Moonlight Love

Brookville

                     Grandma parked the car in front of a cute semidetached house. I looked up and knew this was our home. 

                      “This is home sweetie.” Grandma said getting down from the car.

                      I turned to see Denis still pretending to be asleep. I knew he was pretending and had heard my entire conversation with grandma because he was my twin. I decided to play for a while.  

                      I used grandma’s handbag to smack him silly. “Wake up you pretender!”

                      “Owwwww.” Denis groaned. He was such an awful liar.

                      “We already reached so get down let’s meet grandpa.” I said hurriedly getting out of the car before he could retaliate. It was fun to be happy for a short while again.

                       I went behind to grandma who had already opened the booth and was bringing down our boxes. Denis came around.

                       “Are you awake sweetheart?” Grandma asked Denis sweetly.

                       “Yes grandma.” Denis said responsibly, as if he actually was.

                        I collected a box from grandma and pushed it to him. “You’re such a pretender.”

                        He put on a silly face and stuck out his tongue shamelessly at me. Grandma turned and he immediately reversed to being the good boy he was.

                        As we packed all our boxes and took them towards the front porch, we saw grandpa come out. 

                       “My favorite and only grandchildren.” He said.

                       I went to him first for a hug and savored the smell of his sweet perfume. He was all warm and cosy just like grandma. I let go, then Denis went to him for a hug. Denis and grandpa were almost the same height. Grandpa was unlike other grandpas I had met. He was not small and wrinkly like the ones I had seen. Rather he was tall and his skin seemed incapable of aging. Same for grandma. Well they were still young in a way. 

                       Mum had had Denis and I when she was just eighteen. Our grandparents were most definitely in their early or mid fifties.

                       Grandpa smiled at us. “You have both grown up so well. Come in.”  

                       He assisted us in taking our luggage in. 

                       The house was one of the most beautiful homes I had ever seen. There were plants everywhere and it was so cozy and bright. There was also a strong aroma filled up in the air. 

                       “Wow, this place is crazy.” Denis read my mind aloud. We did that a lot. “And what  is that smell?”

                       “I made lasagna for the both of you. Thought I would make something special.” Grandpa said. 

                       “Hell yes.” Denis said excitedly.

                       “Alright let’s go upstairs. Take you to your rooms.” Grandma said pushing us all towards the stairs, including grandpa.

                       We climbed up the stairs with all our luggage and reached the top. There were two doors facing each other and a few more steps above.

                       “Well we know how artistic you are Denis. And so we decided you have the room facing the lake on the other side.” Grandma said to Denis. “We hope you like it.”

                        She opened the door and we went in. It was a spacious room with French windows everywhere and a beautiful view of a lake and trees.

                        “Sick!” Denis said looking around. Denis hardly made a lot expressive expressions unless he really liked what he was seeing. Most times he was quiet. “Like it? I love it.”

                        Grandma smiled. Then we left him. He didn’t even notice we had gone.

                        We climbed the little steps left up. And Grandma opened the door. “This is your room. It belonged to your mother. She always loved the attic and we thought maybe you could have it.”

                        As I stepped in, I felt this sudden feeling hit me. It was mum. It felt as if her presence was all over the place. The room was beautiful. It had French windows all round just like Denis’s room and the view was not as splendid as his was because trees were blocking the view and I saw why mum loved the room. There were plants all over.

                       “We will leave you alone now. When you are done you could join us downstairs.” Grandpa said and they both went out.

                         I looked round the room and walked around. I walked to the fire place and picked up a picture. It was a picture of mum in a bubble bath as a baby. I set it aside and picked another then I saw it was a picture of teenage mum leaning on a car with her ruby hair set to a side and she looked stunning.

                         I didn’t know when a tear drop fell to the picture. I cleaned it off and returned the picture back to its place. I looked round the room again. It seemed everything was still in place. Grandma and grandpa had left it just the way it was except it was clean and that showed evidence that they had cleaned the place up.   

                         I brushed away my tears and gathered my luggage to arrange my things in place. When I was done, I went out of my new room and started down the stairs. I stopped at Denis’s room and opened the door. Denis was inside listening to music from his iPod and not necessarily arranging his things. 

                         I tried calling out to him, but he took no notice of me. So I picked up a pebble that was lying amongst other pebbles in a flower pot and stoned him with it. It hit his head square. He turned around and saw me. Before I could even say much, he stormed up to me and slammed the door in my face. So much for having a twin. 

                         I started going down the stairs and the more I got closer, the more I heard multiple voices excluding grandma and grandpa’s.

                         When I got to the ground, I saw a dark skinned woman with a dark skinned girl, probably her daughter, around my age standing with grandma and grandpa.

                        “Oh that’s Denver.” Grandpa said. “Come on dear. Come and meet them.”

                        I walked up to the woman. The woman looked a little confused when she saw me, but she gave me an amazing smile that would beat Beyonce’s anytime. “I’m so sorry. It’s just that wow. You look so much like Fiona. So much. You’re already so grown up. I’m sorry. Hi. I’m Andrea Bennet. Please call me Andrea. I was your mother’s best friend. I am so sorry for your loss.”

                        Mum had a best friend? There was so much we didn’t know. I dug my hands in my pockets and said shyly.  “Thanks. It’s a pleasure to meet you too.”

                        Then she touched the girl who I assumed was her daughter and said. “This is Charlotte. She’s my daughter and she’s within the same age with you. We live down the road. If you ever need anything our door is always open.”

                        I nodded. I really liked this woman already. 

                        “Let me leave you two kids to get to know each other.” Andrea said, then her and my grandparents turned away as they discussed.

                        I slowly turned to look at the girl. I was horrible at making new friends.

                        But the girl became so happy and less tensed as they left. “Hi! I’m Charlotte. What? My mum already said that. It’s really nice to meet you. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

                        I warmed up to her. She was definitely like her mum. “It’s really nice to meet you too. And it’s alright.”

                        “Your grandparents said you lived in Philadelphia. That must be really cool. Brookville is so small and everyone knows everyone. Makes it really suffocating.” Charlotte said.

                         “Actually it’s just basic. Nothing out of the ordinary.” I said. “You attend the high school here right?”

                         Charlotte nodded. “Yup. All the teenagers in Brookville attend Brookville high. When are you starting school?”

                         I shrugged. “We haven’t decided yet. What’s school like? Everyone.” 

                         Charlotte touched her beautifully and curly braided hair. “They are ok. You know, the usual thing. Bullies, goths, cheerleaders, jocks, loner, the usual.”

                         “And which are you?” I asked. Charlotte was so full of energy and I really liked that. 

                         Charlotte giggled and a very deep dimple I hadn’t taken note of appeared. “I’m just Charlotte. Most times I just sit watching Quentin Tarantino movies.”

                         “So you’re a nineties and two thousands kind of girl. That’s really cool. You should meet my brother. He’s into that too. But personally, my favorite movie is the hot chick.”

                         “No way.” Charlotte said. “That’s my favorite movie too!”

                         We both screamed in excitement and hugged each other. 

                         My grandparents and Andrea had to turn to look at us. We detached ourselves and stifled giggles. 

                         “I feel like you get me.” I said excitedly. “There is only one way to confirm it though. You have to say it.”

                         She looked at me and brought out her hand and I brought out mine. We started clapping our hands together and started singing like how they did in the movie. “Boys are cheats and liars. They’re such a big disgrace. They will tell you anything to get to second baseball, baseball he thinks he’s gonna score. If you let him go all the way then you are a w***e!”

                         We screamed again and hugged each other. Only real followers of the hot chick knew this line. 

                         I let her go. “Wow. You’re so cool.”

                         “So are you.” She smiled back at me. “You said you halve a brother?”

                         “A twin brother.” I corrected. “He came out first. His name is Denis. And would you look at that. There he is.”

                        Denis bounded down the stairs. I turned to warn Charlotte of his mischief, but Charlotte was far gone. Her mouth was slightly open and she was staring at Denis like he was a god. 

                       Denis stopped at the foot and Charlotte started to stammer.

                       He saw her and said. “Hi.” and passed to where my grandparents were with Charlotte’s mum.

                       Charlotte’s eyes followed him.  “Is that your brother?”   

                       “Unfortunately yes, that is my brother DenIs.” I rolled my eyes. 

                       Charlotte giggled. “Wow. He’s hot. Like he is really hot. Is that his real hair?”

                       Did Denis really have to take all my friends? 

                       I turned and saw Denis and Andrea exchange pleasantries.

                       “So when are you kids starting school?” Eve asked us.

                        “Well I don’t really know if they want to start school immediately. I mean we already paid everything for school ready for them. But they can anytime they want to.” Grandma said.

                        I looked at Denis and spoke for the both of us. “No grandma. We would like to start school instead of staying at home doing nothing.” 

                        Denis didn’t say anything. He was too busy eating grandpa’s lasagna to even care.

                        “I think that’s a great idea.” Andrea said. “Charlotte could take you to school can’t you Charlotte?”

                         “Definitely.” Charlotte said delighted. “But I don’t have your number.”

                         “Oh yeah.” I mumbled bringing out my phone from my back pocket.

                         We exchanged numbers and then I returned my phone back to its place.

                         “So I’ll pick you guys up by eight? Then I would drive you to school in my car. At least that way, you get to know the directions from our area.” Charlotte said.

                         “That would be great.” I said.

                         “Alright. We have to be going right now. We need to get prepared for the store tomorrow. Orders to take.” Andrea said. Then she turned to us. “Charlotte why don’t you bring them over tomorrow after school? We own a bakery and it would be splendid if you could come over.”

                         From the corner of my eye, I saw Denis turn sharply. Food food food! That was all that was in his head. 

                         “No problem. We will make it. Thanks.” I appreciated.

                          “Alright. We really have to be going now.” Andrea said to my grandparents.

                          We all escorted them to the door and waved them goodbye. When we got back home, grandpa pulled out a seat for me on the dining table. 

                          “Have a seat dear.” He said to me.

                          I sat down and a large plate of steaming yummy looking lasagna was set before me. I took a bite and savored the taste. “This is so yummy grandpa.”

                          He smiled. “I am glad you like it.” 

                          Grandpa sat with us and we spoke about so many things, but not mum. Never for once more. Denis excused himself and went up to his room. I looked at the time and saw it was already late.

                          “I think I’m going to bed grandpa. Where is grandma?” I asked sleepily. 

                          “She stepped out.” He said.

                          “Alright.” I said. 

                          He escorted me to my door. From nowhere a red cat bolted past us. 

                          I jumped in fright. 

                          Grandpa laughed. “Don’t be scared. That’s just Elise. She’s our cat.”

                          “Oh.” I laughed embarrassed at my own foolishness.

                          I proceeded to opening my door.

                          “You look so much like her. You’re the spitting copy of her. I wish we had had more time together.” Grandpa said with pain in his eyes. 

                          The energy was so tensed. I thought of something random to say that would lighten the mood. “Mum used to pull the grey strands in my hair and call me an old woman in my previous incarnate.”

                          Grandpa stiffened. “You have grey strands of hair in your hair?”

                          I nodded. “Yes I do. Is something wrong grandpa?”

                          He said nothing for a while then he smiled at me. “It’s nothing honey buns. Sleep well.”

                          He kissed my forehead and told me goodnight before leaving. 

                          I went to my room. Took off my clothes and had my bath. I got dressed and went to my bed. I turned on my phone and flipped through pictures of mum with Denis and I. I held the tears back and turned off my phone. 

                          I snuggled in between my mum’s blanket and tried my best to sleep. That night, I heard Denis crying silently in his room.