Why Me?

Chapter 3 Settling in

Evangeline

     Moving from New York City to Texas was a bit of an adjustment, but I loved the countryside ten times more than the city. In the city, you had buildings next to buildings with no space in between them, car horns blaring at all hours of the night and there was always a fight going on every other night, but there was none of that here. For the first time in forever, I went to bed without a throbbing headache. All I was able to hear was the sound of crickets chirping and owls hooting. And our closet neighbor was half a mile down the road.

     To me, this felt like heaven but my mother on the other hand… she hated it here. All you’d ever hear come out of her mouth was “Is there any clubs around here?” or “Why does it smell like animals in the house?” Liza had never been an outdoorsy person.

     The major thing I was glad about though, was how nice Aunt Cecilia was. She was just like my grandmother. I’d never met her until now but we were pen pals since I was nine. She was just the nicest woman ever. I had no idea how my mom had turned out so… evil.

     It was Sunday, August 21, two days since we arrived in Suttonville and Aunt Cecilia told me she had invited some of the neighbors over for a cookout. I was excited to see who our neighbors were but Lisa wasn’t that thrilled.

     “Aunt Cecilia, did you really have to have a cookout today?” Lisa screamed from her room on the top floor. Being the royal bitch she was, she needed a room all to herself, away from everybody else.

     “Why dear? Is there somethin’ wrong?” Aunt Cecilia asked. She and I were in the living room together. She was knitting me a black beanie for the “cold season” and I was sitting down finishing up my book. Suddenly, we heard the click of Lisa’s heels as she descended the stair case.

     “Yes, there is something wrong. I wasn’t aware that I was moving into the middle of nowhere so all I have to wear are six inch heels and miniskirts!” She was right. When I looked in her  direction, she was wearing one blue heel and the other neon pink, along with a green sequenced miniskirt and a bright yellow tube top.

     “Oh my Lord, darlin’ you’re  jus’ a hot mess. I know what ta do.” Aunt Cecilia put down her knitting, got up, grabbed my mother by the arm and began to lead her to her bedroom.

     “Well first we need ta get ya outta these cloths or else people are goin’ ta think you’re a hussy.” I couldn’t help but giggle a little. It was true, she was a hussy. “An’ then you, me an’ Evie can go inta town an’ I’ll get ya somethin’ more southern.” Then, with a slam of the door, I was finally left alone.

     About five minutes later, I finished reading my book, leaving me bored as ever.  I looked around the living room and thought I’d do some exploring. I placed my book down on the coffee table and began to look around.

     It was a cozy little room, with a yellow couch set, a chestnut wood coffee table and the floor’s tile was made from bamboo. Under the coffee table, there was a black rug along with Marty, my aunt’s prized bloodhound. He was a poor thing though and as old as the hills; sixteen to be exact.

     When I looked up from Marty, something in the corner of the room caught my eye. It looked like an old jewelry box but there was something silvery shining off of it. As I got closer, I noticed that the box was all scratched up, scrapes and gashes everywhere. The only thing that was not touched was the silver inscription on the top of the box. “Το μέλλον βρίσκεται στα χέρια του θεατή.” is what was written and I had no clue as to what that was. I was told the first day we got here that I wasn’t allowed to touch anything, from both my mother and my aunt. But this box was so weird and I was just dying to see what was in it. I slowly reached out and tried to open the top of the box.