I woke up early the next morning and called Kevin. He was a little frustrated that I wasn't coming in, but he understood why. He had Enya from the afternoon shift come in to cover for me. I took a long shower. When I got out, Chris had already left for work. I took my time getting ready. As I was slipping on my jeans, there was a knock at the door. I zipped them quickly and ran out to the front door. I unlocked it and opened it. It was Sage. He smiled really big and held his arms out. "Little Brother." I said giving him a hug. "Where's Rain?" He asked. "Not here yet." I said. He went to the kitchen and opened the Fridge. "Got anything to eat?" He asked. "Some stuff. Help yourself." I said as I walked down the hall. I put some socks on and grabbed my pink Vans. I looked up at Sage as I sat down and put my left shoe on. "What the hell are you wearing?" I asked laughing. He looked down at his pants and shirt. "What?" He asked. "Your shoes." I said. He looked down again. "So." "You've been wearing those damn Airwalks since high school." I giggled. "Shut up." He said. "They're comfortable." "And coming apart." I said. "Shut up, B.B." He said. "We're back to that now?" I asked. "I bet you that's what Rain will be calling you." He said. "I think she called me Blair on the phone." I said. "Just watch." He said as someone knocked on the door. I walked over and opened it. It was her. She had hear strawberry blonde hair pulled back and wavey. Her makeup was done perfectly. She had a black scarf on with a green baby tee, a tiny jean skirt and black and white striped socks that went up to hear knees. She had a huge black purse over her shoulder too. It looked full. I could never understand why some women needed such big purses. "B.B." She said. I looked at Sage and he laughed. I rolled my eyes. "Let's go." I said. "Wait, whoa. You're not bringing a guy with us?" She asked. "Uh, hello!" Sage said walking over to us. "Yeah uh. Like I said. You're not bringing a guy with us?" She asked. "Why?" I asked. "It's not a good part of town." She said. "How do you know?" I asked. "Because I've driven by the institute." She said. "Institute?" Sage asked. She gave us both a strange look nodding. "What do you mean institute?" He asked. "It's a rehab center for alcoholics." She said. "Did anyone tell Dad we were doing this?" He asked. "No." I said. "Should I have?" He just shrugged his shoulders. "Let's just go." She said. I picked up my purse and locked the door. "I can't beleive you're expecting Sage to kick someones ass." She said sounding aggravated. "Can we be nice?" I said. They followed me to my car and we all got in. I started heading towards the freeway. "Don't tell me we have to listen to your complaint rock." She said to me when I turned on the radio. "You can put it on whatever you want." I said annoyed. None of us said anything for about an hour, until we pulled up in front of the rehab center. "I don't know if I can go in." Sage said staring at the building. "Don't be a baby." Rain told him. She got out of the car and slammed the door. She walked in front of the car and onto the sidewalk. She just stood there with her arms crossed. "Come on." I said. We both got out and the three of us went inside. "How long has she been in here?" Sage whispered. "Six months." Rain answered loudly. We walked to the front desk. As I started to say something, Rain started talking loudly over me. "Tell Belinda Jones that her three children are here to see her." She blurted out. "Belinda has shown such great progress." The lady said. "That's nice." Rain said rudly. I smiled. "Can we see her?" I asked. "Most definatly." She said. She picked up the phone and said something quietly. "She's free." She said as she hung up the phone. "Thanks." I said. Another lady walked out from the two double doors to the right. "Follow me." She told us. We followed her to a room full of people watching an old SNL episode on a big flat screen TV. "Stay right here." She said quietly. We stood there and watched her walk up to a lady. She whispered something to her. "Oh my god. That must be her." Rain whispered to me. She stood up and looked at us. The lady walked her over to us. She smiled. "Why don't you take a walk in the garden?" The lady suggested to her. Mom nodded. She just started walking down a hall. We followed in silence. We went outside and she sat down at a picnic table. "This is quite a surprise." She said. "I wrote you letters." Rain said. "When? I didn't receive any." She said. "I bet." Rain said rudly as she looked away at the big pond. "Rainbow, I would have written back." She said. "I go by Rain." Rain said starting to cry. "Okay. Rain." Mom said. She looked at me. "B.B." I smiled and nodded. "Sage." She said. "Hi Mom." Sage said smiling. There was a very long silence. Mom looked much thinner these days, but still very pretty. "Mom, tell us about Woodstock." Sage said out of the blue. I smiled at him and sat we both sat down across from her at the table. Rain continued to stare at the pond. Mom smiled. "I've told you all about Woodstock so many times." She said throwing her hand in the air. "I don't think I remember it all." He said. Even though I knew we all remembered her crazy stories, especailly her stories about Woodstock, I thought it was a great way to start a great conversation. Sage was always good at that kind of thing. "The Joe Cocker was there right, Ma?" He said. She smiled and nodded. She began to tell us all about her experience. After a while, Rain sat down with us and joined in on the conversation. It was just like old times. We sat there for about an hour, until she started telling us about why she left and how she ended up in a rehab center. She said she had met another guy and fell in love with him. She said she regretted leaving us every day though and the guy ended up leaving her while she was pregnant with his son. "I have a brother?" Sage asked. She smiled and nodded. "He comes to see me all the time." She said. "Wow." I said. "I never meant to hurt any of you." She said. "How is your Dad?" "Good. About the same. Still hearbroken." Rain said. "I was young, Rainbow." She said. She tried to explain to us how she felt at the time when she left us. It was hard for all of us to understand, but we made an effort to. When it hit 3:00, they made us leave so Mom could go to her last AA session. She was about to hit her six months mark, which meant she would be able to move out of the rehab center within a few days. She said she would call us when she was out and settled into Aunt Cher's house where her son was staying. "What's his name?" Sage asked. She smiled. "Leo." She said. "Cause he's a Leo." "It couldn't be fairy or something so mine would sound a little better?" He asked. We all laughed. "You're name is special. It has the most meaning. I'll tell you all about it very soon." She said winking at him. "Look up it's meaning." He rolled his eyes. "Okay." He said. We all gave her a hug and headed back home. "That was weird." I said. "Very." Sage said. "Now I have to go look up the word Sage." "You're weird." Rain told him. I laughed. "She was nice." I smiled.
1 comment:
I woke up early the next morning and called Kevin. He was a little frustrated that I wasn't coming in, but he understood why. He had Enya from the afternoon shift come in to cover for me. I took a long shower. When I got out, Chris had already left for work. I took my time getting ready. As I was slipping on my jeans, there was a knock at the door. I zipped them quickly and ran out to the front door. I unlocked it and opened it.
It was Sage. He smiled really big and held his arms out. "Little Brother." I said giving him a hug.
"Where's Rain?" He asked.
"Not here yet." I said.
He went to the kitchen and opened the Fridge. "Got anything to eat?" He asked.
"Some stuff. Help yourself." I said as I walked down the hall. I put some socks on and grabbed my pink Vans. I looked up at Sage as I sat down and put my left shoe on.
"What the hell are you wearing?" I asked laughing.
He looked down at his pants and shirt. "What?" He asked.
"Your shoes." I said.
He looked down again. "So."
"You've been wearing those damn Airwalks since high school." I giggled.
"Shut up." He said. "They're comfortable."
"And coming apart." I said.
"Shut up, B.B." He said.
"We're back to that now?" I asked.
"I bet you that's what Rain will be calling you." He said.
"I think she called me Blair on the phone." I said.
"Just watch." He said as someone knocked on the door. I walked over and opened it. It was her. She had hear strawberry blonde hair pulled back and wavey. Her makeup was done perfectly. She had a black scarf on with a green baby tee, a tiny jean skirt and black and white striped socks that went up to hear knees. She had a huge black purse over her shoulder too. It looked full. I could never understand why some women needed such big purses. "B.B." She said. I looked at Sage and he laughed. I rolled my eyes. "Let's go." I said.
"Wait, whoa. You're not bringing a guy with us?" She asked.
"Uh, hello!" Sage said walking over to us.
"Yeah uh. Like I said. You're not bringing a guy with us?" She asked.
"Why?" I asked.
"It's not a good part of town." She said.
"How do you know?" I asked.
"Because I've driven by the institute." She said.
"Institute?" Sage asked.
She gave us both a strange look nodding.
"What do you mean institute?" He asked.
"It's a rehab center for alcoholics." She said.
"Did anyone tell Dad we were doing this?" He asked.
"No." I said. "Should I have?"
He just shrugged his shoulders. "Let's just go." She said.
I picked up my purse and locked the door. "I can't beleive you're expecting Sage to kick someones ass." She said sounding aggravated.
"Can we be nice?" I said.
They followed me to my car and we all got in. I started heading towards the freeway. "Don't tell me we have to listen to your complaint rock." She said to me when I turned on the radio.
"You can put it on whatever you want." I said annoyed.
None of us said anything for about an hour, until we pulled up in front of the rehab center. "I don't know if I can go in." Sage said staring at the building.
"Don't be a baby." Rain told him. She got out of the car and slammed the door. She walked in front of the car and onto the sidewalk. She just stood there with her arms crossed. "Come on." I said.
We both got out and the three of us went inside. "How long has she been in here?" Sage whispered.
"Six months." Rain answered loudly.
We walked to the front desk. As I started to say something, Rain started talking loudly over me. "Tell Belinda Jones that her three children are here to see her." She blurted out.
"Belinda has shown such great progress." The lady said.
"That's nice." Rain said rudly.
I smiled. "Can we see her?" I asked.
"Most definatly." She said. She picked up the phone and said something quietly. "She's free." She said as she hung up the phone.
"Thanks." I said.
Another lady walked out from the two double doors to the right. "Follow me." She told us. We followed her to a room full of people watching an old SNL episode on a big flat screen TV. "Stay right here." She said quietly. We stood there and watched her walk up to a lady. She whispered something to her. "Oh my god. That must be her." Rain whispered to me.
She stood up and looked at us. The lady walked her over to us. She smiled. "Why don't you take a walk in the garden?" The lady suggested to her. Mom nodded. She just started walking down a hall. We followed in silence. We went outside and she sat down at a picnic table. "This is quite a surprise." She said.
"I wrote you letters." Rain said.
"When? I didn't receive any." She said.
"I bet." Rain said rudly as she looked away at the big pond.
"Rainbow, I would have written back." She said.
"I go by Rain." Rain said starting to cry.
"Okay. Rain." Mom said. She looked at me. "B.B."
I smiled and nodded.
"Sage." She said.
"Hi Mom." Sage said smiling.
There was a very long silence. Mom looked much thinner these days, but still very pretty. "Mom, tell us about Woodstock." Sage said out of the blue. I smiled at him and sat we both sat down across from her at the table. Rain continued to stare at the pond. Mom smiled. "I've told you all about Woodstock so many times." She said throwing her hand in the air.
"I don't think I remember it all." He said.
Even though I knew we all remembered her crazy stories, especailly her stories about Woodstock, I thought it was a great way to start a great conversation. Sage was always good at that kind of thing.
"The Joe Cocker was there right, Ma?" He said.
She smiled and nodded. She began to tell us all about her experience. After a while, Rain sat down with us and joined in on the conversation. It was just like old times. We sat there for about an hour, until she started telling us about why she left and how she ended up in a rehab center. She said she had met another guy and fell in love with him. She said she regretted leaving us every day though and the guy ended up leaving her while she was pregnant with his son.
"I have a brother?" Sage asked.
She smiled and nodded. "He comes to see me all the time." She said.
"Wow." I said.
"I never meant to hurt any of you." She said. "How is your Dad?"
"Good. About the same. Still hearbroken." Rain said.
"I was young, Rainbow." She said.
She tried to explain to us how she felt at the time when she left us. It was hard for all of us to understand, but we made an effort to. When it hit 3:00, they made us leave so Mom could go to her last AA session. She was about to hit her six months mark, which meant she would be able to move out of the rehab center within a few days. She said she would call us when she was out and settled into Aunt Cher's house where her son was staying. "What's his name?" Sage asked.
She smiled. "Leo." She said. "Cause he's a Leo."
"It couldn't be fairy or something so mine would sound a little better?" He asked.
We all laughed.
"You're name is special. It has the most meaning. I'll tell you all about it very soon." She said winking at him. "Look up it's meaning."
He rolled his eyes. "Okay." He said.
We all gave her a hug and headed back home.
"That was weird." I said.
"Very." Sage said. "Now I have to go look up the word Sage."
"You're weird." Rain told him.
I laughed.
"She was nice." I smiled.
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