renovations around the apartment.
“I thought you could use a project to get your mind of things,” She said.
“Thank you. This is perfect.” I smiled.
“Oh come here you, I haven’t had a proper hug yet!” She added. I gave her a big bear hug.
“She’ll squeeze you to death if you let her,” Claire warned from across the room. I laughed. “Shall we get unloaded girly?” Claire said.
“Let’s,” I said, flipping on the TV so we could have a show going in the background. Silence, or even partial silence wasn’t my friend at the moment. My thoughts, my memories even, had a tendency to be my own worst enemy.
The sounds of an engine cutting off and car doors slamming reached my ears. For a moment, I knew I was dreaming. The dream was made more vivid by that it was based on memory, and I soon found my sense of self lost in it, experiencing the memory anew. Dream me sat up rigid in bed. A cold wet sweat broke out on my skin. Nursing a chocolate hangover from my night of junk food and binge watching TV reruns, I picked up the clock and groggily read 2:30 am. What is happening? My grandparents weren’t supposed to be home for another two or three days. I stumbled out of bed and over to my window. I pushed the lace curtains aside, and peered through the glass. Two cops walked to the door, the automatic light snapping on. Even then, I didn’t knew they hadn’t simply come by for my autograph. The resounding knock echoed throughout the house. I ran down the stairs, pulling my long wavy red hair into a ponytail, and a sweatshirt over my head. I opened the door, the deadbolt clanging against the strain.
“Uh……yeah?” I asked, peering through the crack. The two police officers shifted their weight. They weren’t the usual town cops. I knew everyone in law enforcement around here, and I had never seen these two before.
“You Miss Parks?” The first man asked.
“Maybe, why?” The second cop sighed.
“Listen lady we’re Clark county police officers who have been assigned to notify Miss Renady Parks that her grandparents are dead. Are you Miss Parks, yes or no?” The second officer asked, showing his badge.
“Yes I’m Renady” They were dead? My grandparents were dead?
“Why don’t you come in?” I offered. I unlatched the deadbolt, and stepped aside. I took a seat numbly on a chair. I didn’t know which one, just a chair.
“I am Officer James and this is Officer Burks.” The first officer said.
“Please, sit down?” I offered, waving to a sofa that was perched against the bright yellow walls of my grandmother’s living room.
“How did they, I mean how did it…”
“It was a Plane accident. There was an unexpected storm,” officer James said.
“Where will I go?” I asked. I took a deep breath. My grandparents are all I had ever known. They weren’t just people who put a roof over my head and food to eat, they were my best friends. I remember when I had, had a tough day at school it was my grandma who was there with hot chocolate and cookies and some kick butt advice, if you would excuse the phrase. When I needed some help with self defense at school ,which was admittedly an often occurrence, my grandfather was there with the instruction as to doing some serious damage and not getting caught. I was extracting from my reverie when Officer James answered.
“You will be staying with your aunt Miss Lillian Parks and her daughter Claire.” He said, looking down at a paper he held in his hands. I nodded. Of course. They were the only family left. Claire would be happy.
“Would you like anything to eat or drink?” I asked.
“No thank you. We must leave now,” Officer Burks said, edging towards the door. There was a lump burning in my throat and tears welling in my eyes. I pushed them back trying not to let them escape, but that only made them worse. I shut the door behind the officers. I finally thought I had it all under control when I started shaking. I slid down against the door onto the cold hardwood flooring. Sobs ripped their way out of me.
I sat up, and threw my bed covers off me. For a moment I was disoriented. I had to remember where I was. Claire was laying next to me and my Olive was curled up at my side purring in her sleep. I scratched her head, her eyes opened sluggishly and, blinked a few times. I picked up my phone. It read six forty five. The Saturday morning sun leaked in through the tightly shut blinds as it started to rose. I rubbed my eyes. I tried hard not to think about the dream. I was determined to make the most of the situation. I walked over to my suitcase and pulled out a pair of sweats. Once I was changed, and my teeth were brushed, I tracked down my favorite pair of running shoes. I left a note on the bedside table for Claire in case she woke up before I
got back, and Trina I knew had already left for work. I took off feeling my muscles working, enjoying the exercise. I loved the feeling of the wind on my face as I ran. I let my mind wander, and my thoughts drift. I reveled in the feeling of my legs, my arms, my breath all working in unison. A loud rustling sounded in the trees lining my path. I paused for a moment. I looked around myself. All was quiet.I slipped an ear bud in my ear, and continued on. I reached for my phone to switch the song, and ran right into a tall, solid, form. A man in a black jacket caught me by the forearms to prevent me from falling on impact.
“Oh, sorry.” I mumbled. I kept my head down as I passed him. I could feel his eyes on me, watching me, as I continued to run. I glanced back over my shoulder but he was gone. Goose bumps rose on my arms. I shrugged them off and and looped back around to the house. I slowed my pace letting my muscles rest. I climbed the steps of my aunt’s house, stretching before letting the door shut behind me. I jogged up stairs, and changed into my clothes for the day.
“Did you have a nice run?” Claire greeted me. She was sitting in the living room still half asleep. Her words were slurred, and her eyelids not fully open.
“I did. Now you go back to sleep I don’t want a grumpy Claire for the day.” I said. I heard mumbles. She didn’t bother to go back to bed, and simply sprawled our where she was. Soon there was silence and she was asleep once more. I grabbed a granola bar from the cupboard, and went and sat down in the library with the design catalogs and paint swatches. I found myself drawn to the colors of my old home. The soft yellows, and distressed grays and whites of furniture, the lace and red curtains. However, I knew it was time to start a new chapter of my life. I knew if I dwelt too much on the past, I could never move forward, I could never enjoy the present. I found obsessing over color schemes, and picking out furniture to be soothing. I was able to let my mind wander, and focus on other things, without feeling to involved or stressed. My mind wandered for a moment to the memory that had haunted my sleep last night. In fact, it had been haunting my sleep nearly every night. The news had shocked me, and in those moments I had been so alone. No one knew in those moments besides me that my grandparents were never coming home. I looked around at my surroundings. I could see Claire asleep on the couch, and Olive had come to rest at my side once more, and Aunt Lil would be home around five. I wasn’t alone, my grandparents had made sure of that. Even in death, they still took care of me.