Secret Life Of Bees Continued Unofficial

Chapter 3: History is Repeating

11 months later…

‘Gah. Look at this. He’s definitely trying to rub it in my face.’ I said to June, disgusted. ‘Lily, how many times do I have to tell you? Just chuck the dang letter away!’ June replied. ‘I don’t know June… I really think T-Ray wants me to come back into the family if he keeps showing off how happy he and Dora are with their baby in letters like this. I just can’t stop thinking about it.’ ‘Aren’t you happy here?’ ‘No, no, no! That’s not what I meant! It’s just… after almost 16 years later; T-Ray actually pays attention to me, and wants me to be back in the family! Isn’t that a little strange?’ ‘It is…But Lily, You’re over reacting. Maybe he truly has changed and he does love you and wants you to come back. Maybe, you should visit him and see what he is up to!’ ‘June…’ I ran up to her and kissed her on the cheek. ‘You’re the best aunty ever!’ ‘Mommy, can I have a kissy too?’ Matthew chirped.

‘Zach, you didn’t have to come with me.’ ‘I want to Lily.’ Zach said. We were driving to T-Ray’s house. I had copied down the address from all the letters T-Ray had given me and now, we were on our way to see the truth. ‘Alright, but this is your last chance to turn back and let me drive.’ I said. ‘Lily! Will you stop saying that! I really and truly want to come with you and if you say it once more, I will lock the doors!’ ‘Is that a threat, Zachary Taylor?’ And then I leaned in to kiss him. ‘Oi! No distractions for the driver!’ he yelled, smiling.  ‘Sorry!’ I giggled. ‘There, There! That’s the house!’

This house looked different then to the one of my childhood. It had white picket fences, and the house was a light sky blue colour. It was every girl’s dream house. Tears started welling up in my eyes, and my knees started shaking uncontrollably. ‘Look Lily, you don’t have to do this. Do it when you’re ready.’ ‘I have to do this, Zach.’ I got out of the car and started walking up the steps to the porch. I saw Zach coming after me but I put my palm out and mouthed ‘sit down!’. I need to do this alone. 3 taps on the door should do it. I was sort of hoping he wouldn’t answer, but lo and behold, T-Ray. ‘Lily, how nice of you to come and visit me.’

‘T-Ray!’ I said, plastering on a fake smile. ‘How nice to see you again!’ I lied. ‘Why dontcha come on in!’ he said. ‘Hi Lily’, came a voice from the living room. ‘Hi Dora!’ I said.

Then I saw her. A baby, with curly brown hair and the exact shade of brown my eyes are. I almost ran out of there if it hadn’t been for my legs that were frozen. ‘Lily, come meet your sister, Mary Jane, or, M.J for short.’ T-Ray said proudly. I looked at M.J who was sitting on the floor, playing with a wooden giraffe in one hand and holding a rattle in the other. Dora was smiling and was sitting behind her and was holding her up by the belly. But the next thing caught my eye. Blue bruises were running up Dora’s arm and into the t-shirt. There were yellowing bruises up by her cheek. T-Ray must’ve caught me staring because he said to Dora in a sickly sweet voice, ‘Dora, honey, can you let Lily play with her sister? You must be freezing, go get a jacket.’ It was 86 degrees Fahrenheit* outside. Dora’s eyes became wide and she hurriedly waved me over and quickly ran out of the room. I held on to M.J’s belly. She saw me and her eyes went huge. She started crying for her mother. I heard Dora’s footsteps on the stairs and into the living room went Dora with a black jacket on. I lifted M.J to Dora, and M.J stopped crying instantly. I was relieved to make the baby stop crying. ‘T-Ray, It was nice to see you, but I have to go.’ I ran out of the house without anyone’s good byes, into the car with Zach. ‘Just drive.’ I said, once again with tears welling in my eyes. I turned my head towards the house, and saw T-Ray waving at me shouting, ‘See you very soon Lily!’ I knew those words will haunt me at night.

‘Lily! Where have you been? Well I have been worried! You better tell me where’ve you been or—‘ August started shouting. ‘I’ve been at T-Ray’s.’ I interrupted. ‘WHAT?’ ‘I went to visit him, and his daughter Mary Jane.’ ‘Why did you give in to the letters? You know better than that!’ ‘Don’t worry August. Zach came with me.’ ‘ Still! What if he was there to trap you or something! You could’ve at least told me!’  ‘Sorry August. I didn’t mean to scare you.’ Her breathing slowly became calm and she looked me into the eye and said, ‘So, why did you go?’ I really didn’t want to have this conversation right now, right after what I saw. But I couldn’t avoid Augusts’ death stares. I started, ‘When I saw T-Ray, he looked fake. He says he changed, but I could see in his eyes. He was the same T-Ray I’ve ever known. Then, I saw Dora. She looked happy, at that moment. But then I noticed all the bruises on her arms and face. T-Ray had seemed to notice that I noticed and he straight away sent up Dora for a jacket. In a split second, Dora actually looked frightened.’ ‘Lily, you’re joking, right?’ ‘August, I bet my whole existence that I’m right. History is repeating.’