T h e F o r g o t t e n

C h a p t e r T e n

© Amber Kalkes 2014

Song: "A Case Of You" By Joni Mitchell.

C h a p t e r T e n >

Robin can feel her mind and body relax as she plays the guitar. Her fingers plucking at the strings like Jessup had taught her over the years. Her eyes are closed and she feels as though she’s in the eye of a storm completely unaffected by the chaos outside of this moment.

When she was a kid the guitar was the thing that started getting her out of her shell. She was skittish especially around the giant man everyone was telling her was her father. She was afraid he’s hurt like the other men her mom had let into the house but as long as she waited for him to do something he never treated as anything less than precious.

The first time she had ever touched a guitar she had only been with her dad for about four months. She kept to herself and rarely ever spoke since her mom had always told her not to talk because the people bugging the house would hear her. They had lived in silence most of the time and Robin was used to it enough that she didn’t feel the need to speak anymore.

That night she had snuck downstairs to steal some food. She didn’t like eating in front of people afraid they thought she’s was being greedy. Instead she waited until everyone was asleep and snuck into the kitchen to eat. That night she was sitting in front of the fridge eating some cut up ham when her father’s deep voice sliced through the night. She was so scared she backed herself into a corner and started to cry telling him to stay away from her.

Grace eventually came down to check on what was happening but Jessup told her to just go check on the twins, two months old at the time. He tried everything to get to calm down but it wasn’t until he brought out the guitar, the one she was holding in her hand now, did she stop crying. He began playing a song she now knew to be ‘Wish You Were Here’ By Pink Floyd. Jessup played for her until the sunlight filtered into the house and she was close enough to reach out and touch the strings.

From that moment on she was hooked.

Finishing the song Charlie requested, ‘You Are My Sunshine’ she opens her eyes to see her dad and Luke walking back towards the porch. Robin frowns at the troubled look on his face. Luke lifts his gaze to meet hers and he sends a small smile her direction before moving down to whisper something to Charlie. Suspicious she moves her attention to her father who has his master poker face on.

“Faith why don’t you play.” Robin suggests, “Dad’s been teaching you right?”

Faith’s dark blue eyes widen as she stutters, “W-Well yeah but I’m not very good. I mean I don’t want to abuse everyone’s ear drums.”

“Thank god.” Gabe mumbles receiving a slap up the back of head from Grace.

“Be nice to your sister.”

Rolling his eyes he grumbles, “Yes, mother dear.”

“Don’t start.” Grace warns him sharply.

“Come on, Faith.” Robin taunts with a wicked grin, “Don’t chicken out on us.”

Faith shoots her a dirty look before getting up to sit on the bench by Robin. Handing the guitar to her younger sister she gets a tongue stuck out at her in response. Seeing this as her chance Robin stands up from the bench as Faith begins playing the opening chords to Grace’s favorite song, ‘Landslide’. Moving towards where Luke is standing, leaning against a pillar of the porch and crosses her hands over her chest. Luke doesn’t take long to throw an arm over her shoulders and bringing her into the space under his arm.