The Legend of the Blue Eyes (2 page)

Arianna hurried back to her waiting friends.
She hated to lie to them about the notes, but she kept reassuring
herself that she wasn’t lying, just withholding information. From
the initial note experience, her friends thought she should tell
her aunt about it, and if she told her aunt, she would never get
the answers to her questions.

Arianna sat patiently
though the movie, daydreaming in her own world. Who was this person
that knows so much about her mother and father? Was he or she a
friend or someone trying to set her up? How could they know so
much, and yet, her own aunt and uncle always replied that they
didn’t know the answers?
As a child
Arianna could tell from early on that the subject of her mother and
father was painful for her aunt to even listen to, so she turned to
her uncle. He, on the other hand, just outright refused to answer
any questions. When Arianna searched the home for photos or
memorabilia of her parents, she found nothing. She always thought
it strange that the photo albums started when she was five. Later,
through her correspondence with her mystery friend, she found the
photos were all a year after her father died. Arianna couldn’t
understand how there could be nothing of her parents or her life
before those albums.

“So, you leave tonight?” Mary Ellen asked as
they walked outside into the wet air and fading sunlight.

“Yep. It’s a bit strange, but we leave at
midnight,” Arianna replied as she halted near the bus stop.

“We can give you a ride home,” Tish offered,
as her mother pulled a car to the curb and waved to the girls.

“Don’t worry about it,” Arianna replied. “I
live in the opposite direction. Fred should be back soon, anyway.”
Arianna had found, after her first few trips, that the bus she rode
to the theater could make its loop in three hours and return to
bring her home. Her friends climbed into the waiting green car.

“We’ll see you in a week,” Mary Ellen
called. Arianna nodded as she waved to her friends.

She had told her friends she would be home
in a week, but her aunt had only said it was possible they would
return in a week. The whole trip was very strange. They refused to
explain why they were leaving so late, where they were going, where
they were staying, how long they would be gone, or even why they
were going in the first place. Arianna was beginning to feel that
even her secret correspondent knew more about her trip than she
did. For weeks they refused to even give her a time they would
return. It wasn’t until Arianna bugged her aunt every ten minutes
for an entire day that she was finally given a tentative return
date.

“So, was it good?” the bus driver asked,
opening the door.

“If you like that lovey-dovey stuff,” she
replied.

“Your choice next week?” he asked, as she
sat down near the front door.

“I’ll be gone next week, but the week after
I’ll choose something much more interesting.” Arianna sat and
stared out the front window. She had ridden the bus so many times
she could picture each stop without looking out the window. The
rain began again, lightly. Arianna sat in silence for the remainder
of the ride home. Who was this writer? Was it safe to just go meet
someone who obviously didn’t have her guardian’s approval?

The rattling of the empty bus didn’t help
calm her nerves. Arianna always knew she was an orphan. Every time
she was asked what her parents did for jobs, she would have to
explain that they were dead. Her lack of parents affected her
attitude, and made her want to please her aunt and uncle. Without
them, Arianna felt she would be homeless. This was the first time
she had ever thought of deceiving them.

“I’ll see you in two weeks, Fred,” Arianna
said as she cheerfully bounced off the bus. The driver nodded.

“Then have fun in those two weeks, Ethel,”
he replied. “By the way, happy birthday, kiddo. Soon enough you
won’t need me to drive you around.” Arianna smiled and waved to the
older man as the door shut.

Arianna ran around the diner to the back
door. It was past eight o’clock, so the front door would be locked
by now. Briefly, Arianna peered into the kitchen before heading
upstairs. As expected, it was almost empty. Aunt Lilly was done for
the night, and was in the living room folding laundry as Arianna
opened the door to their apartment.

“How was the movie?” she asked.

“Okay, if you like love stories,” Arianna
replied.

“You just wait,” Aunt Lilly responded.
“Someday you’ll fall in love, and your opinion on love stories will
change.” Arianna rolled her eyes. Aunt Lilly always preached about
the benefits of falling in love and how love can change a person.
“Have you finished packing yet? All the laundry is done, so if you
need something here, just take it.”

“I’m almost done,” Arianna replied, walking
through the small living room to her bedroom. “I can help
downstairs after I pack the rest of my stuff.” Aunt Lilly nodded.
Lilly and Dean had never asked Arianna to help with the diner, but
she always offered. Small tears trickled down Aunt Lilly’s cheeks
as her eyes glazed over. Arianna moved across the room quietly and
put her arms around her aunt. It didn’t happen often, but when she
began to cry, it was a sign that Aunt Lilly needed a hug. “I love
you, Aunt Lilly,” Arianna said quietly, as her aunt tried to
quickly wipe the tears away.

“I can’t believe it’s been ten years
already,” Lilly said as she hugged Arianna back. “Time goes by so
fast. I wish I could sprinkle some magic dust on you and keep you a
child forever.”

“Now do you really want that?” Arianna
teased. “I thought the last time we had this talk you told me how
proud you were that I was growing up.”

“I wish I could have both,” Aunt Lilly
complained.

“I better finish my packing and get the
diner cleaned with Uncle Dean,” Arianna said, letting go of her
aunt. Aunt Lilly smiled at Arianna. Arianna might not be her
biological child, but Lilly had never doubted for a moment that
Arianna loved her like a mother.

Arianna walked into her room and plopped
down on the bed. She had already packed everything days before.
Because of her aunt and uncle’s refusal to tell her how long they
would be gone, Arianna secretly packed everything she couldn’t live
without. She fell back into the pillows and began to wonder how
long it would be before she would be back in her bedroom in their
small apartment above the diner. She studied each familiar crack in
the ceiling, these same, comforting flaws that she had spent years
staring at. She felt as though her life was about to change, but
she couldn’t understand to what extent her life would be turned
upside down. Arianna glanced at the clock: 8:52. It was time to
meet her mystery friend.

Following the instructions, Arianna offered
to empty all the trash bins. As she brought out the last bag, she
quietly slipped behind the large, green, alley dumpster and waited.
The rain had stopped again, and a fog was beginning to rise.
Arianna stared at her watch. One minute to go. Patiently she
waited, keeping out of view of the back door. In the light fog, she
didn’t see the person nearing her. In just a flash, Arianna felt
her knees weaken and her body fell only to be caught by two large
hands.

“Who?” she tried to ask, but the hands
gently scooped her up and her world dimmed without seeing the
mysterious person’s face.

Arianna rubbed her eyes and carefully opened
them as she regained consciousness. The old, plaid couch she was
lying on was worn around the edges, and the knit blanket placed
over her had a distinct blue and green pattern. She didn’t
recognize the dim room that came into view. Realizing she was in an
unknown location, Arianna bolted up to look around the room more.
Across from the couch she was lying on was a TV and an open
doorway. Arianna stood to walk to the door, but she immediately
changed her mind as the room began to swirl.

“Sorry about that,” a deep, male voice said
from the shadows. “I was just going to bring you with us, but they
already arrived to escort you to the airport. They could easily
track you if you were awake.”

“They? Those people Uncle Dean was talking
to?” Arianna asked, as the man moved to sit next to her on the
couch. Before she had left the diner to find this man, Arianna had
caught a glimpse of several people Uncle Dean was talking to inside
the diner. Arianna studied the man’s face while he moved and
talked. He was older than she expected. His dark brown hair
speckled with gray. Arianna’s gaze stopped on his large, weathered
hands.

“They were sent to pick you up,” he replied,
unable to tell if Arianna feared him or not.

“Sent?” Arianna asked. “By whom?”

“Your grandfather,” he answered, waiting for
a reaction.

“I don’t have any living relatives,” Arianna
replied automatically. “Where am I?” she finally asked, realizing
she had been essentially kidnapped. While she had met him
willingly, she was now somewhere unknown.

“Who told you that you didn’t have any
living relatives?” he responded, not answering her question, yet
staring at her in disbelief.

“My aunt told me all my relatives were
dead.” Arianna tried to assess her situation. From what she knew,
she was alone in a house with a strange man obviously more than
three times her size. The view through the open doorway into the
hall showed that they were on the second floor. Arianna could only
see treetops out the window in front of her.

“I wonder what her explanation will be when
you arrive at the Randolph manor tonight?” he replied, noticing
Arianna glancing around the room. He expected her to be more afraid
when she realized the situation, but she was calmly assessing her
possibilities.

“Such would be expected of your father’s
child,” he added to himself, as he stood and walked to the desk
near the TV. Arianna caught his comment, and stopped searching the
room. He was the answer to all her questions. He opened a drawer
and removed a book. “You asked where we are.” Arianna nodded. “You
really don’t remember anything?” Arianna shook her head no. The man
handed her the book before returning to his seat on the opposite
side of the couch.

Arianna carefully opened the old book. In
the front cover there was an old paper that had yellowed over the
years. Arianna skimmed the document, and realized it was a deed to
a property that she had never heard of. At the bottom was a
signature, signing the house over to Arianna Grace by a Travis
Grace.

“Is this here?” she asked in disbelief.

“Yes,” the man replied. “Your father gave
this home to you after your mother died. This is your home.”

“Why didn’t anyone ever tell me about this?”
Arianna continued to stare at the document.

“Probably the same reason they never
answered your questions,” he replied honestly. “They didn’t want
you to know they have all been lying to you. Lilly and Dean are not
related to you. In fact, they are not even husband and wife, but
brother and sister. Lilly was your mother’s best childhood friend.
When your mother and father died, your grandfather tried to raise
you, but it was best to have Lilly and Dean take you instead. Lilly
had a daughter a few months younger than you. She died around the
same time as your father, which made it easy for Lilly and Dean to
take you in without anyone knowing.” Arianna felt her heart begin
to race. This man had answered every question she had asked, and
somehow she knew he was telling the truth. How could Aunt Lilly and
Uncle Dean lie to her? Were they really not family? How could this
man tell her these things? Was he lying to her also? Who was
telling her the truth?

The man waited for Arianna to understand
what he had said. “Would you like something to drink or eat?” he
asked kindly. Arianna stared at the older man. Could she trust
someone who kidnapped her? “Patrick, go get some sodas,” he said,
and a man behind them moved. Arianna jumped as she realized they
were not alone. The younger man had sat so quietly in the window
that she didn’t notice him the first time she looked around the
room. “Patrick is my son,” the man explained. “He’s your father’s
cousin.”

Arianna turned back to the older man. “But,
that would make you my great uncle,” she responded in disbelief.
“But I don’t have any living family,” she repeated.

“I’m sure they meant it figuratively about
this side of the family,” the man replied with a chuckle. Arianna
couldn’t understand his amusement with their lie. “Let me introduce
myself. I’m Gabriel, your paternal grandfather’s younger brother.
Go ahead and open the book. I think the answers you have been
looking for are there.”

It was hard to shift her gaze from the man
sitting next to her. Arianna carefully opened to the first page.
She had no memories of her father, and tried to look for some sort
of resemblance to herself in the photos. As she gazed down at the
pictures, she gasped. Staring back at her were two faces she had
seen so many times in her dreams. Arianna felt tears begin to
trickle down her face, but she didn’t move to wipe them away. She
was both sad and happy at the same time. Her father and mother
stood arm in arm, smiling happily for the picture.