In their silhouette

Chapter Three

So, Annie found the market a third full. Women had picked their tables. The table she had yesterday, Vario took it and this woman beamed, and wiggled her fingers at her, before blowing Annie a final good luck kiss.

Annie rolled her eyes.

What a horrid woman she was.

“Vario, that child will make her mother proud.” came Annie’s mother’s voice.

She chatted to one of her friends, Marialla, Mariah’s mother. “Even your first born, Mariah, turned out beautiful. I think she will marry rich and you will be happy.”

Marialla smiled at twelve year old her. “Oh, but you too. Your daughter is intelligent–”

“Intelligent? Personality means nothing. Anyway, I am hoping that Sarah is better. There is still hope.”

Marialla frowned. “So you don’t believe that she will be successful?”

Annie’s mother had laughed and laughed and laughed.

Her laugh echoed in Annie’s head as she looked for a table. She pulled Bercy to a table between Carol Brown and Sugar Greece, two old but pleasant looking women.

Both stared at her and looked away, frowning.

Annie began organising her stall when Sugar Greece stopped in front of her table, hands on both hips. “What do you think you are doing?” She asked.

“f*****g selling like you are.” Annie grinned at her. “So I suggest you don’t get in my way.”

“Just leave the poor kid alone, Sugar. No need for unnecessary drama now. How have you been, Annie?”

“What a disagreeable-looking bastard.” Sugar Greece muttered, walking away.

Annie nodded. “Yourself?”

“I have seen better days.”

“I can imagine you will cost Peter his image.” Sugar Greece looked Annie over. “Is that why he had asked Sarah to cut all connections with you after the wedding?”

Annie’s blood froze, and ice spiked out of her blood. She carried on as if she heard nothing. Where could she find Mariah? Maybe she had parked way back.

Carol Brown scolded Sugar Greece.

Annie did not feel like selling anymore.

“What a quitter!” Her mother screamed at her at a school running tournament.

Annie tripped at the start of the race and just sat, crying.

“Sarah, go redeem my pride.”

Sarah’s race came after hers, and she watched from the sideline. “Good luck.”

Sarah flicked her hair over her shoulders, looked at Annie, and scowled. Something hateful in her gaze. She got in position and when the gun went; she sprinted as if running away from Annie or their mother.

“Sarah.” Their mother screamed. Her pride was audible in her voice.

After the race, everyone congratulated her and Sarah, and they shook their heads at Annie and told her better luck next time.

At home Sarah ate two chickens, she ate none. That night, she could not sleep and so crept to the door, careful not to wake Sarah up. However, when she opened the door, her mother and father’s voice froze her in place.

“We should have given her up for adoption. Such a burden. We wouldn’t be in–”

“Hush now. I don’t ever want to hear you speak of her like that–”

Her mother then slapped Annie’s father and scared Annie submerged in her bed again.

The women beside her continued to bicker. Annie looked down and focused.

Not a quitter, not a quitter…

She swept her spot and stood ready.

Customers soon walked and all the women waved and advertised their stalls. The same woman who had bought five tomatoes from her returned and with a frown, pointed at Annie’s usual table.

“Oh, I came too late.” Annie said.

“Ah. The hardship of life.” She fanned herself. “Someone told me you also sell beans.”

She nodded.

“Two packets, four cucumbers, and those berries.”

Annie brought to sight the green baskets she had fabricated for the past three months and set the food in the basket.

The woman gasped. “What is this?”

Her husband gawked at the basket Annie handed to him.

Annie took out from her small bag the jewellery she made at all things glitters. “Thank you for coming–”

“Elizabeth Damesal.” The woman turned the jewelry over. “Amazing.”

“Have a good day.”

Elizabeth nodded. “How much?”

“That would be fifty.”

She handed the money over and smiled. “You too.”

Elizabeth paused and turned around.

“Matter of fact, do you make jewellery often?”

Annie bopped her head.

“I see. Do you take specifications, orders?”

Annie smiled.

“Very well. Write your home cell. You’ll hear from me.”

Elizabeth picked up the paper with Annie’s cell number and grinned. “See you then.”

Annie packed the money away in my bag.

“Is it true?” One man asked.

“Sorry sir?”

“Three lemons and bananas. That Mister Caddel is staying with you until your sister’s wedding day?”

Annie smiled no more and stared down at the bald, short man. “Sir, I do not see how that is important–”

“Well. Maybe I could send my daughter’s there. One of them is the prettiest. Eliza. You know her, right? She’s an adult now. About time she finds a man and a rich one at that.”

Carol Brown gasped. “What?”

“That would be ten, sir.”

The man patted her hands and gave Annie a little over ten polls. “Just think about it.”

Annie sighed. “I am sure Sarah will be so thoughtful–”

“Thank you.”

Carol brown smiled at me. “You are good at this… so ah, those baskets–”

Sugar Greece gasped. “Carol brown. Carol f*****g brown! Are you about to tell me you didn’t hear what the man was on about just now?”

Sugar Greece faced Annie.

“Mister Caddel is staying with you?”

“Ma’am, I give you my f*****g deepest apologies for what I am about to say. But keep your pointy, mushroom nose out of my business. It doesn’t f*****g feed you, does it?”

Sugar Greece cursed and spat.

Carol muttered, looked at Annie and nodded. “But how much is the basket?”

Annie took three baskets and gave it to her. “No payment. Study the design and learn.”

“What a pushover!” My mother laughed.

Annie stumbled back, clasping her head, feeling lightheaded.

Marialla appeared beside me and pushed out a chair. “Have a seat, child. What’s the matter?”

“A glass of water.” Carol murmured.

“Thank you.” Annie muttered, taking the glass shakily.

Carol grinned at Annie before turning around.

Too busy focusing on the past, Annie had missed out on the spark that had started her friendship with Carol. UnLike Lizzy, Carol Brown had a busy mouth and ears. She never stopped tuning on people’s conversation.

“Marialla?” Annie muttered. “What are you doing here?”

Marialla hugged Annie and sat down. Her hat sat skewed on her head.

“Oh, no. I just thought that the walk might do me good.”

“It is a wonderful day, ain’t it?” Carol Brown smiled at her.

Marialla nodded.

“Excuse me?” A man asked.

When Annie attempted to stand up, she fell back into her seat.

Marialla hurried to the man.

“Ten tomatoes and five bags of beans.” The man said.

Marialla handed it over to him and took the cash. She handed it to Annie.

“No, keep it. It’s fine. Thank you. What is wrong with Mariah?”

Marialla put the cash in her bra and flapped her hat. “I don’t know. A stomach bug.”

“Yes. I’ve heard. Another nasty stomach bug was going around. Stinky things. My daughter died when she was five with it.” Carol Brown looked sad for a while.

Annie choked on her water. Why the f**k would she say that?

Marialla patted Carol Brown’s hand. “How have you been Mrs. Brown?”

“I’ve seen better days. Some days have me running outside, crying for Charles.”

Charles Brown, her husband, had passed away from a heart attack after he got the news of his daughter’s death. Before he died, he phoned Carol Brown.

“You cursed woman. Ugly and what not? Bad luck. What a sinful creature you are. My mother was right. You never loved my daughter… Ah, my heart, my heart.”

Their phone call had ended like that.

The first time Annie had heard the story, she laughed. Maybe Carol Brown made it all up, but she did not. 'Tis the truth.

Carol Brown looked faraway, lost.

“Carol Brown?” Marialla shouted.

Carol Brown blinked away her tears.

“A customer.”

“Oh, dear.”

Marialla adjusted her bras. “Well, I have to go now. I will see you later.”

Annie waved at her.

The church bell rang to signal lunch time. Annie used up her remaining selling time to pack away.

“Your baskets are lovely.” Carol Brown patted the basket. “Do you mind coming over sometime to show me?”

Annie eyed her.

Carol Brown smiled.

“Your weak, pathetic,” my mother said.

Annie shut her eyes and nodded.

“Do you go to church?” She asked.

Annie just nodded.

“Okay, then. After church. Say two.”

“Alright, Misses. Brown. Have a lovely day.”

“Ah.”

Annie stared at her.

“Do you mind taking me back home? My driver–”

“Alright.”

Annie loaded Carol Brown’s stuff onto her wagon while Carol Brown spared a few moments with Sugar Greece, who stared at her, flabbergasted. “What are you doing?”

“Okay, Mrs. Brown, are you ready?”

Sugar stared at Annie. “I don’t think you should go with her. She is like my sister, useless. You can’t trust her. I remember–”

“Yes, dear.”

Annie helped Carol Brown up on the wagon before she got on Bercy.

“No way. She is–”

“Go your f*****g way, Sugar,” Annie muttered before screaming. “Bye Miss Greece.”

“Oh.” Carol Brown took her hat off. “What a hot day. You know where I live, right?”

Annie nodded.

“A small town, ain’t it?”

She nodded.

“Wish I could travel.”

“Why don’t you, Mrs. Brown?”

Carol laughed. “Carol is fine. Weren’t you just swearing back there?”

“I f*****g love swear words. It’s me.” Annie murmured.

“I can’t. The house needs tending. It was Charles’ family’s house. He always wanted it to become a mansion. I am sort of planning on turning it into one, maybe soon. Though the renovation has started.”

Carol sighed. “He’ll be happy.”

“So it’s important to keep promises to the dead?” Annie asked.

Carol brown nodded. “As a human, you must keep all of your promises. It’s just the right thing to do. Don’t leave owing anyone, not even the dead, anything.”

“Even if makes you unhappy?”

Carol brown avoided Annie’s eyes. “It doesn’t make you unhappy.”

Annie turned her head back and stared at the land.

Carol Brown looked faraway, dazed.

Annie cleared her throat. “I am sure he will love it.”

Just like her father would be proud when she expands the farm.

She slowed Bercy down when they reached a white house.

Carol had not lied.

They had cracked apart half of her house. A few men sat down, having lunch.

“Do you remember when Beja decided to …”

“Thanks honey.” Carol Brown said, once Annie had helped her down.

Annie took Carol Brown’s stuff inside her cool house. Carol Brown had already recreated the kitchen and the living room. Both appeared wider than the other cottages on the farm.

“Wow.”

Carol nodded. “Amazing, hey.”

Annie nodded.

“Do you want to eat?”

Annie shook her head. “No. I am in a rush home to taste cake with my sister.”

“So it’s true?” She asked. “Your sister is getting married.”

Annie nodded.

“Any plans for you?”

Annie smiled and shook her head. “Okay, I will be off then. Sunday.”

“Sunday.”

As she pushed Bercy on, she looked back at the cottage. Even now, Annie couldn’t help feeling as if Charles still lived there. Carol Brown waved at her, the ghost of Charles.

Annie took a detour. She set off left down the hill to Mariah’s place.

Mariah lived at the bottom of the hill in a hut where, just behind the hut, bundles of cattle roamed the grass like king’s and queens. A plane shoot across the sky, stirring up her stomach cramps.

The war.

Annie dug her feet into a puddle on her way to the wide-open door after tying Bercy to a near oak tree. Groaning, Annie kicked her feet about and marched in, flapping away at flies as she did so.

Mariah got ready to leave as Annie entered.

Mariah had made up her face, braided her hair and wore a pantyhose, red dress with a long black coat. She stood tall with a purse.

“Annie?”

“Mariah? What the f**k are you doing?”

“What are you doing here?” Mariah squeaked.

“I saw your mother in the market. She told me you weren’t feeling well, and I had not believed her. You know, after yesterday?”

Mariah waved at Annie and hurried out of the hut. “I have places to be. Keep this between this. I will explain later.”

Annie stood beside her and kicked at a stone.

“What’s up?” Mariah asked after checking herself for the last time in her mirror.

“Mister Caddel is staying over by me.”

“That flirtatious scoundrel. No way, after everything that went down between you two. Doesn’t he feel a little awkward staying there?”

Annie shrugged.

“How was he when he first came?”

“His quirky self. Called me sweet cake.”

“Oh, goodness me, here comes my ride.” She turned to Annie and hugged her. “Be strong. He has fooled you once. Don’t let him fool you again.”

The car rumbled on in front of them.

Mariah kissed both of her cheeks.

“We were just kids.”

Mariah shook her head. “No, don’t you dare let yourself excuse him. I’ve got to go. We will chat about this later, but until then hush.”

Annie waved as the car drove off. She untied Bercy and rode home.

After stationing Bercy in her stable, Annie marched out of the stables but broke her walk when she saw Pete laying on his back, staring at the sky.

“Pete, are you okay?” Annie leaned over him.

Pete moaned. “You’re blocking my sun.”

Annie stepped back.

Pete sighed. “I am just enjoying myself, being here in the now. The sun is so nice. Do you wanna go to the beach?”

“Shouldn’t you be with your mother?” Annie whispered.

Pete shut his eyes. “Mourning my sister? I don’t think she would have wanted me to mourn. Wanna go to the beach?”

“They really exempted you from war? Hadn’t they?” She asked him.

Pete beamed. “Yes. At least I won’t die there.”

Annie laughed.

“Anything from my dear Vario?”

Annie rolled her eyes. “Other than her blowing a deadly kiss at me, nope.”

“How about it then?” Pete grinned. “The Beach?”

Annie walked away, laughing.

“Maybe later, Pete. Let’s plan it well.”

In her empty cottage, at least, she thought it empty. Annie grabbed her towel and scrub, then hurried inside Sarah’s bathroom.

“You see, mother?” She whispered. “I am using Sarah’s bathroom. The bathroom that was supposed to be mine.”

Her mother had fooled her into believing that the bedroom she painted and spent so much time on would be hers.

Annie ran her hands across the pink-tiled walls, pink curtains and then giggled.

“Sarah?” Gibbie called. “Is that you?”

Annie froze. What the f**k did he want now? Was the house not empty?

He knocked, and then he opened the bathroom door.

Annie gasped. “Mister Caddel.”

He frowned at Annie while he pushed up his glasses. “What are you doing here?”

Annie patted the tap. “I am just taking care of this here. It was leaking, so I came to check on it.”

Annie held up her towel.

His eyes lingered on her breast.

“You’re going to drive me crazy, woman.” Gibbie Caddel moaned.

“You’re not supposed to be here.”

Gibbie Caddel leaned against the door. “I don’t think this bathroom is even yours.”

“I don’t think this bathroom is even yours.” Her mother’s voice snarled at her.

Annie was five years old, standing in the bathtub.

“It’s too pretty for you. Get out of there, dammit. You're f*****g dirtying it.” Her mother screamed.

Annie ran out naked, crying.

Gibbie Caddel turned around and cursed. “Your towel, sweet cake.” Gibbie Caddel then sighed. “Sarah better not hear about this, right lollipop?”

He walked away with his hands in his pockets.

Embarrassed, Annie pulled up her towel, hurried out, and entered the old barn. It stood beside the cottage. She fiddled with the keys, which she took from the cupboard in the kitchen. She unlocked the bathroom door and got into the bathtub.

Annie let the water run over her.

“You f*****g stupid woman?” She cried, slapping her head. “Why didn’t you f*****g check if anyone was in the house? I don’t think this bathroom is yours!” I mimicked with my hands on my hips. “What an i***t! I am just as Worthy!”

The shower soaked down her sobs.

Just as f*****g Worthy as anyone.

She checked out her breast before bursting out laughing.

Lollipop.

Annie came out of the bathtub, shivering, five minutes after daydreaming about the past moment.

She put on the blue dress her mother gave her when she turned eighteen, put on a bracelet her father gave her for her sixteenth birthday, and wore flip-flops.

She applied lip gloss and did her best to hide her scar with make up. Annie let a strand of her hair run over her cheeks, covering the scar, just for extra caution.

Annie checked herself once more before leaving the barn. Mister Caddel sat on the couch in front of the radio. He fiddled with the edges of his hats. He stood up and Annie gulped.

Then he burst out laughing.

“I am sorry for earlier, Sir. I thought everyone was gone.”

“Clearly not. You’ll do well to be on guard when you have a visitor.” Gibbie Fin frowned at her. “Anyway, Sarah asked me to take you with me. Let’s go before it’s too late.”

Annie started to follow him, keeping space behind him.

When he stopped, she stopped.

“What were you doing in her bathroom?”

“Like I said, the tap had been running, and I wanted to close it. I know it looked weird.”

He walked to the black Maxwell touring and grinned once inside.

“Just trying to remember what to tell Sarah. I might just tell her I saw lollipops.”

Annie followed him inside while biting her lips to keep her laughter at bay.

“Thanks, Mister Caddel.”

Gibbie Caddel popped open a can of soda and smiled.

The car pulled away and face to face they sat.

Annie studied the palms of her hands, the lines that ran across them. Her mother used to caress them, more so when she burnt her hands from cooking.

Her mother would caress her hands while singing a lullaby out of tune. Her angelic voice made the words of the lullaby nicer.

Afterwards she would say, “We, the ugly, do what we can. I am teaching you all this because this is what they expect of a woman who is going to become of your stature. Marriage or work… Unfortunately, I think they had made the choice for you a long time ago,” While staring at Annie’s face with disgust and blazing eyes.