Chapter 10: A Lucky Day
Except Kellah, mom and I had been living here for some time. Dad was still with us then. Mom had been working at the house of a rich family as a babysitter. I vaguely remembered her bringing me along, and me playing with the kid of the family. Most of the time, mom let me stay home because I was four years older than Polly Modgomery and felt bored as hell at their place. When we had to move, I remembered mom saying that they had offered to double her wage trying to keep her there; Polly was a difficult child, it hadn’t been easy to find a babysitter for her. If the reasons were financial, we probably would have stayed. But this wasn’t even half the story. Our typical necromancer problems were coming to the surface, like they usually did. Mom visited the Modgomery’s every time she had the chance though, and they had kept in touch. And these were the people I counted on that would hire me.
Not as a babysitter though. Hell, no.
Their house was just as I remembered it. Huge and beautiful. But there was something odd going on. The iron garden gate was widely open and there were cardboard boxes on the stone path leading to the house. I found a man who was carrying another box; he was wearing a blue uniform and was wearing a white hat saying the company he worked for. Moving company.
“Excuse me,” I said, rushing over to him.
He looked at me. “Yes?”
“Are the Modgomery’s moving out?”
“Yes, they already did actually. A few months ago. These are just some last things they wanted to take from the old house.”
“I’m a friend of theirs, but we had sort of lost touch and I am trying to find them. Could you… give me their new address?” I asked, trying to act kindly. For once, I had to make sure I didn’t look suspicious, or I wouldn’t get a single word from this man.
“I’m just loading the last boxes and heading there. If you help me with those, you can come along,” he said and after placing the box in the moving truck that was parked outside of the house, he went back inside to grab some more.
“Okay.”
I helped him with the last boxes, although my leg was hurting, and I would probably regret carrying such heavy objects later. He was trying to make small talk while driving to the new residence of the Modgomery’s. I was answering him and tried to act normal, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Silvia. She was with Kellah and Lillian today; I thought it was best to go to the Modgomery’s alone. Maybe the non-presence of my family would make them ask less about them. I had already decided not to tell them that my mother was dead. They’d probably know it about dad, it was all over the news when his body was found; let alone it was five years ago and mom would have probably told them, but if I could keep mom’s story in the dark, it would be good. I kept wondering if it was extremely stupid of me to leave Silvia alone with two humans. If anyone attacked them, and by anyone I meant only one thing; them, they wouldn’t have many chances, just like they didn’t the last time. I shivered at the thought of my dream coming true.
“Boy? Hey, boy,” the man from the moving company told me. I was probably too busy to pay attention to his words, while I was worrying about my sister.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said.
“’s okay. Everyone has their worries. But we’re here.”
“Oh, good. Thank you.”
“No prob, kiddo.”
I hopped off the car and hurried towards the new house. It wasn’t as big as the previous one, but it was really inspiring the high society feeling. I rang the bell with the name Modgomery on it and waited.
“Hello?” a voice asked, which I recognized as the butler I had met the last time mom and I had visited the family.
“I came to see Mrs. Modgomery,” I said. “It’s Brian Karson.”
There was a ring and then the door clicked and opened, allowing me to walk in. I followed the winding cement-covered path to the front door. The butler opened it just when I was going up the stairs. “Welcome,” he said kindly, smiling at me. He seemed to have aged a lot since the last time I saw him, even though it was just a year since my last visit.
This house didn’t seem very different from their old one; there were pieces of furniture made of cherry wood all over the place; it was a characteristic for the Modgomery’s. Mrs. Modgomery loved cherry wood and as far as I knew, she was the one who took care of the house’s design. Along with an interior designer of course, but when she wanted something, I knew that it tended to be done the same moment she asked.
“Mrs. Modgomery’s waiting for you in the study room.” Without any further conversation, the butler led me through so many different rooms that I lost count eventually. Eventually we reached a room which with rough estimations looked like half of my whole house, with shelves filled with books covering two of the walls and a wide window covering the one opposite the door I came in from. There was a desk with notes and folders and books. Near the window and the bookshelves, I could see two couches and an armchair. I recognized Mrs. Modgomery instantly.
She was always a round woman, with dark skin and black hair and was almost always wearing dresses. Today was not an exception.
“Brian Karson!” she said surprised, standing up. “How much you’ve grown!”
“Hi, Mrs. Modgomery,” I said shyly and suddenly I felt so young, as if I was seven again.
“Come here, my boy,” she said and pulled me in a tight bear hug. I always felt like she was an aunt to me. She was always so nice and giving me presents on Christmas and on my birthday. She led me to a couch and sat next to me, talking excitedly. I nodded and answered whenever it was required until the question I wanted to avoid came up. “How is your mother doing? Is she with you?”
I shook my head. “Sorry, Mrs. Modgomery, she was currently making a journey home to tend to a sick relative…” I tried to keep it as real as I could. Which was not much. Except for someone who always talked in metaphors. “I came to stay with relatives here, and thought I should pay you a visit.”
“Of course you did! It’s always a pleasure to see you!”
“And… I wanted to ask you for something else too.”
“Sure you do, my boy, I know that the move was completely unexpected, but we really wanted a change of environment!”
“Did you sell the other house, Mrs. Modgomery?” I asked.
“No, no, who would have money to buy such a big house? We put the selling advertisement in the paper quite a few times, but no buyer has been found yet. And since nobody lives there anymore, some problems are beginning to show…” she said sadly. I knew how much she loved the house, and I was sure she didn’t want to see it in bad condition. Light bulb! I smiled as she just gave me a really good idea.
“What problems? Could I help maybe?”
She shook her head hesitantly. “I’m not sure, my boy. We have pipes that need fixing and part of the floor needs replacing, and a bunch of other stuff. And those contractors are asking for so much! Now with the move, we have to keep our expenses in check for a little while longer.”
“I understand. I think I could help maybe, if you are interested.”
“The dog is causing many damages as well. No trainer has managed to keep the beast in control and it just keeps ruining the garden. We’re making a pen for it in the back, but it’s not done yet.”
“A dog, you said?”
“Yes, a lab. Polly wanted it so bad, but we hadn’t done our research on how active they were and how much work they would be…”
“Maybe… maybe I could suggest a good trainer to you,” I offered. “And I am sure she’s not going to ask for too much.”
“You would? That is wonderful! Brian, my boy, you’re really a diamond!”
“I could help with the house if you want too. I need to get a job, just to rent a small apartment… I can’t live with family forever. So, maybe I could help with the repairs.”
“Oh, Brian, don’t be silly, you can stay there if you help!”
Okay… I really hadn’t seen that one coming. Really….not. I looked at her for a second, trying to get a grip on her words. I took a deep breath and tried to look composed. “What?” I asked, still in shock.
“You could stay in the house while you’re fixing it up. Some rooms are quite decent still. It’s not like the whole house is falling apart!” she said laughing.
“Thanks a lot, Mrs. Modgomery, that is really kind of you, but… are you sure?” I couldn’t help a little smile that began shaping on my face.
“Of course. Now let’s talk about your payment, and you can stay for lunch-”
“Um…” I interrupted her. “I’m sort of in a hurry actually. They’re expecting me at home for lunch. Sorry. But I could come another time, if you want.”
“Sure, sure. I understand, Brian, family comes first. You should look at Polly! She’s grown so much! It seems like yesterday when she was barely three and you were bored to sit with her.” She laughed to herself and standing up, she moved to the desk before the window.
“It’s been a long time since I last saw Polly. She was on some skiing trip or something the last time we came,” I said. And that smile just couldn’t leave my face!
“As she is now. I’m sorry, Brian, she’s coming back this Thursday, so I will make sure you get together!”
“Yeah, sure,” I agreed.
It took a while to finish up with the paperwork for my payment and all, but I had to admit that this was a generous pay. Much more than I’d expect. The Modgomery’s and I had a totally different opinion about what price was considered too much. If Mrs. Modgomery thought this was cheaper than what the contractors she had found had asked… how much had they asked for?! I left Kellah’s phone number so she could contact her as well. And we found a place – a huge place I might add – to stay. All at once. How much luckier could I be today? Maybe I should try the lottery.
“Thank you, Mrs. Modgomery. I’m really grateful for everything.”
“Oh, come on, Brian, you’re a family friend. Was there any chance I wouldn’t help you? Now hurry or you’re going to be late for lunch,” she teased.
“Yes, you’re right,” I agreed giving her a quick hug and hurried out the door.
* * * * *
Lillian had let me borrow her cell phone for the time I would be out, so before I got into the subway, I dialed Kellah’s number.
“Hello?” I heard her voice on the other side of the line.
“Hey. Guess what,” I said.
“You got a job?” she asked excitedly.
“I’m not the only one,” I said proudly.
“What? Who else did?”
“You. The Modgomery’s bought a dog. A very naughty dog. Good luck,” I chuckled before hanging up.
In less than fifteen minutes, I was there and Silvia was standing at the room’s door, bouncing on her heels impatiently. I felt a prick of anger at Kellah’s carelessness for letting her stand there alone. If one of them had gone back to looking for us, they would have found us now. And all this was supposed to be happening for Silvia’s safety.
“Bwian!” she shrieked and ran towards me, hugging my legs.
“Hey, Silvia,” I said and picked her up, placing her over my shoulders and kissing her head.
“Hi,” I nodded at Lillian as I came through the door. We hadn’t spoken a lot since last afternoon on the balcony. I was trying to avoid her actually. I even slept in the reclining chair at night instead of the bed.
She smiled at me and closed the door. Kellah beckoned at us to sit on the bed where all kinds of food in plastic and paper packages were scattered. “I thought we had to celebrate it,” she said. “So I got us all a big Chinese meal.”
“Cool,” I replied and sat down. I was starving. If the rest of them weren’t there, I’m sure I could have eaten everything on my own. I tried to be as less of a pig as I could though.
“Did you know Chinese people eat duck, Bwian?” Silvia asked as if that was the most peculiar thing in the world.
I chuckled. “Yes, Silvia, I did.”
“But why do they eat the poow ducklings?” she complained.
“You eat pigs and cows and chickens. Why should the ducks be any different?” I asked her. It was too late when I realized that maybe this was not a conversation my five-year-old sister could handle.
“Then I will not eat meat again!” she announced, crossing her little hands over her chest.
Kellah gave me a look and then nudged Silvia. “Then try the noodles. They are like pasta. And there is no meat in them,” she said sweetly.
It seemed to work because Silvia said, “Okay,” and didn’t let go of the noodle box until it was completely empty.
“There is more news other than the jobs,” I said when I had finished eating.
“Really? Like?” Kellah asked excitedly.
“We got a place to stay.”
“What? No way! How did you pull this off?! How high’s the rent?” she asked without taking a breath.
“There’s no rent,” I assured her. “The Modgomery’s just moved out, and they need me to fix up the house so it can be ready to sell. It seems to be falling apart,” I explained.
“So you got us a wreck for free?” Lillian asked. The sarcasm was obvious in her voice.
“Please. If that’s what wrecks are like, I could live in one for my whole life,” I said. I hadn’t told Lillian much about the Modgomery’s other than they’d probably help me find a job or hire me for something. Trimming bushes in the garden was more like what I expected, but I had some carpentry skills, I think I could manage.
“The Modgomery’s house is really big, Lillian,” Kellah chimed in. “No matter how extensive the damages in it may be; it doesn’t stop being a mansion.”
“A mansion? Hmm, that makes it sound more interesting. Is it a haunted one? Like those in horror movies where you fix up the pipes and the next day they’re leaking again and you take the old dirty wallpapers off the walls and if you turn your back they’re back on the walls?” Lillian asked using a spooky voice.
I gave her a what-the-hell look and raised my eyebrows. “Watching horror movies much?”
“Did. At some point of my life. It’s a hidden addiction I guess. I love me some Michael Myers, Jason and Freddy!”
“Was that before or after you realized you were a hippie deep down inside?” I asked jokingly.
“Um… Am I missing something here?” Kellah asked, looking at both of us, trying to make sense of the conversation.
“Nothing too important,” Lillian assured my aunt. “Before,” she said to me. “When I first… got the job I used to do.”
After she brought up this subject, we all quieted resuming finishing our lunch. Silvia apparently too bored to stare at “the poow duckling” anymore, took out her doll and started playing. The silvery frame of another girl approached her, observing her curiously. Silvia looked at her, crooking her head slightly to the left and the ghost imitated the movement. Silvia’s lips curled into a smile. The ghost smiled too. Having realized that the ghost was copying every single thing she did, my sister got off the bed and dragging her Rapunzel doll along, she started spinning in circles, jumping from foot to foot and making funny grimaces. I wasn’t happy that she was paying this much attention to the ghosts, to her… Shadow People… but there was no proper way to explain this to a five-year-old. At least she found a way to occupy herself. And on the other hand… the little dead girl did too.
“Is she alright?” Kellah asked, shooting Silvia worried looks.
“Fine. Just having some fun. In a way only a child her age can,” I said, nodding. I tried to look reassuring, but I was sure my own doubts made me fail epically.
“What is she doing?” Lillian asked curiously. She had that look that showed she thought she could put some more pieces of the puzzle about me and my sister together, so I hurried to get any funny ideas off her mind.
“She’s playing with… some kind of imaginary friend of hers. I keep forgetting the name though,” I said, trying to act as if it was natural. If it were any other moment, and if it were just me and Silvia in the room, I would have probably tried to distract my sister, trying to bring her focus back to the world of the living. The veil separating the worlds of the living and the dead was already looking thinner and clearer to her as it was… she didn’t need to give the ghosts more reasons to come close.
“Wow. She’s good. It’s like she really is acting like there’s an invisible someone there. Her imagination must be working overtime,” Lillian observed.
I looked at Silvia. She was placing her hands on her face, pulling her cheeks or making her eyes’ corners lift, or stuck her tongue out; the ghost always doing what she was. It was almost as if she had just discovered the functionality of a mirror. “Yeah,” I agreed. “It totally is.”
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