Signs

Untitled Part 29

Chapter 29.

In the morning her mom wasn't up yet, it was Sunday, their day off but her mother never was one to sleep in.

"Mom?" she put her head in her mother's door

"Hi darling, i'll be up in a minute"

"Are you ok? Can i get you something?"

"Im fine honey" She said, sitting up "I'll be right out"

Renny got some juice for her mom, and put some bread in the toaster. She got her vitamins ready and set the morning paper on the counter.

Renny was feeling better today, the little sleep she got was enough to settle her mind, firmly deciding that she would not let men change her direction. She was going to get in the garden today, work the cafe for a few hours and see how Melody and Sam were going, being that Sam was learning how to cook with Melody too.

He mother shuffled out, her hair pinned back, she had thrown on a pink velvet sweat suit, but managed lipstick and blush and mascara, somewhat bringing her together.

"I think I'm getting too old for all the excitement" Her mother said before Renny could ask "I feel like i've been hit by a mack truck" She slumped

"Here" renny pushed the juice "get some sugar" and the toaster popped

She passed the toast, and handed her the vitamins

"Thank you darling. What have you got planned today?"

"Nothing much, i'll go to the cafe, but nothing really, just hang around here with you"

"You aren't seeing Brody today?"
"No, we didn't make plans. Besides i think you need me around today, you don't look great"

Im fine!" she insisted "Pass me the remote" she gestured for the little kitchen tvs remote. She'd watch meet the press and scan the paper, it was her sunday thing since renny could remember

"I'm going to take a shower"

"Ok" her mother said, her attention now in the paper as Chuck Todd informed of the latest news in politics

Renny checked on the peach tree, and it had lost its final leaf. Some of the branches were so brittle they snapped off, and there was very little sign of life. Her front yard however was showing much more promise, and she was ready to add some little annuals for color.

She sighed at the peach tree 'I don't think you're gonna make it' she said to it, and turned some of her homemade dirt mix around the base, a last resort. It was her miracle mix, tea leaves, coffee grinds, some eggshell, seed starter soil and a dash of baking soda. Her grandmother taught it to her and it was sure fire.

She closed her eyes, and tried to reach her grandmother, to feel her there but not today. She could reach her grandmother sometimes, when things were hard and she needed her love and care she appeared. Sometimes in her dreams, sometimes in her scent, sometimes in song.

Sometimes she would randomly humm ' somewhere over the rainbow', by Judy Garland. It was theirs, while they worked side by side.

Nana had the gifts too, she could see more and tried her best to teach and guide Renny as much as she could.

When Nana died, Renny never felt the same inside. Something was missing, and no matter how much her grandmother tried to reach her Renny rejected the sight. She learned then how to block it out, to turn it off. She didn't want to hear, she didn't want anything without Nana.

She gave it a moment, but no her grandmother gave no signs.

By the afternoon she had accomplished a lot, including making another date with Brody to a drive in movie. Jaws, and again she was pleased with his choices. She was a very fussy television person, but any 80's movie usually she would like.

So she had left her mom, who was happily cleaning the house, Frank Sinatra blaring, her hair in a scarf and big yellow gloves on.

"Bye darling, say hi to Brody for me"

"You just saw him yesterday" Renny threw back over her shoulder

Her mother hushed her and waved her out of the house.

Carole swirled around the kitchen singing along with Blue Eyes, "Start spreading the news...." she belted, as she ran the mop over the floors

She took a breath, her chest a little tight.

She figured it was the strong pine scent she used on the floors, the best part about cleaning was the smell, that disinfected sharpness, but it was a little strong, and she took off the gloves, and went out the front to get some fresh air.

She took a stroll around the yard, to see what Renny had done. She was amazed to see the choices and combinations she had used, yellow daisies with impatients underneath them, promising a lovely little blanket of red flowers, if they could just find their growth spurts. There weren't any flowers yet, but she knew enough about plants to know what they were, of course.

Carole was always different from her mother and daughter. They both had that other wordly gifts in common. The three of them were very close, losing her broke both their hearts, but Carole, unlike her daughter never had the pleasure of closure, or comfort knowing her mother was there.

She had tried, she had some intuition with reading tarot cards, finding she could be quite accurate in the right mindset, but Carole loved to be in control, and letting herself let go enough to relax her mind was difficult, making the sight almost impossible.

She strolled to the side of the house, where the peach tree sat in front of the kitchen bay window. She shook her head and grimaced.

Just then, a slight breeze caught her neck, and she swore she could smell a familiar scent in it. She pulled her eyebrows together, and the breeze gently caressed her cheek, and was gone.

She held her hand to her face, the scent, it was her mother.

A tear welled in her eye, roses. It was her, she knew it.

"Mom" she whispered to the sky , and closed her eyes remembering the last time she had seen her mother.

Her, her sister Pearl and Renny sat either side of her, holding her hands. Ma Violet's hair was done, Carole making sure she looked her best at all times.

Carole was stopped in her thoughts when she heard Davis's car pull in the driveway, the music up.