The Zachary Donovan Enigma - (( Watty Awards! ))

The Zachary Donovan Enigma - (14)

Chapter Fourteen.

(14)

“There’s got to be some sort of moral code against this,” I mumbled from the doorway, frowning at Riley who sat cross-legged in the middle of Gran’s old room, pulling out the contents of a draw. “I mean, we just went to her funeral.”

Riley just shrugged, holding a sparkling broach up to the light, “You don’t have to help; just means all the more cool stuff for me.”

I snorted. “What makes you think Gran had any cool stuff?”

“Challenge accepted!” Riley grinned, quickly throwing down the broach and turning to rummage through the pile of things he’d accumulated next to him. I just rolled my eyes.

After Dinner, mum had bribed Riley and me into cleaning out Gran’s room by saying we could keep whatever we liked; while the rest was going to be donated. To me, it seemed a little rude to the spirit of Gran or something that we were cleaning out her room before the dirt on her grave had barely even had enough time to settle. But apparently now was the only time the Salvo’s would take a donation this big; mostly because they were planning on being rather busy in the lead up to Christmas.

But I still felt bad; like we were trying to get Gran out of our lives as soon as possible. Didn’t most people leave bedrooms of passed loved ones untouched for years before finally cleaning it out?

Again, I wouldn’t really know.

Finally Riley pulled out a scrap of material “Ta-da!” he cried excitedly.

I eyed it curiously, trying to figure out what it was when suddenly he stuffed it on his head. “It’s a panda beanie! Now try and tell me that that’s not cool.”

I began to admit that that was pretty cool, and wondered why I’d never seen Gran wearing it; until I saw the holes cut into the side. I tried to suppress a giggle, unsuccessfully. “Riley, that’s not a beanie. It’s a tea cossie.”

Riley blushed slightly and spun in his spot to check his reflection in the mirror. “Aw, damn it,” he sighed, but still leaving it on his head. “Well, it’s still pretty cool.”

“Agreed,” I nodded.

“So are you going to help me or not?” asked Riley, turning back to his set of draws.

I sighed. “I guess so,” I said, crouching down on the carpet beside my brother. “Though I don’t know why this couldn’t have waited for like another week. It’s like we’re just trying to forget about her.”

Riley just shrugged again, not wanting to argue on the matter.

I aimlessly raked my fingers through the pile of stuff Riley had decided to donate until something caught my eye. “Hey, this is nice,” I said, pulling out an opal necklace from the pile.

Riley gave the necklace a once over then made the ‘you can’t seriously be serious’ face.

“Really?” he spluttered finally. “You think that’s nice? Wow. You really have no sense in fashion Cass.”

“And this is coming from the boy who wears socks and thongs... and tea cossies,” I countered, crossing my arms across my chest.

“That was three years ago!” he cried, “and my feet were getting cold,” he mumbled as an afterthought.

“Whatever,” I shrugged, grinning at how upset he was by my comment. “Still though, how can you not like it? Its opal!”

Riley leaned over and tapped the slightly cloudy oval rock, “Maybe you didn’t notice the ton of scratches in it? It’s like it’s been kept in a draw full of sharpened knives. It’s ruined.”