Second Chance (Vol.1) Squandered

31: Spinoff - Flu@17

(Hi - Parts 31-39 are on the spinoff characters Clu and Flu. Aditya enters their lives in part 34. To continue with the AdiYa story jump to part 41- yours truly MissWW)

Flu was feeling on top of the world.

Flu had celebrated her 17th birthday at the stroke of midnight with all her friends in an outdoor camp. And the weather had cooperated and not rained down on her celebrations.

Flu had been permitted to take a break from her camping trip to spend the next 2 days with her folks back home. Mom, Gran-pa and her cat Meow had come to pick her up.

Flu's family had shifted to _______ in America from Paris a few months ago. Her father was a famous wilderness photographer. He was travelling the world to complete a program on climate photography. They had invited Gran-ma and Gran-pa for a short holiday; her Dad's parents. Her Mom had lost her father last year and her mother many years ago. This would be Flu's first birthday without her second Gran-pa.

On her 17th birthday, at noon Flu was in the backseat of a car listening to her Gran-pa and Mom sing Flu's favorite _____ songs while Meow protested loudly. This was their birthday gift. It was funny to hear an old man mouthing ___ lyrics with a cat yodeling. Gran-pa loved driving and Mom let him drive even on the freeway. Gran-ma must have been cooking a feast for her at home.

And then her world literally went into a spin. She woke up in the hospital. She did not remember anything about the accident.

Her Gran-pa had suffered a massive heart attack. As he succumbed to death, his hand had pulled the steering and foot had floored the accelerator. The car had rammed into the road divider and turned turtle. Her dead mother was found holding the handbrake. The handbrake had not worked and the airbags had not opened. But Flu and her cat Meow had survived.

On her birthday her Gran-ma and her Dad were dealing with her Mom and Gran-pa's funeral. She could not attend the funeral. The ashes collected from the electrical crematorium had been put into 2 earthen urns that they would take back to Paris someday. A week later her Dad took her home. Only her hand was in a cast otherwise she had had a complete recovery.

On the way home Dad explained that Gran-ma was behaving strangely. Something about the house was scaring her and she had stopped talking to him. She believed their home here was cursed. It was the devil's trap. She wanted to go to Paris immediately on her own.

But Dad felt they must stay together and help each other cope with the tragedy. He did not want Gran-ma to be alone all by herself in Paris. He first wanted to finish his immediate assignment then quit the program so they can all go back to a quiet life in Paris. He had submitted his papers to the project sponsors. He would wind up his operations in America in another month or 2. Flu promised to do her best for Gran-ma and look after herself without bothering him.

But nothing Dad had told her prepared her for the state her Gran-ma was in. Her Gran-ma had gone senile and now hated her. Where was her sweet adorable Gran-ma? This Gran-ma called her devils-seven. Flu figured that was because her birthday was on 7th July. Flu had loved the date 07/07 but now hated it.

Flu's cat Meow was often locked outdoors. Flu was a vegan and her family had always adjusted her meals. But her Gran-ma kept slipping meat into her food. If Flu cooked anything her Gran-ma refused to eat it saying it was poisoned. Any chores that Flu did her Gran-ma did them all over again. She kept an eye on Flu's every activity. Flu found Gran-ma scary. Was she living in a haunted house? Was Gran-ma possessed?

Her neighbors saw only one side of the story. An old lady who worked in a frenzy round the clock while Flu did not help.

Her Dad was missing her Mom though he was putting a brave front. Flu did not want him to worry about Gran-ma. But she also felt Gran-ma needed to see a shrink. But she did not know how to broach the topic without sounding crazy herself.

In the meantime life moved ahead in her circles without her. Her crush and friend went steady with a new girlfriend. Her best friend and confidante had moved out of town because her parents wanted to live in a city. Her team finished their science project without her. Her football team was on tour; not winning; but playing many matches; gaining experience.

The last straw! Meow went missing.

Flu walked every street of their small town calling out to Meow. Unkind uncouth boys jeered and teased her. Nice folks helped her. But no Meow! Days later, a school friend found Meow dead several blocks away and got her home in a shoe-box. Her Gran-ma who hated Meow these last few days took one look at the cat and was so terrorized Flu had to call their doctor home. She was on tranquilizers for next 3 days.

The worse blow was when Dad came home with Anna B___, an old friend and now his teammate. But Flu suspected they were more than that. They were too comfortable with each other. She thought he had moved on too soon. Anna was sweet but Flu could not like her. Gran-ma took to her instantly.

That first night with Anna under the same roof Flu could not sleep. Her auditory senses in the creaking house were on high alert. She heard the adjacent guestroom door open, Anna's feet on the stairs and a soft tap on her Dad's door. Flu was quieter than a cat as she padded down to her Dad's door on light feet. She had missed part of the conversation.

Dad: ... Anna please... I cannot believe all this...

Anna: (interrupting him) Then don't. But stay at home and watch the child yourself. Dave if you do not then you are...

Flu heard her Gran-ma's bed creak on the lower floor and hurried back to her room. A few minutes later she heard Anna's feet on the stairs and then in the kitchen. She heard Anna fill water at the tap and then Anna came back to the guestroom. Flu was relieved that they were not sleeping together tonight. Dad owed her dead mom a little loyalty.

Anna was tattling on her to her dad. Flu wept all night long. No one loved her anymore. She had lost her last relation. Rather Anna had taken him away.

Anna was very kind to Flu which incensed her further. She got Flu a kitten so Flu hated the kitten though it was the cutest kitten ever. When Anna gave the rejected kitten to an animal shelter Flu got her back home the same evening.

Kitten was called M2; short for Meow-2. M2 adored Flu and followed her all over the house. Flu almost stepped on her all the time so she took to carrying her on her shoulder. Anytime Flu's smile slipped M2 would literally nudge it back by rubbing Flu's cheeks upwards with her furry forehead.

Soon Flu noticed a pattern. Either Anna or Dad was always at home. She was never alone with Gran-ma.

But Flu still did not completely trust Anna. Flu eavesdropped on Anna and Dad's discussions. Flu realized that Anna was always trying to reduce Dad's workload by handling those assignments that were not too niche.

Flu finally accepted that Anna was really a very nice person. Anna was trying to help Dad spend more time with Flu. Gran-ma also behaved normal when Anna was at home. In fact Flu suspected Gran-ma was now scared of Anna though Anna had always been kind and patient to Gran-ma also.

Flu was drawn to Anna. Anna also opened up to Flu. Anna and her Dad had met at a photography workshop in their tweens. She had been her mom's wingman. She had played cupid to bring her parents together. She too traveled the world on photography assignments but their paths had not crossed these last few years.

Anna was a single mother. She had separated on amicable terms with her live-in partner. Her daughter Clu was 21. She lived in Paris. Anna described her as a wild child going waste and wished that Clu found her calling in Anna's lifetime. Flu noted that Anna called Clu as often as the 2 time-zones permitted. But if Clu was drunk Anna did not bother continuing the call which was almost all the time.

Flu's school grades had dropped badly. They slowly improved. Flu's life and mood seemed to be steering back to normal. Now Flu wished Anna was more than a friend to Dad. But they were just good friends.

Anna had rescheduled/cancelled her immediate commitments to support her friends; her Dad, her dead Mom and their daughter. Anna never let them know it but Flu guessed this from the zillion calls that Anna got. Flu was proud of Anna's commitment to her friends. Flu was also proud of her Mom and Dad. They must have done something good to deserve Anna.