Goodbye Normal (9 page)

“No it’s okay I’m almost done anyway.” she declined. Zoe wanted to give it a try though she was certain she would not accept. She was so obsessive about her cooking, never liked someone else’s hand destroy her magic in the making.

“So is Liz okay?” she asked.

“Why?” why shouldn’t she be? Zoe asked herself.

“The headache? Is she okay?” Carol reminded.

Zoe grimaced at her soapy dishes “Ooh yeah. Yeah, she is great.” She replied then bit her lower lip. It was stupid to forget the first rule of a liar. Never forget the lie you told. She had been in a total oblivion with that one.

“That’s good, the poor thing sounded really sick.” carol said sounding hapless.

Zoe bit her lips again, feeling bad how concerned she was for the white lie.

“Did you make her soup?” Carol pushed.

Zoe groaned inwardly,
this is too much
she thought.

“I didn’t, she didn’t want it. She doesn’t like soup.” she piled up her lies. Then she closed her eyes counting the many lies she had just spit.

“Mom I’m sorry about snapping earlier.” she pleaded ruefully. And hoped it was a dilution to her lies.

Carol stopped grazing cheese and turned to face her.

“It’s all right honey. I understand, sometimes I forget how my own mood swigs make me.” She looked like she was about to add something but stopped herself.

Zoe breathed, glad to have stopped herself from jamming up more reasons for her to feel miserable.

The afternoon passed unnoticed with a cloudy gray sky and furious chanting birds. It was already dusk and Zack returned home with an empty container and a happy face. Zoe and Carol were both settled in the sitting room. Zoe was reading her historical romance novel and Carol was watching a show in the food network. 

“Share the smile honey” Carol poked, eyeing her son interestedly.

“My cookies were the best, Jared’s cake was salty, Kyle’s muffins tasted funny and Billy also had cookies but they were not as crunchy as mine. So I won the game and my cookies were the best.” He boasted, heading for an arm chair sofa nearest to the TV set.

“Shouldn’t you be thanking me for our victory?” Carol asked.

“We are partner’s mom. I won the game, you won the baking so we should thank each other”

“Okay champ, thank you.” she smiled and beamed at him, then restored her eyes on the TV.

“Mom?”

“Yes darling.” she replied, her eyes still on the TV.

“Can we go to the movies this coming Friday?” Zack half asked half begged.

“Yes dear, what kinda movie is showing?”

“There is this new action movie, Kyle told me about and it sounds really great.”

“We can arrange that, will you be free Zoe?” Carol said her eyes on Zoe.

“I hope so.” Zoe said uncertainly.

“So family date it is” Carol announced, ignoring Zoe’s uncertainty.

“Eeew mom, what happened to movie night” Zack made a face.

“Family date sounds cooler.” Carol defended innocently.

“No it doesn’t.” he disagreed.

“Zack you know why mom is calling it family date?” Zoe pitched in.

“No why?”

“She misses dates.”

“Is that true mom?” Zack inquired with a half a wink.

Carol’s cheeks flushed. “Don’t you two gang up on me. Call it whatever you want, but am calling it Family date”

“And mom please stop calling me champ, it’s kiddish” Zack muttered.

“The last time I checked you were a kid.”

“Well check again. Am not a toddler, I can take care of myself.” he declared sternly.

Zoe giggled soundlessly, understanding what Zack was going through from her kiddo experience with Joe, only difference was that he really was a kid and she wasn’t. Zoe felt drained and walked to the kitchen for some water, while in the kitchen her mother had switched channels and the evening news was on. She heard a voice that made her chock out the water. She then raced out of the kitchen to the sitting room. Just after she arrived Mr. Longwood’s news was done.

“Mom, do you know who is the bold headed man.”

“Not really, he is something Longwood a gold tycoon. Why?”

“Really? a gold tycoon?” she asked surprised. That was something she would have never guessed, a witch and a tycoon. No wonder his face was so familiar.

“Yes, he was just broadcasted to explain the rise of gold prices, why are you so interested”

“Nothing, I thought I saw him somewhere.” and she did, It was nowhere near gold mines.

“Could be, but I bet it’s the television, where else would you see such a man.”

“It sure is.” she replied absently.

The night was fondle. At ten pm her windows were drizzling with consoling raindrops. Zoe was whole heartedly denying herself the prerogative to assess her coded imminent situation. She resigned to reading and sipping leftover concord wine as if nothing unusual was going on in her life. With covers rolled up to her waist, and knees raised to support her novel, her eyes were intense on the quondam pages of her book. Simultaneously, her right hand held on to a quarter full wine glass.

With all that action going steady, Zoe was in no position to hear her mother’s stealth entrance into her private space.  

She wasn’t sure if it was the look on her face, caught in the act phenomenon or just plain embarrassment that caused her to hide the wine glass even though she was certain Carol had seen everything.

She was mortified as her mother watched her with a satisfied grin on her face. Of which was a fairly odd reaction.

“You think I didn’t know you helped me out once in a while?” she asked going over to her.

Zoe shrugged, not meeting her eyes as Carol sat beside her on her bed.

“I know you’ve been stealing my wine since you were fifteen.” She tortured some more.

 Zoe wished she could have the witchy power to rub off her mother’s memory then and there. Her jaw dropped while her mind flashed back to three years ago.

 “How…how did you know about that?”

Carol giggled, “Am so glad you always have a way to forget am a mom and teacher, its healthy for the both of us.”

“I may not be a counselor or anything, but I was fifteen and your wine was always alcoholic. So why didn’t you stop me.” At least that’s how parental guidance was supposed to be she thought.

“You maybe a lot like your father, but you have my stubbornness too. I knew you were doing it to piss me off because I didn’t like that boy…. Chris.”

At the mention of Chris Zoe felt chagrined.  

 “And I knew your father’s graceful genes would kick in your teenage mind somehow. I would have reprimanded you if I saw the need to, but you didn’t give me a reason to get alarmed. I also did a lot of mixing up the wines bottles with non alcoholic liquor. In the meantime I figured you will get tired of playing stubborn games with me.  And besides am grateful you don’t overdo the drinking because I have no record of alcoholics in this family, but-”

“Mom seriously, please don’t…we were done with the ‘being responsible’ talks on my birthday, can we talk about something else like why you came in my room in the first place.”

“I don’t want you to be reckless, that’s all.” She pressed.

“I know mom, and I am trying not to be. Jeez you are making me feel like am twelve.”

Carols eyes twinkled “you have grown so fast it’s scary.” she felt the emotions in her voice and by the lazy way Carol’s finger tugged Zoe’s hair over her ear.

If she let this trend proceed, they might all be getting emotional in less than a minute. The mention of Chris had brought up memories and questions she needed answered.

“Were you happy when Chris left?”

“I won’t lie to you and say I wasn’t, He was jus too… different.”

“Different is good.” she fought.

“Not always honey.” Carol shock her head in denial.

“If you’d made the effort to know him, I’m sure you would have come to like him. At some point” Zoe pressed.

“Ooh yeah?” Carol tone was so sarcastic it was like she said not in a million years.

“Really mom, everyone has baggage and problems, but they also have some goodness in them. They just need opportunities and someone to help and acknowledge them.”

Carol smiled broadly, her eyes smiled with her.

“You’re such good person Zoe, I just didn’t want anyone taking advantage of your innocence and lovely personality and that boy looked too experienced and kinda cocky.”

“Well that ship has sailed, but I still insist that he was not what you think he was.” Zoe defended then continued “Okay enough about Chris, why did you sneak up on me already?”

Carol pressed her lips, and her face looked like it was in a decision making made. Zoe pursed her lips staring at her mother’s face.

“Before we go to that, is there a boy in the picture these days?” she looked hopeful. It was not a good sign.

Zoe knew that she was up to a lot of embarrassing blushes, when mother daughter talk struck action.

Her eyes rolled over to the open creamy wall where Josh’s portraits had been.

“None. There is no one in the picture at the moment.” her voice was a surprising sad whisper even to her ears.

“Am not worried or anything.” to Zoe that was like saying am very worried “I was just curious, the last time I heard boyfriend complains was like two years ago”

“Mom I know you are worried, don’t be. I don’t like girls. And I just haven’t found a boyfriend yet. I have been preoccupied. With school and work and home but now that I don’t have much on my plate. We’ll get you a grandchild.” she bluffed. In the back of her mind, she wondered why she was being so defensive.

“Don’t say that even as a joke” she urged sternly. “Okay then but please be careful.

Zoe nodded diligently “Yes maam”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you this earlier but I kept forgetting. I was at Joe’s yesterday and he asked me about when you would be ready to work at the dinner”

“Oh, that…well I was thinking September. When the others start collage I start work.”

“Okay, I guess he was trying to figure out whether he should hire someone or not.”

“Then tell him not to.” Zoe smiled thinking, grownups are such babies, and Joe knew it all too well that she was going back there. That must have been an excuse to keep talking to her mother.

“He is a good guy mom, you should go out with him” she thought out allowed.

“Zoe, this is already disturbing. I won’t be sharing dating tips with my eighteen year old daughter so good night” she finished standing.

“Eighteen is adulthood. I have a sound mind mom!” she provoked wistfully looking serious at it, as she watched her standing by the doorway.

“Oh please darling. Sleep tight.” Carol peeked at her with her grip on the knob ready to shut her door.

“Goodnight” Zoe called out to the closing door.

She bent over for her wine, drank a gulp and smiled mischievously “I hope darling teacher doesn’t know about the joints too”.

Zoe took another huge swig which cleared the glass and placed it beside her lamp.  She switched off her lights and slipped fully into bed.

She curled up in her covers and begun revising her jawbone with Carol. Outside her window it had begun pelting heavily, she wasn’t able to hear anything else other than the thoughts in her head.

College. That was the most avoided topic of discussion between her and Liz. For them it wasn’t a fun topic that would lead to laughs and cheers. Rather a subject enticing sadness and malaise. They would be separated by it. Just thinking about it felt like someone getting rid of an arm on her body. It may be survivable but too painful and vicious.

How in the world would she live through a college semester without Liz’s tantrums and charms? It would feel awkward without her.

 Zoe wondered why Liz hadn’t contacted her until then. Her phone! But how would she if her phone was not with her the whole day, she contorted. Zoe shot up on her bed then jumped out of it to the switch. When the room was filled with brightness, she dashed to her recent handbag and dissipated her essentials on the bed. It was not there. She walked to her dresser, and nor was it their either. The only probability left was her car.

Zoe goofed around her room, returning her handbag to order while trying to decide whether to get her phone in or wait till morning.

 With a groan she slid back into bed and her heaving eyes shut. She had been too outworn throughout the day to run around the house for something that can wait another eight hours. She hoped skeptically after Liz’s fumed face obscured her thoughts.  

Bolts of lightning and booms of thunder started tearing the sky apart and Zoe’s eyes shot up abruptly with concerns for Zack. Zack had astraphobia, or he was in that particular childhood epoch. Just when she pushed her cover to go check on him he had already knocked down Zoe’s door.

His face was terrorizing and Zoe beckoned him inside her covers.

When morning came, Zoe’s dormant body stretched to active mode. Her hand fumbled for warmth on her bedside and instead, her palm felt the coolness of her sheet. She bolted upright and shot an eye at her wall clock that read nine am. Shit!

 Both Carol and Zack had already gone to school. She dragged her feet to her windows and pulled over her curtains.   

Monday morning, the thick leaden sky had turned blue and clear. Zoe loved uneventful rainy days. Be it night or day. It was serene to sleep on a heavy pour and wake up to the refreshing odor of misty dust.

After a facial wash up in the bathroom, she walked through the short hallway, past the living room to the kitchen. She found a yellow note pad that Carol uses to scribble to-dos and messages. It read.

        
Morning honey,

      
We’re off to school, will be back by midday.

Mondays were not very busy for Carol; she had fewer classes than most days. Zoe threw the pad into the dustbin then grabbed her car keys from the key tray and dashed to the garage.

She got inside the vehicle and searched shortly for her phone. The iphone was lying beside the steering gear. She pressed the power button and nothing. Dead.

“Great!”  

Back to her room, she plugged it on a charger then walked back to the kitchen for a bowl of cereals.  

She walked into the sitting room with her bowl clenched to her chest, went straight to the TV and then switched it on. Dropping on the couch she nudged the remote controller searching for a captivating channel and landed on her favorite sitcom.

The humorous distraction was an excellent idea. She cracked her ribs throughout her cereals until she decided she had no more ribs to dispose.

Zoe placed her bowl on a coffee table and advanced to her room for her phone. She threw herself on the bed and switched it on while it was still plugged in. Her face transformed from humor to a look like she had tasted a lemon.

She found an enervating amount of notifications.  There were fifteen missed calls of which 14 were from Liz and one from Chris. That only stated desperation, boredom and anger. Then eight messages, of which six were from Liz, another one from network services and a surprising last from Chris. She decided to start with the surprise then angry ones from Liz.

       Hey beautiful, cal me back.

That was unmistakably Chris; he always called her beautiful. She tried his number but he was not available. Judging from the text, there were no sighs of urgency. So she moved on to the bitter ones.

Hey, why did u rush off so fast. Call me ASAP.

Woke up with a brilliant idea.

       Xoxo

 
The message was cute and okay
, she appraised.

 Kiddo, what the hell are you up to,

Pick up ur stupid 4n.

Tolerable okay

Ooohh Zooeee… where aareee yoouu..

U r beginning to piss me off.

 
Diluted anger

I swear if you don’t pic up this minute,

 I will come over and smash your stupid ride.

Passionate anger enticed with a bluff

Zoe Zackary Brown. R we playing games?

I promise that I can be mean too you know

 Verrry verry mean.

Cooking vengeance

Holly crap, I need help… am in deep shiiiit.

This is serious, call, text beep whatever dammit.

The last one was a grenade and she dialed Liz’s number before she was able to finish the whole text. Three beeps and it went to voice mail. Zoe became worried and filled with apprehension. She dressed up fast while hoping it was some exaggerated dirty joke or nothing direful. She scuffled to her car, with keys on one hand and her phone on her ear still trying to reach Liz. Still nothing. She found herself cursing a lot after every voicemail begun.

Zoe began reasoning what was the worst thing that could have happened to her? The last time she got a similar message from her was when she tried cooking and almost got herself cooked in the mix. Then again was when she caught Dennis cheating for the first time. She had been too heartbroken she couldn’t trust herself to drive. The more Zoe thought of ugly possibilities the faster she raced her car.

She was nowhere near a freeway and she was already hitting 70mph.

Just when she was about to en route Liz’s street, she heard police sirens wailing annoyingly behind her. She was getting pulled over.

“Oh no. Shit.” she grimaced. Stepping on her brakes she peered at her rear view for the police officer in charge of her first violation. He had to know that it was her very first violation.

He was a mid-height heavyset man. He looked serious in his uniforms and a pair officer shades to match it all up.
Please be having a good day, like a pay day or a new born
. She prayed silently.

She rolled down her windows and waited meekly for judgment.

“Excuse me miss, hand over your license and registration.”

“Am so sorry officer, please… you got to forgive me. This is my very first violation. I didn’t mean to speed” she defended herself while handing him her license. “I won’t do it again, I promise.” Zoe begged as she watched the man remove his glasses. Taking a good look at him, he was in his late forties or early fifties.

His expression changed remarkably from grave seriousness to utmost admiration. Zoe face creased in confusion.

“You are Zoe Brown?” he was both hopeful and excited, which was a good sign for her.

“Flesh and blood.” she answered still not understanding his excitement.

“So you really are-” he hunched a little bit and whispered as if there was someone around who’d hear him. “The Channeler?” he whispered the title with so much grace.