In Times of War

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

   I’m awoken by sunlight streaming through the curtains of the only window. I sit up and stretch, looking around the room and blinking in the sudden light. I see my mother sitting in the chair by my bed, looking fairly bored.

“Good, you’re finally awake.”

“What do you mean ‘finally’?” I ask drowsily.

“Alice and Tony left for the school hours ago.” That wakes me up as I jump out of bed, fumbling for my clothes.

“Why didn’t you wake me up? If I hurry I might make it in time for the last two classes.” I babble on as I drag a comb through my super tangled hair.

“Maria, you’re not going anywhere but home and that’s that.” She says, crossing her arms.

“But I have classes to go to.” I insist, pulling my hair back into a bun and combing my bangs so until they’re hardly even wavy.

   “Maria, you are goin’ home today and you’re not leavin’ my sight ever again. Now get back in bed until I finish getting you discharged.” I start to protest but she holds up her hand and points to the bed. I sit back on bed and stick my tongue out after her. I cross my arms and huff like a two-year-old.  She comes back a few minutes later saying that we’re all good to leave. I finish getting dressed and we get in the car to drive home. When I walk through the front door it feels so good to finally be home. There is a basket of laundry in the middle of the floor, looking like it was dropped suddenly. I go to pick up all the fallen clothes but my hand doesn’t even touch the first dress before I’m stopped.

“Maria Rose, what on earth do you think you’re doing?” My mother stands behind me, hands on her hips.

“I was just gonna pick up the clothes.”

   “I don’t think so. You march yourself straight to your room and get in bed. I’ll bring up your lunch in a little bit.” She points upstairs and shakes her head at my protests. I do as she says, but I sit at my desk instead. I feel like I haven’t been home in years, when it’s really only been three days. I breathe in the scent of being in my own room and look at the pictures sitting on my desk. I pull out my leather bound diary and undo the metal clasp on it. I take my fountain pen my father gave me for my tenth birthday and write down everything that happened since the concert.

“Maria, I’ve got your lunch.” Mama calls from the doorway.

“Oh, Mama, you didn’t have to. I could’ve fixed it myself.” I close the diary and put the pen away. She sets the sandwich in front of me with a glass of water.

“Nonsense. You just eat up and holler if you need anything. Tony and Alice’ll be over after school.”

   “Thank you.” I call after her. I eat half of the sandwich and take the plate downstairs to the sink, wrapping the uneaten part of the sandwich in a towel to eat some other time. I get sent back up to my room again to “rest”, and I actually listen this time. I curl up on my bed, in my house, and under my covers. I fall asleep almost instantly in the familiar surroundings.

*~*~

“Tony, stop stalking my sister and make yourself useful,” Alice whisper-yells from the doorway of my room.

“Shush, you’ll wake her up. She looks so peaceful…” David whisper-yells from the corner of my room.

“For Heaven’s sake, she won’t be peaceful if you wake her up, idiot. Now let’s get out of here before she wakes up and skins us alive.”

“A little too late for that, Allie.” I open my eyes and sit up in bed. “Y’all can’t whisper to save your lives can you?”

“Oh, you’re awake… so, how was your nap?” David asks tentatively.