Midnight in Suburbia

NaNoWriMo Day 29: Chapter 29 - Back in Las Vegas

Chapter 29: Back in Las Vegas
at last

Daniella set at her dining room table watching her mother and thinking about the last seven days in Oklahoma. She knew that there was something more wrong with Amity then simply old age, but she was not sure what. When she had talked to her mother's doctor on Monday the woman had wanted to have Amity tested for dementia among other things, but Daniella could not remain in Oklahoma for the test. Instead, she had chosen to bring Amity back to Las Vegas and have the test done here. Now all she had to do was chose a doctor, perferibly one who specialized in geoatric medicin.

"Mom," Daniella reach over and rubbed her mother right arm. "Would you like to remain here in Las Vegas until spring?"

"Why," Amity frowned. "I told you when we came here I had to get back before Christmas. I have a doctor's appointment on December 26 and then the Ladies Sowing Club is making quilts for the homeless."

"I know, Mama," Daniella sighed knowing that her mother had confused dates again. "However, since Preston and I are getting married on December 21 and then departing on our honeymoon, I need someone to stay in the house while were gone."

"Oh," Amity frowned trying to remember the date. "You'll be gone until spring then."

"Uh," she hated to lie to her mother, but she did not know any other way to handle the situation. "Mom, I did not want to say anything to you until it was done, but Ethan and I are having your house completely remodeled to make it easier for you to live on your own."

"I'm not having that much trouble, Daniella," Amity rubbed the arthetritic joints of her right hand. "I mean other then a little join pain when I do house work."

"When I talked to Ethan a few days ago," she decided another lie would not hurt. "He said it looked as if you hadn't been in the attic for years. I remember when we were kids you'd clean up the attic about every six or seven months."

Amity smiled, "Larry always thought I was weird because he'd never met anyone who insisted on cleaning the attic more then once or twice every fifteen or twenty years, if at all."

"It's been difficult for you the last few years, hasn't it, Mama?"

"Yes," Amity sighed. "What with Dolly trying to steal everything from me and the difficult climbing stairs. I guess I did let things go at home," a tear ran down her cheek. "Then there's the other things that have been happen the past year."

"What other things, Mama?"

"Well... I can't put my finger on the exact issue, but even Emily noticed it. She... she said I was becoming somewhat forgetful and..."

"And what, Mama?"

"I.. I can't remember exactly, but she seemed upset every time I went to her house. She'd call me and ask if..." Amity began to cry.

"What is it, Mama?" Daniella got up, moved her chair closer to her mother, and then sitting down in the chair she put her arm around Amity. "Aunt Emily told me you'd had several public argument with Dolly, but she didn't say much else."

"Oh, those... Yes, I believe she said something to me about those. However, it was the people coming in and out my house that bothered me."

"What people, Mama?"

"I can't remember, Daniella." She got up and started to leave the room, but then stopped. "How the hell am I supposed to find my way around this house?" She turned around and walked out onto the barbeque porch, but came running back in immediately.

"Daniella," she grabbed her daughter's hand. "There's a strange man in you back yard."

"A strange man," Daniella got up and followed her mother out onto the porch.

"See,' Amity point to the scarecrow in Daniella's vegetable garden. "He's standing right there waving at us."

"That's Ray Boulger, Mother," Daniella started laughing.

"I don't care who he is," she shouted. "Tell him to get out or I'll call the police. And stop laughing at me! It isn't funny."

"Mother," Daniella brought her laughter under control. "That's my scarecrow."

"Your scarecrow! What do you need a scarecrow for?"

"To keep the crows and other birds out of my vegetable garden." Daniella guided her mother back into the kitchen, but instead of going into into the dining room they went to the breakfast nook.

"Oh," Amity said sitting down. "I guess that makes sense." She put her head in her hands.

"What is it, Mama?"

"I... I don't know, Daniella." She sighed, "There's something wrong with me, but I don't know what."

"Mama," Daniella hugged her. "Stay here until spring. I'll get you to a local doctor who specialized in geatritic medicine. We'll find out what's wrong and then decide whether you want to stay in Las Vegas or go back to Oklahoma."

"Aren't we in Oklahoma?"

"No, Mama," a tear rolled down Daniella's cheek. "We're in my house in Las Vegas."

"Oh, I wonder why this house looked so strange." She pulled her left ear with embarsesment. "Daniella, I'm sorry to be such a burden..."

"Mama," she kissed her mother on the cheek. "You're not a burden! You're a guest in my house for the next five months and longer if you want."

"I don't want to be a burden to my children," she kissed Daniella on the cheek. "I want to be a joy, like Grandma Hattie was. She was a joy to everyone," she sighed. "Even on the day she died, she made everyone laugh."

"Mama," she sit down in the chair next to Amity. "You are a joy. I'm happy to have you as my guest, but we need to make you an appointment with a specialist to find out what's going on."

"Sometimes I think I'm losing my mind. I have to write everything down or I forget stuff."

"Mom, that's normal. I write thing down myself so that I won't forget them."

"Daniella, do you write telephone conversations down when you're having them or right after so you remember what was being said."

"No, Mom, I have to admit that I don't do that."

"Will this doctor you want me to go to tell me what's wrong."

"I hope so, Mama," Daniella frowned. "However, the diagnoses may be one you or I don't like. It may be one that will prevents you from living by yourself or going back to Oklahoma."

"The house in Oklahoma is Ethan's," she smiled. "Larry and I talked for a long time before he died about who would get the house. Since it was bought with money Grandma Hattie gave us we decided it would go to Ethan."

"I didn't know Grandma Hattie gave you the money for the house," Daniella smiled.

"No one did because she made us promise that we wouldn't say a word to Dolly or to Rodger about it." Amity laughed, "She said that she wanted to make sure that the only true grandson of Ethan Larry Shupe had a place to live."

"Then Uncle Rodger and Dolly really aren't Grandpa Ethan's children."

"No, but how'd you find out, I'm sure no one else knew."

"Uncle Rodger knows, but I don't think Dolly is aware of the fact."

"Does your Uncle Rodger know who his father was?"

"I think so, Mama."

"Oh, dear." Amity frowned, "That was supposed to be a secret... I mean..."

"Mama," Daniella smiled. "You know as well as I that there is no such thing as a secret if more then one person knows it."

"You're right, of course," she smiled. "I suppose Dolly will find out soon enough who her father was as well."

"You know?!"

"I know that Grandma Hattie wrote everything that happened to her in her journals, which I put in the boxes that are stored in the attic."

"Didn't Uncle Rodger have some of Grandma Hattie's journals?

"A few of them, but Larry stored most of her journals and all of his father's journals in trunks that we put in the attic. We put them there right after Grandma Hattie's funeral."

"I thought Dolly clean out her house."

"Not all of it," she sighed. "Larry and Rodger went through the house while everyone was gathered around her bed at the hospital. They removed all the books. They also removed all the silver she wanted Ethan to have."

"How'd they get away with that," Daniella frowned. "Grandma Hattie's lawyer gave them permission because Hattie made him promise that the only things left in the house the day she died would be the furniture and her clothing."

"Her husband didn't mind."

"No," Amity laughed. "I think he helped them because he wasn't at the hospital the day she died."

"I see," Daniella shook her head. "You know, Mom, I've learned more about this family in the past week then I ever knew or probably wanted to know."

"Yes, the Shupe's were definately a weird family."

"Weird? I'd call them disfunctional."

"I suppose that's a good word for them, Daniella, however, with the exception of Dolly they were and are a loving disfunctional family."

"Mama, you look tired. Would you like to lay down for an afternoon nap?"

"I'd like that, Daniella," she got up and looked around confused. "Where's my room?"

"This way, Mama," Daniella smiled as she took her mother's hand. The walked slowly out of the kitchen and into the dining room.

Amity stopped at the table and looked at the food. Reached down and picked up a slice of crisp bacon. "My doctor would have a fit if he knew I was eating pork or any fatty meat."

"That's turkey bacon, Mama," Daniella also pick up a slice. "It's good for you... or at least better then pork." Nibbling their bacon slices they walked into living room. Where Amity stopped again.

"That's a beautiful painting hanging over the fireplace," she said. "Who's the artist, Daniella?"

"That's one of Ethan's landscapes," she smiled. "The paintings in the dining room are also by Ethan."

"Does he make a good living at painting?"

"Between painting and acting, he makes a nice living."

"Then I suppose he won't need the house," Amity frowned.

"Now that he's getting married, he will." They continued through the living room and into Amity's bedroom.

Amity looked around, then went to the closet and removed a pale purple robe and night gown. "I know it's too early to go to bed, Daniella, but I need a nap. I don't know what's wrong with me this morning."

"Jet lag, Mama," Daniella turned back the covers. "There's about two hours difference between here and Oklahoma. Besides," she laughed. "Tonight we're going to meet Preston's mother, so we both need to look our best."

"Does she live here in..." Amity frowned and then smiled, "in Las Vegas."

"She does now," Daniella sit down in a chair while her mother got ready for bed. "She moved her from back east because of her artherites."

"What did that have to do with her moving here?"

"Nevada is usually warmer in winter and it's easier for her to deal with the climet here."

"Oh," Amity laid down in bed. "Then she will be living with you and Preston after the marriage."

"Only if we move into his house."