Allovander

Chapter 6 Secrets Revealed

When I wake up the next morning, my mind was such a jumbled mess that I didn't remember all that had happened the night before. But when I get to the kitchen, I hear Mom on the phone again.

"Ernie, you can stop calling. I'm not going to do it. " I hear Mom say.

"Yes, I know that.... but.... well no, of course not! I'm sorry, Ernie, really I am, but I just can't." Mom sounds worn out and tired as she says this.

"Ernie, no, you can't do that! I don't believe you! Ernie, if she is back, then let me talk to her. What do you mean she just went outside? Well, go get her!" Mom yells.

There was a long pause where I think the conversation is over, so I walk into the room; but I find a startled Mom still on the phone when I enter, and she hangs up.

"Carlen, when did you get down here? " She asks me.

"Just a little bit ago. Who were you talking on the phone with? " I ask, as casually as I can.

"Oh.... um.... you know, just an old friend. " She tells me.

She gets a cup of coffee and I get a bowl of cereal, just like always, but we both knew that it was diffrent this time. I finally just brake down and ask.

"Mom, what's wrong? "

She doesn't reply at first, just sighs and shakes her head.

"Mom? " I ask lightly.

She looks at me.

"Well, I guess you will find out sooner or later. " she whispers.

"Find out what? " I ask.

"Oh, Carlen, promise me that you won't get mad at me. I have to do this. " She says.

She was starting to scare me now.

"Mom, tell me. " I say.

She sighs for what might have been the hundredth time that morning.

"All right, Carlen, if you want me to. "She says very quietly.

I nod, afraid that if I say anything it might change her mind. So she began.

"It happened about thirteen years ago. " She says and pauses.

"Me and one of my friends from school named Ernie were hiking in the woods when we saw something.... " Here she hesitates.

"When we saw something.... slightly disturbing. " She continues.

I motion for her to continue, even though it was pretty clear that she didn't want to say any more. She sighs one last time before continuing.

"We.... well.... well, we... we found a.... um... we found a baby. "She says this last part very quietly.

She definitely had all of my attention by now.

"What? " I ask, totally baffled.

She nods and swallows what might have been a very big lump in her throat.

"I.... I.... it.... it was.... it was you, Carlen.? She finishes.

I can't believe what I was hearing. This was all too crazy! No, it was more than crazy, it was absurd! It was even more than absurd - it was.... well, I can't think of anything to describe it. But no matter how much turmoil I was feeling on the inside, on the outside I appeared totally normal, which was amazing to me. I was acting as if nothing had changed when, in fact, it felt like my whole world had just caved in.

"Your... your lying." I stutter.

She reachs across the table and takes my hand in hers, squeezing it tightly.