My Life with the Boys

Chapter 27- Senior Year of College

A week after I moved out of the apartment I drive the fourteen hour route to Miami, Florida. Or just outside Miami to be exact. I pull up at the gated community and show my ID to the guards, explaining where I was going and they let me continue on through. It was very hot, and I had the windows rolled down and my sunglasses covering my eyes. I slowly drive passed the very large houses, or should I say mansions which are surrounded my palm trees. The mansions get bigger and bigger until I reach my destination and pull up along the long drive to the large white mansion with the red Mediterranean style roof.

The drive has weeds growing through it and the grass is tall and overgrown.

I walk up the steps to the very large front door which looks to be almost twice my height and ring the doorbell. The door slowly peels open revealing a women who looks to be in her sixties.

"Hi. I am Alison. Alison Scott? I am here to see my grandmother." I tell her.

"You don't remember me, do you?" she smiles kindly.

"Uh, no?" I say confused.

"I am Maria. I knew you when you were little and would come to visit." She explains.

"Oh." I say in recognition. "I remember now. Hi."

Maria was my grandma's housekeeper. She basically cooked and cleaned and did whatever else my grandma wanted. I remember there being more staff though. There were gardeners, cleaners, drivers and chefs.

"I am surprised you are here. Your father didn't want to come."

"He didn't. He doesn't actually know I am here. No one does." I admit.

"Here. Come inside. It is so hot out there." she leads me inside.

"How is she?" I ask seriously.

"Coping and well as you could if you had just found out the cancer is too far spread and there is nothing anyone can do." She responds honestly.

"Can I see her?"

"She is in the sun room. I was just making her some iced tea. You go and join her and I will bring you both some." She tells me and points in the direction that I assume leads to the sun room.

I forgot how big the mansion was. My dad's family are very wealthy but he gave it all up for my mum when he was young. It is easy to get lost in this house. I am surprised to see that the house is a mess though. There are lots of boxes everywhere, the walls look stained from what I assume is from the leaking pipes and flooding that happened three years ago. The carpet looks like it was pulled off and not replaced. Why didn't they fix this?

"What are you doing here?" Grandma asks me bluntly when I find her.

She is wearing a scarf on her head to cover up what I assume is her bald head from the chemotherapy. She looked pale and skinnier than she did when I last saw her. And older. Much older. She suddenly has a coughing fit and I move closer to help but she waves me off.

"I came to see you." I say simply.

"Why? To have the satisfactory of watching me die?" she responds once she stops coughing. Her voice hoarse.

"No. of course not. Dad wasn't coming so I came instead. You don't deserve to die alone." I tell her.

"What if I want to die alone?" she counters.

"You don't get a choice. I am staying. As far as I see it, you need the company and I need somewhere to stay. It is a win, win situation." I say bluntly.

"You remind me of me, you know. Fine. You can stay. But you better not-"

"I am not here to steal your money or whatever. I am going to get a job. I can pay for my own food, toiletries. Even rent if you want." I tell her.