Grandmother led me out of the basement and up to my room. Thankfully Joey and Jacquelyn didn’t see me carrying on the way I had. Grandmother wanted me to take a bath but I argued for a shower and she gave in. It was a quick shower after which she helped me get diapered and dressed. She was pulling out a pair of corduroys from the armoire as I was zipping up my onsie.
“No not those, they are too small.” I told her.
She replaced them, pulled out a pair of black jeans and held them up for approval.
“How about these?” she asked.
I nodded my head, “Yeah those are good.”
She helped me get dressed which I guess was an excuse to talk with me.
“The doctors said your mother will probably be staying with them for a week or so. Maybe in a day or two you will be allowed to go visit her.”
It had been explained to me when Mom went into the hospital, that because of my age I wasn’t allowed to visit her in there. It was something about kids carrying more germs than adults or some garbage excuse like that. At the time I bought it until I had overheard an earlier conversation as to why she was really in the hospital.
“Grandmother?” I said softly.
She was pulling a black and white striped shirt over my head. “Yes?” she said.
My words came out so soft that I was surprised she could even understand me. “I know my Mom took a bunch of pills.”
Grandmother stopped and looked at me as if she were trying to do a hands-free Vulcan Mind Meld with me. When she did speak her voice was strained and brittle sounding.
“Your mother is going to be just fine. Losing your father hit her hard.” She swallowed before continuing, “But I promise you that she is going to be fine.”
I didn’t say anything after that because I couldn’t think of anything else to say.
When I was fully dressed I looked down at myself and thought how cool I looked with a black and white shirt, black jeans, and white trainers.
Grandmother stood back and appraised my outfit. “You know what would go great with that outfit?” she said thoughtfully.
I looked down at myself again before asking, “What?” But she had already taken hold of my hand and was leading me out of the room.
“Come with me,” was all she said.
I followed her down the hallway and soon realized that we were heading to the forbidden room; her and Grandfather’s bedroom.
Not even once in all the time we have been living with my grandparents, had I stepped foot into their bedroom. It had been made completely clear that I wasn’t allowed in there and I never questioned that rule.
When we reached the door and Grandmother opened it I stopped in my tracks and pulled my hand free from her grasp. I didn’t even attempt to look inside but purposefully stayed a couple steps back.
“Alvin, come in here a minute.” she called from inside.
After the way I had been warned to stay out of there I guess I’d imaged it to be something totally amazing or something top secret. Like maybe my grandparents were really Russian spies and their bedroom was where they hid all their high-tech spy surveillance stuff.
I hesitated for a moment before taking my first step into the holy of holies. As I walked in I felt disappointed because not only was it void of technical spy gear, it was completely un-amazing. It was just another bedroom like all the other bedrooms in this enormous home. Granted it was as lavishly decorated as the rest of the house but still there was nothing to warrant the strict KEEP OUT rule they had placed on their room.
At first Grandmother seemed to have vanished but then she emerged from a walk-in closet carrying a belt.
“I nearly forgot I had this.” She told me.
It was a shiny white belt with a silver colored buckle and matching eyelets that went the entire length of the belt.
She had me stand by the closet door as she laced the belt through each loop in my pants, spinning me as she worked her way around. When finished she pulled me into the walk-in closet, which was HUGE and had me stand before the largest gold framed mirror I’ve ever seen in my life.
“Wow,” I exclaimed softly; not at my reflection but at the overwhelming size of the mirror.