Post by Nora Blackburn on Sept 28, 2008 21:38:34 GMT 1
Nora walked to her Aunts house from the bus stop. Her sneakers hitting the pavement with one thump after the other. She really didn't want to go there. She wanted to go home but she knew it was at least at this moment not going to happen.
"This sucks.."
She said as she looked up at the old decrepit house. It was gloomy and eerie and now she was forced to live in it. Nora wasn't going to like living with her Aunt Fronia. From the past two days it wasn't hard to notice that Aunt Fronia had lost her mind. The woman owned 16 cats that ran wild around the house. It was bad enough that Nora's own cat was trapped within the compounds of her own room. Poor Pookie.
Thinking about her poor kitty she was forced to walk a little quicker to make sure her cat hadn't gotten into trouble while she was away at school.
Opening the front door that remained unlocked through out the day she walked in to be greeted by the smell of bleach. She had to give her Aunt credit when it came to cleaning that women loved it. It was also one of the reasons she wasn't aware of all the cats until she woke the first morning with about seven sleeping in her bed. Walking towards the stairs she looked into the living room watching as her Aunt scrubbed at the wooden floor humming her own little tune as she paid no mind on who had entered.
Nora shook her head and took the stairs two at a time, reaching the hallway that had old flowery wallpaper that looked as if it desperately needed replaced. Hearing the creaking and the groin of the wooden floor under her feet she moved to her door and opened it looking around the room. Unlike the rest of the house that seemed to be tidy. Nora's room was a mess. Stuff thrown here and there. Not on purposely but because she was still in the mists of her unpacking.
"Pookie? Where are you kitty, kitty?"
It didn't take long before finding her kitty sprawled on her clean clothing in a basket.
"Pookie you naughty kitty your not supposed to be in my clothes. You have the whole room to yourself and you just have to be on my clean clothes."
Picking the rather fat, orange fur ball of a cat off of her clothing she dropped her head at the site of fur that was left behind.
"Naughty kitty."
Placing Pookie onto her bed she sighed and scooped up the clean clothes out of the basket and put them into her hamper to be washed again. She stopped, hearing her name down the hallway. Her dad's voice carried.
"I'll be right there."
Giving Pookie one last "Naughty Kitty" look she walked out of her room closing the door behind her, making her way towards the end of the hallway.
"Hey Dad how are you feeling?"
She walked into the dark room. Moving to the windows to open the blinds. Turning she faced the bed only to look in the corner where he was, sitting in a large chair.
"Nora, I guess. I can't complain, can you help me up and get my medication ready."
Nora forced a smile as she looked towards the arm rests where his wrists where bandaged into stumps. His hands no longer there to help him support himself. She walked over and put his arm over her shoulder and helped him to his feet.
"Ill have to see if Aunt Fronia has a better chair. This one seems to steep for you."
Her father, now on his feet shook his head.
"No, its alright. I just caught a nap in it and my legs seemed to sleep longer than I have. Not used to staying in one spot too long. My joints must be catching up to me."
Nora could do nothing but nod and start to straiten his bedding that seemed to be kicked around.
"Do you want a sandwich. I can make you something before dinner. Just don't forget we have to go to therapy around seven."
Nora sounded like a care taker and not a daughter but if she didn't do it no one would. After taking his order of a baloney sandwich she got him situation downstairs in the living room talking with Aunt Fronia.
Moving to the kitchen she turned towards the fridge, grabbing what she needed before turning towards the back door. She didn't have to wait for 2 minutes before the door busted open and her two brothers came brushing in.
"Come on you guys close the door and settle down. If you guys are hungry claim your sandwich now or forever hold your peace. Or at least wait until dinner is done. Go to your rooms and do your homework then after your done show me and then you guys can go play outside."
The two boys grabbed their sandwiches, shouting hi to their father before clomping like a herd of elephants up to their rooms. Nora had no doubt the two were complaining the whole way up the stairs. She didn't have to listen to them to know what they complained about but in the end she had to be the "meany" to make sure they did what they were supposed to.
Carrying a plate with her dads lunch on it along with his daily pain medications she sat beside him and feed him. She could see it in her fathers eyes how depressed and shameful he was. Not able to feed himself, or take care of his children without his children taking care of him. She watched as he tried to swallow his food without choking into tears. It was hard to get used to. Nora even heard him crying in the night. Something she had never once seen from her father in a long time. The last time he cried was when her mother died.
"You know what I was thinking. I was thinking of taking everyone to the park this weekend for a picnic. With your therapy going so well the doctors may be able to give you something different for the pain. Maybe something that wont make you so drowsy. Do you think you would want to go to the park?"
She knew the answer before it came. Her father hadn't left the house since the accident. She didn't know how he felt but she could understand him not wanting to go anywhere. As he declined her offer she fed him his pills along with water, wiping his chin before nodding.
"Maybe next weekend when your feeling more up to it."
She smiled weakly and took away the tray. Making her way into the kitchen she placed things in the sink before turning and making an odd face.
"Aunt Fronia what are you doing?"
She looked at the old lady that stood in the kitchen with a pair of binoculars and a broom. She slumped over as if she was looking for something on the floor. Darting here and there as if she was going to catch some microscopic person running around.
"Making sure all the germs are off my clean floor. Never can be too careful my child."
Nora shook her head. It was only another day. Another day to long for the past, to long for her old school and her old friends.
Just another day...
"This sucks.."
She said as she looked up at the old decrepit house. It was gloomy and eerie and now she was forced to live in it. Nora wasn't going to like living with her Aunt Fronia. From the past two days it wasn't hard to notice that Aunt Fronia had lost her mind. The woman owned 16 cats that ran wild around the house. It was bad enough that Nora's own cat was trapped within the compounds of her own room. Poor Pookie.
Thinking about her poor kitty she was forced to walk a little quicker to make sure her cat hadn't gotten into trouble while she was away at school.
Opening the front door that remained unlocked through out the day she walked in to be greeted by the smell of bleach. She had to give her Aunt credit when it came to cleaning that women loved it. It was also one of the reasons she wasn't aware of all the cats until she woke the first morning with about seven sleeping in her bed. Walking towards the stairs she looked into the living room watching as her Aunt scrubbed at the wooden floor humming her own little tune as she paid no mind on who had entered.
Nora shook her head and took the stairs two at a time, reaching the hallway that had old flowery wallpaper that looked as if it desperately needed replaced. Hearing the creaking and the groin of the wooden floor under her feet she moved to her door and opened it looking around the room. Unlike the rest of the house that seemed to be tidy. Nora's room was a mess. Stuff thrown here and there. Not on purposely but because she was still in the mists of her unpacking.
"Pookie? Where are you kitty, kitty?"
It didn't take long before finding her kitty sprawled on her clean clothing in a basket.
"Pookie you naughty kitty your not supposed to be in my clothes. You have the whole room to yourself and you just have to be on my clean clothes."
Picking the rather fat, orange fur ball of a cat off of her clothing she dropped her head at the site of fur that was left behind.
"Naughty kitty."
Placing Pookie onto her bed she sighed and scooped up the clean clothes out of the basket and put them into her hamper to be washed again. She stopped, hearing her name down the hallway. Her dad's voice carried.
"I'll be right there."
Giving Pookie one last "Naughty Kitty" look she walked out of her room closing the door behind her, making her way towards the end of the hallway.
"Hey Dad how are you feeling?"
She walked into the dark room. Moving to the windows to open the blinds. Turning she faced the bed only to look in the corner where he was, sitting in a large chair.
"Nora, I guess. I can't complain, can you help me up and get my medication ready."
Nora forced a smile as she looked towards the arm rests where his wrists where bandaged into stumps. His hands no longer there to help him support himself. She walked over and put his arm over her shoulder and helped him to his feet.
"Ill have to see if Aunt Fronia has a better chair. This one seems to steep for you."
Her father, now on his feet shook his head.
"No, its alright. I just caught a nap in it and my legs seemed to sleep longer than I have. Not used to staying in one spot too long. My joints must be catching up to me."
Nora could do nothing but nod and start to straiten his bedding that seemed to be kicked around.
"Do you want a sandwich. I can make you something before dinner. Just don't forget we have to go to therapy around seven."
Nora sounded like a care taker and not a daughter but if she didn't do it no one would. After taking his order of a baloney sandwich she got him situation downstairs in the living room talking with Aunt Fronia.
Moving to the kitchen she turned towards the fridge, grabbing what she needed before turning towards the back door. She didn't have to wait for 2 minutes before the door busted open and her two brothers came brushing in.
"Come on you guys close the door and settle down. If you guys are hungry claim your sandwich now or forever hold your peace. Or at least wait until dinner is done. Go to your rooms and do your homework then after your done show me and then you guys can go play outside."
The two boys grabbed their sandwiches, shouting hi to their father before clomping like a herd of elephants up to their rooms. Nora had no doubt the two were complaining the whole way up the stairs. She didn't have to listen to them to know what they complained about but in the end she had to be the "meany" to make sure they did what they were supposed to.
Carrying a plate with her dads lunch on it along with his daily pain medications she sat beside him and feed him. She could see it in her fathers eyes how depressed and shameful he was. Not able to feed himself, or take care of his children without his children taking care of him. She watched as he tried to swallow his food without choking into tears. It was hard to get used to. Nora even heard him crying in the night. Something she had never once seen from her father in a long time. The last time he cried was when her mother died.
"You know what I was thinking. I was thinking of taking everyone to the park this weekend for a picnic. With your therapy going so well the doctors may be able to give you something different for the pain. Maybe something that wont make you so drowsy. Do you think you would want to go to the park?"
She knew the answer before it came. Her father hadn't left the house since the accident. She didn't know how he felt but she could understand him not wanting to go anywhere. As he declined her offer she fed him his pills along with water, wiping his chin before nodding.
"Maybe next weekend when your feeling more up to it."
She smiled weakly and took away the tray. Making her way into the kitchen she placed things in the sink before turning and making an odd face.
"Aunt Fronia what are you doing?"
She looked at the old lady that stood in the kitchen with a pair of binoculars and a broom. She slumped over as if she was looking for something on the floor. Darting here and there as if she was going to catch some microscopic person running around.
"Making sure all the germs are off my clean floor. Never can be too careful my child."
Nora shook her head. It was only another day. Another day to long for the past, to long for her old school and her old friends.
Just another day...
