Chapter 4

A disgraceful scene.............................

Chapter 4

“Jackson is such a horrible man!” I murmured as I pulled into my street.

When I arrived at my house, I yelped in surprise as I almost crashed into a second car parked in the driveway. Why was there another car? Now I couldn’t park in a suitable area that suits me and my vehicle! I wonder what was going on?

Once my car came to a stop, I switched the engine off, got out of my car and walked up to the front door.

Just in case my mother was near the front hall, I slowly opened the door and tiptoed up the stairs. But as I climbed the last step, my mother hollered,

“Julie! Come downstairs!”

I froze in my tracks and reluctantly made the journey back downstairs and into the kitchen. The scene that met me made my mouth hang open in shock.

There was my mother sitting with a young man who held her hand.

And they were both smiling.

“What’s this?!” I yelled.

“Julie! That is not an acceptable way of acknowledging our guest!” My mother exclaimed as her face took on a disgusted expression.

I looked down at my feet angrily, glaring as the man smiled at me.

“Well? Do you have an explanation for your inappropriate outburst?” She asked with her eyebrows raised.

“Explanation? Explanation for an ‘inappropriate outburst’!? I came downstairs to see someone holding your hand who does not look at all like my father! So an explanation is what you want?” I shouted as my mother stood, dumbfounded.

“Go to your room. NOW.”

“Thank you! Why wouldn’t I want to get away from this disgrace?” I yelled as I ran upstairs.

Once I reached my room, I slammed the door and ran to the balcony doors.

I swung it open, and felt the cool breeze blow into my face. The afternoon fog hung limply from the tips of the sky as the birds sang while perched in a tree.

As I had in the past, I walked to the end of the balcony, swung my legs over the edge, and hopped down from the roof deftly. With my purse hanging across my shoulder, I unlocked the car and got into the front seat.

The engine started with a splutter as I put the car in gear. I rode out onto the main road, where I turned right at the intersection. This time I would make sure not to get close to Jackson- no matter what cost.

I drove down main street and approached a small neighborhood with cute little cottages.

Now where was 304? Aha! There it is!

The cottage numbered 304 had a small garden with an assortment of different flowers. The walls of the house were made of grey brick, with bits of ivy here and there; the curved roof gave the perfect finishing touch.

I stared at the cottage, mesmerized. Of course I’d been here before, but each time I saw it, I felt like I was in a fairytale storybook.

When I was a child, I used to play in the cottage, pretending I was Goldilocks or Snow White at the seven dwarfs house.

But that was a long time ago. Now, I was here to complete a task.

Once I had gotten out of my car and made sure to lock it, I walked up to the front door. But just before I knocked, the door swung open and my plump grandmother stood there with a plate of fresh cookies in her hand.

“Oh Julie! Come in, come in!” She exclaimed, “It’s so nice that you’re here! You know I was just making cookies and I wasn’t sure if I should put chocolate chips in or some almonds-”

“Grandma. Please, I am not here to listen to your blubbering.”

“Sorry honey, I just got carried away! You see I'm so lonely living here by myself since your grandfather died…”

“It’s alright, but just don’t interrupt me when I'm talking ok?” I asked.

“Of course, of course. But what is so important that I can’t ask a few questions here and there?”

“Grandma…” I muttered, amused.

“Okay, okay! Sorry!”

“Can we take a seat before I start?” I inquired.

“Yes, honey.” She mumbled as she gestured to a loveseat couch, “Sorry I should have known…”

“Known? Known what?” I questioned.

“You’ve grown up a lot since I last saw you, you’re not the same little girl anymore.” She stated, saddened.

“Yes, grandma. I’m seventeen now, I’m not that little eight year old.”

“I suppose I still think of you as the little Julie who comes each week in a frilly dress to play in the gardens and eat my chocolate muffins and rolls.” She murmured as she looked down at her feet.

I placed my hand on her shoulder, “Grandma, I’m not that little girl anymore, but I am still the girl who loves your cookies and adores your home.”

She smiled. “Well then, would you like one?”

“Of course.” I giggled as I picked one out of the tray.

“So what did you come here to talk to me about?”

“Well...did you hear about the recent development?” I asked as I stared down at my feet.

“Yes, yes I did.” She said sadly.

“It’s not your fault grandma.”

“Of course it is! If I hadn’t given Anna those cookies she wouldn’t have gotten overweight, and since she’s my neighbor I see her all the time and it’s like she’s teasing about it- even though she’s not saying anything.” She grumbled.

I laughed as I said, “Grandma! I’m not talking about that! I’m talking about what’s happened between my parents…”

“What’s wrong with them? Are they hurt? Are you alright? Are you moving?!”

I sighed. Looks like she had no clue. Shame on my dad for not telling his mom!

“They got a divorce.” I said, as I exhaled.

“What? Darling are you thinking properly?”

“They got a divorce! It’s coming out of my mouth so believe it!” I yelled, exasperated.

“Julie, what about you tell me everything- from the very beginning.”

So I told her everything that had happened from grade eight till the present. She just sat there silently, taking in every bit of information- surprisingly not interrupting once.

Right as I finished the last part of the ‘story’, the doorbell rang. So grandma reluctantly stood up and walked over to the door, glancing back at me regretfully.

“Sorry, I’ll just be a minute.” She mouthed.

I nodded. I wonder who was at the door?

My curiosity took over and I walked outside and into the garden where my grandma and a strange man were talking. The male’s voice sounded vaguely familiar, as if I had heard this voice many times before but not recently.

He had broad shoulders with golden-brown hair; I couldn’t see his facial features as his back was to me.

“Grandma? Sorry, I didn’t know you were going to have company.” I explained.

The man turned around and I looked straight into his deep, blue eyes.

I gasped.

What was he doing here?

It was my father.

Author's Note

Sorry this is a bit of a longer chapter...hope you got something out of it though! :)
What do you think? Pleeease review!
-LK

Reviews

[wordman]

i enjoyed the read,divorse and new men in your life is overwhelming

[Chain of Hearts]

Thanks for reviewing!