Come Home

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four


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         Three years has past since I have seen my sister. Bob moved, and I am not sure that the children have seen her since. Timothy died with a heart attack leaving all that he had to Rose's children. He died feeling that his good intention of buying the property cost the children their mother.


         Less got married and moved out of the house.  That was a hard thing for Mom to handle. She became lonely. Less and his young bride moved into a married dorm at their college. It was weeks that Mom did not see them. Sis moves in to the house next door. She made sure that Mom had someone near when I was gone.


         Every weekend Bob tries to bring the children to spend it with their grandmother. Every time they visited our family, the children had many questions. We did not know how to answer them. Most of the time we would fill in the questions with stories about Rose's childhood. The rest we did not know how to explain. “You are so lucky that you have Bob. He will always be there for you, and you do not have to look for his approval.” Mom always tried to help make them know that they were part of the family.


         One summer day, Sarah begged me to take her to see her mother. I was debating on what to do. So I decided to call Bob. “Bob, I needed to talk to you about Sarah.”


         “Is she all right?” He asked in a worried tone.


         “She's fine, but she wants me take her to visit Rose. I don't know what I should do.”


         He is quite for what seems to be minutes. “She will be eighteen in three months. If we don't get her the answers that she needs, she is likely to do it herself.” He sighs, “I know that she is safe if you take her.”


         Safe he doesn't realize that that is the only place that I have face real fear. I ran away from that house. I did not want to go back. Rose was taking care of Dad, and there has been no need for me to made the trip. I knew that I would be looking for answers if my mother had just disappeared from her family. “Are you sure, Bob that you want me to do this?”


         “Yes,” he replies. “When she is eighteen I don't want her to go by herself and take the chance of loosing her too.”


         I tell Bob goodnight and hand the phone over to Sarah. I was still feeling nervous about the trip back to the house. Would the name Sarah cause a negative event in the house. The house that Sara the ghost waited in to be reunited with her children. I decide to go to bed. I go to Mom's room to discuss the situation.


         She was worried that it was not a great idea. She voiced her worries, but she understood that Sarah wanted to know why her loving mother just up and left. I give her a little kiss on the cheek, and made my way to bed.


         I was not ready to open my eyes from a piecemeal sleep when the knocking on my door rang loud. “Aunt Mattie,” Sarah was opening the door. I flinch covering my eyes as she flipped the light switch on. “I fixed you eggs and toast.” She said as I look at the numbers on my clock. It was only five thirty, and I did not want to get up. I did anyway so that I could get this day over with, and get back to writing my third edition about Sara and her house.


         I get into the shower. The warm water was soothing more than it was refreshing. I need to wake up, and this was not working. I grab my robe and towel. I wrap the towel around my head and made my way to the kitchen. There on the table was a plate of eggs, beacon, and toast. By its side I was happy to see a cup of steaming hot coffee. The aroma of it was opening my eyes little by little. I picked the coffee up. I began drinking it even before I had taken a bite. “Wonderful coffee, Sarah.” I complement her.


         “I have fixed some and put it in the thermos for you while we go see mom.”


         I smile. Little sneak. She is buttering me up to make sure that I don't change my mind. I smile again. I think that she reminds me more of Sis and Less than she does Rose. Rose wanted something, she did not care a bit to demand it or go do it herself. Sis and Less being the youngest learned how to use their charms to get what they wanted. They had the gift to get what they wanted while you thought that it was all your idea.


         “Ok, Bratt,” I tell her. “Get you clothes on, and be ready for anything.”


         “I'll be fine.” Sarah tells me. Somehow I believe her. This child has been mother to the others while hiding her anger inside toward Rose. She goes to her room to finish getting ready to go.


         She returns with a backpack. She was dressed in camouflage not green, but she had pink camouflage. This reminds me of the ATV Rose rented so long ago. Her hair was up in a braid hanging on the side of her head. No make up. Sarah never wore any fake colors on her face and nails. That is how she described make up. Anything that God did not give you was “fake”. I admired this child. I know that nothing would stand in her way to succeed in her choices in life.


         We get into my blue tracker. The tracker was a choice that I made last year due to its gas mileage. Sarah lifts her hand with a twenty dollar bill. “What is that for.” I ask her.


         “Mattie, you don't have to help me.” She looked down as if she was ashamed to be asking this from me. “I wanted to give you a little gas money.”


         “Sarah, you don't have to do that. You need to save your money for college in a few months. She would not take the money back.


         “Timothy made sure that I have what I need for school. God bless his soul.” She informed me with giving a family friend the honor due him. So she continues. “Lets start our adventure, Aunt Mattie.” She smiles and places her hand on mine as if she wanted me to know that she would be fine no matter what happened today.


         I could feel the atmosphere change as began to descend the hill. Sarah was rehearsing what she would say to her mother when she was face to face with her. I glanced over to see her lips moving to the silent words that she would say aloud to Rose.


         “Here we are.” I announced to Rose. This was not the same remodeled house that Timothy helped Rose create for Dad. The yard had grown up, and there was no flower garden. I knocked on the door. No one answered. “Lets go, Sarah.” I said knowing that the absence of someone coming to the door was a bad omen.


         “What are you doing her?” Rose asked. She seemed so old. I barely recognized my own sister. “Oh, Matilda.” She realizes that I was the one at the door. “Sarah? Oh my God have I missed you.” She ushered us into the house.


         When we went into the house, I could not see but a few feet past my feet. “Sorry it is so dark, but after I lost my job, I lost the electricity.” She informs us.


         “Where is Dad?” I ask. Because he would have come in a hurry to see who had come knocking on his door. Rose tells me that he is in the bedroom, and turns her attention to Sarah. I leave them to work things out. I know that Sara need to know answers so that she could grow into a well adjusted young woman.


         In front of Sara's window I walked to a rocking chair. “Dad?” I move in closer to him. He still didn't answer. He was so skinny that his clothes seem to just be hanging on him. “Dad, It's me, Matilda.” He just looks out the window. I look up at the window. “Welcome home, Sarah”. I shake dad. He turns to face me. He was so old. Much older than her should have been. He didn't seem to know who I was. He turned back to the window. I run to Rose. “ I taking Dad out of here.”


         Rose looks at me. “I don't think that you are.” She scolds me.


         I can see that this will be dangerous for me to continue with Sarah with me. “Ok Rose.” I tried to seem as though I had changed my mind. “He seems happy here.” I then looked at Sarah. “We got to get you home for Bob to pick you up by eight.”


         She hugged her mother, and promises to visit more. We went to the Tracker. I tried to start it, but it wanted to stall. I finally got the motor to turn over. I knew how dangerous it was to have the house thinking that I was leaving. Especially since the message on the window. “I will be back Rose after I take Sarah to eat and call Bob for a little more time to visit you.” Rose became so excited.


         When we pulled into our parking lot, I noticed a change in the way Sarah acted. She was still quite, but her eyes were angry. I hoped that it was just because of the tension between her and Rose. She goes into the house to gather some extra clothes so that she may spend time at the house across the river.


         While she was getting ready, I decided to act on a spontaneous thought. I could not allow Sarah to be taken by the spirits in that house. I could not let this house slowly take my loved ones away. We did not belong to the house, and I would keep the rest of us safe from its grip one way or another.


         “Mom, keep Sarah busy.” I ask her. “I have to get Dad out of there.”


         “You be careful because you know how dangerous the house is.” She reminded me of the last time I tried to fight the house. “I just want you to make sure that you come back to me.” Mom had tears in her eyes.


         “I will Mom.” I kissed her on the cheek.


         I walked into my room to grab a coat. On my way out I found my old Bible and cross on my dresser. It was as if it was a sword and shield for me to go into battle. I grabbed them and placed them into my car beside me.


         I drive to the top of the hill of our old road. I slowly drive just out of view of the house. I watched for the lamps to go out. It didn't take long. About nine thirty the house was totally dark. I coasted the Tracker closer to the house. I was not sure of my next step. I sat there in the dark shadow of the spooky house. I watched Rose walk past the Sara's window. She was on her way to the bed. I sit there for another hour. I knew that I would be able to find a way into the house. The question could I figure out how to do it without Rose or the spirits catching me.


         I walk up to the window that came to be known as Sara's window. I could see that Dad was still motionless sitting in the same chair. “Where was Sara?” I wondered. I peck lightly. Dad did not even look up. I push on the window. It raises. I climb into the room, but made sure that I held the window open with two forked sticks.


         I whisper to dad. He doesn't blink. How can I get you out of here. I put both hands under his arms. I am able to life him to his feet. I could not believe how light he had become. Then I sat him back in his chair. I have a better idea. I removed the sheet from his bed. I tied a the end of the sheet into a hoop and placed it around him. Pulled the hoop in place under his arm pits. I brought him back to his feet. I slid his feet from the edge of the wall one by one over the window ceil. I tie one end of the sheep to the bed frame. I climb down beside Dad, and untie the sheet from his body. I slowly pull him to my Tracker. I buckled the seat belt around him. I keep thinking “Why have no one heard the commotion that I had been making?”


         When I pulled from the yard, I could see Sara watching me from her usual place. The place that I had just left. I had a weird that she was there when I was escaping with my dad.


         He doesn't say anything while I drove further and further away from the house. No reaction from Dad was not what I would expect. I take him to the hospital. There from the Emergency Room, I called my Mom. I informed her what I had done. I told her to tell Bob to come get the kids before Sarah would be called back to that house like Rose was.


         The doctor called Dr. Thomas to consult with about Dad's medical history. After three hours, I was given the word that they had found a home for him. “There isn't anything that we can do for him. He is healthy except for hunger, and some sort of mental state. I think that if he is not placed in a home for long term care by people who know how to handle this kind of situation.”


         I signed the paperwork. I know that it would not be long until Rose would be coming to find her lost father, and I know how to fix everything for good I hope.


         Then an ambulance arrived. Two male nurses lift Dad onto the stretcher from the the hospital bed. I begin to follow them toward the vechile.


         “He can not have anyone to ride in the ambulance with him, but you will need to meet us at the home.”


         I agree and watch them drive away with my father. I finally found a way to get my dad out of that house.


         When I arrive at the nursing home, Dad had begin to talk. He wanted to go home. I sat there until they settle him in for the night. What was Rose going to do now? She is as dangerous as the house when she is crossed. I have to find a way to save her too.