Chapter Eighty Three
When did she remember that story??
It surfaced long buried pain. Even though she was squarely inside a twilight sleep state, Ember remembered every single detail of what she was supposed to do – like the way she would always ask to put her hand over my heart before I started to tell her the story. She had covered her mouth with her hand when I spoke the words “far, far away.” She had even said my name out loud when I asked ‘what do you say’ and she blew a kiss in the air just like she did when she was little. I was an emotional train wreck by the end of the story, but I managed to keep myself together until I could sneak away.
I stepped out into the hallway and just sat outside of Ember’s bedroom. I needed to get my emotional picture back in order. While I was piecing myself back together, something interesting occurred. She started talking in her sleep. Although she had been doing that since we arrived in North Carolina (and simultaneously scaring the life outta me), this nighttime chat was different.
The previous incidents involved garbled words, screams of terror and her shouting “no” in her sleep. This particular occurrence sounded like a true discussion. So, I listened quietly as she conversed with someone in her dreams.
“No…I understand…the butterflies…but why…too young…oh please…I won’t ask…sorry…don’t go…I need…but I want…I loved it…”
It was like eavesdropping on an important phone call – both frustrating and intriguing. After a few minutes, she settled down. I waited in the silence to hear if the conversation would resume, but it never did. She was sleeping, soundly when I peeked around the corner.
I took a non-alcoholic beer with me when I stepped outside. Then, I leaned across the porch railing and looked out into the night. My dad had always told me that drinking alcohol was for suckers. “Suckers” eventually wind up dead before their time or in jail. That was one piece of advice I had taken to heart. Well, I also had firsthand experience witnessing the resulting intoxicant-induced-havoc – that helped to solidify my decision.
It was after 4:00 a.m. when Willow stepped out onto the porch to join me. Neither of us seemed to notice the fact that it was freezing cold outside. She leaned across the railing beside me and touched my shoulder blade.
We stood there together for a long time as we listened to the wind whistle through the trees. The world filled in the silence. I was spent (just like I knew I would be), but my mind refused to stop racing. Between being linked to Ember’s thoughts, the out-of-control crowd, the endless obliterations, the Button Boy incident, trying to figure out what went so wrong at the beginning of the party and finally, telling the Rainbow Bubble story, my mind was consumed. Sleep would be out of the question.
“That was such a sweet story you made up for her…” Willow referred to Ember’s fairy tale and broke the silence.
“Yeah, Ember would ask me to tell it to her over and over – morning, noon and night. I created it right after Grandma Edie died. My dad would force me to leave her alone with my mom and run jobs. It was the only thing I could think of to make her feel safe while I was gone. I was old enough to know that those were just words, but it kind of helped me too somehow. It was, at least – something…” I offered and then, fell silent again.
“We can put off our talk until later. I’m sure you’re ready to drop. Being linked to her through the cunning ribbon should have been almost as draining on you as it was on her.”
“I have a lot of experience workin’ on nothing, but adrenaline and a ten minute power nap. I gotta keep up with the two of you, somehow.”
“Still, you should try and get some sleep…”
“Tell that to my racing thoughts. Besides, I need to explain why I left without saying anything. We’ve been involved in so much craziness over the past few weeks that we haven’t had any chance to just talk. But Ember’s asleep for a change and I want to explain while we have the opportunity to be alone. I really don’t wanna wait another night unless you’re too exhausted.”
“I’m not sleepy and you’re right about our limited opportunities to be alone…”
Willow walked back inside long enough to grab a blanket. She wrapped it around her body and sat Indian-style on the railing. She settled in and got comfortable while I talked. I recounted the day I arrived home from school, how I turned into a human statue in the driveway and what the house looked like when I finally managed to regain control of my body. Then, I told her about how I had found Ember, crouched in the corner and how she appeared to be robbed of her soul.
Willow allowed me to tell the story without saying anything. She only gasped when I told her about the $175,000.00 that I discovered burning in the living room that afternoon. I explained to her how the money had been on fire one minute and perfectly fine the next.
“I’ve been saving half of my salary, too. We’ve moved repeatedly over the years and that part takes additional cash. The rest goes into a saving’s account at a bank. It has Ember’s name on it, too. I had to plan for the contingency that something might happen to me. The money’s for her future security. I don’t want her to ever have to struggle financially or, Creator forbid, be forced to con her way through life…” I offered, thinking about my childhood and how my parents made their living.
“I can’t believe you managed to get Ember and the money away from Striker. Your mother…well, she’s a different story. It wouldn’t have taken much to get away from her, but your father…” Willow thought aloud.
“I didn’t see either one of them the afternoon we ran away. I didn’t search through the house or anything to look for them either. I just grabbed the cash, some clothes and Ember. I kind of thought maybe they were killed by whatever happened inside the house.
“Then, you told me about seeing Striker a few years back, so I have no idea where they were. I’m sort of shocked that my dad hasn’t ripped the earth apart to locate us.”
“I’m sure once they came home and discovered the wreckage they might have thought…” she started to say before she realized a horrible fact. “They left an eight year old child home alone??? Did they leave her alone all the time????”
I didn’t say anything because I didn’t have to. She started sobbing. I reached over to pull her into my arms.
My mom and dad were never parents to us. My grandma had made up for their lack. When she passed away, everything fell apart – fast. My mom was addicted to drugs and alcohol my whole life. So, it’s not surprising she would forget simple things like feeding and caring for Ember. She made other plans through the day that didn’t include a baby – that wasn’t shocking, either.
My dad was engrossed with my gypsy skills training. So, when my grandma died, I would frequently lose my focus, worried about Ember. Striker demanded my full attention. His rage was directed at me, first. Once we arrived home, he would turn his wrath to my mom. He would order her to straighten up and care for Ember or else. I never discovered what his “or else” was in reference to my mom because he never did anything to her in my presence. I figured it must have been something since he was frightening – even on his sweetest days.
Regardless of his promised consequences though, my dad’s threats obviously had no effect against the drugs and alcohol that consumed my mother. So I took over all parenting duties in regards to my little girl after Grandma Edie passed away. I would make sure Ember had food, drinks, books and toys in her room and within her reach at all times. I taught her how to tell time when she was just two. I would leave my watch on my dresser. That way she would know how much longer she had to wait until I returned. I also made up that fairy tale for her to make her feel safe.
Striker demanded that I comply with his wishes or he would be forced to ‘do something permanent with’ Ember. He offered me those two choices the day after my grandma died. He wouldn’t offer anything else. One way or the other, I was going to produce results for my dad.
He
might have issued empty threats to my mom constantly, but he had never threatened me without coming through on it. So my life went right back to my gypsy education. I was never permitted to stay home during the day with Ember. I would either go with him and run con jobs or he would send me to school if he was working through the preliminary details before the actual performance. He tried to tell me that I was a distraction during that phase and that’s why I had to go to school. But I knew my dad was terrified that I would bolt with Ember if he ever gave me the slightest chance.
And he was right…
“Hey, it’s okay…she’s fine. I’ve taken care of her and even managed to keep her safe from discovery all these years. That’s precisely why I bought the camera and all that photography equipment. I can’t be too cautious, you know…” I reminded Willow, softly in hopes that she would stop crying.
“So what’s your excuse for purchasing the DJ’s equipment?” Willow replied humorously – her tears are finally subsiding…
“My excuse for that transaction is actually quite logical. Krista might have been right. That guy’s head would’ve suddenly been detached from his neck, involuntarily if he’d lost a single song. Oh and there was also the potential to get bored into a coma from his rambling and extensive sound system world speak…”
“Yeah, there was certainly that potential…” she replied and I could almost feel her smile against my chest.
“You know, my dad would just love to find out that his training has been put to such excellent use. He spent hours drilling deception into my head…” I started to say before Willow interrupted me.
“You’re not deceiving anyone! You’re doing what’s necessary to protect Ember. Your dad – no, that worthless snake, made me swear that I’d tell him immediately if I heard from you. He sounded so sincere and even worried sick. I’m gonna slap the living beejeezus outta him if I ever see him again!” Willow exclaimed and I looked at her in surprise because she wasn’t usually the righteous indignation type.
I found it totally hot though…
“How about let’s all avoid Striker Pateman for the time being? At least until Ember can fry him on command with her spirit light and then, we’ll see…” I offered jokingly.
“I demand a chance to slap the beejeezus outta him before she cooks him like an egg…promise me!”
“What’s up with both of the women in my life making me promise them everything? Someday I’m gonna make you two promise me something in return and then, you’ll both be sorry – I assure you…”
Willow laughed and shook her head.
“I still need to tell you about what happened back in November if you’re still awake enough to listen…”
“I’m not sleepy just furious and ready to have that snake in the grass get what he deserves…”
I recounted the scene outside of the school gymnasium detail by detail from my own perspective. Then, I shared what Ember had told me about it. I told Willow about the way she had been dressed and how she had been robbed of her soul by the time I arrived. I recounted everything, except the part where I had punched into the cinderblock wall in frustration and almost knocked down the gym. I didn’t want to worry her because I knew she would flip out every time I get angry in the future. That happens often here lately, so she’ll be on edge constantly…
Willow asked me a few questions, but I couldn’t answer them. Ember was the only one who might be able to. After my joined mental experience with my little girl throughout the evening, I’m not sure the words even exist for her to try and explain what happened.
“We’ve gotta figure out what went wrong tonight…” I suddenly remembered and tried to change the subject.
“I’m gonna talk to Ember when she wakes up because she might be able to shed some light on who might’ve been behind it. You have to promise you won’t ‘go sketch’ on them or I’ll just have to deal with the situation, myself,” Willow informed me and started laughing.
“Yet, another promise – Creator can you help a guy out here please??”
I had made the unfortunate mistake of telling Willow about my ‘Eli-slinging-cartoon-outline-analogy’ that consumed my thoughts while he was suspended over my head. She had cleverly made up the term ‘go sketch’ because of her resulting mental image of his body shape outline on the wall if I had tossed him through it like I wanted to do.
My dad never taught me anything about females. So I didn’t learn that I should always speak cautiously to the women I love. It appears I’ll have to teach myself or I might die trying to figure it out…
Ember Rising Light (Book One) Page 87
