Read Online Time Windows by Kathryn Reiss - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kathryn Reiss
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down the porch steps, Helen's arm around Aunt Belle's waist. Miranda moved away from the camper, closer to her mother and Aunt Belle.
"I don't think you should let yourself get too upset about it," Helen was murmuring. "It happened, but no one was hurt, and it isn't so bad you all won't get over it."
"How can I face them, Helen? I'm a monster." Aunt Belle's voice sounded hollow. "Oh, Helen, please believe me. I have neverâI never even spanked one of them! You can ask Anni and Simon! What kind of mother would try to do what I wanted to doâand I wanted to, Helen. That's the part I don't understandâI wanted to hurt her! Only a monster would act that way."
"Calm down, Belle. You're no more a monster than I am!"
Aunt Belle did not seem to hear. She spoke listlessly. "It was as if
I
weren't even really saying those thingsâit was as if I were listening to a stranger..." Her voice trailed off as they reached Miranda. Aunt Belle looked down at the ground, and Miranda suddenly felt sorry for her. Aunt Belle climbed into the camper next to Uncle Willy.
The bustle of good-byes began, but they were hushed, not the boisterous good wishes that usually accompanied departing members of the family.
"Thank you so much, Helen."
"Give our love to PhilâI'm sorry we can't wait till he comes home." The big vehicle lurched backward ever so slightly as Uncle Willy shifted into gear.
"Helen!" Aunt Belle unceremoniously leaned across him in an attempt to reach the window. "Helen, please listen to me. What I told you last nightâit's true! It's the
house
"
"Belle! What are you talking about?" Uncle Willy stomped on the brake pedal and pushed her back against the seat. "What's
wrong
with you?" he fairly hissed. "First that outrageous scene last night, and now we're treated to more of your theatrics!"
"Willy," she began, touching his arm helplessly, leaning across him again to the window where Helen and Miranda stood. "Helen, I'm sorry. I am
so
sorry. I don't know what happened to me, I neverâ"
Anni and Simon glanced at each other, then bent down to search for a game to play on the trip.
"Enough, Belle!" Uncle Willy backed the camper slowly. "Bye, Mandy; bye, Helen. Belle! Sit down, for God's sake!"
The camper swung out onto the road. Helen and Miranda raised their arms to wave, and Belle's last broken cry reached their ears: "It's the houseâ!"
Â
As the camper disappeared around the bend, Helen and Miranda dropped their arms. Helen's shoulders sagged.
"Mither? What did she mean about the house?"
"I don't know, Mandy. She stayed in our room with me all night. She said she was afraid."
"Afraid of what? Of Uncle Willy?"
"N-no." Helen hesitated. "I think she was afraid ofâof herself."
"Herself?" Miranda pondered this for a moment. "Afraid that she might try to hurt someone else, you mean?"
They spoke quietly, hesitantly, as if afraid voicing such thoughts would bring back the trauma of the previous night. Helen ran her hands through her curly hair.
"She didn't sleep all night. Every time I woke up and looked at her, she was just staring at the ceiling. I asked her what was wrongâand she said we should get out of here."
"Get out?"
"Move out of this house. She said she felt it wasn't safe."
"But,
why,
Mither?"
Helen turned an anguished face to Miranda. "Oh, Mandy, you saw what happened to Belle last night. You saw what she tried to do to Anni! Belle is the most gentle person in the worldâyou know that as well as I do. She would never lift a finger to one of her own children. I don't understand. It wasn't like Belle. It doesn't make sense."
"But why did she say our house isn't safe?" Miranda continued to probe.
Helen touched Miranda's cheek. "Belle thinks the
house
wanted her to beat Anni. And she thinks we should move so that the house won't make us hurt each other."
Miranda shivered in the hot morning sun. "I don't get it. That sounds crazy."
Helen bit her lip and stared at
"I don't think you should let yourself get too upset about it," Helen was murmuring. "It happened, but no one was hurt, and it isn't so bad you all won't get over it."
"How can I face them, Helen? I'm a monster." Aunt Belle's voice sounded hollow. "Oh, Helen, please believe me. I have neverâI never even spanked one of them! You can ask Anni and Simon! What kind of mother would try to do what I wanted to doâand I wanted to, Helen. That's the part I don't understandâI wanted to hurt her! Only a monster would act that way."
"Calm down, Belle. You're no more a monster than I am!"
Aunt Belle did not seem to hear. She spoke listlessly. "It was as if
I
weren't even really saying those thingsâit was as if I were listening to a stranger..." Her voice trailed off as they reached Miranda. Aunt Belle looked down at the ground, and Miranda suddenly felt sorry for her. Aunt Belle climbed into the camper next to Uncle Willy.
The bustle of good-byes began, but they were hushed, not the boisterous good wishes that usually accompanied departing members of the family.
"Thank you so much, Helen."
"Give our love to PhilâI'm sorry we can't wait till he comes home." The big vehicle lurched backward ever so slightly as Uncle Willy shifted into gear.
"Helen!" Aunt Belle unceremoniously leaned across him in an attempt to reach the window. "Helen, please listen to me. What I told you last nightâit's true! It's the
house
"
"Belle! What are you talking about?" Uncle Willy stomped on the brake pedal and pushed her back against the seat. "What's
wrong
with you?" he fairly hissed. "First that outrageous scene last night, and now we're treated to more of your theatrics!"
"Willy," she began, touching his arm helplessly, leaning across him again to the window where Helen and Miranda stood. "Helen, I'm sorry. I am
so
sorry. I don't know what happened to me, I neverâ"
Anni and Simon glanced at each other, then bent down to search for a game to play on the trip.
"Enough, Belle!" Uncle Willy backed the camper slowly. "Bye, Mandy; bye, Helen. Belle! Sit down, for God's sake!"
The camper swung out onto the road. Helen and Miranda raised their arms to wave, and Belle's last broken cry reached their ears: "It's the houseâ!"
Â
As the camper disappeared around the bend, Helen and Miranda dropped their arms. Helen's shoulders sagged.
"Mither? What did she mean about the house?"
"I don't know, Mandy. She stayed in our room with me all night. She said she was afraid."
"Afraid of what? Of Uncle Willy?"
"N-no." Helen hesitated. "I think she was afraid ofâof herself."
"Herself?" Miranda pondered this for a moment. "Afraid that she might try to hurt someone else, you mean?"
They spoke quietly, hesitantly, as if afraid voicing such thoughts would bring back the trauma of the previous night. Helen ran her hands through her curly hair.
"She didn't sleep all night. Every time I woke up and looked at her, she was just staring at the ceiling. I asked her what was wrongâand she said we should get out of here."
"Get out?"
"Move out of this house. She said she felt it wasn't safe."
"But,
why,
Mither?"
Helen turned an anguished face to Miranda. "Oh, Mandy, you saw what happened to Belle last night. You saw what she tried to do to Anni! Belle is the most gentle person in the worldâyou know that as well as I do. She would never lift a finger to one of her own children. I don't understand. It wasn't like Belle. It doesn't make sense."
"But why did she say our house isn't safe?" Miranda continued to probe.
Helen touched Miranda's cheek. "Belle thinks the
house
wanted her to beat Anni. And she thinks we should move so that the house won't make us hurt each other."
Miranda shivered in the hot morning sun. "I don't get it. That sounds crazy."
Helen bit her lip and stared at
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