Amos

I’m guessing its fate (4)

I have overstuffed myself with so many other things that eventually, all thoughts of Amos and Glen were forgotten.
I kept myself busy and avoided thinking such things of my brother’s friends.
“Karen, don’t let the dogs get on the couch!” I yelled as Polly galloped across the leather.
Today was the 8th and as I had promised I was taking care of Karen.
She sat down in a quick thump and the dogs scurried to the kitchen. I dropped my bag on a stool, adjusting my shorts and sitting next to Karen, watching Hannah Montana. Whatever happened to That’s so Raven? Or Even Stevens? I lost track of my childhood channel and didn’t notice when it started to rain outside.
I sighed, patting my cousin’s bony little knee and gasping when her hand lashed out and gripped it tightly.
“I am very disappointed in you Margaret.”
I shudder from Blair’s unexpected pitch of voice. Her head tilted to look up at me and the look in them left me speechless.
She sniffed, releasing my hand and looking away. “I had expected more of you.”
“More what?” I whispered, easing back into calmness.
“You have not done your part.”
I watched her angrily. “I don’t want to play this game anymore Karen.”
Her eyes opened wide in surprise. “You stupid girl, time is shifting your surroundings and you belittle me!”
“Go to your room, Karen.” I kept my voice even.
She kneeled swiftly and slapped me fully with an adult’s strength.
I clutched at my cheek, looking at her in horror.
“I am the one tired of this game you ass! It’s difficult enough to contact you and when I do you treat me like old Nick! You will heed me or I shall never return and your memories will haunt you to your grave.” She eyed me amongst her stifling rage. “You have overlooked your soul mate and time is running out. If you do nothing, the end will come.”
“The end?” I murmured, backed away from her still covering my throbbing cheek.
“You have been lacking in your pursuit. You will lose him.” Blair settled into a bitter seethe as she sat cross legged.
“But I haven’t…” I cut short at her glare and daringly continued. “I haven’t met him.”
At her deep sigh I shifted, unsure of her next blow.
“I can’t keep doing this Margaret. Denial will not-”
“I am not denying anything!” I snapped.
She gave me a heated glare. “I have been watching your weak attempts and your surrender. Just because you know does not mean he will know automatically who you are.”
My headache was seeping into my forehead and I massaged it. “But I haven’t seen him.”
“He has come to you so many times, Margaret! And each time you either avoid him or are hesitant of his presence.”
I felt my eyes drying. “Are you talking about Glen?”
“I do not know the name.”
“If it’s Glen, I mean, he isn’t three years younger than me. It’s not him then, right?”
She was silent staring at the T.V.
“Blair?”
“My math may have been off, I cannot see his body only his sp-”
I zoned her out.
So it was Glen?
My instinct had been right?
“Are you sure it’s him?” I asked brokenly.
“It is the one you have met freely.”
I covered my face.
“Tell me about him.” She implored softly and my heart was pounding erratically.
“He’s from Canada. He’s my brother’s friend.”
It seemed like she didn’t know what else to say. And I couldn’t bring myself to think about him when I had worked so hard to extract him from my thoughts permanently.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It seemed pure irony that upon returning home, I found my brother and another buddy from the team talking loudly, half in argument, half in disbelief.
“Dude, that sucks!”
“I know man, the whole freaking day!”
“What sucks?” I asked, dropping my keys into the wooden cup on the table at the front door.
My brother and his friend looked up at me from the dinner table and their card game.
“Glen, he’s working all day today. The poor dude works straight after practice as it is.”
“Why does he work so much? What do his parents say?”
The friend spoke up, shaking his head as he shuffled his deck. “That’s thing, Glen lives alone. His mom’s in Cali while his dad stayed in Canada.”
I walked up to them. “He lives alone?”
My brother nodded as his friend continued. “You know those apartments by Snapper Creek? The pink ones?”
“Weren’t those going to be demolished?” my shock obvious.
“That’s what he says makes them affordable. The community council or whatever decided it was too much trouble to kick out all the old people in the building and others still use some shed space.”
“Oh my god.” I drifted into the kitchen to make dinner.
And their conversation drifted as well.
I pondered on Glen’s situation as I chopped celery.
Stumbling on a thought I smiled to myself.
Maybe I could help him. I took out extra celery.
What an idea.