Midnight in Suburbia

NaNoWriMo Day 18: Chapter 18 - Daniella Helps Amity Pack

Chapter 18: Daniella and Amity
Return to Amity's House for Clothes

"Mama," said Daniella as Amity turned to go out of the house. "If you'll wait a few minutes, I'll drive to you home to pick up some clothes."

"I don't want to sleep here," Amity grumbled. "I want to sleep in my own bed!"

"I know you do, but it isn't safe to stay at the house until the front door is fixed."

"What's wrong with the front door?"

"The fire department had to bust it open to put out the fire."

"What fire?"

"The one that started in the kitchen."

"Don't be silly, Daniella!" She pulled away and headed for Emily's front door, but stopped. "Where is my purse?"

"Here it is Mama," said Ethan going into the living room to pick up Amity's purse.

"Thank you, son." She took the purse, opened the front door and slammed it behind her.

Daniella, watched her mother leave and then, went into the bedroom. Opening her suitcase, she removed a Thanksgiving sweater, with a huge Tom turkey on the front, and pulled it on over her head. Then she picked up her purse from the bed and went back into the foyer. "Ethan, has Mom came back into the house yet?"

"No," he said with a perplexed expression. "Why should she come back in the house?"

"To get the car keys," Daniella removed the keys, from one of the many outside pockets of her purse, and dangled them in the air.

"Wicked," Ethan laughed. "I didn't know you were sneaky."

"It comes with age." she walked slowly toward the door and, just as her mother stalked back up the steps, she opened the door..

"Where the hell is my keys," Amity demanded.

"Right here, Mama," Daniella show them to her and then continued down the steps. "Are you coming with me to help pick out your clothes or are you staying here." She went to the drivers side of the car and got in. Amity, with a surprised look, hurried down the steps and got in on the passenger side.

"Well," said Amity, "aren't you going to start the car?"

"Not until you buckle your seat belt, Mother."

"Very well!" Amity, attempting to buckle-up, glared at Daniella. "This damn seat belt won't work."

"Here," said Ethan as he opened the door. "Let me help you." He fastened Amity's seat belt, locked the door, and closed it. Then he got into the backseat and fastened his own belt. "After we pick up Mom's clothes, can we go to my motel and get my clothes?"

"Of course," said Daniella as she started the car. "Then perhaps we can stop someplace and get some ice cream."

"I don't want ice cream," said Amity as she stared fixedly out the window. "I just want to go to sleep in my own bed, but I supposes that's too much to ask."

"No, Mother, it isn't," Daniella smiled. "If the electricity is on then you can stay at the house. Otherwise, you have to sleep at Aunt Emily's until the electricity is turned back on."

"Why," she shot Daniella an evil look, "would the electricity be turned off? I just paid that damn high power bill and if the power company has turned it off again, I'm going go up there and give their so called customer service agents a piece of my mind."

"Mom," ask Ethan. "When did the power company turn the power off?"

"Last month," she sighed. "They said I hadn't paid the bill and I know damn well I did. However, in order to get it turned on again, I had to pay them double. I mean did you ever hear of anything so utterly preposterous."

"Why did the think you hadn't paid it," Daniella ask as she made left turn.

"I don't know! Probably because I paid it from my bank account and didn't have a recept."

"Mom," said Ethan, "didn't you print out a recept when you paid the bill?"

"Of course, I did!" Amity was getting angrier all the time. "I couldn't find it," she sighed. "I think one of those so called customer service agent broke into the house and stole it. I tell you that those people at the power company are a bunch of thieves!"

Daniella bit her lip to keep from laughing. She knew by the sound of her mother's voice that laughter would only make Amity angrier. Glancing in the review mirror she saw Ethan take his handkerchef out of his pocket to cover his laugh. "Mother," Daniella turned into the driveway. "I'll talk to the power company while I'm here and see if I can get it straightened out."

"All right," Amity sulked as she tried to get out of the car. "Why's this door locked? I'm not a child..."

"I know, Mom," said Ethan as he got out of the car. "It's a habit I've gotten into since meeting Alice." He reached through the open window and unlocked the door. "Her nieces and nephews visit her quite often, so I've gotten into the habit of locking the front door because one of them always wants to ride shotgun."

"Well, I suppose that makes sense," Amity unfastened her seat belt and go out of the car. As she approached the front door, she frowned, "Why's the door hanging off it's hinges? You don't suppose someone tried to break in while we were gone. Do you?"

"No, Mama," said Daniella as she climbed the steps. "When the firemen came this morning, they had to break the door in because your key wouldn't work."

As they walked into the foyer, Ethan tried the light switch, but the lights remained off. "There isn't any power, Mom," he said as they walked toward Amity's bedroom. "I guess you'll have to stay at Aunt Emily's until we can turn the electricity on again."

"Why is it off," Amity grumbled.

"For safety reasons," said Ethan. "The fire probably damaged some of the wiring in the kitchen and the fire department personal turned it off until you can have the wires repaired."

Ethan lead the way down the hall toward Amity's room, he knew that the house would soon be dark and he was not sure where his mother kept the flashlight. After reaching Amity's room, he opened the closet door and took the purple suitcase off the top shelf. He hoped that was the one she wanted, but he did not want to spend any more time in the house then necessary.

"What clothes do you want to take," ask Daniella as she opened the dresser drawers removing underclothes and a few other necceities she thought her mother would want.

"I only need a nightgown and something clean to wear when I come back here tomorrow." Amity said stubbornly.

"Why don't you take a littler more then that," said Ethan. "Alice and I would like to take you out to lunch tomorrow."

"That would be nice," smiled Amity.

Daniella breathed a sigh of relief, 'At least,' she thought, 'I won't have to worry about making Thanksgiving dinner' She placed the items she had taken out of the dresser drawer in the suitcase and then went to the closet. Where Amity was standing, looking at the dresses and pantsuits hanging there.

"What's the matter, Mama," she asked. "Can't you decide what you want to wear."

"If I knew where we were going," she smiled. "Then I could pick out something apropriate."

"Ethan," Daniella said. "Where are you taking Mom tomorrow."

"Well," his brow furrowed. "Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so..."

"Are you sure," Amity interrupted. "I thought Thanksgiving was next week."
"No, Mama," said Daniella, "tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so I guess we'll all go out to eat this year."

"Why," Amity reached into the closet and took out a lavendar blouse and a pink skirt. "I'll fix the turkey here."

"The electricity is off, Mom," said Daniella as she removed a pink and white pant suite, folded it and placed it in the suite case. "You can't cook a turkey without electricity or gas. Isn't the oven electric?"

"Yes," Amity folded the skirt and blouse then handed them to Ethan, who immediately put them on top of the pantsuit. "But can't you call the electric company and have them turn it on."

"Not until after Thanksgiving," said Ethan as he went into the bathroom. There he picked up a denture brush, denture cream, and the blue tupperward container that held Amity's dentures when she went to bed. As an after thought, he picked up a couple of cleaning tables, just in case his mother wanted to soak her dentures. Returning to the bedroom, he placed the items in a compartment in the suitcase.

"Have you got everything you want, Mom," he asked.

"I think so, except something to clean my dentures with." She started for the bathroom.

"I already go that stuff," said Ethan as he closed the suitcase.

"Then I guess we can go," Amity left the room and, followed by Daniella and Ethan, walked down the hall toward the dining room and foyer. At the dining room, she stopped and opened the China closet. She opened the door and peered in, "Damn!" She slammed the door and started toward the living room.

"Where are you going, Mom," ask Daniella.

"To call the police!"

"Why," Daniella glance at Ethan and motioned him to go onto the car.

"Because Dolly got in while we were gone and stole the rest of the Grandma Hattie's antique silver."

"But, Mom," said Daniella attempting to guide her mother out of the house. "Why would Aunt Dolly take only the silver?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Daniella sighed. "It seems to me that if Aunt Dolly were going to take the silver, she'd take the China and crystal set as well."

"Well, I..." Amity went back to the China closet and opened the door. "Um, the China and glass wear are still there, but the silver is gone."

"I'll tell you what," Daniella managed to get her mother to move toward the door. "I'll call George when we get back to Aunt Emily's and see if he can find the silver at Aunt Dolly's."

Daniella guided Amity out of the house, closed the door, as best she could, and followed her mother down the steps. Amity walk slowly stopping every few minutes to look around and then continued toward the car. Ethan stood beside the front passenger door, waiting for his mother to reach the car. When she finally made it to the car, she got in the front seat and attempted to buckle the seat belt herself.

"Having difficulty with that seat belt, Mom," Ethan said.

"Yes, Ethan, the damn thing does not seem to want to fasten. Perhaps you could show me how to fasten it."

"Sure thing," he took hold of the buckle and put it in the part of the belt that was on Amity's left side. "Did you see how I did that, Mom?"

"Did what?" Amity was staring into the deepening shadows.

"How I fastened the seat belt," he looked in the direction her she was staring at. "Is there someone in the yard, Mom?"

"I don't know," she said staring toward the fence to the left of the garage. "I keep seeing movement, but I can't figure out what's moving."

"Maybe, it's one of the neighborhood cats," he could see anything, but the shadows seem to conceal something. "Why don't I go and check it out before we leave."

"All right," said Amity, "but be careful. I don't want you getting hurt."

"I'll be careful, Mama," he walked toward the fence and as he approached, someone stepped out of the shadows.

"Sorry, Mr. Shupe," said Billy Collins. "I didn't mean to frighten Ms Amity, but Mom sent me over here to keep an eye on the place."

"That's all right, Billy," Ethan laughed. "Why don't you come over and tell Mom you'll be watching the house tonight. It may put her mind at ease."

"Sure thing, Mr. Shupe," together they returned to the car.

"Mom," said Ethan. "You can relax, the movement you saw was Billy Collins."

"Billy, your Ruth's boy aren't you?"

"Yes, Ms Amity," he smiled. "I'm staying in Mr. Jenkins house while he's away. My mother called to ask me to keep an eye on your place tonight. I didn't mean to frighten you."

"You didn't frighten me, Billy," Amity smiled. "Sometimes I have difficulty seeing around sunset. You be careful now."

"I will, Ms Amity." Billy walked back to the fence and watched them as they left.

"He's a nice young man," said Amity. "He delivers papers, but he hasn't been able to get a real job since Ruth broke her hip last year."

"Does he take care of his mother by himself," ask Daniella.

"No, his sister help when they can, but they have families of their own."

"Are they staying with her for Thanksgiving?"

"I believe so," Amity felt good that she could remember the information about Ruth and her family. Amity did not want to tell either of her children about the forgetfulness. "While there here, Billy can house set to earn a little extra money."

"Mom," as Daniella, as they turned toward the main part of town. "Would you like me to drop you off at Aunt Emily's while Ethan and I go to pick up his luggage."

"No," Amity smiled. "I'd like that ice cream you promised me."

"All right," she laughed. "Ethan, where to I turn to go to the motel."

"Turn right on Main street and then just keep driving." He pointed toward the edge of town. "You can't miss the sign."

"All right, and then we buy Mom some ice cream and go back to Aunt Emily's."

Daniella turned right on Main Street and drove north until she came to the motel on the right side of the street. She drove into the parking lot and waited in the car with Amity until Ethan got his bags and paid for his room. Then they drove back to Emily's, stopping to purchase some ice cream.