Girl in the Shadows

  "How does it do that?" Tyler asked me after I had Echo ask a question. She asked if the casserole she had heated up for us was delicious. It went into a straight line. She clapped her hands and then asked if she would have any nightmares tonight and it went m' to a circle.

  I shrugged. "Uncle Palaver couldn't explain it either. He said it was like an old-fashioned divining rod. Maybe it's our subconscious thoughts that influence it." I smiled. "And then again, maybe not."

  Tyler nodded. He gazed at Destiny, who had her arms raised as she shook her head, and he laughed.

  "I guess it wasn't all bad for you on the road with your uncle." "No, but as Mrs. Westington says, you can't stay on the road forever and run from yourself, put your head in the sand."

  We saw Echo yawn.

  "Time to go to sleep," I told her. I nodded at Destiny, whose eyes closed.

  Echo asked Tyler if he was returning in the

  morning and while he glanced at me, he told her he

  would see her at the hospital because he was going to

  visit her grandmother. too. That pleased her. She

  asked me if I was going to sleep now as well and I

  told her I would be coming up soon. I wanted to put

  away my magic show. She looked at Tyler and then at

  me and nodded. After she left. Tyler helped me take

  the tricks and illusions out to the motor home. "Destiny stays in the house with us," I said. We then went upstairs to check on Echo and

  found her asleep, embracing Mr. Panda.

  "I see you have a dream catcher, too." he said.

  "Not taking any chances. huh?"

  "Not anymore."

  He smiled. All that had happened appeared to

  have freed him inside so that he wasn't as guarded

  about his feelings and as afraid of trusting them. We went downstairs again. I saw how he was

  hesitating.

  "You don't have to hang around any longer.

  Tyler. We'll be allright."

  "If you don't mind. I'd like to," he replied. "It

  helps me to feel better."

  "Okay," I said. surprised.

  We sat on the sofa in the living room and talked

  about his new plans and mine. I tried to keep awake.

  but after a while, my eyelids just shut down and I felt

  myself leaning more and more against him. He rose

  and fixed a pillow under my head and then he sat

  across from me in Mrs. Westington's chair. When I

  opened my eyes with the morning light streaking

  through the window, he was still there, asleep himself. I sat up and he opened his eyes.

  "Hey," he said, looking about. "What time is

  it?" He checked his watch. "Wow. I guess I was more

  tired than I thought, too."

  "I've got to get Echo going. I'll get her some

  breakfast and then we'll drive over to the hospital." "Right. I'll meet you there," he said. He rose

  and stretched. Then he smiled. "Great show last

  night."

  "Thanks."

  "See you soon." He hurried out.

  I wondered what he would be telling his mother

  when he got home or if that even mattered anymore. Echo and I showered and dressed. I made some

  coffee. I was unable to eat very much. My stomach

  felt as if it were full of baby snakes. Echo had some

  juice and a little cereal. I thought she was suspicious

  about my moving her along quickly and getting us out

  so early, but she didn't ask anything about it. We got

  into my car and started away. I couldn't stop my

  nerves from twanging. Although getting a pacemaker

  was usually not a terribly dangerous procedure, it was

  for Mrs. Westington at her age and under her

  circumstances. As she would be the first to tell me. I

  knew enough to be dangerous. Mostly. I knew the

  doctors were afraid of her having a much more severe

  stroke.

  Tyler was already in the parking lot waiting for

  us when I drove in. He got out of his car quickly to

  greet us. Echo was happy to see him, but very

  surprised as well. She kept looking at me for more of

  an explanation. I knew we could hold back the truth

  only a few more minutes because once we were inside

  and she saw we weren't going to her grandmother's

  room, she would know something more was happening. I was glad I had Tyler with me to help

  explain it all with his expert signing.

  At the reception desk, we found out where to go

  to wait. When we reached the lounge. Tyler and I

  finally told Echo exactly what was going on. She sat

  there absorbing it all and looking very frightened and

  small. I held her hand and tried to reassure her. By

  doing that I was reassuring myself. A little after eight

  o'clock, Doctor Battie appeared. I held my breath until

  I saw him smile. As he spoke. Tyler signed to Echo. "It went well," the doctor said. "That woman's

  got spunk. Give her a few hours and then we'll have

  you visit. I'll let her know you were here and were

  updated."

  Joyous and feeling as if a ton of trouble had

  been lifted from our shoulders. I declared I was finally

  hungry. Tyler confessed to not having had much

  breakfast either so we headed down to the hospital

  cafeteria. Echo had a better appetite as well. The three

  of us sat at a table and watched hospital staff, other

  visitors, and doctors going in and out.

  "I'd like to work in a hospital someday." Echo

  told us. "and help people."

  "After you go to school, you can be anything

  you want." Tyler signed, and she smiled.

  "What is it really like for the hearing impaired

  as far as careers go?" I asked him.

  "Their opportunities have improved

  considerably. She's a ways off from making a career

  decision, but you'd be surprised at how much she can

  do. Maybe she will work in a medical lab someday, or

  even become a doctor."

  "A doctor?"

  "Who knows? She's bright enough to do most

  anything."

  Suddenly. Echo's eyes widened. I turned to look

  in the direction she was facing and saw Trevor

  coming toward us. He looked angry enough to tear the

  cafeteria into shreds. His eyes went to Tyler and then

  to me.

  "She's all right. We're all right," I said quickly. Trevor's shoulders relaxed. "Why didn't you

  have the police call me at my cousin's home?" he

  asked. "When I phoned the house and couldn't get

  anyone. I called a friend of mine in Healdsburg at the

  Mars Hotel. Seems the whole town's talking about

  what happened. When I heard the grisly details. I got

  an earlier flight out and just drove right to the

  hospital."

  He sat. "They both in jail then?" he asked me. "Yes, Trevor, Skeeter was wanted for a lot

  more and Rhona's in big trouble now."

  "I'm not surprised and not disappointed either,"

  he said.

  "Can I get you a cup of coffee. Trevor?" Tyler

  asked.

  Trevor glared at him a moment and then

  nodded. "Sure. Black, no sugar." he said. and Tyler

  leaped to his feet. "How's Mrs. Westington doing now

  then?"

  "She had a pacemaker put in this morning and

  the doctor says she's doing well, Trevor."

  "And the little one here?"

&
nbsp; "She's all right now. She's going to be fine. We

  all are. Trevor."

  "That's good. I'm sorry I wasn't here," he said,

  shaking his head. "I knew I shouldn't have left you

  with those two. You didn't tell me the whole truth

  about what was going on in that house. I bet. You

  didn't want me to stay and you knew I wouldn't leave

  if I knew everything,"

  "You were where you had to be."

  "I'm not so sure. You can give me the details

  later." he said. He jerked his shoulder toward Tyler. "I

  thought he was gone from the scene."

  "He's sorry he left us," I said. "He's taking a job

  at the school Echo will attend. too. It'll make it easier

  for her."

  "That so? What's his mama got to say about

  that?"

  "Not much it seems," I said. smiling.

  "Looks like a lot more than I knew went on

  right before my eyes," he said, smiling.

  "Mrs. Westington's going to be even happier

  when she sees you and knows you're back," I said to

  change the subject.

  "Oh, she'll find something to blame me for.

  Don't you worry about that," he said. and I laughed. Tyler brought him his coffee. "Sorry to hear

  about your mother. Trevor," he told him.

  Trevor looked up at him. "Thank you. April

  here told me about your new career plans."

  "Yes," he said.

  "Sounds good," Trevor said.

  Tyler nodded. "Maybe the jury's finally in on

  me." he told me, and we both laughed. Even Trevor

  thought that was funny and Echo laughed because she

  was wrapped in our good feelings.

  When sufficient time had gone by, we went to

  see Mrs. Westington. Normally, the ICU nurses wouldn't have let us all in at once. but I think they were just as afraid of hearing Mrs. Westington complain as they were of hearing their superiors complain. We gathered around her bed. She looked at

  our faces and nodded. Then she turned to Trevor. "How did you get back here so fast?" "Put my whole mind to it," he replied, and she

  smiled.

  "Don't you all stand there looking down at me

  like I'm hovering above my grave."

  "What are you telling us?' Trevor asked her.

  "That old man you saw through the window of your

  soul ain't looking in on you anymore?"

  "He'll come around when I tell him he can and

  not a minute before." she replied.

  "I bet he won't," Trevor said. laughing. "I just

  bet he won't."

  The doctors wanted Mrs. Westington in the

  hospital one more day. Of course she complained, but

  she gave up when she realized she was actually going

  to walk out of there. She promised and swore that she

  would behave and not do too much too quickly, but

  we all knew those promises were as good as the air

  they were written on, as she would say about other

  people's promises. After she came home. I tried staving on her, taking things out of her hands, moving to do things before she could, and constantly pleading with her to sit and rest. She bawled me out for being a

  Nervous Nelly.

  Trevor gave me as much help as he could with

  her, and so did Echo, who probably had the most

  influence. Tyler came over almost every night and we

  had some fine dinners and times together. The day

  after Mrs. Westington came home. Detective Temple

  came to see me again and to tell us that Rhona and

  Skeeter had been arraigned and a hearing before trial

  was being scheduled. Skeeter was also wanted in two

  other states and would be extradited to stand trial

  there as well.

  Despite her anger and disappointment, Mrs.

  Westington suffered some quiet moments of regret

  and sorrow about Rhona. She talked about the

  mistakes she might have made bringing her up and

  declared that she bore some responsibility for her

  whether or not she liked to admit it. In the end she

  decided to pay for an attorney, not to get Rhona off

  scot-free as much as to provide for her having some

  hope somewhere down the line,

  "It's throwing good money after bad." she told

  me. "but I can't help it. You'll discover that you do many things you don't want to do because of your

  parental obligations sometimes. April."

  Who said I would ever be a parent? I thought.

  She saw the doubt in my face.

  "Don't count yourself out of anything, girl.

  You're too young to come to any of those kinds of

  conclusions," she advised.

  Maybe she was right. I decided.

  When Mrs. Westington was strong enough, we

  all went to the school Echo would attend to meet with

  the headmaster and some of her prospective teachers.

  We were shown the dormitories as well. I watched

  Mrs. Westington's face the whole time. I could see the

  battle going on in her mind. She was impressed with

  the facilities, the achievements of the students and

  their interaction, but she also saw her granddaughter

  drifting away from her. The ties that had bound them

  together were snapping loose. She was wise enough to

  recognize that some of those ties kept Echo far too

  constricted and trapped her in a little girl's world

  when she should be expanding, growing, maturing,

  and becoming independent.

  "Funny." she said as Trevor drove us home that

  day. "but I think I'll have had more success bringing

  up a girl with a hearing disability than one who was

  healthy in every way."

  "Not every way," Trevor said, scowling back at

  her. "She inherited some rot from some ancestor. Of

  course, not on your side of the family." he added, and

  she smacked him playfully on the shoulder. Echo and

  I watched it from the rear and both laughed. "Stick to our grapes," she told him.

  "Our grapes? Now they're our grapes?" "They always were. I just humored you so

  you'd do a good job."

  "Well, I'll be... you hear that. April? Is this

  woman the mother of all deception or what?" "Oh, go eat your hat," she told him.

  The following day we returned to the mall to

  buy Echo some more new clothes. It was Mrs.

  Westington's idea after she saw what the other

  teenagers at the school were wearing.

  "I guess if they all want to go on looking

  foolish and clownish with those baggy pants and cut

  up blouses and pants, there's nothing I can do about

  it," she decided. "I just hope she doesn't go and get

  rings put through her nose."

  The purchases delighted Echo. I couldn't

  remember seeing her happier and neither could Mrs.

  Westington. Echo and I carried everything up to her room and I helped her organize her things for her

  move to the school in what was now two more days. Her preparations reminded me of my own first

  days at school: the anticipation, the nervousness, and

  the hope.

  Late that same afternoon. I received a phone

  call from the lawyer who had been taking care of

  Uncle Palaver's estate. He told me it was now possible

  to put the motor home up for sale and he had arranged

  for someone to come by in the morning and drive it
br />   over to the auctioneer. He wanted me to be sure I had

  taken everything out of it that I wanted.

  I had known this news would be coming

  anytime, but actually hearing it put a chill in my heart.

  I told Mrs. Westington and she saw it all in my face. "You've got to let go now, April," she said.

  "You've got to cut the past away. I know what I'm

  talking about. I've done it many times and I'm doing it

  now. Sometimes it's painful and sometimes it's not,

  but it has to be. We move on.'

  "I know," I said. "I guess I'd better go through

  the motor home and get what I don't want thrown out

  or taken by someone."

  "You want me to help you?"

  "Oh, no. I'll be just fine," I said. Of course, we

  both knew that was a boldface lie.

  When I entered the motor home. I simply stood

  there looking at everything at first, not knowing where

  to start. I went through all of Uncle Palaver's drawers,

  putting things in small bags and cartons. I discovered

  old pictures of him and my mother, even pictures he

  had saved of Brenda and me when we were much

  younger. There was one picture of him and Daddy

  that brought tears to my eyes. They both looked so

  young back then, so young and full of hope and

  energy. If only there was a way to bring pictures back

  to life, to return to those happier times.

  I found another cache of money hidden in a pair

  of Uncle Palaver's socks, And then. I found a shoe

  box with clippings and pictures of the real Destiny.

  There was a great deal of illusion in this motor home.

  I thought. after I had gathered all the tricks and

  paraphernalia that were part of Uncle Palaver's act,

  but there were many fine memories of real and

  happier times stored here as well. What I would do

  with all this,. I did not know, but I spent hours going

  through everything, separating what was obviously no

  longer important from what was.

  Trevor stopped in to help me carry it all out. He

  found a place for me to store it in his winery until I had decided what I would do with it all. Mrs. Westington told me to put the linens, towels, dishes, and silverware, as well as any insignificant household items in cartons that Trevor would bring to the Salvation Army. Echo decided to help me do all that. We worked until dinnertime and afterward, we loaded everything into Trevor's truck. He would take it away