Curing up on her bed Gillian watches Andie sleep. She can sleep through anything, sometimes she wish that she had that ability to just ignore or sleep through all the drama. Just let go of responsibility and control.
The alarm startles her awake, Gillian’s father is standing in the doorway watching his daughters with sadness oozing out of him. “I am sorry,” he whispers and walks away. Hot tears form at the corners fill Gillian’s eyes, a reminder last night was not a dream. Andie looks up from her mass of blankets on the floor with scared eyes.
“Gilly, what is going on?”
“Don’t worry about it, go back to sleep. You can sleep in today. I will drive you to school and give you a note. I have to get up and start getting breakfast ready.”
Her head hurt and eyes stung from the light breaking through the curtains. Last night was not a dream. Gillian shuffled into the kitchen not knowing what to expect from the day.
“Hey there kid, there’s coffee,” Uncle Billy whispers. He arrived at the house just moments before Gillian woke up, his hands were wrapped around coffee of coffee. He pointed to the laptop lying on the kitchen table. “You gonna call her?”
“Where’s dad.”
“In the shower. You gonna do it or do I have to?”
“No I will. I have to do it before she goes to the office, and the kids get up.” Sitting down at the kitchen table and turning on the computer Gillian took a deep breath, dredding the call she was about to make. In one swift movement her uncle moved the computer in front of himself and shooed her away.
“Don’t worry. I will call her, you do your morning thing.”
The news of Gillian’s father’s impending rehab visit is not a welcomed one by her mother. She was livid that Gillian didn’t tell her what was going on a home.
“I am just going to have to come home,” she says pacing back and forth in her tiny studio apartment.
“No Leslie, you stay there,” Billy pleads. “Gilly has it handled here. I will stay for a week, there is only a few more weeks of school.”
“No! I am not comfortable with Gilly being left all alone with three kids. And what about graduation? Gills, baby, you need me… don’t you?” Her mother’s face drifts closer to the camera, enlarging her face on the laptop.
“Mom, we talked about graduation. I am not going. It is going to be long and boring and I just don’t want to sit through it. And you can’t loose this job! Please, I can handle it. Uncle Billy will get dad settled and then help me out for a few days before schools out. It is only a 21 day program and then dad can come home.”
“Baby it is not that easy. He needs help I know, but you can’t do this on your own. I am getting on a plane.”
Billy pushes the laptop away from the direction of Gillian. His face shows up on the screen, he is trying to appear sympathizing. “Leslie, what if I had Judy come and stay with the girls after I am gone, would that make you feel better?”
“No. I am their mother I should be there. This is so fucked up,” she is crying now.
Once again the intimacy, the rawness of her parent’s emotions forces Gillian leave the room. There is nothing more she can say or even do for that matter that will change the situation. For once Gillian lets the grown ups work it out and heads out to the back porch.
The cool air feels great on her skin. Hearing the kids playing next door at Mrs. Singh’s house has a relaxing tone. Getting lost in the laughter of the children playing, she does not notice the man standing behind her. Her father sits down, his sweat pants are stained and reeking of vodka, a stark contrast to his clean slicked back hair and soapy smell. Sadness is dripping off of him. Slowly Gillian reaches for his hand, the two sit holding hands listening to the happy chaos next door.
Gillian’s dad lets go of the tiny hand, stands up, pats her on the head and walks inside the house. Staring out to the oak tree in the backyard, Gillian’s eyes drifting in and out of focus as tears fall down and stain her pajama shirt. Quietly she begins sob. The front door slams and the sound of a car backing out of the driveway can be barely heard over the screams of joy from next door.
“I am alone.”
YOU ARE READING
Senior Stories: Gillian Lombart
Novela JuvenilGillian Lombart has it all under control, well that is until the summer of senior year when her father looses his job and her mom has to find work out of state. Left to manage the family Gillian discovers that all her dreams of life after high schoo...
