Little Lies

Chapter 13: An Uninvited Guest

Two weeks later, we moved into the new house.

Mama helped unpack without touching a box. "I forgot all about that lamp! Bessie, maybe we should put it over here."

"Yes, Miss Jo." Bessie pulled the lamp out of the box and put it on an end table.

"No, that doesn't work. Maybe it should go over there." Mama pointed to another table.

"Yes, Miss Jo." Bessie took the lamp off the end table and put it on a table under a window.

"I don't know. That just doesn't seem right." Mama tapped her chin with a finger. She looked at the table next to her and picked up a statue. "I forgot all about this. Isn't it beautiful?"

"Mama, you already showed that to us." I opened boxes, throwing packing materials all over the floor. "Where is it?"

"Jo, why don't you organize your jewelry?" Aunt Fran asked. "And let Bessie get some rest. You've been running her ragged since we arrived."

Bessie nodded and mouthed a silent thank you.

"My jewelry? Oh, my goodness! I forgot all about it." Mama watched me throw packing material around. "Clara, what are you doing?"

"I'm looking for Mr. Teddy."

"That old thing?" Mama waved her hand. "It was in tatters. I threw it away."

"Mama!" I screamed. "Papa gave me Mr. Teddy!"

"There, there, Clara." Uncle Phil hugged me around my shoulders. "We can buy you a new teddy bear."

"I don't want a new teddy bear, I want Mr. Teddy!" I ran out of the house, to the end of the cliff, where I sat down, hugged my knees, and sobbed.

I thought the wind whispered my name, but it must have been my imagination. I wiped my tears away with my hand and looked around.

Sitting next to me was Mr. Teddy. I picked him up and hugged him.

Aunt Fran was sitting on the porch when I ran back to the house. "Aunt Fran! Look! Look!"

He eyes grew wide. She put her hands to her mouth.

"Papa's here!" I ran into her arms, and she hugged me.

Uncle Phil and Mama walked out of the house. "Bessie kicked us out so that she could get the house organized," Uncle Phil said.

Mama noticed that Aunt Fran and I were smiling.

"What's so funny…" Mama looked at Mr. Teddy. Her face turned white. "Where did you get that?"

"I found him on the cliff," I said.

"That's not funny, Clara," she said. "Give him to me."

"No."

"Clara!" Uncle Phil said.

"No," Aunt Fran and I said.

Aunt Fran glared at Uncle Phil and Mama. "Tell you what. Clara will give you Mr. Teddy if she can toss Jo's gold evening gown over the cliff. Right, Clara?"

I looked at Aunt Fran and nodded.

"After all, that gown is old and almost in tatters. Deal?"

Uncle Phil and Mama glared at Aunt Fran.

Aunt Fran smiled sweetly.

Mama sighed. "Fine. Clara can keep Mr. Teddy."

I hugged Mr. Teddy and closed my eyes. "Thank you, Aunt Fran."

=

Mama sat down at the table, where Aunt Fran and I were already eating breakfast.

"Mmmm mmmmm," Bessie said as she served Mama breakfast.

"What?" Mama asked.

"Don't you smell it?" Bessie asked.

"I do," I said.

"Me, too," Aunt Fran said.

"What are you all talking about?" Mama asked.

"Papa's pipe tobacco," I said.

Bessie smiled. "It sure brings back good memories.”

"Not for me." Mama frowned. She sniffed the air. "Have you all gone crazy? I don't smell a thing."

"Maybe we're not the crazy ones, Jo," Aunt Fran said. "We smell it."

"I think I'm getting a headache," Mama said.

Uncle Phil sat down at the table. He looked at Bessie, Aunt Fran, and me. "What's so funny?"

"Don't you smell it?" I asked.

"Smell what?" he asked.

"I'm going back to bed," Mama said.

=

Uncle Phil stomped around the living room. His face was red, and his eyebrows were drawn together.

"What's wrong, dear?" Aunt Fran asked.

"I can't find my pipe!”

"Phil, none of us would take it. We don't smoke."

"I know that, dear." Uncle Phil threw his hands in the air. "I always put it in the same place. Always. It's not there.”

"It's not next to your chair?" Aunt Fran asked.

"No."

"Did you leave it on the table where we were playing cards?" Mama asked.

"I checked there."

"Maybe Mr. Teddy is learning how to smoke." I giggled.

Uncle Phil glared at me.

I put my hand over my mouth.

"I'd be able to calm down if I could smoke." Uncle Phil's face turned a darker shade of red.

"Maybe it's in the car," I said.

"And why do you think it's there?" Uncle Phil asked.

"Because you didn't look there yet," I said.

Uncle Phil shook his head and went to the car. He returned a few moments later, pipe in hand. "I found it. In the back seat."

=

The days had been cold and rainy, so Bessie kept a fire going in the fireplace. Mama sat with her back to the fireplace, working on some embroidery. Uncle Phil sat across from Mama, smoking his pipe. Aunt Fran and I sat in an overstuffed chair next to Mama. I held Mr. Teddy in my arms.

"Do you want to read me another story, Clara?" Aunt Fran asked.

"One more story," Mama said. "And my head is going to burst apart. I really need to get out of this house."

Uncle Phil stood up and pulled the living room curtain back. "Looks like we're getting a little break in the weather. Why don't we go to the zoo?"

I scowled. "You go. I don't like stinky animals. Or snakes."

"You could pretend to be part of our family," Uncle Phil said.

I sank into the chair. "Why?"

"Well, because. I said so."

"That's a dumb reason."

Uncle Phil's face turned red. "We're going to the zoo, and we're going to have a good time, whether you like it or not. End of discussion. Let's go."

"I want to take Mr. Teddy!"

"Good grief, Clara. You're a big girl. You don't need to take Mr. Teddy everywhere," he said.

"I want Mr. Teddy!"

Uncle Phil ignored me while I screamed. "Ladies, are you ready? We'd better hurry before the rain starts again."

"I'll get Mr. Teddy for you, Clara." Aunt Fran said. She looked on the chair. "That's funny. I'm certain we left him here."

"Maybe Clara dropped him behind the chair." Mama twisted around. "No, I don't see him. I'm sure he'll turn up somewhere."

"Jo, did you just throw something in the fire?" Aunt Fran asked.

"Franny, your imagination is running away with you. I was just picking up my shawl." Mama pulled her shawl over her shoulders.

It was raining during the drive home.

"That was a complete waste of time," Mama said. "All the animals were hiding."

"I don't blame them. I wouldn't want to pace back and forth in a soggy cage," Aunt Fran said.

"In a stinky soggy cage," I said.

"Clara, from now on I'll listen to--where is that smoke coming from?" Uncle Phil asked.

A couple of fire trucks were parked outside the house when we drove up.

A fireman knocked on Uncle Phil's car door. Uncle Phil rolled down the window.

"Are you the homeowner?" the fireman asked.

"Yes, sir," Uncle Phil said.

"Sorry you had to come home to this. We just put a fire out. Looks like it started in the fireplace." The fireman tipped his hat up. "I have to say that I found the oddest thing among the logs."

"What's that?" Uncle Phil asked.

The fireman held up some gold lace. "No idea why anybody would want to burn this."

Mama screamed. "My evening gown!" She buried her head in her hands and burst out crying.

Uncle Phil turned to me. "Clara, give your mama a kiss and make her feel better."

"No." I shook my head and crossed my arms over my chest. "I don't kiss Mama anymore."

After the firemen left, we walked inside. The entire downstairs, including the wallpaper, the woodwork, the paint, and the furniture were black.

"Where's Mr. Teddy?" I asked Aunt Fran.

"What a mess." Aunt Fran looked around. "I'm just guessing, but let's check your bedroom, ok?" She took my hand.

I nodded my head. We walked upstairs.

Aunt Fran opened my bedroom door. "Look!"

In the middle of my bed was Mr. Teddy. I picked him up and hugged him.