Chapter 3-5

Chapters 3-5

            Everyone was in bed down the hall for the night, the house still bursting at the seams; Ma and Pa made their nightly rounds. They first stopped in the boy’s room, carefully tiptoeing around the mattress in the middle of the floor. Ma brushed EJ’s hair from his face, bending down and leaving him to kiss on the cheek. Then Ma whispered, “Goodnight, son,” ensuring he was not too hot. “That’s better,” she whispered to Pa, tucking the sheet around his waist. Ma bends down on her knees and gives each little one the same. “Goodnight, my little ones,” then looks over at Richard sleeping, smiles, and puts his hand back into bed.

            They carefully tiptoe around the bunk beds to Robert and Will, whispered, “Thank you, boys,” one more time to each one, and kissed them each on their heads. Then tiptoed out of the room and closed the door. Walking down the hall to the girls’ room, they open the door, smile, and shake their heads, seeing two girls per bed. Ma walks to each girl, one on each side of the bed.

            Pa on one side, then the other wishes each of their daughters, “Goodnight, and thanks for 

            all their help.”

            Ma whispers in Julie’s ear something extra that leaves a special smile; she “Okay, Ma,” and nods.

            Then Ma and Pa go down the hall to their room and close the door behind them. “Now, where were we, dear? Oh, yes, something about how much you love me, was it,” she said as she hummed back into his ear.

            Down the hall, Mary and Lizzy were sleeping. They were busy talking about the day and their conversations with the girls. Martha was kind enough to leave them each with a glass of milk. “Oh, how thoughtful, what a dear. She didn’t need to do that,” they said as they drank it all, drifted off to sleep. After all, they had had such a long day themselves, and it was time for a little payback.

            Steve walked down the hall to grab his wife and a glass of milk. It always calmed his nerves before bed, but tonight, he had something else in mind: his sore feet and mother’s note.

“Here you go, dear,” he said as they drank their milk�"except hers had something besides milk. He grinned, turned out the light, leaned over, and kissed his wife on the cheek.

            She whispered with a tired yawn. “Will you forgive me, dear?” she asked.

“Always,” he replied, giving her one more kiss goodnight.

            “The question is, dear, will you?” he said as she fell softly to sleep.

            The house was quiet, and everyone was sleeping, some sounder than others. Martha had left the door open just a crack so she could see them pass by. The question is, who was going to try it first? Peggy looked over and whispered to Donna, “I’m breaking out. Are you with me or not? Either way, I’m leaving.” Checking to make sure those evil sisters are asleep. Peggy tiptoes towards the door. Quietly opens the door and slides her way through.

            But Julie and Anna stood in the hallway behind her before she reached the bathroom. “Are you Going somewhere?” Julie said, seeing them standing in the doorway.

            “I just need to use the bathroom, that’s all.” Anna followed her down to the bathroom and waited outside the door.

            Peggy paced back and forth inside, wanting to scream when she saw the window. “Wondering maybe if I,” she said, climbing on a stool and opening the window.

            “Hello, Peggy,” Julie said.

            “Aug!” Peggy shuts the window. “I am doomed!” She hung her head, finding Anna outside the door while Julie walked back down the hall, waited for her, and pointed her back down the hall to the room. Julie and Anna climb back into bed, giggling side by side. Peggy whispered. “I hate them, and I hate them all.” She elbows her sisters in the ribs; that felt so good.

            Then Donna elbowed her back. “Quit it!”

            “You quit it,” Peggy replies.

            Julie whispered. “Peggy, what did my ma say?” A few more hours went by as dawn approached. Donna waited to listen around the house; she could hear her sister snoring like a horse, like a Clydesdale, and those evil sisters were sound asleep.

"Grandma always used to say that you need patience if you want something badly enough.” “Right now, I want out of here; the sooner, the better, I say.” Donna quietly sneaked out of bed and crawled onto the floor to the door, waiting, checking if they were all still sound asleep. “Good, not one sound, all sawing logs.” She opened the door slowly and slithered into the hall like a snake, closing the door behind her. I waited to see if anyone came out. Nope, he slides into the bathroom around the corner.

            A door opened. “Great. This is all I need.” Uncle Steve approached her, passing her as he headed towards the kitchen for another glass of milk. He went back to his room and closed the door behind him. Donna breathed. "Phew, that was a close one," she exclaimed, relief clear in her voice. As she looked at the closed doors, she said, making sure there was no one around.

            She slid down to the kitchen to make a quick phone call home as she ducked behind a wall. “Come on, Miss Darrin’s, come on, pick it up,” checking, making sure the coast was clear. She let out a long exhale, finally able to relax. She longed to call home, but with her parents imprisoned, the house would remain empty until their release, expected tomorrow afternoon. It is maddening how these lowlifes manipulated the situation to make my parents appear guilty when it was clear they were the ones at fault. I often wonder what would have happened if my father had followed through on his plans. By now, those despicable Downing lowlifes and her wretched grandmother would have perished. We wouldn’t be in this mess. We could have gotten away with it, just like we have countless times in the past. Why did they have to exist at all? We should extinguish them from the face of the earth, leaving no trace of their existence. In a hushed tone, she whispered to herself, her words carrying a sense of secrecy.

            “Donna is that you?” her best friend’s mother asked.

            “Yes, Miss Darrin’s. I’m sorry it’s late, but can you come to get me? I’m being held prisoner at―Oh, great, here she comes. We’re at the Downings. Bye.”

            “Donna, what are you doing out of bed, young lady? And who are you calling at this hour?” shaking her finger. “Come on back to bed.” Martha placed the phone back on the hook. “Come on, let’s go, dear,” trying to sound mad. “Up on you are feet.” Pointed her back down the hall, Martha said, seeing the three girls standing in the doorway waiting for her, “Now get in that bed and stay there, both of you.”

            “Is everything okay, Martha?” Steve asked as Wayne and Richard came out of the rooms. “Just fine,” she said, giving Steve a wink. Martha headed back to bed, and Steve also gave Richard a wink. Well, Wayne, I have a feeling our house might be lighter once more and certainly happier when those two girls are gone,” she said, taking a deep breath and climbing back into bed.

            Peggy whispered over to Donna. “Did you make it?” She asked.

            “Make what?” she asked, elbowing her sisters hard in the ribs. Oh, that felt so good.

            “Ouch,” Peggy said, slugging her in the arm. 

            “Ouch, that hurts,” Donna said.

            “Girls, go to sleep. Please,” Julie scolded, but not until one of them gets pushed off the bed.

            Julie turns on the light. “Alright, you two!” Julie and Anna tied them with the scarves and returned them to bed. “Now stay there.” Julie whispers to Anna with a sigh of relief, “At least they will be leaving soon, if not sooner, and get them out of our hair,” Julie said.

            “Amen to that, sister, amen, because those two do not know the meaning of the word sister or fun; hate is all they see. They would rather fight and bicker all day than play and have fun.”

            Julie whispers, “Unless that’s how they have their fun, who knows what goes on in their little twisted minds?”