Chapter 2
Wes sat on the couch as he sank in so did the events of the night. He heard the familiar flush of the toilet through the bathroom, but wasn’t ready to talk to Farrah. He decided to pretend to be asleep.
When the door opened he opened one eye no more that the width of a knife blade. His long eye lashes, and dark room made it hard to focus on Farrah’s shadow. It took a second to see it wasn’t Farrah’s shadow. Even with the poor diet Farrah had had this past year, she was not this thin. It was Sabeen she was still here. He sat up, and saw his mother. He turned on a lamp next to him. A frail, sickly looking creature stood leaning half her body against the door jam. Her big jacket had camouflaged her earlier. This was not his mom. How was this women even alive? Her face was still bloody but now resembled a bad face painting on one side.
“Why haven’t you left yet?” The frosty words shot out from Wes’ lips before he even thought to say them.
“Well if I am paying for this place I think I should stay.”
“No you left it, you left us. You don’t get to come back. You wanna bring people around like that, get Farrah hurt, or raped? No you don’t get to stay, I will call the police, you will go to jail for what you have done to us. If you don’t want me to call the cops then stay the hell away from us. Don’t come around, don’t ask for money, and don’t get Farrah’s hopes up.” His last sentence came out like a threat more than a statement.
“You are not going to call the police. I know you.”
“Try me.”
“Really you’re going to push your mother out on the streets?”
“No, Sabeen you chose to live there, remember?”
“I can get clean, you know.
“Good leave and go do it.”
“I can get clean here, I just need a check to you know get me on my feet.”
“There are no checks! They get deposited and then the rent is taken out. I use my check to pay the power bill and food. There is no money. I have nothing for you. You took everything worth anything.”
“Ungrateful son. You are alive because of me.”
“Well I guess we are even because Farrah is alive because of me. Get the hell out.”
“You have no idea what it is like. Your father was everything. Now he is gone.”
“You lost a husband. Farrah lost a Dad, a mom and a brother and got a 17 year old trying to keep her life together. I lost a dad a mom, and gained a kid. You know I worked hard to graduate early so I could work more. Not go to college, not hang out with friends, no, I gave those things up. I am glad I did because at least Farrah know someone loves her.”
His mother slumped to the floor. Her head which looked too big for her body hung between her knees. She began sobbing. She shook.
Wes wanted to go and hold her and tell her everything was okay, and that she could stay. He had to stop himself from embracing her by thinking of one of the last times he saw his mother. The scene popped in his head like a television re-run. His mother had brought two men over, as she had been doing to support her drug habit. Except this time he overheard her negotiating for Farrah.
“I’ll pay $100.00 for the girl, 30 minutes.”
“No no you don’t want her, you pay me.”
“Look I saw her, I want her, $300.00, but I want an hour.”
“Really $300.00. Farrah come here darling.”
Wes stopped Farrah, he had heard everything. “Don’t you go out there Farrah. You hide, you are not here. Those men will hurt you. Do you understand?” Wes left the room.
“Farrah left mom and these guys need to leave too.”
A little giggled crept out of her mouth. “My son, so funny. Get Farrah.”
“She is gone. Now unless you want me to start yelling to all the neighbors that you are about to pimp out my 10 year old sister you better get these guys out of here.”
They did leave. The memory was so vivid, it put the same aching of that day into his body. He could feel the nervous protective fear that had taken over then, come again.
“I will leave. I won’t come back.”
He was shocked. He looked at her. Sabeen’s face began to resemble a human again. She was either sobering up or something had changed in her. Wes felt confused. Had she agreed to what he wanted? Did he really want this?
“I love you both and you are better without me. I deserve to live without you. I won’t come back unless you want me. You call Salvation Station, ask for Debbie, she can find me.”
She stood and grabbed the large 1980’s plump jacket, and walked out the door.
“Ahibbek” whispered through her lips on the way out.
Wes remembered this from childhood. “Love you too,” he whispered so low he wasn’t sure if it actually made any sound at all.
He looked at the clock, by this time Farrah would have to be up for school in a couple hours. He let every joint in his body go limp and plopped on the couch. He Grabbed the large blanket that hung on the arm rest and draped it over himself.
“Wes. Wes. Wesley. Oh Wessy Poo. WEEEEEEESSSSSS! Wes Wes Wes Wes.” Farrah groaned in agitation. “Wake up.” Farrah began shaking Wes so hard she thought he would fall off the couch. Even so he lay there with no response. She grabbed the blanket he was wrapped in and pulled as hard as should could. Nothing happened he was just too big. Farrah sat on the floor and pressed her feet against the side of the couch as leverage. She braced herself and counted in her head. On three she began pushing all her strength against the couch to retrieve the blanket that was turning Wes into a human burrito. The blanket came undone and so did the inside of the burrito. Wes’ legs came down on her with a painful thud.
“What the heck” said Wes.
“Finally. My gosh I thought you would never wake up. I am going to school. You have work in 30 minutes. I check your schedule on the fridge.”
“Oh crap your right, I guess no time to shower. I will walk you home today after school.”
“Okay see you then.”
Farrah was out the door in seconds, pleasant, like everything the night before was just a bad dream that vanished with the night. Wes was amazed that she could just be okay.
Farrah’s school was very close to the apartments. A five minute walk to Empire Elementary was another routine she enjoyed because it was normal even before the change. It was one of the many elementary schools in their capitol town of Nevada. It was also over crowded, so her class was in a modular building. A structure that looked more like a mobile home from the outside than a class room, but she still loved being in school.
Friends were scarce, especially after what happened. Wes and her agreed that friends could not come over anymore. A friend might mention to their parents that they didn’t have any and the fear of being separated drove them closer together and farther away from friends and outsiders. Farrah did have a lot of friends before, but she knew she also drifted from people because of the changes that happened. It wasn’t cool to wear hand me downs, let alone brother’s hand me downs, and it wasn’t cool to stand in the free lunch line. It wasn’t cool to not go on field trip because you couldn’t afford them. Her friends distanced themselves like they would catch her misfortune. One thing she was good at was making friends with teachers. They were drawn to her. She was a class pet. That probably repelled the other kids just as much as being poor had. That didn’t stop her, she loved helping. It made her feel important. She remembered what her 5th grade teacher had said last year, and she loved listening to it over and over in her head. “You are an old soul, and you will change the world.”
Farrah felt like a superhero, and would put this on repeat to block out the negative comments from her classmates, especially the girls.
“Oh look it’s Scare-Uh.” Missy St. James said. Another routine this year, except Farrah was not comfortable with this one. She put her head down and began walking faster into the classroom.
“Hi Farrah” the encouraging voice of Mrs. Pillsner erased the uncomfortable encounter with Missy.
“Hi, can I help with anything?” Farrah asked.
“No actually today we are having an assembly so go play and then head to the gym when the bell rings. I am going to post a notice on the door for everyone else.”
“Oh, okay.” Farrah reluctant to leave, took her time by handing in homework and putting her stuff away. “Bye,” she said.
Mrs. Pillsner didn’t hear the fear in Farrah’s voice. “Uh Huh, bye Farrah, see you at the assembly.”
Farrah walked out the door, and wished with all her might to be invisible. She wanted to make it to the big cement pipes that were left after a construction job before anyone could see her. That was asking for too much. Missy was just outside the classroom door standing with her three main minions.
“Scare-Uh shouldn’t you be kissing Mrs. Pillsner’s ass right now” Missy said. The minions, Layla, Jenna, and Rachel laughed at the comment.
Farrah laughed to in her head picturing them as the evil flying monkeys on The Wizard of Oz, and Missy as the gross green wicked witch. She could hear the witch’s melody in her head. “Whatever Missy, don’t you have some Ruby red slippers to steal?”
“What? She is so weird.” She said to the girls around her. “That doesn’t even make sense.” The girls agreed and began talking amongst themselves.
When the bell rang for the assembly Farrah was already present and in her classes section. She watched as the flood of children turned into a bobbing sea of heads. She pretended to not hear Missy and her friends, but she clung to every word.
“Hey Missy I saw you brought your white back pack again, now we match” Rachel said.
“Yeah, white is so in. Did you see them in 13 Magazine? I was like we made those look good before anyone else.”
“I know right? We should have our own magazine” said Jenna.
“Yeah, the Missy St. James Magazine of everything that rocks” Missy said.
“Kind of a long name Missy, and what about us?” Layla asked.
“Uh, you could write articles and stuff” Missy said.
The assembly started with their principal asking for everyone’s attention. No one listened until he finally said, “oh I guess no one is interested in the limo ride then, let’s cancel the assembly.”
The room went from a roar to a mew in less than 15 seconds. The assembly was another fundraiser, this time selling overpriced wrapping paper and other chotchkies. It was over quickly and Farrah knew she wasn’t even going to try. The temptation of giving the money to her brother would be too much to handle doing a fundraiser.
The day went by fast and soon enough the bell rang to go home. Farrah saw her brother he was already waiting outside her class.
“How does she have such a cute brother, when she is so ugly?” Missy said.
“She is not that ugly” Layla said.
“Layla you need glasses” said Rachel, “she is hideous”.
Farrah hearing every word ran quickly to Wes, knowing they wouldn’t say anything around him.
“So Farrah did I tell you I get to take you shopping tomorrow?”
“Ha ha funny, with what money?”
“Oh you see I am a famous artist now and people are paying me for my work.”
“Really who? The president? The Pope? Oh I know, the queen of England!”
“Nope, this person is way more important than those peasants. Maggie paid me $40.00 to paint her an ocean view as long as we used it to buy you some new clothes and I was totally down.”
“Really? You are serious? Oh my gosh I thought you were just messin’.”
“No the Queen of punctuality will be taking us, so no raucous parties tonight, we have to meet Maggie at 9a.m.” Wes said.
“Oh darn I will have to cancel the rave I had planned.”
“Don’t worry next week, we will invite the Pope” Wes said.
“This is awesome.”
“Hey we need to take a detour. I need to turn in this application. Is that cool or do you want me to walk you to Maggie’s first. I don’t want you at home right now because you know I don’t know who will show up.”
“You know I heard you and mom. I was awake. I am glad I have you. I know we will be okay. I want to go with you. I am good luck you know.”
Wes looked at his reflection in the malls window. “How do I look?”
“Like a big goofy dork.” Farrah said with love in her tone.
“Thanks.”
“No you look like you are going to get the job.” Farrah said this while she thinking he was actually a really good looking guy and understood why people would crush on him. He was tall, and muscular and had a Clark Kent look, with the dark hair and strong jaw. His smile was huge. He had gotten most of his facial features from their all American dad, but his darker hair and skin from their Iraqi mother. He was always asked what nationality he was. She thought people wanted to know where beautiful people like this were made.
“Wish me luck.”
“Hello. I am your luck” Farrah said.
They both read the Destiny Destinations sign, and thought of the game they often played that was about where they would go and what they would see. Their father had started it. I want to go to China and see the Leaning Tower of Piza. They would have to retort with the correct answers. I want to go to Italy and see the Great Wall.
“Hello” Wes said to the sharply dressed women behind the counter. “Farrah go wait over there.” Farrah listened.
“Dana Shay, and you are?”
“Wesley Marsh, new employee.”
He was so on. All his charm and charisma radiated.
“Good attitude, you have a resume?”
He handed the resume and letters of recommendations from his current manager who he assured he would not quit and teachers from last year.
“Well Wesley,” she said in slow motion as she lingered over the papers in her hand, “you don’t have a phone number how can I reach you?”
“Oh, I uh accidently dropped my cell phone in water and need to get a new one, how about just scheduling an interview.”
“House phone?”
“No who needs a house phone now a days right?” Wesley said this with such conviction, that Dana’s expression looked as if she was a fool for owning a house phone.
“You intrigue me. How about Tuesday morning, at seven, I can squeeze you in then?”
“Yes Ma’am, I will be here” said Wes.
“See you were doing so well, I am going to have to dock you 2 points. I said my name was Dana, not Ma’am. Pay attention.” “Your right Dana, what was I thinking?”
“Better Wesley, much better.”
Wes left the mall on a high. Farrah was excited too. She liked Dana. She was sassy and funny and interesting. It could be the whole atmosphere of the shop. Posters covered the walls; all of them with beautiful scenery and exotic places, and even the smell of the small space took you to another land.
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