Resurrecting the Garden

Chapter Three

   The silence was deafening. I tapped my foot as I waited for someone to say something, anything. 

   Finally my dad spoke. 

   "You're going to want to pack your bags, Ada," he said in a low, calm voice.

   I felt my jaw drop. "What?" I exclaimed. Dad set down his glasses and cleared his throat once more as if to repeat himself. I shook my head. "I heard what you said," I said before he had the chance to repeat himself. 

   "Why?" I asked. "Why do I have to pack my bags? Where am I going?" I fired a barrage of questions at my parents. 

   Mom and Dad exchanged glances before Mom took the lead this time. I half expected one of them to pull out a piece of paper with all the answers to my questions. 

   "Your Aunt Gail has graciously invited you to go shelter there," Mom answered. I knew enough of Mom's body language to know she wasn't done speaking yet. 

   "It's best for you to go there since you're the oldest and can help with your cousins during this unprecedented time," she continued. "We're sending Katherine to your grandmother's for the time being, so you're not the only one having to relocate," Mom finished. 

   Katherine was my seventeen year-old sister, and very rebellious. Even more-so than me, and I'm not entirely sure how that was even possible. 

   "Is she going to Grandma's because of her...escapades?" I inquired. Katherine was a bit of a...well, I'm going to be blunt. What else did I have to lose at this point? Katherine was a bit of a slut. I'd bet good money that she'd slept with at least twenty guys by now. 

   Mom sighed and nodded. "I can't keep her in anymore. We've exhausted all of our resources, and with Eva we can't risk any possible contamination," she responded. 

   "Have you told her about this yet?" I asked, but deep down I already knew the answer. I'd have heard if they had told her. The whole neighborhood would know. Katherine was the most vocal and rebellious of all of us, and that's saying something. All of us except Eva were rambunctious and loud, not to mention stubborn.

   Dad stepped in with a reply this time, "No, we haven't. But getting back to you, since this conversation is about you," he said. "We've made arrangements for you to leave tomorrow morning, and you'll be driving," he continued. "Vermont isn't that far of a drive, so you should be able to reach Gail's by night," he said. 

   I sighed. "Okay," was all that I could think to say. Mom and Dad shared a sorrowful look with me. 

   "You know this isn't our preference," Mom said. I nodded. "We never thought this would come to us splitting up as a family," she added. 

   Of course I knew all that, but I had nothing to say. I simply turned to pack.