"Um," she said, her face quickly filling with disapproval. Then her eyes focused on my overnight bag. "I want you to know right from the start that I don't tolerate alcoholic beverages, drugs, smoking of any kind in the rooms, or excessive noise."
"Neither do I. ma'am." I said, and a girl behind me yelped. I turned and looked back at them. They were all smiling.
"All visitors must sin in," she told me, and pushed a clipboard toward me. I put down my bag and signed my name on the blank line, noting that I was the first visitor of the day, and yet that boy was upstairs in one of the girl's rooms.
She turned the clipboard toward her to check that I had written my real name. I guess, and then turned it back. Just then, the front door opened, and Brenda and Celia entered.
"When did you get here?" Brenda asked without even saying hello. She didn't look at the woman behind the desk. either.
"A few minutes ago."
"Come on. honey." Celia said. She put her arm around my shoulders and squeezed me against her. Then she kissed my cheek. Brenda just stood watching,
"This is our guest, Ms. Gitman," Brenda told the woman who had questioned me. "My sister. April."
"I already know that. She's signed in. I've told her our rules," she replied.
"Thank you," Brenda said. "Now. I won't have to."
Celia giggled, and they marched me though the double doors to the stairway.
"That's Ms. Gitalong," Celia said. 'Now you know why we want your uncle to make her disappear. We should go up the stairs. The elevator takes..."
"Forever. I know. I went up on it before."
"Oh, you went up to our room?"
"Yes, but before I signed in. She wasn't there when I arrived."
"She was probably back in her quarters pulling the legs off grasshoppers or something. We didn't expect you would get here this fast, did we. Brenda?"
I looked at Brenda. She kept her eyes away from me and just walked on ahead. She was making me feel very nervous.
"Brenda's a little upset," Celia whispered. "Don't worry," she added.
Brenda didn't talk until we got into their room and I had put down my bag. Then she turned, her arms folded under her breasts, and looked at me.
"What happened to Mama?" she asked as if whatever had happened was somehow was my fault. "Why didn't she come?"
"I thought she was going to right up to the last minute. Brenda," I said. "She didn't say anything at breakfast, and then she went to her room. and I went to mine, thinking she was getting dressed, but when I went to get her. I found her in bed complaining about arthritis. She told me she had already called you. She said Celia spoke with her," I added, looking at Celia.
"How could you leave her?" Brenda snapped at me. Before I could answer. I started to cry.
"Stop it!" Brenda said sharply.
She made me leave," I said through my sobs. "She said you would want me here."
"Of course. I want you here. I'm just concerned, that's all," she added, softening a bit.
"Everything will be all right. Brenda." Celia said. "April will be with me."
"I'm not worried about her. I'm worried about my mother."
"So am I," I said. "but she said she would be very unhappy if I didn't go. She said it was just her arthritis, and she had been to the doctor, who told her to rest and take same painkillers."
"She never told me that."
"Me. neither," I said.