The Cloud Reader

Molly

Garret waited outside on the steps while I went in to get mom. After telling me about his visit to Hector, we decided that it should stay just between the two of us for a while; I wasn't about to start up again with mom. Garret had asked again about the show and finally I said that he could come over and we would ask my mom together. She was sitting at the table writing in her chequebook and when she saw me she started to cry.

"Mom?"

"Molly, baby. The hospital called." I felt my legs go rubbery and I sat across from her, fists clenched. "Your father is getting better. They don't know exactly why or how, but if he's able to stay off the IV for another forty-eight hours, he can come home!"

"Ohh, mom!" I jumped up and ran around the table and we hugged and hugged. "Is he going to be all right now?"

"I don't know, Honey, I hope so. The doctors don't know what was wrong, they can't find anything and he is feeling much better. We'll just keep our fingers crossed and think positive." Think positive thoughts, Mrs. Howe. Mom let go and sat back with a strange look on her face.

"What, mom? What is it?"

"Uh- nothing, baby. Just- nothing. Go and get Brian from Billy's, I'm sure he would like to know about dad." I jumped up and ran for the door. Garret was sitting on the step; I had completely forgotten him. He came with me, grinning as I babbled the news all the way to Billy's and back.

Brian ran in ahead of me, cheering and throwing himself at mom, hugging her about the waist. Garret waited in the kitchen doorway with patience and good humour.

"Molly's got a boyfriend! Molly's got a boyfriend!" Brian was yelling when mom let go and looked with an amused curiosity at Garret who stood politely awaiting an introduction.

"Brian, shut up!"

"Don't speak to your brother that way, and Brian-stick your tongue out again like that and I'll chop it off-don't be rude to your sister's friends." Mom looked at me and raised her eyebrows.

"This is Garret, mom. I met- we were at the mall- he goes to high school." I was a blushing wreck and mom was turning a little pink herself.

"Pleased to meet you, Garret."

"Steadman. Very nice to meet you as well, Mrs. Howe."

"I know that name from som-"

"Garret's in high school," I repeated, hoping to get what I thought might be a problem out of the way right at the start.

"Yes, I just started this year. I'm an April birthday so I always seem to be older than some of the other kids." He pivoted on his heels and looked at me, smiling.

"Well." Mom held out her hands, unsure of what to do. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Garret. Oh, I said that didn't I?" Mom's look became blank and she stared between us, her lips moving silently.

"Mom, can we talk?"

Except for the rustle of mom shredding her serviette, the room was tomb quiet. Even horrible Brian knew enough to keep his mouth shut. Mom finally told us that she felt the words of Hector Nublado ringing in her head ever since the hospital phoned and then hearing Garret's surname, she sort of lost her grip on the moment. Garret glanced at me and gave a slight shrug, his story had shaken all of us and now we had to come to grips with what was real and what wasn't.

It turned out mom did know Garret's last name; Doctor Steadman was the consulting surgeon on dad's case. Garret told us how his family had been in a mess since dad got sick because none of them could diagnose his problem and Garret's dad was objecting to any kind of surgery until they had some inkling of what they would be looking for.

His argument, which apparently started a feud among the physicians, was the fear of kick starting something that was currently dormant and harmless and that he thought it might be something in dad's head. Things became so bad both at the hospital and at home that his dad was almost ready to quit, a declaration that started bitter arguments between he and Garret's step mom.

"I just don't understand. How did you find out about Hector?" Mom said, balling up the shreds and pushing them aside.

"It was something like your own experience, Molly." He looked at me. "I had to get away from the house, from the fighting and arguing. I was scared that dad would quit and that it would ruin his life. Being a doctor means more to him than anything. Plenty of times he told me about how hard it was for him and how my grandparents did without a lot of things so he could study. I couldn't imagine him giving it all up. And his wife wasn't helping at all, threatening to leave if he didn't pay more attention to her instead of his work. Sometimes I wish she would just go."

Garret looked sheepishly at my mom. "Sorry, you asked a question."

"If you'd rather not talk abou-"

"No, it's okay. Like I said, I had to get away for a while and just think. I wandered out to Larkpoint and got caught in a downpour. The only place to run was the porch on this tiny house. I hadn't noticed it before but I was glad it was there."

"While I was there Hector came out and just started talking to me like he knew me and that my being on his porch wasn't odd at all. At first I thought he was a little," Garret spun a finger beside his head. "Then he asked me about my dad and I nearly freaked. By the time I left, I wondered if maybe I wasn't the one who was a little . . ." another finger twirl. "His last words were, "Say hello to Molly Howe."

"What? What's the matter, Garret?" Mom placed a hand on his, encouraging him to continue.

"He said that the clouds told of sunshine, love and renewed happiness. Those were his very words, and when I was leaving he called after me to say that I should think positively."

"Why does that upset you, Garret?" Mom reached for his hand and stopped, pulling hers back.

"It doesn't upset me really, just confuses me. Dad should never have married again-at least not to her." His words seemed to be spoken to the room in general as though he forgot we were there. "He has a really nice nurse at the hospital that works for him." He looked at mom and blushed. "Sorry."

"Don't be." She said. "That's your personal business, Garret, you don't have to tell this stuff to us."

"Were you ever back?" I asked, steering the topic back to Hector.

"No- well I walked out to call on Peter once and when I saw the empty field I just went straight home. I didn't know what to think until you came into the mall and- well you know."

"Kenny and Carrie swore they never saw or mentioned Hector. They said they didn't know what I was talking about." Brian got up and wiggled his fingers while humming the Twilight Zone theme.

"Shut up, Brian!"

"Don't-talk-like-that-to- your- brother." Mom frowned. "And you behave." She feinted a swat at his backside.

"I know your father is still at the hospital. I've seen him there. And I think it was his nurse that called and left the message about Molly's dad."

Garret sat up, a gleam of hope and excitement in his eyes. "Was it Miss Hairston?"

"There was no name, just the hospital, sorry, Garret."

"I gotta go." He stood and fidgeted, unsure of what to do.

"It's fine, Garret. Go on. Molly will talk to you later." He smiled, blushed, turned and, with a small wave, ran down the hall and out the door.

"What do you think, mom?"

She gave me a long uncertain look and sighed. "I think your brother might just have something."