"Sure it is. Like I told you, Harper, my halfsister is in a wheelchair. Fell off a horse. You ever fall off. Harper?" she asked him, her smile so full of lust I could see it glitter even in the dim starlight.
Harper smiled back and shuffled his right foot.
"Never had a horse buck more than I could handle." he replied, and they both laughed.
Then Aunt Alison looked out at the raft and squinted. "Is that Harley out there?"
"Yes," I said.
"Oh. How has Harley been since your Sweet Sixteen?'
"Fine, just fine. Aunt Alison," I said.
"Damn, it is hot. Harper. We should have gone to the beach."
"Told you," her boyfriend said.
"We'll go tomorrow. Maybe," she teased. She leaned against him and kissed him on the neck. "He's a pretty one, isn't he. Summer?" she asked. "I found him wasting his time at some college kid hangout, didn't I. Harper?"
"Yes,," he admitted.
"He fell in love with me the first minute, didn't you. Harper?" "Head over heels." he agreed.
"No, head first," she said and they both laughed. Then she turned back to me. "So you're going swimming?"
"I was about to," I said.
"Harper? Care to show off your best stroke?"
"Sure," he said.
"Let's do it." she decided.
Of course. I expected she would take him into the house, introduce him to my parents, go to one of the West rooms and change into a bathing suit. But right before me, she slipped off her shorts and began to undo her halter. Her boyfriend, excited by the impulsive action, fumbled at the button on his jeans. I was so shocked. I couldn't move for a moment.
"You're going in naked?" I asked.
"Skinny-dipping is the best-- right. Harper?" "Only way," he said.
My heart pounded. I looked toward the house and then as Harper slipped off his pants. I moved into the water quickly and started to swim toward the raft. Fled toward it was more like it. I guess. I don't think I ever swam as fast or as hard. Harley came to the edge by the ladder and helped me up quickly. We could hear them splashing and laughing near the dock.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Aunt Alison arrived with a boyfriend named Harper, and they both took off their clothes."
"You're kidding," Harley said gazing toward them. "They're naked?"
"Yes. She's so crazy."
I sprawled on the raft on my stomach and looked toward the dock. Harley sprawled beside me. Their laughter echoed on the water. We could see them embrace and fall into the water and then splash each other.
"They look like they're having fun," Harley said.
"Fun? That's so rude. He didn't care if I saw anything or not. He didn't wait for me to turn my back."
"Did you look?"
"No." I said sharply. "Of course not."
"A bunch from my public school go skinnydipping at the creek." he said.
"Have you ever one with them?"
His hesitation was as good as a confession.
"I just wanted to see what it would be like," he said. "I only went once. I don't really like those guys,"
"What about the girls?" I immediately asked.
"Um... one or two of them might make the cover of Car and Driver," he said laughing.
I poked him.
"You're teasing, Harley Arnold. I bet you do have someone you never told me about."
"I do not," he insisted.
Before I could ask another question, he lifted his eyes from mine and said, "They're heading out here."
"Oh no."
I looked out and saw them swimming toward us.
"Let's just go back to the dock. We'll give them the raft." I decided.
"Now that's not being very polite," he said smiling. I stood up.
"Are you coming with me or not?"
"Take it easy. I'm just teasing you," he said.
Suddenly, we heard my aunt Alison scream, only this time the scream was not a scream of fun and excitement. It sounded like a scream of desperation.
"What's going on?" Harley wondered aloud. We watched as Harper stopped swimming. "Did she go under?" Harley asked. amazed. "Help!" we heard Harper cry.
Harley dove in and I followed. Just before I did. I heard another loud splash on my right. Both Harley and I swam as fast as we could. Harley was well ahead of me, but when I raised my head on my stroke. I saw another person silhouetted in the water. It was Uncle Roy. He was up and then under, and then I saw Aunt Alison's head bobbing as he dragged her back toward the dock. We reached Harper who was choking on some water and seemed to be struggling as well.
"Are you all right?" Harley asked him. "Yeah, yeah," he said, catching his breath.
I swam past them. Harley and Harper followed. Uncle Roy reached shallow enough water to stop swimming and scoop Aunt Alison into his arms, carrying her toward the dock.
"Uncle Roy, is she all right?" I screamed. "Go get your daddy," he called back to me.
As soon as my feet touched bottom. I waded in and then, without looking back. ran as fast as I could to the house. I went up the ramp instead of the stairs and practically tore off the front door lunging in.
"Daddy!"1 screamed. "Daddy hurry!"
He stepped out of the sitting room and looked at me, eyes wide.
"What?"
"It's Aunt Alison. She nearly drowned. Uncle Roy pulled her out to the dock. Hurry!"
Mommy wheeled up behind him and followed as quickly as she could. Daddy leaped over the railing instead of taking the stairs and ran toward the dock where Uncle Roy had Aunt Alison lying on her back.
"What happened. Summer?" Mommy asked.
"Aunt Alison drove up with some new boyfriend, and they decided to go skinny-dipping. I swam away to the raft to join Harley: they started to come out when suddenly she just went under."
"Oh no. She must have gotten a cramp. -Wheel me down, quickly."
I pushed her toward the dock. Daddy was already involved in resuscitating her. He was breathing into her mouth, feeling for a pulse, then he began CPR. Her body seemed limp, her eyes shut. My heart was thumping so hard. I thought I would simply fold up on the ground. She looked dead.
Daddy never panicked. He just went through his steps methodically, never looking up, never speaking. Uncle Roy, fully clothed except for his shoes, stood by. drenched. Harper had his jeans draped over his private parts as he sat dumbly on the edge of the dock watching. Harley came over to stand beside Mommy and int.
"Austin?" Mommy finally called. He shook his head but kept working.
Finally, some water trickled out of the corners of Aunt Alison's mouth and that was followed by spasmodic coughing. Daddy looked up and nodded. smiling.
"Summer, give me your towel," he called and I hurriedly did so. He draped it over her and gradually helped her to catch her breath. Immediately, she turned her head and vomited. After that, she groaned and leaned against Daddy.
"Let's get her into the house," he said. He lifted her carefully and carried her toward the house.
Uncle Roy looked at Harper.
"Get dressed," he ordered. "Didn't you see these two young people here?"
Harper moved as quickly as he could, abject terror in his face. I started to push Mommy up the path and Harley joined in to help me.
"I didn't know she was coming here." Mommy muttered. "It would have been just horrible, just horrible:"
"Your father's terrific," Harley said. "Man, he never blinked. He was looking right into the face of death and telling him to get going."
I nodded and smiled at him.
"It was Uncle Roy who got her out in time though," I reminded him.
"Yeah," he said looking back at Uncle Roy, who stood hovering like a prison guard over Aunt Alison's boyfriend, Harper. "I didn't know he could swim like that. Lucky he was out there. Or." he said glancing at me. "maybe it wasn't luck. Maybe he's been out there more often than we know."
Mommy put her hand on mine and looked up at me.
r />
I knew why.
Uncle Roy was always there, always looking out for her.
He was still looking out for her when he was watching over me.
I should be trembling. I thought. I should be so afraid after what had happened to me and what had nearly happened to Aunt Alison.
But I wasn't.
I had all these men about me: Daddy. Uncle Roy, and Harley.
It was like having a warm blanket wrapped around you whenever you even thought about trembling.
Harley had to leave us at the door.
"I better get out of my wet suit," he said.
"Come back," I urged. He knew I meant I was still shaken up from it all and wanted company.
"Sure." he said smiling.
He shot off toward his house like a track star.
"I'm not even going to tell your grandmother Megan about this,'" Mommy said. Then she looked up at me, a smile around her eyes. "If I did, she'd only write it on a piece of paper and bury it in the backyard,
"One of these days. all those seeds of unhappiness are going to sprout into black trees with tears dangling instead of leaves," she added.
"How horrible," I said.
Mommy grew very serious.
"You don't bury your bad times and pretend they never happened. honey. You face them and you conquer them. Then you can bury them.
"That's what I've done," she said. "That's what I'll always do." She said it as if she knew there was more to come.
9
The Lake's Victim
.
Aunt Alison never so much as said thank you to
Uncle Roy. When she was resting comfortably, she cried that she was hungry and then, when she saw Daddy, she teased him instead of thanking him for his part in saving her life, too.
"I couldn't ask for a better mouth to give me mouth-to-mouth. Austin." she told him. "I feel a little sore here," she said indicating her breast. "where you pumped so hard. It probably would have been easier if I was flat chested."
Daddy never really blushed like other people. He got red only around the crest of his cheeks and around his eyes.
"It would have been easier if you hadn't gone swimming," Mommy commented for him.
We had put Aunt Alison in the nest bedroom. Mrs. Geary had brought up some hot chicken noodle soup for her, but she wouldn't take a spoonful. She insisted she needed something stronger and finally settled for a vodka and orange juice. After that. Daddy took Harper downstairs to give him something to eat and drink, while Mommy and I stayed with Aunt Alison.
"I guess I've embarrassed the family again," she told Mommy as soon as Daddy and Harper left.
"What were you thinking. Alison? How could you bring a man here to go nude swimming with Summer and Harley right there anyway? Roy's very upset. too."
"Roy's upset? He's not the one who almost drowned. And besides, what is he upset about? He's no angel."
"I wouldn't say anything unpleasant about Roy. If it wasn't for him, you most likely would have drowned. Apparently, your new boyfriend was incapable of acting quickly."
Aunt Alison pouted a few moments and then she shrugged and smiled at us.
"I didn't bring him along to be a lifeguard anyway. He's better at other things. Well, maybe just one thing," she added laughing. "How long am I supposed to lie here like this?"
"Austin says you've had a very traumatic experience. You don't realize what a toll it's taken on your body yet. He said you should go to sleep."
"Poo on that." Aunt Alison said sitting up and not caring that the blanket fell from her naked breasts,
"Cover yourself for godsakes. Alison. If you're not embarrassed, you might embarrass someone else," Mommy chided.
Aunt Alison smirked and looked at me.
"You don't look so terrible," she said. "For what happened to you, that is."
"Her pain is not on the outside. Alison."
"Oh, pain. Half the time that I've been with a man, it's been like a rape. Either I'm doing the raping or they are," she added with a laugh.
"If you think you're being clever and
outrageous, you're not." Mommy said, her eyes small. ''Summer is only sixteen.'"
"I was fourteen the first time I did it," she told me unabashedly. "I didn't enjoy it, of course. Too painful and the boy was a clod. I kept thinking if this is what I can expect. I'll be a nun."
She laughed and drank her vodka and orange juice. Then she took a deep breath and slipped down under the blanket, moaning like a kitten.
"Maybe Austin's right. Maybe I am more tired than I think." "Of course he's right."
She looked at me again.
"Mother was so worried about her. She was never as worried about me," she told Mommy and pouted. "Poor little Summer this and poor little Summer that. It was coming out of my ears. I had to get away for a while, and that's when I found Harper. Umm," she said snuggling under the blanket, "what a find,"
Mommy glanced at me and then looked at Alison who closed her eyes and seemed to fall asleep immediately. We both waited a few moments. then Mommy nodded and we started out as quietly as we could.
She moaned.
"Send Harper up, please," she muttered, "You should just rest for a while. Alison." "Rest, pest." she mocked.
Mommy shook her head and we continued out. Harley had arrived and was in the sitting room with Daddy and Harper, who still looked absolutely terrified.
"How is she doing now?" Daddy asked first.
"Unchanged," Mommy said. smirking. Daddy laughed. Harper raised his eyebrows with surprise and confusion. "She's asking for you. Harper, so you might as well go back up to her," Mommy told him.
"Oh. Sure," he said rising. "Well, thanks," he told Daddy and left.
"What a night." Daddy said. "You were wonderful, Austin."
"I only did what I'm trained to do. Everyone should know some first aid. especially CPR'' he said directing himself to Harley and me.
"I'd like to learn more," Harley said.
"Ill give you some quick lessons this week. Stop by when you get a chance," Daddy told him.
"Thanks."
"Where's Roy?" Daddy asked. "I bet he could use a stiff drink after all that."
"He's home. My mother's been... a lot more depressed than usual." Harley revealed.
"Oh?" Mommy said. "What do you mean. Harley? What is she doing?"
"That's just it. She's not doing much. Sleeping mostly. Roy's been trying to let her to eat. She barely nibbles on anything."
"I'd better get over there tomorrow," Mommy said. "Maybe I can get her to do a little shopping with me."
Harley looked at the floor. I knew from the way he tightened his mouth and lowered his eves that there was much more to tell, but he was too embarrassed or too frightened to talk about it, even with us.
"I'd better get home." he suddenly decided and stood. "I'll walk halfway with you" I offered.
"Thanks," he mumbled. He looked at Mommy and Daddy, smiled and said good night.
We didn't speak until we were outside.
"I really thought she was dead, didn't you?" Harley asked.
"For a while. I did. but I kept telling myself Daddy would save her."
"Yeah, it's nice to have a father you can believe in and trust like that," Harley said.
"Uncle Roy was the biz, hero. Harley. Even Daddy says that," I reminded him. He nodded. "He came out of nowhere like Superman."
"That's Roy."
We walked quietly for a few moments. Harley keeping his head down.
"What else is wrong with Aunt Glenda, Harley?" I decided to ask.
He stopped, his hands dug so deeply into his pants' pockets, he looked like he would rip out the stitching. Even in the darkness. I could see the tears cloud his eyes, despite his grand attempts to prevent it. Harley was always afraid of revealing his emotions. I could remember him as a child, tightening his face into that inscrutable mask. There was a second level in the depth of his eyes that I had only recently learned to rea
ch.
"She's been walking in her sleep," he disclosed. "And not only in the middle of the night. Almost whenever she falls asleep these days, she rises and does things."
"What kinds of things?"
"Looking after Latisha as if she was still there. I don't mean just caring for her clothes or seeing that the room is clean and going out to the grave. She's talking to her aloud and then she's..."
"What?"
"She sits in the rocking chair in Latishas nursery and holds her arms as if Latisha was in them and sings lullabies to her. I woke up night before last and heard her singing. It was a little scary. I don't mean like ghost scary. It was frightening to listen to her doing something crazy like that.
"Next thing I hear is Roy urging her to come back to bed. She tells him she's got to get the baby back to sleep first, and he's talking to her as if he sees Latisha in her arms, too. saying, 'She's asleep. Glenda. Put her in her crib.'
"All sorts of memories came rushing back when I heard this stuff. I thought I was still dreaming, in a nightmare, you know what I mean?"
"I can imagine,"
"I got up and looked in on them. Roy was squatted down beside her, stroking her arm and talking softly, trying to get her to wake up, snap out of it, but she just wouldn't. Finally, he turns and sees me there. He just stared out at me. I never saw him look like that. He wasn't angry or sad. He was more like..."
"Like what. Harley?"
"More like he was afraid. Seeing fear in boy's face made me turn to ice inside.
'What's wrong with her?' I asked him.
"'Just go back to sleep: he said. 'There's nothing you can do.'
"'Mom, I called to her anyway and she... she started to cry. She cried so hard, her body looked like it was going to shatter into pieces. Roy held onto her and she shook him. too. He waved me away and I went back into my room. It seemed like hours went by before I heard him leading her back to bed.
"She didn't get up in the morning to make us any breakfast. Roy did it. I looked in on her, but she was dead to the world. I was afraid to leave her. I wanted to call your mother. but Roy got any and said Rain had enough troubles of her own. She didn't need his. too.
''It's not just your trouble.' I snapped at him. 'She's my mother.'
"'Then don't cause her any worry.' was his response. Like what was happening might be my