"Alright! Home sweet home!"
We drive up to a tiny, old looking house that had paint peeling off in several places. I try not to look as surprised as I feel. This is... definitely ok, I don't need a mansion. But these guys must've hit a rough patch. Their old house was a ton bigger than this.
I swallow my school and get out of the car while Josie comes around to get Franklin. I met her on the side of the car and stare up at the entryway. Josie put Franklin on her hip. She looks at me and chuckles a little. Shrugging she admits, "It's not much but it ain't as bad inside as it looks on the outside."
I'm sure a turn a bright shade of pink at the thought that she caught me so... Confused by the new place.
Aunt Cassie still hasn't gotten out. She rolls down the window of the passenger seat and calls to Josie. "I'm... Im gonna go the the store, Josie. Help Gen get settled and watch Franklin. I'll be home soon. Ok?"
Josie seems really nervous for some reason. She casts her gaze downward and pushes out a strained, "K Mom." She looks up again nervously. "Remember what you promised me..." she says in a warning tone, as if she were the mother.
"Darling, don't worry about me. Love you all!" And she's off.
Josie watches her until she turns the corner. Then she buzzes her lips and sets Franklin down. "Alright," she sighs, turning to me. "Guess it's just you, me, and Frankfurt here."
"Frankfurt?" I laugh.
Josie smiles mischievously. "He has so many word nicknames at this point..."
Franklin still hasn't said a word to me and now, he clutches onto Josie's leg again.
"Ahhhh," Josie grunts, spanking him teasingly. She looks back up at me. "He'll warm up to ya."
I smile.
Josie grabs Franklin's hand. "Alright! Welp. Let's head inside."
We get to the door and she leans down to get her key from under a rock.
"Stupid hiding place I know. But we haven't been robbed yet, so, eh." She shrugs. I nod, not in the mood to try and come up with a reply just so we can keep up the small talk.
Josie fumbles either lock until it opens at last. She pushes open the door and something inside skids across the floor.
"Oh for the love of blueberry muffins," she grunts. "Frank, could you put your toys somewhere besides right behind the front door??"
Frank giggles as we all make our way inside. Josie bends down to pick some sort of cardboard box off the floor and quickly crushes it and shoves it in her back pocket. In a tone that sounds hauntingly nervous to me she mumbles, "We really need to clean this place up a bit."
As if just remembering I'm here, she turns to face me and claps her hands. "Right! Uh... Follow me. I'll show you your room."
I silently follow her as Franklin stays behind, reaching for the giant toy dump truck that had been knocked out of the way by the door.
We squeezed through a tiny kitchen still piled up with dishes and entered a short hallway. Four little bedrooms packed in. Josie leads me into the first one to the left. We stand at the entrance for a little. Josie seems to be getting embarrassed. She runs her face and frantically searches for words.
"Ah geez, I'm sorry. I can help you clean out the old clutter."
I scan the room. Old magazines are scattered across the floor, an old doll lies with her limbs sprawled out in one corner and there's even an old crib. I muster up a smile and reassure her that it'll be a great place. She shoots me a grateful smile.
"Crap. Where the heck did Frank go?" she mutters. Then she nervously scampers off. I'm beginning to get nervous. I don't mind a small place, that's not my problem. But the way that everything is so messy, the weird way Josie's been acting as if she has something to hide...
If they're going through a struggle financially I have no idea why they'd take me in. I'll only be another mouth to feed.
"FRANKLIN!"
Josie's screech startles me so much I wind up hiding my funny bone on the side of the door. Frank's cries soon follow and I march my way back up to the front of the house to make sure everything's ok.
"For the love of all that is real food! Franklin!"
I get to the front just in time to see Josie yank something out of Frank's hands.
"Everything ok?"
Josie let's out an exasperated sigh. "Yeah. Genius here nearly choked on a fake lemon." She laughs sounding far away. She snaps out of her trance and picks up Franklin.
"Aaaaaanyway. Need help unpacking?"
"You don't have to worry about me. I've got it."
She shifts Franklin to her other hip. "I guess. But the room we have you is a pig's stye and I feel bad about it."
I shrug. "Extra room; random stuff gets thrown in there."
I rack my brain to try and figure out where I left my suitcase when I realize...
"Oh shoot. I left my stuff in your mom's car."
"Ohhhh."
"That's fine I'll get it later."
"Ok."
From the way Josie and I had a heart to heart just the other day, I hadn't expected talking to her to be this awkward and difficult. Maybe it's my fault. I'm on a very weird mood after everything. I'm still regretting being so stupidly shy that I couldn't even bring myself to ask Aunt Cassie if we could stop by the hospital.
I feel as if God is tugging at my heart to just... Talk to Him in some much needed prayer time.
Tomorrow, I silently tell Him. Tomorrow...
Franklin lets out a random whine and so Josie lets him loose again.
"Maybe I can help you!" I offer. "I could help with the dishes and-"
"I couldn't ask you to do that," she insists.
"I'd be happy to, Josie."
She lets it a long breath through her nose and studies me for a moment. Then she looks at the ground. "Sorry that your welcome wasn't better. It's not always this messy... We just rushed out as soon as we heard news that you were alive and-"
"Josie," I laugh. "I want to help. I don't need to know why it's a little bit messy."
Josie scratches her arm and kicks another small cardboard box that's on the floor.
Then she gives in with a simple, "Ok."
