13 WINDOWS

Chapter 8 Part 1: INVESTIGATIONS

As Serena drove through the maze of the Rosedale streets she couldn't help but notice how out of place the Hildens' house was. Sitting amongst the green lawns of the Victorian era houses was a 10-foot high concrete wall surrounding the Hilden property on all sides. The entrance through the fortress was a wooden door that had a black bubble eye security camera sticking out from the middle, like the ones that hang in casinos.

Serena had not told Rupert that she was going to visit his mother. But if she was going to spend the rest of her life with him...or not...she wanted to know exactly what his problem was. She wanted to try to help him.

Serena knew that Sandra Hilden suffered from agoraphobia and rarely emerged from her house. Her food and liquor were delivered from a nearby market and liquor store. She would only occasionally walk outside around the neighbourhood.

She had only met Mrs. Hilden once, when Rupert had won an award for his graphic design in television. When they had finally met Serena had been surprised at how striking a woman Sandra was. She had aged well. Her hair was long and grey with a few streaks of her original blond hair left. She had never had plastic surgery done on her face, like so many other Rosedale women, and her wrinkles had settled in naturally. Serena could only hope to age that well.

Serena worked up her nerve as she stood outside the door. She had faced many audiences and film cameras, so why was talking to her future mother-in-law making her so nervous? She pressed the intercom and after a few moments a woman's voice answered. The woman sounded quite alarmed.

"Who is this?!" asked the voice through the intercom.

Since Serena knew about Sandra's mental disorders she knew it was important to stay calm with her. She replied softly, "It's me. Serena. Rupert's fiancée."

The voice that replied was suddenly warm and welcoming. "SERENA! Wait right there! I'll be down in a moment."

Serena waited for what seemed like ten minutes when suddenly the wooden door creaked open a sliver. She saw Sandra's left eye peaking through. Then it opened all the way. Sandra seemed disheveled and her eyes were glassy. Serena hugged Sandra warmly after the gate door had closed behind them. There was a distinct smell of booze on Sandra's breath and pot smoke on her clothes.

The garden in front of the old Rosedale house had over grown. Ivy had almost completely overtaken the exterior of the house. It looked as if no one had done any gardening in many years. Even the steps to the front door were covered with vines.

When Serena stepped through the old concrete doorway, she was shocked to see that the house was filthy inside. Rupert's mother was a hoarder! The next thing she noticed was a picture of Rupert's dead father hanging in the main living room over the fireplace. Andrew Hilden had died in a car accident in the late '90s. She had seen many pictures of him. He had dark curly hair and brown eyes, similar to Rupert, and a pleasant look on his face. He looked like Rupert did on those rare occasions when she could get him to relax.

Serena stumbled over piles of old Yellow Pages as Sandra led her to the kitchen. The air had the ashy stench of mold. Cobwebs seemed to be everywhere. At one point she even spotted a dead squirrel. Rupert had never let on that this was happening!

"Want some tea? Don't worry the cups are clean," laughed Sandra. "I know it's a little messy. I wasn't expecting you."

"Um... Sorry. I'll pass. I'm allergic...to caffeine. Anyway, I was just in the neighbourhood," she said trying to change the subject. There was no way she was eating or drinking anything in this house. "I grew up around here too. I used to walk by here to go to school on Mt. Pleasant."

After the kettle had boiled they stood awkwardly in the kitchen, since almost all of the floor space was covered in junk.

"And so to what do I owe the honour of this visit?" asked Sandra pleasantly sipping on her Earl Grey tea.