Recluse Island

Chapter 51

April 2014

He has some nerve, thought Martha Simpson as she angrily stormed into her office and slammed her ledger down on her immaculate desk. Telling her it's foolish to believe anyone in the Clinkirk Compound will be able to win Rafanoli's Challenge. As if Stanley knows anything!

She jerked her chair out and sat behind her desk staring at the work she needed to do. He only goes to the compound on review days. He doesn't talk with the residents or observe their behaviors and conversations like she does. Martha knows what they need, their freedom of course! But realistically she knew this wasn't possible.

However, perhaps if someone were able to win Rafanoli's Challenge then it could become a yearly event. One family leaving the compound was better than no one. But now that Stanley (for Martha knows it was his idea, and he had just bullied Ralph into it) had decided three families would be sent every ninety days to the compound the math just doesn't even out.

Martha was still pondering this dilemma when there was a knock at her door. "Yes, come in," she called, not really paying attention.

The door creaked open and Emerson Rafanoli, more commonly known as Emmy, slipped inside. Like his brothers (except for Myron) he resembled his father. Thick black hair that curled slightly at the ends and hazel eyes. He wore tight fitting jeans and a yellow T-shirt with a neon green belt.

"Oh, hello Emmy dear, how are you?" Martha asked absentmindedly, opening her ledger to go over procedures for the upcoming review and end of Rafanoli's Challenge.

"It's raining," he informed her.

"Is it? I hadn't noticed." Martha mumbled not looking up from her work.

Martha's office was on the lower level beneath the ballroom. It was supposed to represent her area of advisement. The Clinkirk Compound was underground, which is why her office didn't have any windows. Gilbert Plunkett, advisor of Stormy Shore was on the middle level, and Carl Hawkins who oversaw the island's defenses and welfare was on the upper level with a view overlooking the Rafanoli Manor garden.

"Myron went to town, and I don't know where Lowell is." Emmy relays as if Martha had just inquired into their whereabouts.

"What about Alvin?"

"In his art studio," Emmy responded leaning against the side of Martha's desk.

"Well, you can always visit with your aunts." Martha suggested.

Emmy gave her an assessing look as if he were trying to figure out whether she had gone insane. Everyone knew that his aunts, Ralph's sisters, didn't get along. They had a whole wing of the manor set aside for them. For many years now it has been referred to as the Barren Land since none of Ralph's sisters were ever able to have children.

A shame, Martha had always thought. They had their problems of course but she often wondered how much of that stemmed from never being able to create the families they craved. It also didn't help that Ralph never had any difficulties. Another reason they despised Ellamae, except for Josephine, who had always treated her with kindness.

"I'll have to pass on that," said Emmy.

The Rafanoli boys were all homeschooled at the manor and didn't make many trips to Stormy Shore, as a result they didn't have many or any friends. Martha had always noticed that Emmy disliked their confinement. He clearly craved attention and wanted to be by others his own age.

"I want to see it," Emmy said next.

"See what Emmy dear?" asked Martha, now calculating how many additional seibolds those who had the last name beginning with A would get.