Claria Chamberlin

Sister?

The phone was ringing when Katy walked in the door.  "Sure I'll get it Allen." she whispers as she grabs the phone, with a slight chuckle she answers, "Hello?" On the other end is a woman's voice, it seems sad or scared, "Hello, umm, is Allen Chamberlin there?" "Well yes he is." she puts the phone to her chest as she calls for him "Allen phone!" she puts the phone back to her ear.  "May I ask what this is regarding?" 

"I'm sorry I'm just looking for Allen." 

 "But why?"  

"I need to see him, at least talk to him" There was a break at first it seemed like a lost connection, but then Katy realized what she thought was static was the sound of the girl crying. Allen hadn't come yet so Katy yelled again this time she made sure to show the panic in her voice hoping he'd come.

"Who is this?" There was no response for a little.

"My name is Claria... Umm.. Claria Chamberlin, I'm Allen's sister."  Then there was a short pause Katy leaned against the counter Allen had never mentioned a sister, who the hell was this girl. "Who are you?" The voice seemed a little weak and it was easy to tell the girl was holding back tears.

"I'm Katy Chamberlin, Allen's wife."

"Wife? He has a wife?" There were more tears she was obviously sobbing on the other line. Just then Allen walked in. 

"Who is it?" when he walked in he was relaxed; however, the second he was his wife's composure he stood straight up and his eye's widened.

"I have no clue, she said her name is Claria and she's your sister, but you don't have a sister.  Right?" Allen murmured what may have been an attempt at a response,he took the phone and his eye's filled with rage.

"Is this some kind of joke? It's not funny, who the hell are  you and what do you want? What do you know about Claria?!" Katy jumped, she had never heard so much anger in her husbands voice. 

"Allen!" Katy yelled, she didn't understand what was going on but she knew that the girl on the light was truly in tears.

"Allen, it is me.  It's Claria." Allen sank to the floor. 

"No, who are you?" this time it wasn't anger it was sadness and his eyes filled with tears as the words struggled over the lump throbbing in his throat. 

"Allen it really is me, it's Claria, your sister... I'm back... Please believe me."

"No, My sisters gone." 

"No Allen I'm back now, if you don't believe me come see  me, I'm in NewWell at the police station."

"Okay." Allen whispered then hung up.  He sat for a moment starring at the phone, then he jumped to his feet, snagged the keys, and headed for the car, "I need to go to NewWell." Katy grabbed his shoulder, "No no no, explain what the hell is going on here?" Allen looked around, "I'll explain on the way." With that he turned, he wasn't sure if Katy would follow or not, but she did.  They rode in silence for a short distance but Katy couldn't take it.

"Is she actually your sister?"

"I don't know that's why I'm going."

"Okay let me rephrase that, you have a fucking sister?!" The anger crept out of her mouth as she spoke.

"I did." he was intensely focused on the road, he didn't want to look at her, he might break into tears.

"How did you used to have a sister?"

"She died.

"If she died then this girl obviously isn't her."

"8 Fucking years.. damn it." he drew in a hard breath to calm his breathing.

"What? 8 years?"

"She was taken away from me 8 years ago."

"Taken?" she shook her head and glared out the window, the nothingness that filled the car began to eat away at Allen, but he let it.  He didn't want to talk.

"You never talk about your family, you never see them, you throw out mail that could potentially be from them, why?"

"We didn't part on good terms, alright?"

"What is that even supposed to mean?"

"They just left us." Katy glanced down at her hands, "My dad left came back did whatever he was doing then my mom couldn't handle it, she killed herself, or tried, she was so caught up. In herself and her addiction. "

"How do you not know?" her voice was softer now.

"We were kind of taken from her, then we were with our aunt who just up and left one day, I took care of Claria after that."

"Allen... why didn't you ever tell me this?" she put her hand on his lap.

"Because it never mattered, I didn't want pity, and after 3 years it was obvious she wasn't coming home, so there was no point in bringing up the past."  They didn't speak of the rest of the way.  

...

Claria sat in the cell of the small Sheriffs office, she didn't except food, she refused to talk about anything that had happened.  She seemed happy, nervous, but happy. "Miss are you sure you're okay?" 

"Yes Officer I'm fine, I just can't wait to see Allen, you know a girl answered the phone.  She said she was his wife... so long I guess it makes sense he is 27 now.  I wonder if they have any kids.. mister do you think they have kids"

"Hard to say ma'am." he turned away, she talked a lot but not really about anything in particular.  She had cried he first 2 hours she was there now she was all smiles and she seemed perfectly fine.  

"Where did you say your brother lived?"

"Arsenwick?" the officer glanced over at the map.

"If he left as soon has you hung up he'll be here in about half an hour."

"Really! Oh yay, you know the last 8 years I thought about him everyday."  she paused, "Zach and I remember but no one else seemed to? Isn't that strange! Some people forgot after a few months, it's insane!"

"What are you talking about."

"Oh, nothing." she sat back she had said more than she meant to.