SHE FOLLOWED ME HOME - ch 14

SHE FOLLOWED ME HOME – ch 14

Mo deas

^ ^

Morena heard the soft sobbing coming from Mia’s room and gently knocked at the door. Mia responded with, “Come in, mom.”

One look at her daughter’s distraught face had Morena racing to the bed. She sat and enfolded her daughter in her arms. “Oh, Mia, honey. What’s wrong? What’s happened?”

Mia’s body shook with sorrow as she said, “Mom, I don’t quite know. Usually, I know what’s going to happen and round-aboutly when but this time, all I feel is this utter jab of sadness in my heart. I’m not sure what to do about it.”

“Does it have anything to do with your party next week? Charlotte and Julie are still coming. They’ll be here for the entire weekend.”

“I know, mom, and while that does have me excited, it can’t help erase this feeling of doom and gloom. I wish I knew what was going to happen so I could prepare for it.”

They heard Mia’s dad’s voice from the kitchen. “Mia, honey. Wherever you are, can I show you something?”

Mia looked into her mother’s eyes but said, “Yes, dad, I’ll be right down.” Mia walked into the bathroom and washed her face. She wasn’t trying to hide her sorrow from her father but trying to make herself feel better.

As she approached the kitchen, Brian looked at her face, rushed to her, and with open arms, asked, “Mia, what’s happened? Come here, my girl. Talk to me.”

She walked into her father’s open arms and allowed him to hold her tightly. She knew that once he saw her distress, he’d need comfort just as much as she needed it, even though neither had any idea why.

“Dad, I can’t explain it. All I know is that something terrible is going to happen. Something very unpleasant.”

“Come, sit and let’s talk it out.” “Dad, whatever is going to happen, I am certain will happen not long after my birthday. It won’t be me but something that will affect me directly. That’s the feeling I’m getting.”

She turned towards the door and said, “Dad, Aintin Finola is about to knock.”

He rose from his seat and opened the door only a few seconds before his aunt set foot on their welcome mat.

“Brian, Morena,” she said in acknowledgement, then turned to Mia and sat down. She grasped Mia’s hand and said, “Mia, mo neacht mhilis (My sweet niece). I know what’s coming will be difficult but remember, things happen for a reason and it’s not up to us to know why. Just remember one thing, my love, just like the adage, ‘when one door closes, another opens.’ Oh, mo chailin milis (Oh My sweet girl), I know you’re going to hurt. You’ll feel like your heart will never heal but trust me, mo chroi (my heart), you won’t have time to grieve for too long.”

Mia looked quizzically at her great aunt but stayed silent as she took in her aunt’s words.

“Mia, do you trust your old aintin?”

“Oh, Aintin, you know I do. With my life!”

“Then trust me when I say this: an ominous cloud will darken your day exactly one week from the day of your party. Right before you feel as though your world has turned black, a second sun will rise and for two days, you’ll have two suns in your sky. Then the first sun will fade away, but the second will shine even brighter.”

Mia, even at her young age of thirteen, understood what her aunt was saying and she felt like her tears would flood the room.

“There, there, mo chailin milis (my sweet girl), hush now. This is a time for joy, not misery. The misery you will feel will only last two days but for now, enjoy every day. Be happy. Ta gra agam duit (I love you)”

With that, Finola stood, kissed the top of Mia’s head, said her farewells to Brian and Morena who stood in stunned silence, then walked out the door and was gone.

Morena and Brian quickly walked to where Mia was sitting, knelt and asked, ‘Mia, what was that all about? What was Finola talking about?”

Before Mia could answer, there was a knock on the door. Mia said, “Mom, that’s grandmam and grandpap.”

Morena rose slowly, never taking her eyes of her daughter, “Grandmam and Grandpap?”

Mia shrugged her shoulders and replied, “Mom, your parents! They’re here.”

Morena stood, then greeted her parents, who in turn gave Brian and Mia loving hugs.

“Mom, Dad, you’re early. We didn’t expect you until later tonight. Come, have a seat, I was just about to put supper on the table.”

Brian stood and asked Morena’s father, “Collin, would you like a glass of Hennessey? Or perhaps, wine? Tea? Coffee?”

Collin replied, “A glass of Hennessey sounds fantastic. As far as getting here hours earlier than planned? We considered that we might not easily find our way and therefore left early, but I do believe that car drove itself. We had no trouble at all finding the house.”

“Mom? Hennessey? Wine?”

“Morena, is that creole, I’m smelling? Sakes alive, I haven’t had a good bowl of creole in ages. If you have pinot grigio, I’ll have that with supper.”

Brian stood and spoke to Morena’s father, “Collin, I’ll get the whiskey, and Mia can put two more plates on the table.”

Sinead, Morena’s mother said, “Oh, no! You’ll not have our granddaughter waiting on us. I know enough about how Morena sets up a kitchen to know where she keeps everything.”

For the first time all night, Mia smiled. “Grandmam, mom makes the best creole. You won’t be disappointed.”

“Good, then while we eat this delicious meal, why don’t you tell us all what’s bothering you? Maybe, we can’t physically help, but everyone always needs someone to listen. And besides, I’ve never known anyone who can cry and eat at the same time.”