Adaptation of the Chameleon

by Douglas A. Schmitt

  She smiled and kissed him. After feeling his cheek nearly burning hers, she looked at him and said, “Baby, I care so much about you, you are… my everything.”

  Luke realized that this wasn’t what he expected to hear from Anna. He felt the slight pain of rejection. He tried his best to not let Anna see his disappointed expression. He didn’t want to pressure Anna into a response that would force her to say something that she wasn’t ready to say. Instead he smiled at her and continued holding her close to him.

  After sitting for half an hour, the two stood up and began making their way back to Anna’s house. They chose to take a different path this time walking through Old Towne. They made their way through the wrecked area of town where Hurricane Katrina selfishly claimed the history of the once proud area.

  They continued south on Main Street, making their way towards the beach. Luke reminisced with Anna about how great the area used to be, even admitting his regret for leaving Bay St. Louis so soon after graduating from the local high school. Luke focused on a small establishment just a block from the beach. He grabbed Anna’s attention and said, “I remember when that used to be Carroll and Mary’s. That was my first job. Man, I could never forget how I got it. It was actually offered to my brother, Thomas, but he decided he didn’t want it anymore… so he asked them if they could give it to me. I was only sixteen and I had a job washing dishes. It was actually a great experience.”

  They finally reached the end of Main Street and turned right on Beach Blvd. Anna told Luke her story dealing with Hurricane Katrina. Her family had just moved to Bay St. Louis from Oxford. Her father transferred to the sanitation department in Bay St. Louis. Because of his position, he was asked to stay.

  Her father took her and Becca to the beach before Katrina made landfall, claiming that it was the most beautiful display of colors and vibrant activity. Anna looked over from in front of the private school on the beach and said, “It was the day I realized I wanted to live here the rest of my life. To see the colors as they flirted with the water, and the way the wind blew as it was attempting to scare anyone who would listen to its threat. It was disastrous with what the storm left behind, but prior to… it’s just not something you get in Oxford.”

  They made their way back to Anna’s house on Necaise Ave. Luke walked her to her front door, kissing her before saying, “I had a great time, honey. I can’t wait to see you again tomorrow night!”

  She kissed Luke once more. She said as she entered her house, “Goodnight babe. Text me when you get home!”

  She walked inside and closed the door. Luke made his way down the steps of the old colonial style home. He began opening his driver side door when he heard the front door open. Luke turned around to see Stuart walking out with a short wooden pipe in his hand. He dug the pipe into a small clear bag of tobacco. Luke walked back towards Stuart. While lighting his cheap pipe, Stuart said, “I’m glad you came tonight.”

  “Yes, sir, thanks and thanks again for inviting me, too…”

  Stuart cut him off without hesitation. “Luke, I’m glad you are coming with us. Anna has told us all about you. I just hope she isn’t getting her hopes on something that isn’t what she thinks it is.”

  Luke walked through the screen door onto the front porch. He took a seat on the rocking chair across from the decaying swing. He shook his head in an effort to comfort Stuart that he was not in it to hurt Anna. He continued sitting next to the smelly middle aged man, listening as he vented about other issues he had in his life. Luke finally left after twenty minutes when Stuart declared his state of disorientation and walked back inside.

  Chapter 5

  Luke spent the next day preparing for his short trip with Anna and her family. He made sure to pack plenty of under garments and toiletries. He had Anna send him a text message of things that he would need prior to leaving Hattiesburg two days before in an effort to not forget anything. He placed his good polo shirts on top of his white t-shirts and zipped the bag shut. He said goodbye to his parents and youngest sister and walked through the garage to the end of the driveway.

  Luke loaded his vehicle, reversed down the long drive way, and headed towards Belle Fountain. He placed the address to Stuart’s friend’s house into his new GPS and followed the vocal guidance. He traveled through the streets of Biloxi, finally reaching the interstate that took him several miles east and finally exiting in Ocean Springs. Luke took a left on Highway 90 and continued traveling over twenty miles before arriving at the secluded area.

  He arrived just as panic was occurring inside the house. He placed his bag at the front door, walked up to Anna, and asked, “What’s going on?”

  Anna kissed Luke and explained the situation. “Mom brought like a hundred bags for this trip. Dad keeps complaining that they aren’t ‘moving to the beach’ no matter how much she wants to get away from him for good.”

  Feeling like the odd man in the situation, Anna advised Luke to take a seat on the couch next to her and Becca until her parents settled their argument. She explained to Luke that her parents argued every time they got ready to do anything. Anna explained that she and Becca were actually quite used to the yelling and bickering.

  Anna and Luke decided to make their way to the beach, feeling the complete serenity and the cold as it brushed past their faces. The short walk to the white sandy beaches proved to be relaxing, even with the cold chill that blew through the tall grass. The view into the beautiful waters of the Mississippi Sound cradled the long stretch of Horn Island as it lay not three miles from where they were standing.

  The two sat in the sand and observed the possible locations nearby that they could wonder off after nightfall to finally get away from the noise and distraction of Stuart and Dana's alcohol-driven arguments. The peace that the area provided soon became absorbed through the skin of the two young lovers.

  After several minutes of enjoying the company of one another, Anna and Luke walked back inside the house hoping that the yelling had subsided. Anna took Luke's hand as she walked up the lengthy stretch of stairs and in through the side entrance. Silence had filled the once hostile building, until the two could hear Dana scream from beyond the family room, “Who wants a mimosa?”

  “I do! Pour me one, Mom. Let's get this vacation started,“ Anna quickly responded, assisting her mother in pouring just the right amount of champagne into the glass of orange juice.

  “What about you, Luke?” Dana asked as she prepared herself to pull down another glass.

  “No, thank you,” Luke responded, “I’m not really a fan of champagne.”

  Luke made his way to the couch where Stuart was sitting and enjoying his first beer of the evening. Stuart stared at Luke. The young man took a seat next to him.

  “Well, Luke. How are you doing?”

  “I'm good. Just starting to enjoy the scenery. It's a huge difference from the beaches we have in Biloxi.”

  The eager young man directed his attention to Becca who was sitting in a light blue armchair text messaging on her phone and consuming her glass of orange liquid.

  “Hey Becca, what cha doing?”

  “Nothing,’ she answered, ‘just texting my friend… and waiting for this liquor to kick in.”

  Luke continued to sit in between Stuart and Becca and watched as Anna and her mother began dancing around the living room to beach-themed music and enjoyed their drinks. Luke got up and made his way to the kitchen. He figured now would be a good opportunity to contribute something to the trip.

  “Hey babe, where are ya going?” Anna asked as she twirled her mother around the room.

  “Just to clean up around the kitchen and put this food away and storing the bags.”

  Anna decided to help Luke by putting away the dry items in the pantry and placing all the grocery bags into the white trash can which was placed near the refrigerator.

  After a few minutes the two made their way downstairs to take the trash out. They reached the bottom floor when Anna opened up about her fe
elings about her parents’ behavior.

  “I’m sorry that my parents are so out there!” Anna said.

  “No worries. They are actually kind of fun and it really makes this whole thing less intimidating. Most parents, you come to believe, are like superheroes, because they find a way to keep their shit together. When I think of the parents of someone I’m dating… I just assume that they have a direct line to God.”

  Luke placed the lid on the can. The two finished their chore and decided to take another walk along the beach.

  The sun was down and the moon was full when Anna told her parents they would be back soon. She descended the long wooden staircase, reached for Luke’s hand, and dragged him through the sand, getting as close as she could to the water without getting her feet wet. They continued towards the water until they could feel their shoes sinking into the wet sand. They relied on the feel of the earth to guide them in the dark winter night.

  The two walked along the shoreline hand in hand. They finally reached a point where they could sit and use their body heat to warm up. They found a relatively flat area just a few feet from the compacted sand and rested. Anna began discussing what to expect from the trip.

  “My mom drinks… a lot. My dad will sometimes mimic her actions so that he wouldn’t feel bad if they argue, since they would technically be on the same level. My sister will probably spend most of her time on the couch, watching television or glued to that cell phone that she carries with her all the time.”

  “Well, that doesn’t sound that bad.’ Luke says, ‘I mean it’s not like they are badgering me about anything or… throwing things around the house.”

  Luke felt the tension melt from Anna’s face as a smile emerged. She took his hand and pressed it against her lips and said, “Not yet they aren’t.” She winked at him, placing herself closer to his warm body.

  Anna declared that both of her parents were eccentric and that was what kept them on the edge. They would constantly come home and discuss each other’s days, almost as a way of comparing themselves to one another. It was the same routine they shared since moving to Bay St. Louis from Oxford over five years earlier. They would come in, change clothes and meet up in the living room. They would open a bottle of cheap grocery store wine, then get drunk and argue over who had the strangest, most pathetic day. They would continue to argue about it and then go to separate rooms to sleep.

  Anna confessed that her parents’ behavior had influenced how she deals with her issues that she has towards intimacy. The idea that her parents no longer share the same bed and that the last remaining common interest between the two was misery made her feel that she could just as easily fall into the same routine of meeting a man, falling in love, and somehow reaching a plateau while both of them still had a pulse.

  Luke admitted that nobody is perfect, not even his family. His parents divorced while he was at an early age, and both had remarried. He discussed how he and his step-mother don’t always see eye to eye and that his real mother and he rarely saw each other anymore. The only true remaining stability and comfort he felt within his life was that he and his siblings were very close and supportive. Luke’s shared thoughts seemed to have helped Anna feel more comfortable with her own blood.

  She knew that her family fully supported her on any career path she chose. They had had the discussion early that it wasn’t going to be easy for them, but they would do whatever they needed to make it happen.

  “It could be a lot worse, I suppose. They could have said ‘good luck with that, hope you have enough money to afford to take care of yourself. Oh and if you get hungry, maybe you can eat scraps off of the street or become a waitress and use your tips to feed yourself.”

  Luke looked at her and raised his left eyebrow. “Did you just come up with all of that, just now… because that’s pretty good. I got to admit, I’m truly moved by that Academy Award winning performance.”

  Anna lightly punched Luke in his left arm and squinted her eyes while pursing her lips. “Okay, meanie… what did your parents say when you told them you wanted to go to school to be a lawyer?”

  Luke thought for a moment to get his thoughts inline. He smiled and responded, “Well, my dad asked me if I do family discounts.”

  Anna laughed and admitted that she realized that even potential lawyers have a sense of humor.

  The two sat on the cold sand until their bottoms become numb. As the night continued, they could feel the temperature drop a few degrees as the wind started picking up more. Once they couldn’t feel the sensation of each other’s kiss, they decided to head back to the house. They braved the long cold walk back to the white house that rested on stilts. The bright white colored vinyl siding was the beacon that guided them to a place where warmth in the form of blankets and a very sufficient heater reigned supreme.

  The next morning Luke was awakened by a single kiss on his right cheek. He opened his relaxed eyelids and saw Anna’s face. “Good morning, beautiful.”

  “Good morning, handsome.’ Anna said while placing her head on the center of his chest, ‘How did you sleep?”

  “I slept well. I could get used to seeing you when I go to sleep at night and again when I first wake up in the morning.” Luke responded while kissing Anna’s forehead.

  “Everyone is up, Mom is making breakfast, and Dad and Becca are watching the news,’ Anna continued, ‘so let’s get you up and ready so that we can go exploring today!”

  Luke pulled himself out of the bed and changed out of his night clothes. Anna closed the door to allow him privacy. He took his day clothes, a fresh towel, and his toiletry kit and walked across the hall to the bathroom for a quick shower.

  Luke spit the last of the toothpaste in his mouth into the running stream from the faucet and wiped his face dry. He walked out of the bathroom and down the stairs and sat next to Anna at the small round dining room table. While observing Dana and Stuart, he discovered that no matter what time of day it is an alcoholic beverage was an acceptable substitute for any other drink.

  Luke finished his meal and joined Becca and Stuart in the family room. Stuart was composing a grocery list of what they would need for the week. Breaking himself from deep thought, he said, “Ok, so far I’ve got: eggs, ham, spaghetti fixings, bread, milk, my favorite beer, Dana’s favorite booze, Becca’s health juice, champagne for New Years, and….’ Stuart looks up at Luke and continues, ‘what kind of beer do you drink, Luke?”

  Luke answered, “I drink light beer, but you really don’t have to get me anything Stuart.”

  “Nonsense, its New Years and we are on vacation. I’ll get you a case of horse piss, just for you…” he stated while laughing.

  He finished his list and headed towards the master bedroom located across from the family room. Luke, along with Becca, Anna, and Dana, remained seated in the family room, drinking their beverage of choice.

  Interesting conversations began to emerge as they discussed school, their current situation, and even sex. Dana started the conversation, “Luke, I can tell you aren’t a virgin. You seem really comfortable with all this craziness that is happening around you. Typically, people who are still waiting to pop their cherry remain very nervous in all situations where they don’t have control on the outcome.”

  Luke nodded his head, placed his coffee mug on the glass table in front of him and responded, “No, I actually lost it to a girl I dated when I started college. It was, for a lack of a better word… interesting, considering we didn’t have sex for the rest of our relationship.”

  Dana laughed and finished her drink. She pulled herself off of the couch, passing Luke on her way to the kitchen, gently slapping his knee as she walked pass. Entering the kitchen, she rinsed her glass and placed it in the dish drain. She walked toward the master bedroom, but before entering, she said, “I got a feeling that we are going to get along just fine, Luke.”

  Luke reached for his coffee, crossed his legs, and sat back with a proud look on his face. He knew he answered that q
uestion well. He felt that he was getting used to Dana’s personality. Anna switched her place to sit closer to Luke. She pulled his attention toward her and said, “I am so sorry, honey. I should have warned you that my mother is like that. I knew she would bring up sex at some point, I was just hoping she would at least wait until she knew you a little bit better. That woman has no filter!”

  Luke looked at her and began laughing. “Wow! You worry too much. It’s not like she asked us if we were sleeping together or anything. I might have had to draw the line there.”

  Anna looked at Luke and smiled. “Thank you, babe; you are so understanding.” Luke kissed Anna. She excused herself from the room to prepare for the day.

  Luke and Becca continued sitting on the couch when the quiet twin felt propelled to speak up. “Oh man, Luke… You are in for a real treat this weekend.’ Becca continues, “My Mother shows no sign of letting up on the booze. When she gets to drinking this early, there is no telling what will come out of her mouth.”

  Luke looked at her very confidently and said, “Trust me when I say this… I’ve seen worse. I mean, come on… I live in a college town.”

  Becca looked at him and snickered; she then redirected her focus to her recent text message. She said to Luke while her eyes remain focused on the three and a half inch screen, “You know, Luke... if you were interested, I would most definitely take you into one of these rooms and screw your brains out. Just saying; you don't have to respond.”

  Luke slowly turned his head toward Becca. He began moving his body in the opposite direction and responding, “Becca, I hope you are kidding. There is no way I would even consider sleeping with my girlfriend's twin sister. I mean... you are kidding, I can tell you are. You are too funny, Becca... Too funny.”