Alice was finishing her life story. She wanted to be remembered for future generations.
“Besides, I’ll have to write down some important recipes if you want to have tasty food,” she’d tell me.
Cassie went to Mike Lobos’ house, and they began to talk about art. He was often sitting down and didn’t offer her a seat, and he was impolite. Cassie texted Candace that he was “dreemi but a jrk”. Candace texted her back, saying there was an emergency at the house. With that as an excuse, she came running back home.
“Oh my gosh! You didn't tell me there was a FIRE going on!” Cassie yelled as she smelled smoke.
“Would it matter?!” Candace yelled back.
“Girls, stop fighting and call the firefighters,” I yelled over both of them.
Luckily, I was brave enough to extinguish the flames, and nobody was hurt. Alice and Corey then went to bed after a long day. The firefighters came, unfortunately, and they noticed something.
“Hey, you look familiar,” one of the firefighters said, “Were you from the police burning from ..?”
“No, why would you say such a thing?” Amanda answered, looking away, “My own mother was a criminal, it was horrible…”
“Oh boy, not another sob story!” the other firefighter said, “Let’s go!”
“Amanda, I’m so sorry,” Billy said,“ I feel awful for the childhood you lost.”
“Oh, it’s okay,” she said,
Amanda smiled when they left. Too bad that smile wouldn’t last through the night.
“I think I heard Alice scream,” Amanda said to herself. She made the bed, and quickly went to look.
Turns out Alice died. The Grim Reaper took her before anyone noticed. Rest in Peace, Alice.
Cassie also felt awful, especially because she was closer to her grandparents.
I also felt awful. My mom worked a lot for Bijou, Barbie, and I, so that we could have a good house, and she worked hard to make money. Now, all that hard work went to waste.
Amanda painted a portrait of Billy quickly, in memory of Alice, so once Billy dies, the two could be together forever.
It seems that the entire house couldn’t function without Alice.
To try to reunite with my sisters, I invited them over for a funeral for her.
The whole house was uncomfortable with the topic of the Timberson matriarch dying.
But everyone consoled each other. It was like one giant therapy session.
After the funeral, Billy decided to read Alice’s obituary. He read it outside, so that way he could cry alone. Afterwards, he asked Amanda for a favor.
“Could you construct a room downstairs as a cemetery type place? So Alice’s memory could live on?”
“Yeah, sure. I’ll put your painting next to hers so you two could be together.”
After Alice’s death, Cassie grew closer to the rest of the family. She began to watch sports games with her Aunt Barbie, and she told us about them.
She began to sit with Candace on the bus. Together, they insulted the bus driver.
On the inside, Billy was crying. Weeks after Alice died, he still couldn’t get over it. She was the only thing on his mind.
He luckily could tell Cassie about how he felt. They still connected really well, while others were just playing computer games.
“Please, please, come back,” Cassie one day cried, “You could even visit us for a day. We miss you.”
The next day, I heard something in the kitchen. It was opening and closing cabinets, as if it were looking for something. I got worried. What if it’s a burglar? What if it’s one of Amanda’s accomplices? Will Billy have to learn that my wife’s a criminal? How would he react? What if it wasn’t a burglar? What if it was worse? What if it started a fire too big to stop? I decided to creep downstairs. After all, I was brave. And I had a family to protect.
The noise wasn’t coming from a burglar, or pests- it was from Alice! I tried to greet her, but she didn’t notice me. She just stared blankly in my direction, as if she didn’t know who I was. She then headed outside.
“Cassie? I have to tell you something,” Alice told Cassie the next morning.
“Is it an explanation to why the book shelf’s gray and deformed?” Cassie asked.
If you keep that up, I’ll drag your hunger to the left, if you know what I mean….
“Who said that?” Cassie said, startled.
“What? No. I’m just going to announce this. I’m a criminal. My job late at night isn’t something honorable like a doctor or a police officer. It’s downright low. But that’s who I am.”
“Oh. Okay,” Cassie shrugged.
“What? You’re okay with this?” Amanda was shocked. Cassie wasn’t really damaged by the fact that her mom kept a secret from her for 15 years.
“Well, I learned to accept people,” Cassie said, “Crime isn’t anything big. Besides, Vaughn’s mom is your boss, and Vaughn accidently told Candace that.”
“Oh, well, this is… awkward,” Amanda blushed, “Go play outside or go visit the art museum. It’ll take your mind off of the voice you keep on hearing.”
“But he’s real!!” Cassie said.
“See? This is what I mean. Go out. Now.”
Corey was beginning to worry us. He just liked to fish and play with the sprinklers all day. He seemed to have withdrawn from his friends. This was not good. What if he’s like this as an adult? He’ll be the laughing stock of Riverview.
That night, as I was gardening, I saw Billy walk out of the cemetery. I wonder why he went all the way downstairs. We’ve all been seeing Alice pop in and out around the house for minutes, but I think he wanted to see the old Alice.
Yes, I gave them a new room. They needed a patio-type of place.
“So, son, how’s school? Any clubs this year?” I asked him one day, while we were both getting midnight snacks.
“Yeah! Of course! Angler’s Anonymous, Fans of Fishing, The Gills Guild, Swimming Society, and the Friends of Fins!” This was the first time I saw him genuinely interested in something.
“Oh, well, that’s…. interesting. Anything else? Like the Future Doctors of Riverview?” I crossed my fingers under the table.
“Nah, medical stuff’s boring,” he said.
My son’s a fisherman. Where did I go wrong? This is not the kind of stuff to mention at high school reunions. What if he decides to live out in the streets? What if he drowns? There’s no way to convince him out of this.
