family bonds

Chapter 3 Part 1

Jess turned the lock apprehensively. The latch clicked, she turned to look at her mother hoping for some form of comfort, but all Belinda gave was an uncomfortable smile and one quick impatient nod towards the door.

Jess reached out her hand, she could feel her heart racing, who was this mysterious woman she asked herself. Millions of questions flooded her mind. Taking in a deep breath she slowly began pulling open the door to reveal a young woman with white hair dressed in a long coat, hiding whatever was underneath. The unknown woman tilted her head upwards so her hat was no longer casting a dark shadow upon her face.

‘Wow’ Jess thought ‘she doesn't look much younger than my mum’

The woman's hair stood out like chalk on a black board against the never ending darkness of her sun hat. Long thick eyelashes gracefully surrounded the emerald green eyes. The woman smiled as though she had heard what Jess thought, her teeth like freshly fallen snow with two big red pillows guarding it.

‘Evangeliene’ she pronounced herself, ‘but you may call me Eva’ she continued to say as she looked Jess up and down. ‘And who might you be?’ Eva raised her perfectly shaped eyebrow, a single wrinkle fell upon her forehead. The door swung open, Jess’ mum stood to attention Evas piercing green eyes looked straight through Jess and met Belindas. Her mum lowered her head, she seemed almost ashamed but what did Jess know? A few hours ago she didn't even have a grandmother.

A heeled boot stepped through the door, followed closely by another. Completely oblivious to Jess’ existence, Eva slammed the door shut.

‘Go upstairs’ her mum demanded. Jess felt her stomach drop, she wanted to know who this woman was, yes she was her grandmother, but who was she. Only a few hours ago she had no grandparents and now a mysterious woman turns up out of the blue?

Belinda slowly sat down on the sofa. She wouldnt look Eva in the eye.

‘Why are you here Evangeline?’ she spat, the air between them was tense.

‘Evangeliene huh?’ she replied calmly ‘I think mother would be more appropriate’. She smirked, lifting her perfectly coloured lips.

Mother. It sounded so unfamiliar to Linda a word she hadn't used in nearly 18 years.

Looking around the room with a disapproving glare Eva turned her attention to Linda. The perfect porcelain structure of her face unlined by her expression.

‘So, this is what you left me and your father for?’ her lip raised into a snarl as she glanced around the room in disgust. ‘You call this a home? Where's that deadbeat you call a husband?’ the hate that filled her voice as she said husband was incomparable. Linda looked up to meet her mothers gaze, her eyes glistened with tears as one slowly rolled off her dark eyelashes and landed upon her cheek.

‘Brian has been dead for 4 years, mother’ could she look more empty? Her face only knew sorrow but that did not stop Eva from continuing.

‘And you still didn't come home?’ Eva questioned ‘You stay here living like an animal, polluting yourself with alcohol and tobacco in the hopes we wouldn't find you now Brian is gone? You couldn't be serious.’ Eva looked at her daughter and placed a hand upon her shoulder ‘You must have known we would find you. It may have taken me 4 years but I did it. Why didn't you just come home?’ she looked linda dead in the eyes ‘Even your light is gone’

‘Why would I, what have you ever done for me? I left so I could have a life’ As her voice teetered Jess began to listen closer. Sitting on the stairs, she had not gone up to her room as her mother had asked. Jess needed answers and if eavesdropping was the only way to get those answers then she would do that. Holding the mysterious black block in her hand she slid another step down and began to listen intently.

‘What did your father and I ever do to deserve this? You are our only child, you know what that means. And as she is your only daughter.’ Eva turned to the living room door. With a flick of her wrist it flew open. ‘She MUST know too!’

Jess sat on the stairs staring blankly at the open door. How did it even open neither her mum or Eva was standing near it, how could it have happened?

‘I told you to go upstairs’ frantically trying to shut the door to the room jess’ mum looked at Eva.

‘Come here my dear’ she smiled through those perfectly red lips. ‘Your mother has something to tell you.’ Jess walked towards her new grandmother, her hand beckoning her forwards. Linda looked at her daughter and what could she do?

What had she been hiding? Confused and unsure what was happening, Jess did what Eva said. ‘What was happening’ Jess questioned herself. She needed to know.

Frantic belinda approached Evangeline, the air in the room was tense and only getting worse as she fell to her knees at Evas feet.

‘Please mother, I'm begging you, don't do this. She doesnt know I thought it would be better this way’

‘Pull yourself together, Jess sit down and Linda I will help you’ Belinda looked up at her mother's eyes filled with sadness and fright, she was scared, was it because of the truth that was finally about to come out? Or was it something even more serious?