Once Upon A Karma (Karmic Krystal Book 1) (13 page)

This time, the noise from the students and teachers is that of gratulation and pride in my dad’s hortatory speech.  The lifeguard thinks hard about what my father had just said.  I take a peek inside his mind, hoping to see if my dad’s words had hit the spot.

He is with his family, swimming at the local pool.  It is almost closing time and only his children are swimming.  His wife arrives and starts setting up a sun chair.  He climbs down from his lifeguard ladder to help her while their baby sleeps on a towel by their feet.  After the sun chair is properly assembled, he looks down and the baby is gone.  Looking around, the lifeguard panics, knowing that there is only one possible place his baby could be, if not in viewing distance on the grass.  He sees his child at the bottom of the pool, struggling.  He tries to get to her, but his feet are glued.  He cannot move.  As panic engulfs him, a five year old girl, wearing way too much purple, dives in and pulls the baby to the surface, before climbing out of the pool with the baby in her arms, checking her lungs, holding her face down so the baby can cough any water out.  As the baby is handed back to the lifeguard, he looks into the girl’s face… my face… and is grateful that I hadn’t given up on my dream of learning how to swim.

Snapping out of it, the lifeguard is once again looking at me.  He is back in reality, having left his worst fears.  “Young lady, you pass, one hundred percent.  Keep up the good work, Krystal,” he says as his frown transforms into a smile.  The sincerity in his words gives me the confidence I have been looking for. 

“Thank you, sir.  See you next year for my Level 2 swimming test?” I ask, still smiling.

“You surely will, kid.”

The rest of the school year goes by without further incident.  Mr Howard hands us our report card and, for the first time, I am able to read what it says, with the exception of a few long words that I hope are not going to make my father frown when he reads them.  I then turn to the back page of the report card and am completely stumped by what I see.  The letters are different and I cannot understand what they say.  When I show the back of the report card to Leena, she says that it is called ‘cursive’ or ‘running writing’ and it simply means that all of the letters are joined up in a special way so the pen doesn’t leave the paper.  Since I have no idea how to read it, Leena agrees to read it for me.

“Holy crap! Krystal, your grades are killer!” she yells, excited at what she is reading.  “Obviously Mr Howard likes you!”  Leaning over, she gives me a hug and says, “I am so proud of my baby sister!”  I can’t help but blush and hope that Dad agrees.

“Killer...  does that mean the weird writing on the back is good too?” I ask, wanting to confirm that nobody had named me in some weird murder plot.  As soon as we get home, we all put our report cards on the kitchen table for Dad to read and sign when he comes home from work.  In the meantime, I take Mindy to my room and we both sit on the bed.  Ralph sits on a highchair in the corner which was formerly used for each of my sisters and me when we were tiny.  Without it, we would not have been able to sit at the dining table.  The chair is also high enough that Mindy cannot reach up and shake the stuffing out of Ralph when she is running around the house playing or just in the mood to chew on something, which she tends to do often.

With the air temperature changing quickly outside, I walk to the front door, grab the leash and take Mindy downstairs a little earlier than usual so I can clean and refill Rusty’s water bowl.  Standing at Rusty’s grave, I stare in wonder at the Frangipani tree which is as tall as I am and has little buds starting to grow out of each branch. 
As above, so below. 
I place the refilled bowl under the tree and thank Rusty for making it grow into something so beautiful.  Mindy sits by my side.  When I put my hand out to pat her, I can feel the peace within her.  She is content.  This is a peaceful place to be, whether hot or cold.  I sit down on the ground next to her and rub her belly until a car pulls into the driveway.

“Is everything okay, Krystal?” Dad asks as he climbs out of the car.

“Yes, Daddy.  Mindy and I were just admiring Rusty’s tree.  It’s getting so big!” I say.

“He’s not the only one!  You are certainly getting taller,” he replies.  “How about you, me and your sisters do some clothes shopping this weekend?  You are outgrowing your clothes as soon as I buy them these days!”  He half-smiles, yet the smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes. 

“What’s wrong, Daddy?” I ask.

“Nothing’s wrong, sweetheart.  I just… you are all growing up so fast and although I am happy, I also know that soon you will probably be too big to want hugs from Daddy.”

“Nope.  I could be tall as an elephant standing on top of a giraffe and I would
still
want my Daddy-hugs!” I yell, smiling my biggest smile.  As I reach up to give him a hug, his smile finally reaches his eyes. 

“I love you, kiddo,” he says happily.  “How’s about the three of us head upstairs?  It really is getting chilly down here tonight!”  Mindy barks in agreement and after one more glimpse of the Frangipani tree, we go upstairs for dinner.

As soon as we finish eating our steak and eggs – also known as the ‘Tania special’ – my sisters and I clear the table and start washing the dishes as Dad reads and signs our report cards.  We each turn and capture the look of pride on his face as he reads each one out loud, so that we can keep track of each other’s progress.  Taking a deep breath, I feel an intense happiness inside my chest which feels like the glow of the sun.  The best days on Earth are days like this. 
Thank you Goddess for such an amazing day and a very educational year!

With just one day of school remaining, I feel confident that nothing can go awry…

Returning on the final day of school, I notice that all of the student desks are in the centre of the classroom, like some kind of giant office meeting is about to take place. It puzzles me as to who had gone to all the effort of covering the desks with bowls of food, cakes, biscuits, miniature sausage rolls, miniature meat pies, quiche, crackers and dips.  On the teacher’s desk in the corner of the room, refreshments of the liquid variety are waiting for us in the form of lemonade and iced water. 

Mr Howard ticks off the names of the students who hand their signed report card to him during the day.  He then gives it back to the student while shaking their hand.  “Good job,” he says to each of us when our names are checked off.  Leena had told me once that the school sends out letters to each of the students’ homes if they do not comply, advising parents that the signed report card had not been returned and that it had been noted on the student’s school record.  I am happy not to be one of those letter recipients. 

Once all of the kids from my class have arrived, the noise level from everybody talking at once is near-deafening.  “Students, if I can have your attention for just a moment…,” Mr Howard calls out loudly, bringing all noise and chatter to an end, “I just want to say that I have taught many different students in classes all around the country over the years, and this class is one of the finest, most well behaved grade one classes that I have ever taught.  Even with your first teacher unexpectedly retiring in the middle of the year, you all welcomed me and studied hard.  I am proud of you all and I wish you a wonderful school year next year,” he says, raising his glass of lemonade. “Cheers!”  We all cheer and applaud before tucking into the food and saying a final grade one farewell to our class mates.  As I hadn’t really bonded with anybody during the year, I sit in the corner and read some books.  Really read them. 
I still can’t believe I know what the words on the pages say now! 
With our school day ending at noon, I look forward to going home early and reading to Ralph and Mindy.  Both are such a perfect audience, never interrupting for any reason as I read.

“Thank you for being such a great teacher this year, Mr Hunter,” I say to him before I leave.  “I don’t know if you were as nervous on your first day here as I was, but you taught me a lot and I will never forget it.  See you next year!”  I give him a quick hug before leaving the classroom for the last time.  As I walk through the door, I quickly peek back at him and see that he is smiling.  I smile back at him and then high-tail it to the bus before it leaves without me.

When the bus pulls up at our driveway, my sisters and I race each other upstairs, only to find that Dad is already home.  At first, this puzzles me somewhat because he is almost always at work when we come home from school.  I then remember that he had taken holidays so that he can spend quality time with us over the next six weeks.  It will be strange to have him at home all of the time, but a nice kind of strange.  Not the weird kind.

While setting things up for Yule, Dad ends up asking us to take a seat in the living room.  Usually he only does this when he needs to talk about something serious.  After my sisters and I are seated, we stare attentively at his face, patiently waiting for him to speak.

“It’s almost Yule!” he says, feigning excitement.  I see pain in his eyes to accompany his forced smile.

“Yes, it is,” Leena says quietly, almost in a whisper.  We patiently watch as our dad seems to be trying to find the right words to say to us. 

“Your mother rang me today,” he finally says.  “She would like at least one of you to go and live with her for a while.  There are a couple of problems and she would like your help with regards to your baby brother.  Apparently he is quite a handful.  She also says she misses her girls.” 

Silence fills the air.  Last year, we were allowed to decide if we wanted to live with her.  Leena had initially said that she would, but quickly changed her mind soon after.  Now it seems that one of us will not have a choice in the matter.

“Can one of you please say something?” he asks.  From the anger and hurt I can feel coming from him, I know that the problems at Mum’s place must be serious.
That must have been one heck of a conversation they had on the phone! “
Unless one of you volunteers, your mother will end up deciding who goes,” he continues, causing all of our jaws to drop open.
 
Finally, Leena speaks up.

“I will go.  But it will not be forever.  It will just be to help her with the baby,” she says.  “I don’t want to be in a house with a man who swears all the time and drinks beer all day long in front of little kids, but I do love Mummy and I will go for a little while.  Just for these holidays, okay?  I will be back in time for school.”

Slowly, Dad nods.  “Tania and Krystal, how does that sound to you?” he asks, glancing at us briefly before looking at the floor.  I can’t speak.  It pains me too much to lose my sister, even if it is just for six weeks.  Tears start streaming down my face as I stand up and walk over to my dad.  Sitting on the floor beside his small sofa, I hold his hand.  I don’t have much to spare, but do my best to send all the strength I have inside me through to him, knowing how much stress this conversation is causing.

“Will you be home for Yule?” Tania asks Leena.

“Let’s see, okay?” Leena says.

That afternoon, we all sit on Leena’s bed as we watch Dad pack a suitcase for my big sister.  All of her clothes are packed in tight, along with some reading books, colouring books and her art set.  Finally, Dad packs a framed photo of the five of us – Dad, Leena, Tania, Mindy and me – on top of her clothes before putting her pillow on top of the glass so it won’t break on its way to our mother’s house.  He puts the suitcase at the front door for when Mum comes to pick her up.

After sitting through the quietest dinner in our family’s history, the doorbell rings.  I open it, expecting to see our mum on the other side.  Instead, Eddie stands there glaring at me.  “You,” he sneers.  “So, where is she, then?” He rudely pushes his head past mine and starts bellowing into the house, “Leena, are you ready or what?”  My father stands up from the dining table and walks to the door.  “Get the fuck out of my face, Francis,” I hear Eddie snarl at my father. 
Oh yeah, this is going to be a whole barrel of fun for Leena. 
When I look up, I see Eddie and my dad standing nose-to-nose, just as they had done at the hospital.

“Back off,” Dad warns, ready to knock Eddie down the stairs with one punch.  I screw my nose up when a putrid smell blows my way from the door.  The first time I had encountered such a stink had been from the men who tried to kidnap me before they’d been pancaked almost two years ago.  Every other time had been from Eddie. It is then that I realise what the stink is: BEER.  The putrid stench coming from him had been the same on his wedding day to my mother.  “You smell bad,” I say.

He is about to come back with a colourful non-PG-rated retort but quickly thinks better of it when Dad puts his hands on my shoulders.  “Whatever.  I’ll wait in the car,” Eddie growls.  “If she is not here in two minutes, I leave without her.” Eddie turns and stomps down each step as loudly as he can, showing our neighbours that nobody can out-idiot my mother’s new husband. 
May one of those stairs break, landing you on your butt, Eddie Finn.
  Unfortunately, Eddie makes it to the car in one piece.

Leena finally appears at the front door with a smile on her face, oblivious to the exchange that had just taken place.  With her favourite doll under her arm, Leena walks down the stairs, closely followed by Dad, who carries her suitcase. 
A bit too heavy for Eddie to carry, it would seem.
I roll my eyes, knowing that not a single bone in Eddie’s body has even the smallest amount of manners.

“If she doesn’t come back home in the same perfect way she is right now, I will find you and I will break you.  Consider this your only warning,” I hear my Dad say as he leans in the window of the car.

“Yeah, yeah, just piss off.  The missus wants her there. 
Not
me!” he spits back at my dad.  The way he has worded it, one can take it that Mum wants Leena to be at the house INSTEAD of Eddie.  I nod in agreement with his statement, before he looks at me strangely.  As soon as Leena is buckled into the car safely, Eddie quickly reverses the car out of our driveway, giving Dad the middle finger before driving down the street at full speed, his car radio blaring so loudly that it is almost audible to those three continents away.  Since he had not checked what was behind him when he was reversing, I hope and pray that Leena arrives at Mum’s place in one piece.

The next morning, a phone call arrives from Leena.  She is crying her eyes out and says that she wants to come home.  Without even asking why, Dad grabs his keys and buckles Tania, Mindy and me into the back seat of the car before heading straight over to pick her up.  We wait in the car as a lot of shouting goes on between the three grown-ups at the front door.  Leena uses all of her strength to drag her suitcase and doll out to the car.  She then stands behind the car, waiting for Dad to open the boot.  The shouting comes to an abrupt end with the slamming of the front door.  When Dad returns to the car, he looks absolutely livid.  Popping the boot, he lifts Leena’s suitcase and gently places it in the middle, before lifting a very upset Leena into the front seat and securing her seatbelt with a click.  In complete silence, we are on our way back home.  That night, Leena cries herself to sleep.

The next morning, I go into my sister’s room and sit on the end of her bed with Ralph.  I want answers, but I don’t want to wake her up.  I also want Ralph to hear every single word Leena says when she tells (or shows) me what had brought her home so fast.

“Wha….. what?  Krystal?  What’s wrong?” she asks, her eyes barely open.  “Is everything okay?  Did you have a bad dream?”

“What happened, Leena?”  I ask.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she replies sadly. 

I cannot accept that answer.  Something had definitely happened to her.  “Did he do what Grandpa did?”  I finally ask, continuing to gently push for the truth.  Without wanting to upset her, Eddie needed to account for his crimes.

“No, but he is a pig and a monster.  I hate him,” she whispers.

I lean over and touch my sister’s arm.  Having done so a few times before, it comes as second nature to me now, being able to see inside a person’s mind.  As soon as I touch her arm, she sniffles and closes her eyes to go back to sleep.  That one touch tells me all I need to know: 

“Please, can’t you turn the music down?  It is hurting my ears!” Leena screams at Eddie in the car on the way to Mum’s house.  No matter how many times she asks, the only response Eddie gives is a leery grin as he gains pleasure in knowing that he is hurting one of his step-children.  When they arrive, Eddie throws Leena’s suitcase out of the car and leaves it on the ground for her to carry into the house.  “It is too heavy for me!”  Leena starts to cry.  He ignores her and goes inside the house, closing the door behind him and leaving Leena and her suitcase outside, alone in the dark.

Mum opens the front door, comes outside and wipes Leena’s tears away.  She hugs her before picking up Leena’s suitcase and taking her daughter’s hand.  Together, they walk into the house.  As soon as Leena sets eyes on our brother, her crying stops and she sits on the floor near his playpen, staring in awe at how cute he is and how much he has grown.

“I’ll cook dinner, love!” Eddie yells from the kitchen.  “Something special, welcoming the brat,” he whispers under his breath. 

“Thanks darl,” our mother replies, before taking Leena and her suitcase into the spare bedroom.  “We will unpack your things after dinner.  How does that sound?” she asks Leena with a smile.  Together, they sit on the bed and Leena reads a book to Mum, showing her how much she has learned over the past year.  Twenty minutes later, Eddie sticks his head in the bedroom door and says that dinner is ready.

One bite of the supremely hot chilli soup leaves Leena screaming in pain as Eddie laughs hard at his sick joke.  “Damn you, Eddie!” Mum screams at him.  She races to the refrigerator and returns with a glass and a bottle of milk.  “Drink, sweetheart.  It will help,” our mother says to Leena gently.  It takes some time before the pain subsides.  When it does, Leena goes to her room and cries herself to sleep while listening to Mum and Eddie fight it out over how unacceptable Eddie’s evil prank had been.

“Oh Leena, I am sorry he did that to you,” I whisper.  I give her a kiss on the cheek and go back to my room. 
That man really is a jerk.
  It puzzles me constantly as to what my mother sees in him.  I mean, who on this planet would ever want to have a baby with such a terrible person?  I also hate the fact that my mum is so unhappy in her marriage.

I quietly wander back into my room and sit on my bed, quietly patting Mindy’s head while I look at Ralph in his high chair. 
He will not get away with hurting my family.
I ponder my options on how to deal with the difficult situation.  After Yule, there will be five weeks left before school starts up again.  A possible solution finally comes to mind and, before I realise it, I am smiling.  I rub Mindy’s belly until she falls asleep, before going into Dad’s room to wake him up.  Climbing up onto his bed, I listen to his snores and cannot help but giggle.

“Daddy, are you awake?” I ask, even though I know he isn’t.  I lean over and cover his eyes with my hands.  This makes him jump in fright and look around, his eyes wide, thinking that a spider just crawled across his face.  “Good morning, Daddy!” I smile, apologetically.