Journey's Child

36

After an early lunch, Thad returned to the cove to paint and I settled in my room to rest and read the second book from the Chronicles of Narnia. Thad had bought me 'Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia' while I was still in the hospital. I was looking forward to escaping into the story along with the Pevensie children.

I didn't get too far; I fell asleep within minutes of opening the book. I woke with a start to find Captain's cold, wet nose pushing against my arm.

"Captain!"

He trotted out of the room, happy to have gotten me up. When I reached the hall I could hear Thad in the kitchen. I found him pouring a cup of coffee for a strange woman sitting at the kitchen table.

"Oh Gilly," he greeted when he saw me, "This is Betty. She's Richard's wife."

When I didn't respond he continued.

"Richard owns the gallery in town. Do you remember him?"

I nodded, still not speaking.

"Betty is going to stay here with you while I go visit your mom."

I gave her a sideways glance.

"Hi Gilly. It's nice to meet you."

Thad steered me over to the table where Betty reached out to shake my hand."

"Hi," I said.

I must have looked concerned because Thad continued to explain. "I'll be gone until 8:00 or so. Betty will cook dinner and stay here with you until I get home, okay?"

"Okay," I echoed, not really sure how I felt about Thad leaving.

*

I spent the next few hours in the living room reading while Betty sat in the family room watching TV and knitting. The fall afternoon sun smeared the floor and walls of the cozy room with a golden glow. I looked up at the painting of Heather and I had the strangest idea. I thought to myself that I was feeling the way she would feel if she were alive and here. I hoped wherever she was that she understood that she had a nice home and father. I felt safe and I wanted to think that she felt safe too.

A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts and put me on full alert.

Betty came from the kitchen to see who it was. She saw that I hadn't moved to answer it, so she walked over and reached for the knob.

"It's Ben," she told me. I felt the cool sea air push its way in with his entrance. He smiled when he saw me.

"Hi Gilly, how are you?"

He was his usual self, friendly and confident.

"I'm good," I answered.

"Well, I'll leave you two to visit," Betty said. "If you go out, please stay within calling distance."

"I will," I replied.

"So," Ben began as he slipped his back pack off and came over to sit on the couch, "I'm glad you're here. I was really worried."

There was an awkward silence as I tried to think of something to say.

"The hospital was awful. They kept giving me jello to eat."

"What kind?"

"Lime."

"I would have preferred orange or strawberry."

"Me too," I said as I relaxed back into him and me.

"Want to take a walk on the beach?" he asked.

"Sure."

As we began to walk down the stairs towards the beach, Captain having come out his own door, ran past us.

"Hey, who invited you?" I joked.

We spent an hour or so down at the cove. The day's warmth was beginning to disappear and the sun began to play hide-and-seek with the jagged fog bank hugging the horizon. Ben looked like he had just remembered something urgent. He jumped up, "I have to get home. I have homework to do."

Homework!  I was caught by surprise. I hadn't even thought about school.

*

I settled back on the couch after saying goodbye. I was feeling strange and lonely. I should be in school. What was going to happen to me if I continued to miss school? Would I have to take seventh grade over? Why was I being punished? All of this wasn't my fault was it? I really needed to talk with Thad.

"Dinner's ready, Gilly," Betty called from the kitchen.

I didn't eat much. All the things I was missing out on kept running through my mind. I hadn't realized that I had been cast aside, forgotten just like when my father and Sam died. I felt like I was drifting out on the ocean with no land in sight.

"Gilly?"

I jumped when Betty said my name.

"Are you alright, honey?"

"I'm not hungry," I said as I got up from the table. I think I'll go read or something."

After rinsing my dishes and putting them in the dishwasher, I headed to my room. I felt like a fly that got trapped between the screen and a closed window. I was caught between Drakes Harbor and my home in San Jose. I wasn't part of life here and I couldn't get back to my life there. I was stuck just like that fly.

*

Thad got home around 8:30. I heard him talking with Betty. After she left he came to my door to see how I was.

"Hey Kiddo, how's it going?"

I shrugged, then asked him how my mother was.

"She's getting stronger. We'll both go visit her in a couple of days. How does that sound."

I shrugged and said, "It's not like I have anything else to do."

"What's up, Gilly?"

"Nothing."

"How was your visit with Ben?"

"Okay." Then I added, "He had to leave because he had homework!"

Thad looked surprised, then thoughtful. "Gilly, I was waiting to see how your mom was getting along before deciding about school. I guess I should see about home school for now. What do you think?"

"I guess."

"School has only been going for a week. You haven't missed very much. I'll get in contact with the school tomorrow and see what we need to do."

"Okay," I said beginning to feel better.