This chapter is dedicated to TheEndlessHourglass for giving me tips and being a good writer. Keep working on your stories! I hope ya'll enjoy!
Oh, boy.
Grandma's voice sounded alien to my ears, after three days of giving me the silent treatment. So mature. Nevertheless, my heart skipped a beat as the sound of my name traveled up the stairs. I could tell she was restraining her frustration by covering it up with a sticky and sickly sweet “Oh, Patience my darling!”
I knew what she wanted, and it was not to do the tango while making breakfast. I got up as silently as I could, I was so quiet not even the ghosts that every so often roamed our halls could compare. I paused at each step long enough for my feet to sink into the thick carpet. Every time I paused I listened to see if I could pick up anything Nanna and Grandma did not want me to hear. I just reached the turn in the stairs, about the half way point, when Grandma and Nanna told me what I wanted to hear.
“Wilma,” I heard Nanna say in a hoarse whisper, obviously trying to avoid my ears, “she deserves to know something.”
There was a pause, Grandma must have given Nanna “the look.”
Nanna sighed and continued, “She's fourteen, we may not be actually teaching her anything, but she is still getting smarter, and we can't keep this from her forever....”Nanna paused again, and lowered her voice even more, I stained to hear her, “she will find out on her own eventually, why we did all of this... there are somethings she should know but the other thing she-”
I just reached the bottom of the stairs and forgot about the last step. I waited to long on the step and it made a loud noise, like nails on chalk board. I froze, with one foot in the air, my face contorted with fear of being heard. I hope the old ladies are as deaf as they pretend to be.
Alas, given my luck, they heard me and I could hear them scuffling in their slipper cautiously around the corner and down the wide hall. Their pink pajamas caught the corner of my eye, and I squeezed my eyes shut as they approached. If only I was a little girl again; if I could not see them, then they could not see me.
Right at this moment I knew two things; Grandma and Nanna could see me, and I was going to have to face them eventually. Slowly I opened one eye, only to find Grandma hands on her hips and lips pursed. Then I opened the other to find Nanna darting glances between Grandma and me.
Grandma turned to Nanna, “Didn't we ever tell this child not to eavesdrop?”
Her comment stung me like a slap. I was ready to make a comment back but I caught Nanna's pleading eyes. It made me want to cry; this whole situation of Grandma being like this, made me want to cry.
My lower lip wobbled, “This child?G-grandma I did not know I did anything w-wrong, but what I-I....what I do- I do know is I don't want it to-to be th-this way... between us. I miss y-you.”
I could not hold it anymore, tears held back from the past three days made small shiny trails down my cheeks. I collapsed into Nanna's arms, she was the one who always made my hurt go away. What I did not realize was I had just left Grandma hanging, with her arms out spread. Nanna did not hug me back, instead she nudged me towards Grandma. I turned and realized what I had done, and I gave her a meaningful look and we embraced.
We stayed in silence together for a long time, not needing any words at the moment. I felt a wet nose on my leg, it was Kelp, my border collie, I glanced down to see a sad face, and a mud plastered body I would have to wash later on. I always wondered where he went, and how he was able to get out. Which gave me an idea. But, I pushed it away and focused on Grandma. I heard a little pffft, and Kelp walked away. Way to ruin the moment.
