A Country Home
1306 Words
I was expecting to find a complete animal farm when I got out the car at Diane’s house however it was quite ordinary except for the barn outside and the small piece of land to get here however was tricky. They were a few others in the area that were exactly similar. It was like crossing over into a new world, I was surprised to see it even had electricity as I closed the door.
“So you’re going to listen to me now Barba?” Diane said as she closed her trucks door.
“Don’t have the burger at the diner. Don’t think I can take on the local stuff that happens here.” I laughed. “It was more than I expected but I would do it again knowing now I shouldn’t have eaten the whole thing one time.”
Diane placed a hand on her head. “How did you get this way is that the city way to think your untouchable?”
“No, it was fun Diane after the fact though. Really after the fact, I don’t really get these experiences to much so even good or bad. I have to make the most of them and even try again.”
The sun was dipping as the cows mow in the background. Rose and Brad had been following us around the whole day. We had made two stops before we came here and walking around the people of this town I came to realize that despite this seeming cheap to me. I stood out to much in the areas we passed. In the store and the grocery and that wasn’t a good thing. Diane, no wonder she wanted to bring me home to finish talk to me. She’s been such a sweet heart looking out for my safety. I smiled as I watched her back as she led us from our cars towards the house.
An old woman stood on the porch rocking in a chair with what looked like a small garden of greenery around her hanging from the ceiling and in the pots on the ground.
The white wooden boards creaked as Diane and I walked up the steps together.
“Diane? Is that you?”
“Yes Ma.”
“And is someone else with you as well?”
“Yes, I brought a friend.”
A friend, I thought.
The old lady smiled and out stretched her hand.
Diane looked at me. “My Ma can’t see do you mind getting closer to her.”
I bent down in front of the old woman first touching her hand with mine but it shifted from touching my hand to rubbing on my face.
What exactly was she doing? I wondered.
“What’s your name child?”
“Barba.”
They were loud noises coming from inside the house running around that seemed to pound the floor mixed with laughter and amusement.
How many children were in there?
“What a nice name,” she said turning her head to Diane her smile seemed to fade. “Julie and Mark have left their kids inside and left maybe an hour or so ago I can’t manage them and they won’t listen to me. She placed a hand on her head. “I…Mark… thank you Diane you’re too much of a good daughter and at least today you got someone that can help you.”
“It sounds like all chaos is behind that door.”
“They are good kids just a little hyper but they are---.”
“Aunty Diane!!” voices rang out as the door opened and seven kids came out varying in heights bopping their heads.
“Why weren’t you keeping your Gran company?” Diane asked.
“We are sorry but Granma never moves from there and we wanted to play around the house. We brought her juice and water. The smallest boy pointed. “See.”
Some of them came to a halt as they saw me standing here and the tallish of the bunch a girl looked from her to me actually they all were staring at me was the clothes such a big deal. I thought I looked pretty normal. I adjusted the hair by my eye.
Diane smiled lowering herself. “This is Barba, she’s a friend of mine and she came from the city.”
“Diane, you make me sound like an Alien.” I turned to the children. “I am from a city, yes but I am still human and maybe one day you might go to a city too. They are many of them and this place is like a small dot in comparison.”
Diane chuckled. “No, she’s not she had some of Angela Special Burger.”
“That’s awful,” Diane’s mother responded among the look of the children’s faces change.
Was Angela special really that bad to everyone?
***
The kids ran up and down through one hall up the stairs it was hard to even keep track with them with my eyes alone. The blinker in my head as I sat on the couch looking over my shoulder was danger. The inside was spacious compared to outside but it looked like I stepped back two hundred years back and it seemed like the house was designed for many people but despite the pole outside there wasn’t a TV in the house and the appliances were in the bare minimum.
Diane’s mom passed us going upstairs the woman walked although unable to see as if she was visible aware of everything around her. It was probably just from a matter of repetition.
Diane put her foot up in the chair beside me. “It’s clear like day you don’t see kids to often.”
“I do see kids not one’s this active even the girls are at it. Don’t they play games?”
“They are playing games.”
“Storming around the entire house a little more and I might think that we are at war.”
Diane chuckled. “What type of games are you talking about?”
“I guess that was the perk of being an only child you don’t get to see them too often. Games like video games or even cell phone? Actually show me your phone.”
Diane reached in her pocket and produced a cell phone that looked two hundred years old.
I shook my head. “No wonder they don’t know about anything out here.”
“We have computers too but they are in the library. Most people don’t use those here, only phones to get around. My mother doesn’t like technology so we don’t keep a TV here but I watch it sometimes by Angela.”
“How old is this house Diane?” I asked looking towards the ceiling.
“Pretty old, I am not sure I know it was here with our grandfather and I think before him.”
My phone buzzed on my leg. Looking at the number I expected it to be Brad but instead it was Rose.
“Can I get some water, Diane,” I said.
“Sure,” Diane said as she got up and walked to the kitchen.
Looking at the message Rose sent me was a file which she claimed was filled with details about Diane’s family life. Should I look at it? I wonder.
- Writer
