Secrets, Deals and Lies

Chapter 13 - Mrs Hollows

I wake up all hot and sweaty from summers’ air, breathing fast from the dream; I lick my lips panting like a fat dog gone for a long run around  the block. I look down at Billy, eyes now wide open looking at me concerned and confused. He sits up too and puts a calm arm around me as I try to even out my breathing, both watching the rising sun and the different colours in the sky.

We get hungry and decide to go back into town. He doesn’t know anything about Daniel, the men in black, not even why I was in the back of a van. And I’m planning to keep it that way.

We walk into a little café and as usual all the people stare at me. I pick the table furthest from the window, just in case, while Billy buys the both of us coffee and muffin.

We sit there in silence for a while awkwardly sipping our coffee and biting dreamily into our cake – at least I was anyway.

‘You alright?’ Billy asks after a while. It takes me a while to respond looking outside carefully at each person that goes by, ‘ah… yeah, sorry.’ I smile and look at him, the corner of my eyes still watching the people walk by.

‘How come you woke up so early and hyperventilating too?’ he looks at me concerned and I wondered if he really cared or not.

‘Just had a dream wasn’t really the best,’ I sigh now remembering, replaying each episode in my head.

By then I realised that the boy from the park reminded me of someone; someone I know; someone I’ve seen…

‘So where are you goin’ after?’ he asks cutting my thoughts off.

‘I don’t know, not sure yet. I might go for a little walk by myself, you know clear out my mind a bit.’

‘Oh, okay.’ He says a flash of disappointment in his voice, but when I blinked he was back to normal and acted like he didn’t mind at all. ‘‘Til next time then?’ he says more a knowledge than a question. I hesitate, ‘yeah,’ I reply flatly.

‘Hey,’ I call out as he opens the door to leave, ‘thanks,’ I say. He gives me one of those guys’ nods saying “no problem”, smiles and then he’s off.

I really didn’t think about where I was going or what I would do if Daniel or any of the men in black would find me. I guess I’d just have to run, again.

My first thought of going somewhere was the park; the park where I told Jack my story and just sat there watching kids running around screaming.

There were so many people up and about in the middle of the day and I knew I was bound to run into someone.

When I get near the park I see Jack and Luke walking on the footpath on the other side of the road, talking to each other; Luke looked upset about something and Jack – blank and expressionless.

As soon as I saw them I covered my face pretending the sun was too bright and tried walking next to a group of strangers. I think Jack saw me but he probably wasn’t sure if it really was me, or maybe he just didn't care.

They walk around the corner and for some reason I let out a breath of relief I didn’t know I was holding.

Just sitting there listening to people and things around me made me feel relaxed; the kids chatting, running and screaming about; the adults laughing, talking and walking about; and the sound of nature; the wind blowing and making the ‘swoosh’ sound, the leaves in the trees rustling about, and the singing and calls of the birds.

I close my eyes for a bit and lean on a tree on the outline of the oval, listening to everything around me and letting my imagination take me to places.

‘Remy?  Remy...’ I feel someone shaking me, saying my name over and over. ‘Remy…’

‘Mmm...’ I open my eyes and blink the sleep away, ‘Luke?’ Luke is standing in front of me, wiping his knees from kneeling and staring down concernedly.

‘Hey, Remy. You a’right?’

‘Yeah, just a bit tired that’s all. How are you? How’s Jack?’

‘Yeah, I'm alright. Jack said you left, and doesn’t think you’re coming back though, but… you’re still here?’ I nodded and there was a long silence for a moment. ‘Well… are you coming back?’ he asks, hope in his voice.

‘I dunno, maybe… if he wants me to… I guess.’ I look up at Luke now holding out his hand to help me up.

‘You should,’ he starts, ‘he’s pretty hard at first but when you get to know him, he’s the nicest guy in the world.’

I look away unsure what to say. ‘Look all I’m saying is that he may not have shown his feelings, yet, but both you and I know he likes you, and right now he misses you and I’m pretty sure he’s hurting right now especially the news about his father too.’

I walk around with Luke for a bit talking about other irrelevant things, like; “how’s your day?” “Do you have a pet?” or “Are you an only child?’’ and other really random things.

By the time we finish talking he said he needs to head home to help his Mum with some stuff and asked if I wanted to stay for dinner.

‘Sure, why not?’ I grin.

Luke introduces me to his mum; Mrs Hollows.

She’s in her thirties, like my dad, and amazingly beautiful. When I first saw her I thought I’ve already seen her before, probably from one of Jack’s photos.

‘Mum, this is, Remy.’

‘Remy Shantello,’ I add quickly, smiling.

She looks at me for a long time, smiles faintly with a polite nod of hello, but says nothing. She walks over to the kitchen behind a wall and Luke follows, leaving me alone at the table. I hear them whispering fiercely about something but I couldn’t really make out what. I sat at the dinner table, a six seater and waited awkwardly.

When the whispering finally stops, the both of them come out with dinner plates, forks and knives, cups and spoons and platters of food. The meal starts off nicely - talking, smiles and a bit of jokes but then the awkward silence takes over.

Mrs Hollows never took her eyes off me.

‘Thanks, Mrs Hollows. Thanks, Luke.’ I smile giving them both hugs.

‘No problem,’ Luke grins as they walk me to the door.

‘Hope you come again, Remiah,’ Mrs Hollows says as I was already down the drive way.

Remiah? I stop and turn around only to find the door already closed. How did she know my name? I haven’t told anyone my full name on this side of the island before.

Maybe she just guessed Remiah, calm down,I told myself, but I still kept thinking – confused.