by Joy Redmond
The next day, Mandy called the number for the mover. Mr. Wallace said he could move her come Monday morning. She was all goose bumps as she thought about her life now and how different it was from just a few years ago. Her mind relaxed and she felt the slightest breeze upon her face. Angel wings.
Mandy called Betty and explained that she needed three days to pack, move, and get set up in the new house. Betty was happy for Mandy and told her there was no problem, and she was sure that Evelyn would take care of her for the days that Mandy needed. “And if you need another day, don’t fret. We’ll work it out.”
“Thanks, Betty.”
Mandy walked out of the kitchen and headed down the hallway. Midway down the hall it felt as if she had walked into a deep freezer. She paused. Then she saw the bent figure of a man limping into Kati’s bedroom.
“Get the hell outta my house!”
The figure began to spin into what looked like a tornado funnel, then went straight up through the ceiling.
Chapter Seven
Mandy was having a joyful time setting up the house, and when it was finally done, she felt as if she would spend the rest of her life right here in this house. She was exhausted but it was a happy tiredness that made the body and the soul shout for joy; it was a happiness of being one’s own person.
The weather was perfect all of October, but by early November it was cold enough to turn on the furnace. Soon, all the rooms were warm and toasty—expect for Kati’s bedroom. Mandy held her hand over the vents in the room and she could feel warm air, but it didn’t penetrate the room. By late November you could see your breath in the room.
One night, Mandy was snuggled up in bed with Kati and they were having a mother-daughter talk. Suddenly they heard a sound— like wind chimes. The sound was clearly coming from a few feet away. She and Kati looked up at the ceiling. There in the far right corner, above the dresser, was a cluster of glitter.
“Mama, do you see that?”
“Shush,” Mandy softly whispered.
They sat spellbound watching the magical colors. They swirled and bounced in the air; a ballet of colors in their dance of brightness. It was a synchronized rainbow that swirled in perfect harmony to the sound of the chimes as they rang softly in the night.
“Is it a fairy?” Kati asked, her eyes wide with excitement.
Mandy chuckled. “Well, I didn’t see Wendy come in. I just hope Peter Pan shows up and gives me directions to Never-Never Land, where I’ll never grow old.”
“Stop acting stupid, Mama. What is it?”
“I’m not sure. It could be orbs, which are angels. It’s mesmerizing, and the chimes are beautiful music.” And I’ve heard those chimes before.
They waited for the fairy dust or orbs or whatever it was to hit the floor, but they just danced around in a circle a few inches from the ceiling. After a minute or so, the chimes went silent, but the beautiful display of colors continued. A few minutes later the rainbow turned into a cloud of fog, slowly dissipated and disappeared.
Kati smiled. “I hope it comes back. That was really neat!”
“We never know when a spirit will come or what they’ll do. And we’re never sure who the spirit is. But I have a feeling it’ll come back.” She remembered the night she had seen beautiful colors in different shapes dance up and down her wall when she still lived with her parents. They had also been mesmerizing, but they weren’t accompanied by music. Mandy didn’t tell Kati about her experience with dancing colors. Kati seemed to feel special that a spirit had paid her a visit, and Mandy didn’t want to take the feeling away from her.
Mandy went into the living room and told Tony and Abbie what had happened. Wide-eyed, they ran to the bedroom. They all piled into the bed and waited. And waited. By 10 o’clock, Mandy told them the show was over for the night.
Tony went to his bedroom in the basement. Mandy put Abbie to bed, then she went to her bedroom and read for a while before falling asleep.
For the next week, every night at 7 o’clock, which was the time the happening had occurred, they all piled into Kati’s bed and waited. Fairy Dust never returned.
The week before Christmas, Kati and Tony reminded Mandy that they had always spent Christmas Eve with Granny Pearl and Poppa Lester.
“Yes, you always have, kids, and I won’t deny you your time with your grandparents, and your daddy, should he decide to show up. I’ll take you back to Kentucky and you’ll have Christmas Eve with them. And we’ve always spent Christmas Day with Grandmother Iris and Granddaddy Otis. I won’t deny you that either. Christmas will be spent with family the way it always has been.”
“What about our Christmas here?” Kati asked.
“Who says Christmas has to be December twenty-fifth. We can have our Christmas on the twenty-third. We’ll leave early on Christmas Eve and I’ll have you at your grandparent’s house for the big dinner and opening of presents. I’ll take Abbie to be with her daddy and grandparents too. I’ll even go with my parents to church for the Christmas program. That should make them happy. I think I still have a dress.”
“That’s great, Mama!” Tony said. “Thank you for taking us back.”
“I made you a promise when we left Kentucky that I’d take you back for holidays. And I promised you could spend a few weeks when school is out for summer. I keep my word.”
The week before Christmas, Mandy and the children put up a tree, decorated it, then lit the fireplace. They untwisted wire coat hangers, stuck hot dogs and marshmallows on the ends and roasted them in the bright flames. Mandy made hot chocolate with miniature marshmallows floating on top, and they ate in the living room. They were finally a happy family, and the house was filled with love and laughter. The fire in the hearth was warm and the home was inviting. Christmas smells from the sparkling tree and the ginger cookies Mandy had made wafted throughout the house and everyone was joyful.
Winter passed and there were no more happenings, much to the disappointment of the children who still wanted to see the dancing fairy lights.
May arrived, and Mandy couldn’t believe they had been in Cape Girardeau for a year. It had been the happiest year of her adult life. She was glowing as she finished cleaning the kitchen. She headed outside to pull weeds out of the flower beds, but before she opened the back door, the phone rang.
Mandy reached over and picked up the receiver on the wall phone. “Hello.”
“Carnikko?”
The voice sounded familiar but she hadn’t been called by her real name for years and she was taken aback for a moment. “Mammaw?” Mandy cried with glee. “It’s so good to hear from you. How are ya doin’?”
“I couldn’t be any better or any happier. You just won’t believe who came to see me yesterday. Do you remember your little sister, Emily?” she asked in a voice that was almost a song.
“Oh, Mammaw, are you saying Emily came to see you? Dear Lord. I didn’t think any of us would ever see or hear from her again.” Mandy grabbed the back of the chair and dug her nails into the wood, her heart racing. “How did she—?”
“You just hang on, honey. I’ll do my best to explain. Emily did come for a visit, but that’s not the best part.” Mammaw stopped talking, as if she was trying to choose her words carefully before she continued.
“She came with another sister. See, your daddy and Ellie had another little girl that none of the family knew anything about. They adopted her out when she was just three days old.”
“What?” Mandy said, and she felt her stomach churn. “They gave away another baby?”
Mammaw choked up, but managed to say, “Yes, honey, they did. Her name is Shelia. Oh, and Emily’s name is Sarah, but she wants to be called Sari. I can’t get used to all the name changes of Ted’s kids. I still call you Carnikko and I guess I’ll always call Sari, Emily. Anyway, Shelia’s adopted parents gave her all the information about her birth parents and she started investigating. She found Emily, I mean, Sari, then they came to see me and they got to meet Carl and Lou.”<
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“Where do they live?” Mandy asked and her heart raced faster. “I’d love to see Emily, again. She’ll always be Emily to me, too, and I’d sure love to meet the sister I didn’t know I had.”
“They live in Indianapolis. I’ve got a phone number and address for Emily.”
“Did you tell Emily and Shelia about me, Don, and Lee?” She held her breath as she waited for an answer.
“Yes, I did. And I told them they had two brothers and a sister who still live in Indianapolis, as far as I know. I haven’t seen or heard from them since your daddy died. They said they were going to look them up, and they want to meet you and Don and Lee someday. They only had a little time to stay with me and Pappaw. They seemed overjoyed to meet us and their Uncle Carl and Aunt Lou.” Mammaw paused. “I feel like I can die in peace now. My heart has ached for so many years over Emily. She’s a pretty woman. She still has that blonde hair and bright blue eyes that I remember when she was a baby. Now, Shelia has dark curly hair, like your daddy, and she has the green eyes too.”
“I’m so stunned, I don’t know what to think or say. I’m just so happy they found you. I know about the heartache too. I’ve grieved for my half-brothers and sisters.”
“It’s a miracle, I tell ya. Me and Pappaw are just walkin’ on a cloud. I’ve thanked God a million times since yesterday. I wish they could have stayed longer, but they said they’d come back.”
Mandy fumbled in the desk drawer and finally found a ballpoint pen and a piece of paper. “Give me the phone number, please. I’m going to call. I can’t flippin’ believe this!”
Mammaw called out the numbers, and Mandy’s hands shook so hard, she could barely write them down. “Thank you for calling, Mammaw. I love you and miss you. I know I haven’t been to see you in a long time. I was going through my own misery and was so wrapped up in my own world, I didn’t visit anybody. And now I’m in Missouri, as you know. But I promise, the next time I come to Kentucky, I’ll do my best to come see you. My adopted parents have a cow if I don’t spend every minute with them, and they lay such a guilt trip on me, I cave in to their whims.”
“Well, honey, they are your parents now. And I know they want all the time they can get with you since you moved away, but it sure would be wonderful if you could slip off for a few minutes and come see your old Mammaw and Pappaw. We love you so much.”
“I love you too. It’s so good to hear your voice. Thank you for letting me know about my sisters. I was taken away from my blood family a long time ago, but I haven’t forgotten any of you, and I’ve never stopped loving you and I never will.” Mandy wiped her tears and she felt as if she would choke on the knot that formed in her throat. “It’s hard for me to talk about, Mammaw. I’ve tried so hard to put all those painful years behind me—”
“Now, you hush that cryin’, child. Sometimes it’s best that we forget what our hearts can’t bear. You went through so much at such a young age—” Mammaw’s voice broke.
“We both need to hush cryin’. Let’s just look forward to the years ahead of us. I feel as if my life has just begun since I left Kentucky. My best years are yet to come. I’ll see ya when I can. I love you!”
“I love you, my sweet granddaughter. I know your name is Amanda now, but you’ll always be Carnikko to me.”
“Just call me Nikko. And I don’t go by the name Amanda. People call me Mandy. I answer to either.” Because I’ve had to be both Nikko and Mandy since I was ten years old.
“Alright, honey. Mammaw needs to go. Pappaw won’t be able to pay the phone bill. We both love you and if we never meet again this side of Heaven—” Mammaw’s voice shut off.
“We’ll meet in Beyond!” Mandy said, and quickly hung up the phone.
Mandy sat for a long moment, joy and sadness filling her heart. In the distance, she heard the beautiful sound of wind chimes. Thank you, sweet angels. Thank you, God. You led my sisters back to their real family.
Chapter Eight
Mandy’s head was a swirling mass of thoughts as she sat drinking a glass of ice water, trying to comprehend all that Mammaw had told her. Emily found her family, and a sister that none of us knew existed has found the family too. I hope they want to meet me. I hope there’s no more brothers or sisters that we don’t know about. Daddy and Ellie had kids then gave them away as if they were no more than a litter of pups. It makes no sense. If I ever see Ellie again, I’m gonna slap the coon dog shit out of her. I’ve a half mind to dig up Daddy and slap him a good one too.
She gathered her courage, walked over to the phone and dialed the number. The phone rang five times and just as Mandy was about to hang up, she heard a breathless voice.
“Hello.”
“Is this Em—I mean, Sari?”
“Yes it is and I bet I know who this is. You’re Carnikko, my sister.” She chuckled.
“Yes it is. How did you know?”
“I was expecting a call from you and you started to call me Emily. Mammaw said you were renamed after you were adopted too. She stills calls you Carnikko, but she said your name is Amanda.”
“Just call me Mandy. Or you can call me Nikko. I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed you through the years. I took care of you when you were a baby. When I had to tell you bye, I thought my heart would break. Then I got adopted, and, well, never mind about all that. I’d love to come see you if you’d like to meet me.”
“I’d love to meet you. You can fill me in on what my life was like before I was adopted. My adopted parents would never tell me anything and they’re mad that I found my grandparents in Kentucky. We sure do have a sweet Mammaw and Pappaw. I loved them at first sight.”
“They’re the salt of the earth. I’ll tell you all I know about a lot of things, but I’ll stop rambling on the phone. If it’s okay, I’d like to come see you this weekend. Unless that’s too short a notice.”
“This weekend will be fine. I’ll call Shelia before she takes off. I’m sure she’ll want to meet you, too.”
“Great! I’ll head out early Saturday morning. I’ve got your address. I’ll find ya. Oh, what do you mean before Shelia takes off?”
“She lives in California. Her adopted parents left Indianapolis and went out to California when she was just a baby. She flew in, found me, then we found Mammaw and Pappaw, and Uncle Carl and Aunt Lou. Mammaw told us about you and Don and Lee. And she said I have a large family in Kentucky. I hope to get back down there some day and meet my other aunts, uncles, and cousins.”
“We’ve got a lot of catching up to do. But I’m running up a phone bill, so I’ll see you this weekend and we can talk all day and all night.”
“I’ll be looking for you Saturday afternoon. I’m so happy you’re coming. I’ll call Shelia.”
“I hope I see you both. I love ya, sweet sister.” Mandy’s voice broke.
“I love you too. See ya soon.”
Mandy hung up and found it hard to breath. Shit! I’m hyperventilating, she thought. I hope I don’t fall apart when we meet in person.
That evening, when Mandy and the children were gathered around the table, Mandy gazed upon them, grateful they were a family and had never been forced apart. Taking a deep breath to still her heart, she said, “Kids, Mama has something to tell you. I got a call this morning from my Mammaw Randall. She told me the little sister that I thought was lost to the family, paid her a visit. She gave me Emily’s phone number, I called her, and we’ve made plans to meet this weekend. So, I’m going to take you to Kentucky, leave you with your grandparents, and I’m going to Indianapolis. You can spend your usual summer visit for three weeks now, or just spend the weekend and I’ll take you back later. This means a lot to me and I need to go alone.”
“That’s great, Mama,” Tony said. I don’t want to stay three weeks this early in the summer, but I’ll have fun over the weekend.”
“I have plans for this weekend and I’m not going to Kentucky!” Kati said.
“Do I have to stay? I want to go with you, Mommy,
” Abbie said.
Mandy heaved a heavy sigh and shook her head. “Kati, you won’t be staying here and running wild. You’ll go to Kentucky! Got it? Abbie, you have to stay with Grandmother and Granddaddy. And maybe your daddy will come by and take you for ice cream. Please don’t give Mommy a hard time. Tony, thanks for understanding.”
That night they packed their small suitcases, including Kati.
Early the next morning, they headed to Kentucky and the children slept all the way and Mandy was glad. So many thoughts ran through her head. What if the reunion isn’t as joyful as I’m expecting? What if Shelia doesn’t want to meet me? Will I be disappointed when I meet them? Will I feel a connection for two sisters that I don’t know? We’re only half-sisters, but we have Daddy’s blood. Will they be anything like Daddy? I’ve got Daddy’s personality. I hope they do too. I really don’t think I’ll be able to stand being around them if they have Ellie’s ways. I forgive her for the way she treated me, Don, and Lee. She didn’t treat her own any better. But still. Mandy wiped her brow. What am I opening my heart up for?
Mandy dropped the children off with her parents, kissed them bye and assured them she’d be back to get them the next afternoon.
Four nervous hours later she entered the city limit of Indianapolis. Mandy’s thoughts raced on and off about her childhood and of the half-sister whom she had not seen for twenty-four years. A tingling shiver ran down her spine and she gasped. I hate this place. It represents nothing but heartache and misery. Here’s hoping this visit brings me joy. And if it’s not what I’m hoping for, at least it’ll be closure from the loss of Emily.
Mandy stopped at a gas station and asked for directions for the address she had written down. Thirty minutes later, she pulled up in front of a small house, turned off the engine and stepped out of the car, her stomach doing flip-flops.
Just as she started walking up the sidewalk to the house, a pretty blonde with sparkling blue eyes ran out the front door, followed by two little blonde girls. “Carnikko!” she cried and threw her arms open wide.
