Lanterns swing gently from bare branches of apple and plum trees lining the driveway and the pathway down the side of the house into the back yard. In about two hours, the solar powered lights in the lanterns will start blinking on. The paved walkway has been swept and the gravel driveway cleared of fallen tree limbs.
Inside the house, a fire has been started in anticipation of a frosty night. A large selection of sandwiches and salads, made by Joe and Gladys the night before, adorn the dining room table. Joe is making hot chocolate that he'll put in a big jug with a spout so they can drink it outside from little paper cups.
Evan gathers the last of the branches from the side of the driveway and carries them to a large burn pile at the rear of the house. If the weather holds, they'll drink hot chocolate around a bonfire and Gladys will sing songs. Evan smiles thinking about the bonfire, maybe they'll roast marshmallows like he did when he was a child. Hot chocolate, roasted marshmallows, friends - this will be the best birthday ever! Evan tosses the branches on the large pile of twigs, brambles, and cuttings from the orchard.
Evan, we made it! We're here!
It's Michael. Evan runs to the front of the house and watches the van that Michael is in, come slowly down the long driveway, the sunshiny dust following in cloudy puffs. Evan wipes his sweaty hands on his jeans. Is Grandpa ready? Should he let him know the first guests are here? There's no time. The van has stopped.
Evan stands, his hands at his side, his body trembling with excitement. He takes a hesitant step forward and stops, looking over his shoulder towards the house. The van door bursts open and a clamber of people and words tumble from the van.
"Hello!" Kazuki calls, pushing his way out of the van first, waving his arms wildly in the air and tripping over someone's scarf in the process. My friend! My friend! I am really here. Kazuki kicks aside the scarf and runs towards Evan. He grabs Evan's hands in his own and bows his head slightly. Your home - it is beautiful. Thank you. Thank you for inviting me!
Evan shakes Kazuki's hands warmly and says, "I am glad you came. I am so happy today."
"I am so happy today," Kazuki echoes, laughing awkwardly. Ah! Sorry! Repeating's a hard habit to break. I have to bite my tongue and not say anything. But then people think I'm mute!
"Relax! It's all good," Evan replies.
"Happy Birthday, Evan!" Peter calls from inside the van. "Ana's coming with Ro. We thought two vehicles would be good. She'll be here soon."
Michael steps carefully out of the van, carrying a covered tray. "I got the cookies, Peter. Don't worry about the cookies - I got them. Look, Evan! We made cookies for your party."
"Thank you," Evan says, smiling shyly, taking the tray. This is too good to be true - all my friends here with me. Thank you for coming!
We've been looking forward to this for a long time, Michael replies. This is wonderful what you're doing. Eliza was ready to come here at 6 o'clock this morning. She was that excited. That's why Peter said we should make cookies. He thought baking might stop her from jumping around so much, but it didn't. She just kept jumping and doing her dance thing. She fell asleep in car. I guess she finally tired herself out.
She's awake now, Evan says. Look.
Evan and Michael watch Eliza walk to the lawn and stop. She turns slowly in a circle, her eyes half shut. Her fingers graze the low branches of an apple tree. She kneels down and brushes her hands over the grass beneath the tree.
Eliza, what are you doing? Evan asks, but Eliza does not respond. She presses her forehead to the ground, then her ear. She stays like that until Peter taps her shoulder.
"Hey Eliza, let's go inside," Peter says. Eliza looks up at Peter, a small smile playing on her lips. She takes Peter's hand and stands up. "We're going inside, Chantelle," he calls over his shoulder.
Evan leads the way and waits on the front steps of the porch. With the joy of seeing his friends arrive, Evan hadn't noticed Chantelle, still in the van, tidying up and organizing extra clothes and all the little necessities of day trips. He had been looking forward to meeting Peter's girlfriend. He imagined Chantelle as golden – she must be very special for someone like Peter to pick her.
"I'm coming," Chantelle calls, straightening her dress and giving herself a quick look over in the van's side mirror. "Do you need anything from the van?"
"Nothing that we can't get later," Peter calls back. "Let's go."
Chantelle looks down at her high heels and gets back in the van where she rummages through a few bags until she finds a pair of flat, slip on shoes. She quickly changes her shoes, grabs a thick, multicoloured knit shawl, slams the van door shut, and hurries to catch up to Peter. Her long-strapped purse flaps crazily behind her. It makes Evan want to laugh, but he doesn't because she looks nice and he doesn't want to hurt her feelings. Chantelle notices Evan watching her and she smiles warmly at him from the driveway. Evan likes her, immediately.
Passing Evan at the front door, Eliza reaches out and touches his wrist. She stops and takes a deep breath as she looks past Evan at the trees and mountains. She looks at the porch with the wicker rocking chairs and the white Christmas lights wrapped around the posts. Her eyes are bright and green, and when they finally reach Evan's, they are more focused than he's ever seen them. He wonders what she had been listening for. Did the grass make noise? Whatever she had been listening to, it both woke her up and relaxed her. Tomorrow, when everyone is gone, he wants to listen to the ground.
"Eliza, say happy birthday to Evan," Peters suggests. "Say, 'Happy Birthday, Evan'."
Eliza pulls her hand out of Peter's and smiles at Evan.
"Well there you go, Evan. Look at that beautiful smile! I'd take that over a 'Happy Birthday' any day," Peter says.
"Thank you for coming. I'm so glad you're here," Evan says to Eliza. What did you hear when you were listening to the ground under the apple tree?
Eliza looks back at the fruit trees, the grass she had touched, the cold blue sky. She brushes the curls off her face and stands up straight, ready to enter Evan's home.
My heart. I heard the music in my heart, she says.
YOU ARE READING
Rules of Escape
Science FictionFor Ana, it felt like a switch had been turned on inside her. She could sense freedom, imagine possibilities she hadn't thought possible. She wants to leave her caregivers, and when she does, she wants to take Evan with her. In fact, she must tak...
