Chapter XVIII

Chapter XVIII

 

          The month of January’s namesake was coming a close and all she really noticed was the increase of snow and ice on the ground.

          At times the snow would catch the sunlight in a way that make the ground look like it was littered with a million diamonds but other days the clouds stayed and chilled everything it blanketed.

          Classes were canceled for the time being, which was a huge surprise. Hardly any university in New York paused for snow but there was a CO leak in one of the major buildings. For those unlucky people with classes not in the  building they still had classes. Xandera was fiery with anger when she found out none of her classes would be canceled so she had to go about her day as if there wasn’t deadly gas seeping through the walls.

          Until the CO was gone January was stationary in her room with Willow. There was only so much sleeping one person can do.

          The petite girl would talk only a small amount. Normally when she did say something it was when she asked if when we planned to leave. Yet, for the time being, the room was deathly quite and there was no topic to start a conversation.

          Willow lied on her handmade quilt and read from another cloth bound book. January has asked her what the book was and she answered “Anna Karenina.” That meant nothing to January but she nodded as if she understood. Willow glared up at her from her book and licked her thumb. She could tell January had no clue what was going on.

          “It’s a love story. Oprah loves this book.” Willow paused and looked at the cover. “It in a box on the farm... in one of the barns.”

          “So on the farm…” January began becasue she was sick of the quiet “It was tough?” She was surprised that what she said came out as a question.

          She placed a slender finger on her lip and began to pick at it. “Sure it was… is. My family has always been hard workers.”

          “Ya… I have no clue what that type of life is like.” She didn’t have the slightest clue in fact. Every plant she had died soon after buying them and everyone of her childhood pets have run away.

          “Some days were better then others. At least the family worked together.”

          January scoffed. “My Dad divorced my Mom when I was young. They moved and they tried to make me pick favorites. Good thing a judge did that for me.”

          Willow started to rummage though a cardboard box she used as a nightstand. She stopped when she came upon a blue photo album. It looked torn and covered with a film of dust.

          “When I moved out I found this in the closet.”

          At least that explained the dust.

          Willow awkwardly handed it to January, but took it back. “Let me show you the pictures.”

          She opened it up and January saw a photo of ten smiling people. Some were young and small and others were old and large around the waist. “This was taken when I was six. My Dad held a family reunion on the farm.”

          She took her fingers off the photo and turned the page. The new photo looked like it had Willow in it, but it contained two girls who looked alike. “And this is my sister and me.”

          The third photo was of a yellow barn. It was wide open with a brown horse standing in front of it. Behind it there were ten blossoming apple trees.

          “He’s pretty.” January said with her finger hovering over the horse. As a perpetual animal lover January would melt at a photo of any animal.

          “Oh thanks…It’s a girl and her name was Peanut. I have no clue why. I believe my youngest sister at the time named it.” Willow suspended her next words. Her mouth was open as if she was about to say something but she stopped because she wanted to think before talking.

          “Were you going to say something?” January said.

Willow closed her mouth and pushed up her glasses. “No… Nope.”

“What’s wrong?”

She held onto the photo tighter. “It’s none of your business.”

January was set back by the reply. She grabbed onto her shirt to try to stop the shaking in her hands.

          “Why not tell me? I’m your friend, please.”

          Willow looked up and smirked. “Why should I?”

          “I just wanna understand why you always seem … sad.”

          She sighed and ran her fingers though her bangs. “I’ve been dying to tell someone this, but promise me something.”

          “Ya... sure.”

“Never tell the police what I’ve told you.”

January’s heart froze. She suddenly remembered tales of crazy roommates. It’s always the quite ones…

“It depends.”

“It’s not bad.”

January doubted she was telling the truth but she nodded anyway.

          “My brother… molested me.”

          January’s heart started to beat noticeably faster. “That... sick”

          “Ya he did it to me and another one of my sisters.”

          January shook her head. “There were 12 other people on your farm and no one noticed he was doing something to your sister and you!”

          “He would take me and her up to the upper part of the barn. We would think we were helping him with the hay for Peanut and the other horses.” She ran the back of her hand over her eyes and January realized she was crying. “I’m a horrible person. I should have fought back.

          “No, No. Don’t tell yourself that.” January gently grabbed her forearm.

          “How would you know?”

          Her heart beat in her throat when she answered. “I was raped.”

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

A slow start to the chapter then a ending to draw the reader to the next chapter. I like the way you started this chapter. A sort of peace and calm. Thank you for the excellent chapter.
Coyote

[Tina Kline]

Its wonderful they've opened up. So many of us have such ugly secrets in our closets that could use some sunlight in the right circumstances. I hope these are for both of them.