Midnight in Suburbia

NaNoWriMo Day 19: Chapter 19 - Thanksgiving Day Festivities

Chapter 19: Thanksgiving Day
Festivities

Amity sit up in bed and looked around, she could not see the reflection of the nightlight in the mirror. Getting up, she felt her way through the dark room until she came to a sliding closet door. 'Odd,' she thought, 'I don't remember the closet being there.' Placing one hand on the wall and holding the other out in front of her, she walk slowly to her right until she came to a chest of draws.

"I know," she whispered, "that the chest of drawers wasn't there." Carefully walking around the piece of furniture she continued until she came to light switch, which she immediately turned on. "Oh," she laughed as she looked around the room. "I remember now, I'm at Emily's because the power company turned the electricity off at my house. Well," she frowned, continuing on to the closed bathroom door. "I'll have to take care of that little issue in the morning." She opened the bathroom door, went in, turned the light on, and then closed the door behind her. She stood at the door, glancing around the bathroom. There was another door opposite the one she came in, so she locked it before finding the toilet stool. After finishing, she fleshed the stool and went out without turning out the light or unlocking the other door.

Leaving the bathroom door open, she turned the light in the bedroom out , and went to bed. After several minitues, she heard someone knock on the bathroom door that was locked. "That's and odd place to put an outside door," she said as she got out of bed and put on a pink robe laying on the foot of the bed. "I suppose I'll have to answer it because I'm sure Emily can't hear it." She walked back through the bedroom to the bathroom and unlocked the door.

"Daniella," she gasp, "What are you doing outside?"

"I'm not outside, Mama," Daniella smiled. "I thought you were using the bathroom because the door was locked."

"Oh... Well," Amity frowned, "Please leave the other door open and the light on when you're finished. I can't get a good night's sleep without a light in the bathroom." She turned and went back into her bedroom, without closing the door.

"I wonder when that started," Daniella said, closing the door slightly before going back to bed. "That's something I should discuss with her doctor next week." Sitting down on the bed, turned on the light beside the bed, then she picked up her purse that was on the bedside stand, took out a small notebook, and a pen. Opening it to the first empty page, she wrote at the top Things to discuss with Mom's Doctor and underlined it. Then she put a one in the left margin and beside it wrote 'Mom's sleep pattern appears to have changed.' Next she placed a two in the margin and wrote 'Seems to be forgetting things.' Daniella and Amity slept through the rest of the night without disturbance.

Daniella woke up, reached to the bedside stand on her right, and picked up her cellphone. She opened it and looked at the time. 'Awake at 4:00 am,' she thought, 'I wonder what time I got back to sleep last night after Mom's trip to the bathroom woke me up.' She knew there was no use laying back down because she would not go back to sleep. Preston always found her 4 am sleeplessness amusing because it always meant he would have an unusually large breakfast.

"I guess, I could go into Aunt Emily's kitchen and fix everyone breakfast." She checked the bathroom door to see if it was still ajar, when she saw the light shining through she got up and sit on the edge of the bed staring out the window.

At that moment, she heard her mother calling, but she could not understand what she was saying. Turning on the bedside light, Daniella got up, picked up her pink robe that lay across the foot of the bed, and put on her fuzzy slippers. Then she walked to the bathroom door and listened before entering the room. She walked carefully through the bathroom and stood at the other door listening, but she still could not hear what her mother was saying. Entering Amity's bedroom, Daniella tiptoed to the bed.

"Dreaming," she whisper as she listened to her mother's mumbling. Turning around, she slipped back into the bathroom, and took a quick shower. After she finished in the bathroom, she went back into her bedroom and got dressed.

In the kitchen, she opened the refergritor door and removed a dozen eggs and a package of bacon. Then she turn on the gas stove, put an iron skillet on to heat. Next she went to the pantry where she removed a package of bagels, a jar of grape jelly and strawberry persurves. Taking those to the breakfast table, she checked to see if the coffee maker, which sit on the breakfast bar was ready to switch on. Then she went back to the refrigerator to look for some cheese, but the only thing she found was some cream cheese and a jar of honey.

"Odd place to put honey," she said as she removed the items. "Aunt Emily must not eat it as quickly as Preston and I." She put the bacon in the hot skillet and then took a cereal bowl out of the cabinit. Breaking the eggs int the bowl, she scrambled them and then turned the bacon over. Once the bacon was cooked to her liking, she took it out of the skillet and put the eggs in.

"Morning," said Ethan as he came into the kitchen. "I see you're up and cooking as usual. What are we having for breakfast?"

"Bacon, eggs, bagels, cream cheese, grape jelly, and strawberry persurves." She smiled as she took the eggs out of the skillet and put them on t he platter with the bacon. "Was there anything else you wanted?"

"Yes," Ethan went to the pantry and removed a jar of peanut butter. "In case you've forgotten, Sis, I still like peanut butter on my bagels."

"You and Mom," Daniella laughed as she turned on the coffee maker. "Does Alice like anything unusual with her bagels."

"Not withe my bagels," said Alice walking into the kitchen. "But I do like hot sauce with my eggs."

"I'll get it for you, Sweet Heart," Ethan kissed her on the cheek and then pulled the chair out for her. After he seated Alice, he went to the refregerator and gook out the hot sauce. "I can always depend on Aunt Emily to have a little hot sauce and jalapino peppers." He removed a jar of peppers and cried them to the breakfast table.

"Daniella," said Emily coming into the kitchen. "I see you have everything except the plates and flatware." She removed the plates from the cupboard and put them on the table.

"I'll get the silver," said Amity as she entered the kitchen. "Do we have everything?" She placed the forks, knives, and spoons on the table and then helped Emily with the coffee cups.

"I think we have everything we need," Daniella put the platter of bacon and scrambled eggs on the table and then poured everyone a cup of coffee before she sit down next to her mother.

"Did everyone have a good night's sleep," as Amity. "Because we have a lot of work to do today."

"What do you mean, Mom?" Ask Ethan as he spread peanut butter and grape jelly on a plane bagel.

"Aren't we here to help Emily pick tomatoes before the first frost?"

"I didn't plant a garden this year," said Emily with a preplexed expression.

"You didn't," Amity frowned. "I thought since we were all here that we came to help you with your garden, like always."

"No, Mom," Daniella nibbled at a slice of bacon. "We're here because you have no electricity, so we couldn't stay at your house."

"Why wouldn't I have electricity? I just paid the damn power bill three days ago."

"Because of the fire," Ethan said studying the expression on his mother's face.

"What fire?"

"The kitchen fire, Mother," said Daniella. "Don't you remember when I arrived the firetrucks were there and the firemen were putting out the fire in the kitchen."

"Uh..." Amity glanced quickly around the table noting the expressions on everyone's face. Shit, she thought. Now there going to know my memory is failing and their going to think that Dolly is right about me becoming a senile old fool. She reached for an onion bagel, spread peanut butter on it, took a bit, chewed it slowly, and then swallowed it. "Oh, that fire," she smiled nerviously. "Of course I remember," she took a sip of coffee. "Daniella, you know I need at least three cups of coffee to get me going in the morning."

"Is that good, Mother," ask Ethan as he watched Amity eat the bagel.

"Of course!" She spread cream cheese on the bagel with the peanut butter. "It's delicious," she took a sip of coffee and then continued to eat the bagel attempting to hide the expression on her face.

"Well," Ethan smiled. "Then I guess I'll try peanut butter and cream cheese on an onion bagel." He spread the items on one side of an onion bagel and ate it. "I'll have to admit," he took a sip of coffee. "That it does give the bagel an.... uh, interesting taste." He finished the bagel and then took a bit of his eggs, hoping it would remove the odd taste from his mouth.

"I'm not as adventurous as you two," said Emily putting a couple of spoons of eggs on her plate. "However, I think I will try the hot sauce on my scrambled eggs." She picked up the hot sauce and put a few drops on her eggs. "You know, Alice, that is delicious."