Marie quickly got up to assist while Dave attempted to make conversation with the others. Steven willingly engaged to lighten the mood.
While in the kitchen, Marie glanced over at Amy a few times, hoping to see her mother or Jan interacting with her. Marie knew they never liked Amy simply because she was her daughter and it killed Marie inside. Occasionally, Dave or Steven would address Amy so that she wouldn't feel left out. Sylvia was still quietly knitting and Jan's eyes were glued to the television screen.
"Congratulations on your book," Vera said softly as she and Marie prepared the table.
"Thanks. It's nothing, really," Marie replied.
"That's not what we heard. Practically everyone in Bringham's talking about your debut best-seller. For goodness' sakes, it's been all over the TV and radio. Your accomplishment is no small feat."
Marie wasn't sure how to respond.
Vera paused what she was doing and looked Marie straight in the eyes. "Well, I'm gonna be completely honest with you, Marie. You don't have that many fans here—not in this family. To us, you're still the same Marie you were before you got lucky."
"I didn’t come here expecting any special treatment, Vera," Marie indicated.
"Good—because you're not getting any." She unstrapped her apron and turned to the others. "Dinner's ready!"
Over dinner, Dave and Steven dominated the conversation that was otherwise non-existent. The women ate quietly as the tension between them thickened to the point that Marie felt she could literally cut it with a knife.
"Amy will be graduating high school next year," Dave said.
Marie smiled at Amy.
"Are you still making the honor roll like you used to?" Steven asked.
"Yes, sir," Amy affirmed, fiddling with her food.
Steven looked at his mother who didn't seem the slightest bit interested. "Isn't that great, Mom?" he posed.
Sylvia turned to Amy. "Well, that's very nice, Amy. You've certainly turned out to be a lovely, young lady considering the circumstances."
Marie and Dave glanced at each other and each tried to hold their tongue.
"Mom…" Steven was unimpressed by his mother's choice of words and her vague implication.
"I'm just saying that she's come a far way; that's all," Sylvia added.
"A far way from what, Mom?" Marie found it impossible to overlook that remark.
"Can you pass the salad please?" Jan asked her. "Look, Mom just paid Amy a compliment. Let's just leave it at that. Shall we?"
Amy was still fiddling her food; she had barely eaten. Marie could see that she really didn't want to be there. Steven glanced at Jan, then at his mother who both seemed unmoved by the tension within the room.
"So Dave, are you still doing construction work?" Vera asked.
"Um… yes, I do," Dave replied. "I bought the company I used to work for. Are you still teaching?"
"As a matter of fact, I am." She took a bite out of a bun.
Steven looked on, wondering where this conversation would lead them. It was no secret that Vera disliked Dave. In fact, pretty much all of them did except for Steven and Ted.
Sylvia dropped her fork and wiped her lips with a napkin.
"Enough of this!" She was glaring at Marie who was seated at the opposite end of the long, rectangular table. A repulsive look consumed her face. "Marie Stokes Adams, you walk in here after nearly a year of not setting foot inside of this house. You come with your family when everyone else left theirs at home…"
"Mom, I already said that I didn't tell Marie to come alone," Steven inserted.
"Steven, I am speaking!" Sylvia never took her eyes off Marie. "You think that just because you're some big shot writer that we have to bow to you? All of us at this table know that you never gave a damn about me or anyone of your sisters or bothers. That's why when your father passed away, you acted as if we had all dropped dead too!" Sylvia was fuming—a rage that Marie had seen countless times from her mother; a noxious spew that was so often directed towards her, if not at her father.
Vera and Jan looked on quietly while Steven lowered his head bracing for the worst. Dave and Amy watched in shock and horror as they could not believe what they were witnessing. Yet, strangely, Marie seemed calm as the verbal bullets continued flying her way.
"You always thought that you were something special," Sylvia went on. "Just because you came out with the fair complexion, the nice hair, outsiders always telling you that you were beautiful. Your father hammered the nail into the wood by re-enforcing those things, but let me tell you, Marie, that you are no better than anyone of your siblings and as far as I'm concerned, your current social status is nothing… because you are still nothing!"
"Now, you hold on a minute, Sylvia…" Dave sprung up. "How dare you talk to my wife—your own daughter that way?!"
Marie grabbed his hand. "Sit down, honey," she said. "Everything is all right."
"No, it's not!" Dave roared.
"Just please… please sit down for now. Do it for me."
The peaceful look on Marie's face in spite of what was happening, puzzled Dave. He slowly and reluctantly sat down again.
Marie refocused her attention on her mother. "Is that why I was the only one you allowed to bathe after you in your dirty bath water up until I was twelve years old, Mom? Did you do that to me because you felt that I was nothing? Is it why you always compared me to the other young girls around my age—always implying that I needed to look like them? Were you trying to totally destroy my self-esteem? Is that why out of us four kids, whenever it was mealtime I always got the last plate? Is that why you never once told me you loved me when I heard you say it to the others countless times while we were growing up? Need I go on?"
Sylvia was just staring… and so was everyone else.
"And you blame Dad for being the only one in this family who made it his business to show me love and acceptance? What type of person would he be if he didn't do something to save me from the venom of the biggest snake I have ever met in my life?"
Vera turned to Marie. "How dare you call Mom such a thing?!"
"No, Marie. Let your sister finish," Sylvia said; her face now flushed with anger.
"I never once thought that I was better than anyone in this family," Marie continued. "How could I think such a thing when the person that gave birth to me made it her mission to make sure I didn't think for a minute that I was even worthy to be on this planet? If it weren't for Dad, only God knows where I would be today. It certainly wouldn't be here at this table with you being able to hold my head up high in spite of how much you've tried to push me down."
Amy was stunned by her mother's revelation and wanted so badly at that moment to just hug her as tightly and as gently as she could.
"And you said I never cared about anyone of you? I thought it was the other way around. Tell me something, Mom. You say I don't give a damn about you, but who was the one taking care of you and Dad all these years when no one else even at this table bothered to contribute? Dave and I were struggling most of those years and still, I sacrificed and made sure that you and Dad had the things you needed since you both retired. And since Dad died last year, whose money is still faithfully deposited to your bank account each month to take care of all your expenses? Who paid your medical bills six months ago when you suffered that mild stroke?"
Sylvia's face now revealed more shame than anger.
Marie wasn't finished yet. "You also said that I don't give a damn about my brothers and sisters, but who did everyone turn to anytime they needed any type of support, regardless of how perfectly you had brain-washed them against me? I've done so much for all of you and have loved each one of you in spite of how much it hurt—as I have no good memories as a member of this family. All I ever got back in return for my love and kindness was immense pain, jealousy and back-biting. And you know what? She glanced around the table. "I will still be here for all of you." Marie stood up and looked at Steven. "Thank you for inviting me here ton
ight, Steven. This episode reminded me of the very reason I've stayed away for so long. And just so you all know without a shadow of a doubt… this is the last time I will ever step foot inside of this house again. It was evident when we came here that we were not welcome." She looked at Sylvia. "My own mother wasn't glad to see me. But that's okay; I'm leaving with my family." Marie left the table and Amy quickly followed her.
Dave got up. "I convinced Marie to come here today, but after what I've just witnessed… I really wish that I didn't. Nothing she ever said to me could have painted a clearer picture of what I just saw with my own two eyes and heard for myself. I have never in my life come across a group of people like you who go by the name 'family'. Sylvia, you said earlier that the people of this town have gone berserk—that you don't know what their problem is. Well, being here today, I understand, at least, in part: No one seems to love each other anymore; no one looks out for the other person like people used to back in the day; no one cares about other people's feelings; everyone has gotten so sickly selfish that they're walking around seeing no one's problems, no one's pain, no one's heartaches except their own. The problem around here is that there are too many people just like you and I thank God, it's not every day that such people cross my path." He dropped his napkin and stormed out of the house.
Sylvia, Jan and Vera sat in consummate shock. Marie had never stood up to their mother like that and had never expressed herself in that way. Steven looked at his mother and sisters with disgust. "You should all be ashamed of yourselves—each one of you. This is not what was supposed to happen. Mom, I can't believe you did that!" He shook his head, then hurried outside.
"Marie, wait!" Steven called as they were about to pull off. He ran over to her side of the car.
Marie rolled down the window.
"Look, all of you… I'm really sorry about that. I had no idea that Mom would react that way."
Marie knew he was sincere.
"I'm glad you stood up to her like that." He added. "She's probably in there trying to pick up her jaw off the floor."
They all managed a chuckle.
"It's okay, Steven," Marie replied. "I know you were just trying to smooth things over so that we could act like a real family. At least you tried."
"Please don't allow this to push you even further away, Marie. I want us all to be close like Dad always wanted us to be." Steven was almost pleading.
"I can't be close to people who barely tolerate me, Steven. I don't deserve to be treated that way. I cannot give any more than I've already given emotionally. They treat me like a reject and I'm not taking it anymore. I won't allow their toxic behavior to destroy me. Now, we really have to go."
Steven started to back away.
"We'll be seeing you, Steven," Dave said.
"Okay."
"Bye, Uncle Steven," Amy hailed from the back seat.
"Bye, princess. I love you!" Steven waved. He looked at Marie again. "Please don't be a stranger. Call me sometimes, okay?"
"Okay," Marie answered softly.
Steven stood on the driveway as they drove off into the distance. Instead of going back inside the house, he pulled out his car keys and left without saying a word.
"Mom, you were really great in there," Amy said.
"Thanks, sweetheart. I'm sorry you had to witness that," Marie replied.
Dave glanced at Marie. "I think she needed to. Amy can now understand, based on what she saw tonight, that she was never the problem—but they are. They always treated her the way they did because they have serious issues they need to resolve within themselves. Everything happens for a reason and in every bad situation, something good can come out of it."
Marie smiled at him. "You're so full of wisdom. Aren't you? I do believe that's what I admire most about you."
"Really?" Dave frowned. "You mean it's not my sexy body?"
"Ughhhhh," Amy almost barfed and they all burst out laughing as they headed home.
END OF PART ONE
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Infestation: A Small Town Nightmare Page 4
