Goodbye Normal (3 page)

“Okay, I’ll let this one go, but at least don’t call me that in front of everybody.” she begged coyly.

“I will think about it.” he said, pretending to be very serious.

Joe had grown fond of telling her “I’m arms away when you need me kiddo.” and in the long run it became their thing.

They walked out of the office and invited the kitchens heat back to their chilled skins.

“Goodnight guys.” She said.

A chorus of replies erupted from different corners of the kitchen until she was out of their sights.

When she opened the door to the diner, she found Liz’s eyes locked in a good looking waiter behind the counter. Zoe was certain that he was a new guy, because she couldn’t remember seeing him there before. It looked like he was explaining to her about some recipe. But Zoë was almost sure that, there was nothing about the recipe Liz was interested in.

“So you wait for about twenty minutes and voila, desert ready to serve.” the guy explained ebulliently.

“Oh twenty minutes right?” Liz wondered faking the interest. Instinctively she turned to the door and saw Zoe shaking her head and smiling at her knowingly.

She smiled coyly at the cute waiter and said “thank you so much George, I will soon be back for more recipes.”

“No problem Lizbeth.” George replied, smiling back at her.

Joe came out of the kitchen door with a khaki bag on his hand.

“Kiddo, get this for your mother, and tell her I said um…” he stopped for a second, his face winced then continued “I said hi.”

Zoe rolled her eyes at him and walk towards him for the package. With a scorn on her face for calling her kiddo, she said “Are you kidding me Joe!”

“Goodnight Zoe.” he replied joyfully.

It was no news that Joe had fancied her mother for the longest time. But he came to accept that she was too heartbroken for any kind of relationship. Only that he had never called it quits. And Zoe thought it was sweet even for an old age romance.

“You amaze me! You don’t waste time at all, do you?” Zoe commented while Liz opened the diner’s door for them.

“Did you take a good look at him?” Liz asked, her face puckered with anticipation “And besides, heal a broken heart by finding a sweetheart, and I think I just scored me one.” she winked.

“Where did you get that from?” her eyes flickered with unmistakable interest.

“Just to prove that there are smart blondes in this world. It’s mine, I made it up.”

“Well… I for one like it. Hope not to use it though.” She said thoughtfully settling in the car.

“Fingers crossed girlfriend, but with this crooked world, who knows.” Liz snickered, her hands on the ignition.

Zoe gnashed her teeth and made an angry face, which only made Liz laugh some more… The witty comment was annoyingly true.

“That smells really good,” Liz sniffed “It’s making me feel hungry. But since I have a dormant metabolism unlike you I’ll have to pass.” she sighed and caressed her stomach involuntarily.

“Yep. That’s Joe’s Cuban sandwich, mom’s favorite. Joe takes advantage and makes it an aphrodisiac.”

 “The poor guy, so Joe still has the hots for your mother huh?”

“Story of his life.”

As Liz concentrated on driving the car, Zoe scanned through the streets beside her. Lights flashed before her eyes, with people scurrying by peacefully to their destinations. It was not a very busy night. Not like it was ever really busy. She wondered silently how dreadful Desolia used to be, all in the name of witchcraft! Not once in her life had she experienced any abnormality or wickedness of any sort. It was a beautiful tropical island with an assorted mix of cultures from all over the world. Grateful to globalization people were not stupid enough to dwell on the insubstantial abominable past events. The town flourished to a beautiful habitat for lovely people. An unconscious smile crept on her lips. Coincidently, Liz glanced her way.

“What are you smiling about?”

“Nothing really, just excited about getting my own car, was tryna think of a name for it.” she lied bluntly and bit her inner lip.

 Something she was good at even without trying so hard. Her face even lit up as she said it. No wonder her mother thought she would make a fine actress. What’s worse, she wasn’t sure about the purpose for the lie. But it could be the fact that Liz could talk round the clock about Desolia and not tire one bit. She would start with how the town has an incredible history like no other in the world, were as Zoe thought it had a heartbreaking history. Debating anything with Liz needed preparation and she was not prepared for a verbal fight. She already got enough history at home and she was certain she was not up to that discussion.

“Well what did you come up with?” Liz inquired.

“Can’t find something suitable yet. I thought of it and decided I will have to see it first, to decide.” she informed.

“Yeah that’s better… I have to get some groceries since nobody else bothers at home, you want something?” Liz glanced at her as she drove toward a store.

“Don’t think so, but let me call mom and see if she needs anything.”

When she got to it, Liz parked then waited as Zoe called her mother.

Right after a few beeps and a click Carol picked up.

“Hey mom.”

“Hi darling, where are you? I came home to a complete mess! Why did you leave Zack alone?” Carol complained.

Zoe grimaced.

“I went out with Liz, I’m sorry mum, but I thought you won’t be long, plus I urged him not to mess things up. Anyway, we’ll be there shortly. Do you need anything am at a store right now.”

“I don’t think Zack heard you. About the groceries, if you have enough get me some bread….wait let me check the fridge.”

She waited by her phone and heard her mother footsteps skitter about, and then she was back on.

 “Pac of eggs, spaghetti, milk, sugar and cereals and um do you know the…oh hell I’ll get the rest of it myself. Is that okay?”

“Got it, I think I can manage.”

“Thank you honey, drive safe and say hi to Liz.”

“Okay mom, see you in five.”

“Okay.” Carol finished and the line went dead.

They ambled over to the store. After short minutes of comparing and contrasting a variety of stuffs, decision was made and they reached an understanding of what to buy and what not to. They paid the cashier and stormed out of the store with bags full.

Liz dropped Zoe off on their driveway, asked her to tell Carol and Zack that she said goodnight and with that, was out of sight.

Zoe scrambled hurriedly to her house, ascended the few stairs on the porch and got inside the warm environment.

“Mom, Zack am home.” she called out.

“In the kitchen.” Carol replied.

She found her busy scrubbing a pot. Her mother was tall, healthy weight, short brown straight hair and matching brown eyes. She had a beautiful long face that was warm and friendly. Zoe’s footsteps made her turn to meet her eyes.

“Came from Joe’s, he told me to say hi and asked me to give you this.” She walked towards her and handed over the khaki bag. But instead she had to wait till her mother was done rinsing her hands.  When Carol was done, she wiped her hands on a kitchen towel, took the package and peeped inside.

A small smile crept on her face, deepening her laugh lines. “Thank you dear, so did you get everything I asked?” she changed topics fast enough not to give way for further discussion.

“Yes.” she breathed “everything you asked for, where is Zack?” she asked while stocking the fridge with groceries.

“In his room, doing God knows what. He’s already had his dinner so it’s just you and me. There are chicken noodles and sandwiches, but I guess this sandwich will make a big difference.” Gloria grinned and placed a piece of the sandwich on a clean plate.

“Haven’t eaten those in ages.” Zoe salivated.

“Yeah. same here.” Carol chuckled.

“Oops and mom I nearly forgot, Joe also gave me this.” she handed her the cheque.

“Wow.” Her face lit with surprise “That’s very generous of him.”

“I know, he such a…” Zoe sorted out the right word “good guy, very kindhearted”

“Mmhuh” Carol agreed still looking at the check. Zoe’s mouth fell out open, her brow rose,
that’s all. Mmh, seriously…Moooom
she groaned inwardly.

“So what kinda car will you get?” Carol asked while Zoe rolled her eyes over another quick change of subject.

“Any, as long as I fall in love with it. I will go with any.”

“You should at least have a priority first whatsoever.”

“I’m getting a used car mom! I can’t afford to be picky.”

Carol shrug, “What am trying to say is, even though it’s just a used car, they also have names and models, so have you thought about a specific kind?”

“Yea, a Lamborghini, Some cozy convertibles…” she quipped.

“Very nice choices honey.” she commented ironically “Which dealers are you planning to buy from?”

“Penguins.”

“Oh, good. They don’t have scrapped cars out there. I wish you get something good.”

Zoe smiled “Me too… am super excited.”

Later in the night, after dinner was served and casual chit chat became lull, everyone dispersed to their respective bedrooms. While in hers, Zoë was back to her mirror, freshened up, hair combed and teeth brush. Only that this time she wasn’t staring at her image, but the photo images on the top of her mirror frame.

Stuck on the carved wood by super glue, the first photo was of Zoe, her mother and father. They were seated on the yellow pews of the school’s basketball court. Zoe was six years old at the time. She was stubborn, skinny but very energetic and a total daddy’s girl. She traced a finger over the old memory.

Zackary Brown. Her father had been black, tall and a well built man. He had been involved in an accident 11 years ago. The doctors had said that his wounds were too severe and that he had lost so much blood. He didn’t make it.

He used to be the basketball coach at Doomsberg high School. Thinking about him only made her weary, but she couldn’t help it. She hopelessly wished she had more memories of him. They had been close and her mother told her they have a lot in common. Either way she was left with beautiful memories of him.

 She made sure to look at the picture everyday in the last eleven years so as not to forget his face. And the mirror was the best place to make sure she remembered. Losing him had taken a toll on them, most especially her mother. Three years later a miracle happened. It had been a miracle when she snapped out of the depression with the aid of Connor’s charms. Connor Kittens was Zack’s father. He was a lean, tall white man.

The next picture was not complete; someone’s head was missing, because she had purposefully deducted it. It demonstrated a crooked impatient cut that had not waited for a scissors. The picture consisted of Zoe, her mother, Zach who was a week old on their mother’s protective embrace and Connor, whose head was missing.

He had left them that very night without a simple goodbye. In the picture they all had smiley faces filled with hopes of new beginnings with a new happy family.  Only that they were not on the same page with their new dad. She winced at the memory and quickly shifted attention to the next picture.

The last picture glued to the frame was of Zoe and Liz, on their graduation. Bff’s. A warm smile arched on her lips as she thought of the million memories they shares together.

A chilly breeze passed through their quiet neighborhood. Creepy rattles from her windows made her jolt and jump to her feet. She dragged them to switch of the lights then crawled back to her soft bed. There was no hustle into getting sleep, she was too tired to last ten minutes and she was off.

The bright rays of early morning sunlight crept in to her room. They streamed through her big glass windows, onto her creamy walls and up on the messy bed. The touch of sunlight on her olive skin complimented her skin color but disturbed her dreamy state. Zoe slowly gave in to the distraction and her thick lashes shot up. She gathered herself up and breathed in the fresh Saturday air.
Wait a minute,
she thought. It was not only the fresh air she could smell, she sniffed again like a police dog and awareness shot to her brain. It was the smell of something more alluring, something like hot chocolate, everybody’s favorite.

She took a brief look at the gleaming window and saw another day with an engaging weather. She smiled with pleasure and jumped of bed with an unforeseen appetite.

Zoe walked through the hallway to the kitchen and found Carol making pancakes. As a matter of fact, that was how her mother dealt with any kind of emotional overdoes. Cooking.

Be it sadness, joy, frustration, anger or anything that got her emotional. Carol ran to her kitchen for the rescue. She would busy herself in the kitchen trying new recipes, or simply blowing pans with her own inventions until her adrenaline cooled. With relevance to her personality, she was a private person and had funny ways of showing emotion. Unfortunately that same gene was not shared with her, rather given abundantly to her kid brother Zack. He always kept it simple and quiet.

At first they thought it was lack of a father figure that caused his solitary preferences. Luckily a series of therapy sessions revealed that even their mother had been a very quiet person growing up. Zack was as normal a kid as he could get. He didn’t do everything he was told. Always had to be forced to eat vegetables, and had friends who went over once in a while. He was even better at the friend sector than her sister. In correlation to it all, he was just a private person and nothing to be worried over.  Looking at her mother working her magic that morning, Zoe was not sure if it was the same case of emotional overdoes or just the normal motherly routine.

“Morning mom.”

“Morning dear.” she replied pleasantly.

Ah…looks like just the motherly routine after all.

 “I thought I only smelled coco but am sniffing something else too.”

“Your nostril haven’t failed you darling, it’s vanilla. Mixed some drops in the pancake mix.” Carol explained sounding gallant.

“You are up early, how was your night?” Carol observed with a hint of surprise in her tone.

She wasn’t about to say how she missed her dad. It may have been years ago, but he was her mother’s one true love and a very sensitive subject, so she decided to do what she does quite well. Lie.

“For the record I’m always up early and the night was wonderful. I pretty much slept the minute I got of the shower.” She said, strolling with a mug on her hand to the hot chocolate pot by the range.

“That’s good, so did I. Tiresome work days equates heavy sleepy nights.”

With the steaming cup halfway to Zoe’s mouth “Good morning best friend” Liz greeted her coming through the kitchen door with her own mug on her hand. Zoe jolted, almost soaking herself with the hot coco.

Her eyes wide with surprise “Yikes, Liz! you scared me, what are you… a ghost! where in the world are you coming from, do….do you even know what time it is, did you sleep here or something” she blabbered rapidly. 

She knew for a fact that Liz could be anything but not an early riser. There must be a very good explanation for her presence that hour.

A chuckle escaped Carol’s her lips “Am sorry honey, I forgot to tell you, she came in like fifteen minutes ago.”

Zoe shifted her gaze to her mom and back to the cause of her sheer panic.

A wicked grin was glittering on Liz’s face “stop glaring at me, I know I don’t look that scary.” she quetched, making herself the victim. She threw herself a quick look at her body, on denim blue skinny jeans and a black spagetti top.

“The thing is, Dad left for some business trip. Just dropped him off at the airport and since he is the only parent I could stand in my household, I came to the other parent I can at least try to stand.” Liz explained and turned her head to Carol “No offence Carol.”

Carol shook her head “None taken dear.” she said smiling, her eyes not leaving the heating pancake in the pan.

Shortly after Liz’s divulgence was out in the open for all to hear, Zack strode in the kitchen looking abnormally busy with books on his hands. With his pajamas still on, he looked tired than he should be.

“Good morning” he greeted them with groggy eyes fixed on Liz. The look on his face was not very different from Zoe’s earlier on, a total shock!

“What?” Liz rolled her eyes. “Don’t you people ever get early visitors?” she blundered out. Zoe snorted trying to prevent a huge laugh from surfacing her lips “well if you don’t, then count yourselves lucky, there is a first time for everything.”

 “What an obvious way of putting it.” Zoe laughed.

“Do you have a better way of putting it?” Liz argued and watched Zoe goof around with her coco.

“Just saying.” Zoe defended with a small voice.

Zack shrugged not really caring what her reason was. He motioned his feet quickly and sat on a chair in the kitchen table with his books stationed on the table.

“Sleep good darling?” Carol asked him.

He nodded “uhuh.”

Leaning on the kitchen counter, Zoe shifted her wavering glance from Zack to Liz, who went ahead to sit beside Zack on the table. The steaming cup she was holding blocked her mischievous grin. She found herself contemplating on how different the two were. They actually were too different. Zack the silent one, only talked when it was necessary and Liz, well… everything he was not.

She watched in anticipation on the interesting fight that was about to break loose. Zoe threw a glance under her lashes and noticed she was the only spectator. Her mother was preoccupied with rinsing the utensils she had used.

“What’s that your reading” Liz asked Zack, already going for the book in between his small arms. Two other books were neatly placed beside Zack, but the one that caught Liz’s eye was the one Zack was devouring.

Zack who was protecting his territory with his small arms looked like he was having
the time of his life
.

He winced “just history.” discomfort at its finest. His hinge pressed as hard as it could on the book.

“Dude, I just want to see it.” Liz probed, her face creasing. She was trying so hard to get hold of the book. It was becoming a tug of war.

Not giving up on the fight, both of Zack’s arms were now fiercely pinned on the book. The energy between them was getting tense, and Carol’s wrong timing treat came for the rescue of the poor book from tearing apart.

“Okay. I’m done.” Carol sighed closing the water tap on the sink.

“Get rid of the books, no more books for now. Pancakes are ready and its breakfast time.” Carol urged as she removed the books from the table.

 A wave of disappointment washed through the now silent scrap. It looked like they were seriously competing and sadly no victor was to be acclaimed. Zoe’s face crinkled, also disappointed. She was looking forward for some real life drama right under her roof.

Carol veered about and noticed the scornful faces “What’s going on here, you guys look like you’ve been up to something. In case you’ve forgotten am a teacher, my job is literally based on spotting and solving children’s disputes.”

“No Carol, Zack and I were just…Bonding.” Liz said, smiling ironically.

 The face Liz had on was a guilty as charged face. Zack’s face was expressionless.

“Bonding huh?” Carol’s tone sounded unconvinced “I don’t buy that, but right now am too hungry to butt in, am just glad that no one is bleeding or crying.” she mocked as she arranged plates on each chair.

Zoe glided past them and pulled out a chair on the table facing Zack while Carol sat beside her facing Liz.

Midway through the unavoidable process of breakfasting, Zack broke the tranquility.

“Mom you know my friend Jerald?” he spoke with a mouth full.

“Yes darling I do, and Zack honey, I will hear you better if you chew first before you speak.” Carol corrected diplomatically.

He nodded and obediently did as he was instructed, then continued “well, he told me…am…Is it true that Doomsberg was a land of witches and wizards? And that’s where the name was derived?”

Carol settled the cocoa mug she was holding on the table mat and cleared her throat.

“About the name…Eer yes, but not the witches.” She swallowed hard and composed herself. Zoe noticed that her mother looked rather expansive after all it was her specialty.

“Let me break it down like the historian I am, so those friends of yours don’t lie to you again. Now, here goes the history of Desolia. In the very end of the 18
^th
century when lands, islands and other territories were being discovered, distributed and dominated, there was also a fast growing rate of slave trafficking. Slavery was like the It business of the time.

“Desolia used to be a slave trade center, accommodating unlimited amount of dealers from everywhere across the country. Since the island was situated in between North and South America, a good number of slave dealers took that as an advantage and made it the perfect intermediary.

“After the discovery of gold in the island, which didn’t take a very long time due to the growing agriculture, the island grew to be very versatile, extremely multicultural and populated because both the gold and slavery attracted people from all around the world.

Some people came from Asia, Europe and Fareast all in search of the American dream.

“So the island began decentralizing. Goldberry became the big town which is now the capital city. Sweetlake was heavy in sugar plantation; I guess that’s where the name came from. Clerktown was the like the island business center, and lastly Doomsberg was where most people settled, both migrants and immigrants. 

 “Unfortunately in the midst of slave trading, agriculture and gold excavation, there was a disease breakout, it was an incurable epidemic. People died irrepressibly. Children, women, youth, old people all of them were just washed away. Others died in the mines hence untraceable.

“After failed searches, families of the deceased declared that, they had vanished mysteriously and the atrocious rumors began. Doctors from all over the world failed to contrive the remedy for the epidemic. That was ultimately the biggest mistake. It led to the indigenous verification that the mysterious problem was caused by witchcraft. The island was literally wiped out by the pestilent disease. People started shooing away from Desolia and that is where the name came around. Desolia was derived from Desolo which is Latin for abandoned.

“Families that had no other place to run to, or those who had invested too much on the land, Owners of the gold mines and big plantations decided to remain behind. The people who had brains enough to understand that witchcraft was an absurd theory to believe in, better yet to be threatened by, are the ones who settled. Now here in Doomsberg was where most of these families settled. Reputing the calamities that had befallen Desolia, it automatically resulted to the name that was given to the town by the runaway habitants, of which was Doomsberg.

“Came 1830 the deaths subsided and people began living in peace once more. As attractive as Gold was, people could not stay away from the opulent Desolia for too long. Word got around as how it had spread before, that Desolia was free from the infection. Intense immigration resurfaced again in the 1850. And here we are, there is no plague, no epidemics, no funny diseases of any sort ever since.”  Carol came to halt with a heavy sigh and a satisfied grin on her face.

They had all stopped eating and attentively listened to the history which they already knew about in exception of Zack. Carol always had a way with storytelling. She captivated attention with the way she used her smooth voice to make a very boring story legendary.  Zoe never enjoyed that particular subject as much as Liz did, but she also found herself getting absorbed in the story like it was an absolute new tale.

“Wooow…sooo what were the symptoms of this disease.” Zack asked his face barely flinching throughout the tale. He was too absorbed. It was overwhelming.

“There was no symptom really. It was like getting struck by a heart attack. I don’t have very good details on the disease, but what I know for sure is that, the eyes of the infected person became very black, like charcoal black. But this observation was only when they were found dead. It was very convincing to think it was witchcraft but it really wasn’t, I will try to dig out some data on this, although am not certain about getting anything helpful. No one likes talking about those awful times anyway. They were the hardest and darkest times for the people of Desolia.”

“I really think that witchcraft is a pathetic craft.” Zoe said conclusively.

“How can anyone even believe in such absurd nonsense?” Carol seconded her daughter’s motion “Everything about it is just deceitful, it gives false hopes to people who believe in it.”

“It’s really creepy. But mom what if it really was witchcraft?” Zack’s thoughtful face was ashen.

“You should never believe in such atrocity!” Carol hissed. For a second there, her eyes sparkled with anger and the room went still.

“No way!” Liz gasped, making the rest attentive to what she had to say “The whole story is just
fascinating
, Witchcraft is fascinating. Desolia has a unique background that should be celebrated at some point. I never seem to get bored of it.” she defended.

“You’re ridiculous! It’s very sad.” Zack forced a crinkle on the ridge between his eyes.

“That’s why it’s fascinating. You lack…. dramatic insight.” Liz nodded to her new observation.

“There is no such thing as dramatic insight” Zack muttered. His eyes squeezed in disdain.

“What do you know, you are 5.” Liz scoffed.