Refraction of Beauty, Page 4

I drove Annie to her high school, with the two of us exercising the same mental strain. I could gauge her provoked feelings as that of mine. She and I had always been different. She being this bubbly, beautiful and confident girl…while I was the awkward and well, nerdy one. My sweet, little, baby Annie. I wish I could have protected you somehow… The love I felt for her was indescribable at that point in time, and wanted to sort of eradicate all the troubles and worries she harboured inside of her. Two ends of the same pole but simultaneously two poles apart, I had to communicate with her, and allow her the comfort to engage with me emotionally.

  ‘Anns?’ I asked, as she stared out the window. ‘What’s on your mind?’

  ‘Mom and dad…’ She returned quickly, wasting no time essaying herself into the conversation. We both had been the straightforward ones in the family. ‘Why were they in such a hurry? We know they weren’t really going to the bank. Why is everything not the same anymore? Carr, I’m getting these bad premonitions…like the nearing of some fateful ordeal. Why am I having these dreams? Why is this happening?’

  ‘Relax, baby!’ I breathed a deep sigh, trying to think of ways to calm her questions without resorting to the necessity of truth. I didn’t know anything myself. ‘Darling…’ I began finally. ‘First of all, nothing bad is going to happen. I don’t want you to take this unnecessary tension up your sleeve, all right? Second, mom and dad must have had something they had to do. We don’t know whether it was the bank…or…maybe a surprise for your birthday?’ And then suddenly brightening up, I laid emphasis on her sixteenth. ‘Gosh Annie! Six...TEEN! You’ll be SIXTEEN! Oh my God…I sure as hell can’t wait. Bet it’ll be a birthday none of us will ever forget, huh?’ I said turning towards her.

  ‘I guess…Carr, you’ll be there for me right?’

  Heart feeling the warmth I’ve probably seldom felt for anyone ever…I turned the car and parked it sideways in front of her school and looked at her. ‘Annie, I’ll always, always be there for you. I need you to be strong, though. Because remember, if I lose the real you, I’ll lose my strength.’

  She smiled and hugged me.

  ‘Have fun at school!’ I called out.

  Nodding affirmatively, she ran inside the majestic building. Popping on the radio, I decided to take the long route back home. I needed some time to myself too. Suddenly, I thought of getting some ‘Whipped cream extravaganza’ ice cream, which was basically this amazing icy delight I had when I was a child. Mom and dad had just moved to Alistan Town with us, when we had it. However I also remembered how the police had later warned us about ever going into that territory again. They called it an immensely ‘dangerous’ place, due to ‘disturbing people’ residing there. I had covered nearly two miles in my temporary bravado, so had to take a U-turn and get back to our normal routes. Feeling really scared, I hoped to get out of there as soon as possible, when upon passing by some of the squadrons, I noticed something far more scary and unexpected…mom and dad’s car. It was parked next to an orange, white and blue striped tent that looked like a mini circus. Intrigued and highly curious, I decided to pay them a visit. I parked mine behind the tent, just in case I decided to not arouse their attentions. And I was right. It was mom and dad, seated on an eccentric large round table with a gypsy fortune-teller, looking quite the picture of dread. The gypsy was all crooked and wrinkly, and looked somewhat cat-like. She had sooty hair that were curly and highly thick, with the most pointy ears protruding out of her mane. Speaking in a low accent, she was hardly audible. So, I moved closer and hid behind the frilly magenta and purple curtain that covered the dark room both my parents and the gypsy were shrouded in. I could faintly make-out what they exchanged inside:

  The gypsy, speaking in a shrilly and eerie voice, was alluding to mom and dad’s fear. ‘That is only the beginning. Time is getting closer and closer…’ And then cackled, that was far more sinister and snaky than a mere mocking sound.

  ‘You were right about her dreams. This was her fourth night.’ Mom concernedly pointed out. I could hardly believe their point of discussion revolved around Annie’s dreams. Their significance began to shake my confidence a lot more, and I shifted my head to extract far more sound. ‘And the shattering mirrors, you talked about? That happened today. The local mirror store that opened again after so long. Blown to bits. What does it all mean? Why did you tell us this? How do you know about my life?’ Mom expostulated, brimmed with agony.

  ‘You must well be acquainted with your past and its ramifications on your present.‘ Continued the old hag, squinting with abhorrent glee at my disheveled parents.

  ‘Yes…’ Mom said after a silence of a few minutes. ‘George and I have decided. We are going to tell Anneliese about it. About it all. She will now finally know the truth behind all this psychological torment. I will tell her to refuse the clause, so that she can be rid of them forever!’ Mom claimed, exultantly.

  ‘What? Adelyn, if you want your daughter to live, you mustn’t do that. You will aggravate the situation and there WILL be severe repercussions…’ The gypsy, taken aback for a few seconds, resumed in the same haunting demeanour.

  ‘No…I refuse to see my child suffer this way – ignorant to the life that has been pre-destined for her. She must know the truth about her past! She must say no herself!’ And with that mom hastily got up. ‘Lets go, George. Tonight we’ll tell our daughter.’

  ‘Big, big, big misssstake…Adelyn...’ The horrendous woman hissed with an insidious smile at my mother, and narrowed her glaring eyes that shone with evilness in the dark; sending chills down my spine. I hurriedly made a run for it to the back of the tent, and sat in the car, till mom and dad drove away. Waiting for a few moments till I was sure I had no signs of presence, I turned the keys and hit the acceleration pedal. My heart was racing and the perplexing words rung at my ears. Why go to a gypsy? Discussions with the family would have sufficed on its own too, but why the need to resort to such…superstition? My mind was attacked with a fusillade of questions that had no end. I drove straight home. When I got back, mom and dad were still not there. Joe had already left for her interview on her bike, and Roxanne and Delilah had, presumably taken the bus on schedule to their workplaces. This little de-tour of mine had taken a little too long for me to regulate everyone’s leaving on time. Getting back home, I was totally unnerved. They had been divulging Annie’s problems to some amateur fortune-teller wannabe? God knows what skeletons are hidden in the family closet. ‘Truth! Truth!’ WHAT ‘truth’? But I decided on keeping quiet and letting things flow on their own first. I would know the reality of this nature sure enough…

  -- CHAPTER 5 --

  A Huge Traumatic Blow