The Entirely Fabricated Story of Lizzie Nickerson

Chapter 16

If you expected that during the week away from her mother, Maribeth foiled a counterfeiting operation or was instrumental in capturing an elusive serial killer, you'll be disappointed. None of that happened. Instead, while Indigo Finch was miles away in the Music City at the Nashville Hemp Expo, helping to set up booths for vendors and sampling CBD products, her sister, Sonya became Maribeth's temporary guardian/caregiver.

Now that she found herself in Sonya's apartment, Maribeth was gripped with apprehension. Maybe 'gripped' wasn't the appropriate verb to describe the state of Maribeth's trepidation, although 'trepidation' most assuredly was the correct noun. The first-floor neighbor, Margery Brennan, would have probably described Maribeth's experience as unnerving.

Because virtually everything in her aunt's apartment was unfamiliar, Maribeth entered Sonya's kitchen as though wild animals were poised to burst from the adjoining rooms and feast on her little body.

"This is the kitchen," said Sonya.

"Obviously," said Maribeth. "You wouldn't have a stove and a refrigerator in your living room or your bathroom, right?"

"Obviously," said her aunt.

"It's a lot bigger than our kitchen," Maribeth said, her tone softening. 

Sonya accompanied her niece down a hallway to the guest bedroom.

"This is the room where you'll be staying," said Sonya.

"Whose room is this?" she asked.

"It's the guest bedroom."

"Where's the guest?"

"You're the guest."

"Who was the guest before I got here?"

"There wasn't one."

"So you have a guest bedroom for no guests?"

"Well, you're my guest and this is your room for the whole week."

"But what if the guest comes back? Oh, geez. Do we have to share the bed?"

"You're my only guest." Sonya offered reassurance. "You won't need to share the bed or this room with anyone. For the whole week, it's all yours."

Maribeth went to the window and looked out at the street below. She admired the elevated view, like Lizzie in her treehouse. She liked the idea of sitting in a chair at the window, reading a book, or simply watching the world go by from her third-floor perch.

"The sidewalks are cement or concrete," she said.

"Is that so?" Sonya replied.

"And the street is made of asphalt. That's what my momma said."

"I believe she's right about that."

Of course, she was right. Why would Maribeth's mother tell her things that weren't true? That didn't make sense. 

Maribeth noticed vague similarities between Indigo and Sonya. They had the same Finch nose and chin and she heard her mother's voice when Sonya spoke. But that's where the resemblance ended. Indigo treated her daughter as an adult, while Sonya regarded Maribeth as a child, which maybe wasn't such a bad thing.

Early Saturday morning, precisely at 3:37 AM, Sonya opened her eyes to discover Maribeth standing in the shadows of her bedroom watching her. Startled, she bolted to an upright position and switched on the lamp on her nightstand.

"Maribeth," she said. "Why aren't you asleep? Is something the matter?"

"You were sleeping on your side. Actually, on your left side."

"Yes, I probably was."

"You were. I saw you. You were sleeping on your left side. If you like to sleep on your side, you should probably sleep on your right side."

Sonya rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Oh? Why would I do that?"

"When you sleep on your left side, your chest cavity presses up against your heart. I read it in a book. The added pressure on your heart can slow down your heart. It can also disrupt your heart's electrical current."

"I didn't know that. Aren't you tired?"

"Sleeping on your side can also cause shoulder pain and hip pain, especially for old people like you."

"I'm not that old."

"Oh, geez. You're older than Momma, and she's old."

"Not really."

"And you're a lot fatter than she is so there's more weight pressing down."

"I'm not fat! You and your mother are both skinny little things." Sonya couldn't help becoming defensive. "Doesn't the doctor tell you that you're underweight?"

"What doctor?" 

"You've never been to see a doctor?"

"Why do I need a doctor? I'm not sick."

Sonya sighed. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Momma says doctors are pill pushers. They make money from sick people."

"There are a lot of very good doctors who help sick people get better. Some doctors even save lives."

"That's not what I heard. Where are you getting your information?"

"Can we talk about this in the morning?" Sonya yawned. "We both need our sleep."

"Well, actually, it is morning."

"I mean in a few hours when the sun comes up."

Maribeth answered only with a blank expression.

Sonya asked, "Do you want to sleep here with me?"

"Okay," said Maribeth curling up on the floor next to the bed.

Sonya peered over the edge of the mattress. "I mean do you want to sleep in this bed with me?"

"Oh, geez. That seems inappropriate."

"There's nothing inappropriate about it. It's a very comfortable bed with a nice soft mattress, fluffy pillows, and a warm blanket. And there's plenty of room for me and a skinny little thing like you."

"I'm fine down here."

"You don't look very comfortable lying on the floor."

"Well, maybe can I have a blanket and a fluffy pillow?"