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Vanessa Smythe 8/31/2017 2:02:15 PM
As they walked off they threatened her to keep quiet or she would pay the penalty. She had to think of something. Time was on her hands as she wasn’t going to leave her bedroom until the Macleod family had left. The thought of the boys going through her house made her sick to her stomach. Where was her mother? Why wasn’t she keeping an eye on them?
Finally she heard her mother’s voice. Lucinda bade them farewell as they made their way to the car. Vanessa watched from her window as she heard a comment coming from one of the boys about her mother’s perfume being strong. Their pushing and shoving stopped when Gavin locked eyes with Vanessa through the window. Cold chills ran down her spine as she thought that if there was a devil, then that’s what he would look like. Even if you have to move because of money; it’s sad. Things went from bad to worse as it was only a matter of weeks before Mason proposed. He didn’t have enough money for a ring but Lucinda didn’t mind as she already had enough rings of her own. Her mother was completely blinded by the love for this man. To add insult to injury, he suggested that she sell her old wedding and engagement rings to buy a new one from him.
Slowly, over the months, Mason pushed Justin out of her life. Even photos of her late husband were packed away to be replaced with photos of Mason and Lucinda having a good time. Vanessa knew that it was a way to remind Lucinda of the fun times that they were having together. Like a cat, he crept into the house, spending more and more time there. Vanessa had to fend for herself as her mother waited on him constantly and was far too busy to look after her own child.
More months passed but Vanessa didn’t mind as now she didn’t have to clean the house any longer and there was more than baked beans in the pantry to eat. She could live like this until she was eighteen and then she would be free to leave. Then the rare occasion came that her mother spoke to her.
‘I have some news,’ Lucinda spoke as she entered her daughter’s bedroom.
Vanessa was surprised that she knew where it was, as she hadn’t been near her room for so long. She was glad to hear her mother speak to her but the last time she gave her news, it had been bad.
‘Mason has sold his house and we will be able to get married which means that they will all be moving in here with us,’ excitement was written all over her mother’s face.
Excitement, however, was the last thing on Vanessa’s face. She had been dreading this moment. How would she put up with them? She would have to keep out of their way and live in her bedroom until she turned eighteen. The other thing that was bothering her was the fact that Mason had lied to her. He didn’t have a house to sell. Obviously, he had been kicked out of the granny flat for doing who knows what or he had run out of money. Then she thought that he might have been told to go back to work. The reasons were countless but it didn’t matter as now he would have money to live on; her mother’s allowance.
‘Just one thing, Mum,’ she pleaded, ‘don’t, tell them about my inheritance and do I have to be your bridesmaid?’
Lucinda laughed as she walked out of the room. ‘We’re getting married at the registry office.’
The dreaded day had come for the Macleod family to move their belongings into the house. She hoped that the boys were involved in some sport activity that would keep them out of her way. On the contrary, they obviously liked being at home as Gavin moved his drums into his bedroom. William and Richard moved guitars and speakers into their rooms while the lounge room was taken over by consoles and games. It was plain to see that Mason was already spending the money. The one computer in the house, that was used once in a while, was now going to be used all the time. Like a tidal wave the boys had taken over the house. From her room she could hear their plans for buying other things that they could use. They decided on new motorbikes as theirs were on the way out. Judging by the way they treated their possessions, Vanessa wasn’t surprised to hear that they needed new things.
She could hear Gavin talking to the others about how they were debt free because now they would have no bills to pay. They were figuring out plans of how to get their father to buy stuff for them. As the house was on an acre, it was too small to ride on so they had to come up with a plan to move to a bigger property. Hearing Gavin speak made Vanessa cringe.
‘Dad will give us anything to get us out of the way, especially now that he has someone who is there for his every need.’
Burying her head in the pillow, Vanessa cried to herself, wishing that her mother could hear what the boys were saying.
A few days later, Vanessa, woke to an argument. The slurring from her mother made her think that she was drugged but, knowing Lucinda, she presumed it was too much wine. Still she was shocked as their home had always been filled with happiness when her father was alive and she wasn’t used to hearing people yelling at each other. Mason was arguing with Lucinda and she hoped that her mother had woken up to what he was really like. She listened as Mason had just found out about the allowance. He complained that he used to get more money from the government. Lucinda was saying anything for him to be happy.
‘I’ll sell my car and my jewellery,’ she sobbed.
Mason was quick to point out that the money from her assets would only last for a few years and then they would be back to living on a budget again. Vanessa couldn’t believe her luck as he started to pack his bag. He was finally leaving. Her wish had come true. She started to think about sleeping in her room without the desk being wedged up against the door. How the house would be quiet without the boys playing music and having the speakers up so high that the house would shake when they played their games. She wouldn’t have to cringe any longer at the sight of them glaring at her whenever she had to leave her room. Feeling relieved, she fell back on her pillow and waited.
