4
City of Seattle
Seattle was to be her oasis, but instead it was turning out to be her desert, or so she was feeling. Yet, she was wise enough to convince herself it was just the beginning.
Standing outside the station she now tasted the unfamiliar salt in the air from the waters of the Puget Sound. She put back on her face that new untender smile, the one that helped her get away from the house and the same one that outstared the stranger on the train. The street was a rush of people. And the Space Needle that was built for the Worlds Fair a few years earlier could be seen and that told her she was far, far away from where she had started [St. Paul, Minnesota, a true adventurer.
For a moment, standing still, gazing at the Space Needle she had lost her self-pity. The morning sky was bright and clear and the Puget-Sound echoed: here is a new morning, a new day. In her hand she held the address to Jills house, it was quite a distance to walk, perhaps four or five miles, she concluded after looking at a map of the city behind a glass encasement at the station, but .75cents would not buy much transportation.
Said Tasma in her murmuring, soft, soft voice: What will happen to me if they refuse me room and board? Her insides were silent to herself it didnt answer her like it did in her sleep.
As she walked up a long and enduring hill after about three hours of walking to get to the top, a family of dogs raced by her, past her: mother, father and three young ones; they all ran by her and through some carsdodging them to get to the other side of the street where a caf was, where theyd go to the back and find garbage: lunch for them. But this also told her she was getting to the residential section of the Ballard District of the city, where her cousin Jill lived. As she looked down the hill, and across the city, there was the University, but she paid little attention to it and continued to walk up the hill. The da y had turned out to be cool and fresh for walking, not even building up a sweat, and just a little moisture on her forehead, nothing to speak of. She found the street, it looked like Jenks, 844 Jenks she told herself, something like that, she was so tired she couldnt make it out, and the note in her hand was perspiring a little and had fogged the address now. As she walked up to the house, knocked at the door, to her dismay, no one was home. Consequently, she went to the neighbors house and asked the question (an old woman with frosted white hair stood outside her porch), Maam, Im looking for the Belmonts
For the Belmonts you say! a little hard of hearing.
O-yes, yes, Im a relative of theirs, do you know where they might be?
Might be, oh yes, oh yes, where they always are, up the street about two blocks away, at the Due-Drop-Inn, the bar, that damn bar, I do hope youre not a lush like them? she said with a sneer on her face.
Tasma looked a little fr azzled, Lush, I dont understand.
Good heavens, you are much too naive for this group, go back home child before you become, she stopped and said no more and walked back onto her porch. She peeked her head out of the screen window, My name is Alice Whitehead, just thought you should know. Tasma gave her a bright and cheerful smile, and for some odd reason the old woman returned it.
It was a long haul, thought Tasma, from Minnesota to Washington State, and now five miles through the city to this large looking house. As she walked down the block to the bar she tried to straighten herself up a bit. It was for all intent and purposes the end of her journey, she hoped.
Now standing in the bar, the first time she had ever been in a bar, she started to cough from the clouds of smoke of the tobacco that were floating in the air: smog. She could also smell the barley and fermentation of the drinks and hear the transverse of the conversations as they shifted from one side of the barroom to the other. In the back left side of the bar was a pool table. To the front of her was a long bar, looked like mahogany wood, like in the movies. She had read the sign [overhead as she had walked into the bar and therefore knew it was the Due-Drop-Inn: what a name she thought, cleaver but dumb. A line of men were standing at the bar, and several seated on stools, others filled up tables, there must had been fifty people in the bar that seemed not to be much larger than a full size basement (possibly nine-hundred square feet). It seemed to her the men and women were hugging their drinks, kissing the glasses. Keeping them close by as if someone might hit it or take it when they were not looking, like her purse, or something might happen unexpectantly; was it gold her mind told her.
She currently looked about for her aunt and uncle, and possibly Jill, but shed be too young to be working in here she thought, but Mrs. Whitehead said they were all up at the bar, so she implied, thought Tasma.
She had only seen her aunt and uncle on sparse occasions, when theyd come down from Washington State, to Minnesota and visit her mother, at which time, Jill and she would play. They were always saying theyd take her to back to Seattle with them someday, or to this place or that place, but they never did. Promises, promises; her mother got mad once and told them to stop telling her such things: that being, theyd take her places because they never did, and again I must repeat, they never would; although Tasmas mother would have her sister Ann tell George to stop telling Tasma such things.
Oh well, Tasma deliberated, its all in the past; water over the dam now, as they say: she did it on her own, and here she was. She now asked the waiter [Tommy, Could you point out Mr. and Mrs. Belmont for me, Im a relative to them, its been a long time since Ive seen them? Without hesitation, the young man did just that.
5
The Do-Drop-Inn
To Tasma the last thirty-six hours was half a life time, if anything it was at best, a journey of alarm; at worse, well, shed find out that at this very moment: it could become more desolate she supposed, and her life prematurely vacated like an empty glass on the bar waiting to be filled but rather sent back home, or turned away. So we shall see, was her attitude, as the young waiter pointed to the Belmonts. But just as he did that, a girl walked up to the couple, was about to sit at the very table the waiter was pointing to, she resembled a picture she had of Jill, one she had sent her; she looked so grown up now, could it really be her, she murmured under her breathfor sure her eyes said: its her, it is Jill.
As Tasma approached the table, the closer she got the drunker the older couple looked that must had been the Belmonts, so she concluded. They both had pale skin and their eyelids were but half operational, so it seemed to Tasma, as t hey tried to open themlike car wipers that were working automatic-slow motion; it seemed they couldnt open beyond a certain point, so they allowed them to remain lazy and staring. Awa, said Tasma in a silent whisper, now I know what Mrs. Whitehead meant. Jill was staggering a ting. She caught a glimpse of Tasma coming forward to her table. Before Tasma could say a word, Jill screamed: I dont believe it! Jumping with hesitate disbelief, she almost toppled Tasma to the floor as she fell upon her arms wide open, hugging her recklessly; she was strong as an ox thought Tasma, and as drunk as a sailor on leave.
Jill didnt look all that much different from what Tasma remembered her as, she was a speck taller than her now, more outgoing, probably seriously outspoken, shed find out. She was a smidgen thinner than she had remembered her as, high breasts, dark eyes, short black hair, not like Tasmas, which was reddish-auburn, almost like the faded colors of the autumn leaves in Minnesota, but her hair glowed as if strings of beaming sunshine were netted into it. She had a few freckles yet, full lips and nice curves to her body. She had a slight tan left over from summer, and deep-sea bluish-green eyes. They looked at one another trying to see the differences that had occurred over the years.
Tasma in thought: She still has that nice olive skin, pale as it is, promiscuous eyes yet, hidden secrets in them for sure, as they always proclaimed to me. Her midnight black hair has a tint to it, sparkles, with a thread of purple here and there, a hippy maybe; a flower tattoo on her upper portion of her arm, and one by the small of her back.
Tasma now held Jill steady after the initial blockbuster jump towards her. Then she looked down toward the Belmonts, George and Ann.
Look mom, she said, as if they had not seen or heard it all already, Cousin Tasma is with us. George looked closer, leaned a bit on the table with his elbow holdi ng him up for support, hand in his chin as a pillar, unable to see her completely, but could make out (strenuously) whom Jill said she was; Tasmas coat covering most of her body from her neck to her knees, So it is young Tasma, so it is our little niece, he couldnt remember where she had lived, Iowa, right, how is Iowa nowadays? he asked Tasma.
No father, Minnesota, shes from Minnesota.
Oh yes, yes, that is right, Minnesota.
Oh everything is fine Uncle George.
Ooooh so it is, soo it is, said Mrs. Belmont, with an inquisitive look, eyes opening up slowly like a python; then looking at Tasma as if she had seen a ghost, said: My gosh, its really you Tasma, what brings you way out here?
Tasma wanted to speak, answer her, but her voice was frozen all of a sudden. A moment passed, and finally she said: I came to visit you folks, I hope you dont mind?
6
The Visit
As Jill and Tasma laughed, George asked, Is your parents alright?
Oh yes sir, she replied.
Hmmm, he murmured.
You came all this way just to visit us? he questioned.
Tasma felt a morsel dim, looking into his inquisitive drunk eyes, pale-foggy eyes, eyes that had red veins circulating here and there like a spiders web, eyes like a guerrillas; her dread was near-term, coming back, which was always tucked somewhere far back in her mind anyhow, but she had $50-dollars in case they did not want her, before that is; for now she had but .75-cents. Jill noticed a poignant grin appearing on her face. And put out her long thin strong but gentle hands to Tasma.
You expected more I think, Tasma just looked blank.
You can stay in my room, I, I mean in the guest room as long as youd like, a week, month, even a year; who cares, not me. I think you ran away from home, but you have your reasons.
Inside of Tasma, she was outraged, for how could an eighteen-year old run away from home, she was of legal age. But she did mak e a bulls-eye, I mean, she left home as if she was running away, as if she was sixteen years old, and now she felt like it.
Said Jill, Lets sit down here, what you want to drink?
Ive never drunk liquor, answered Tasma.
Coke, Ill take a coke, bellowed Jill at the waiter as they both sat down.
Said the waiter to Tasma as he returned: So youre family, and you traveled all those miles just to see Jill, that is great! he had overheard them talking.
My mothers Mrs. Belmonts sister, she said with a proud, but thin smile.
Yes, I guessed as much, said Tommy with an air of intelligence. Well, welcome to the great city of Seattle, you know we had a Worlds Fair here a few years back?
Oh yes, I heard of it, and Elvis made a movie, I saw it, I really enjoyed it.
Thats Tommy, said Jill.
Yaw, I should have introduced myself. I hope shes staying Jill, she seems like a lot of fun.
Tasma looked apprehensive, everyone seemed to be a p art of the family, which was fine she concluded: but did they want her in the family, was her unspoken question. Tommys dark-blue eyes gazed into hers as if they were reflective of the morning sky. He was handsome she thought. A tad older than she, she guessedpossibly twenty-one, or twenty-two.
You seem to know each other quite well, said Tasma to Tommy.
We shouldwe live with each other, together, that is; I live at her parents house, I have for some three years now, he finished as he looked at Jill.
Sha-seeeee, came out of Jills mouth, as if to say: did you have to explain it in depth, and looked blank into the air, upwards.
Thought Tasma in a millisecondreviewing what was just said; as Jills eyes started to refocus back at hers: she must had been only fifteen-years old she thought, when he moved inbut she held that thought in a grave, and kept a natural and acceptable smile in place.
Both Jill and Tommy were dressed plainly, but clean a nd nice; Tasma was a little dressier, in that she had a skirt and semi long coat on, one that covered her to the knees. A ruffled, but tidy blouse buttoned to the very top and a light blue sweater over that.
She noticed Tommy was no drunk, and had a glow to his skin, something the Belmonts didnt have, nor Jill. And you could tell Jill was a little more, or a lot more, sportier than she was [twice now she scanned her appearance: her shoulders had become more string-straight with narrow hips. She had a natural olive color to her skin, and dark eyes with short black hair; kind of a mystical look.
Tasma could see a freedom in both Jill and Tommy with their parentsone she almost envied; oh, they were drunks, but beyond that they had something she longed for.
Jill, still standing with Tommyboth smiling, the Belmonts still drinking and watching from the corner of their eyes what was happening. Tommy then quickly left and got Tasma a coke and they all merrily toas ted to the moment upon his return; Jill with a slight jeer to the corner of her mouth. (During the greetings, Tasma, did not hug Tommy as she had Jill, it would seem embarrassing she demisednot sure why, but she felt out of place to do so. And just gave him a quick smile in place of it.)
They all seemed to take a big swallow from their glasses, all apart from Tommy and Tasma that is. Tommy had rum and coke and sipped it, so Tasma noticed.
Had this been a movie, Tasma would had put it in the category of the slightly romantic category, possibly under Casablanca, and then created more, many more possibilities, but she was only a visitor she told herself in a small dramatic play: in the here and now.
She had come some two-thousand miles and now Jill and Tommy were embracing her like a sister, it was all she had hoped for; tears almost came to her eyes, she got her welcomethe one she dreamed about (excluding the drunkenness and the bar scene). She had run away , and it was all right with them now, or so it seemed.
She then said with tearful eyes, looking at Jill: Someone took my fifty-dollars; all I have is .75-cents. Her voice was cracking when it came out, as she looked down toward the floor, and then to the back to Jill.
Tasma headed straight back to their house with them, and upon arrival Jill made a hot meal for her, well, kind of a meal, she warmed up some pizza left over from the night before. Tasma ate three pieces of the pizza, not realizing how hungry she really was.
The afternoon had come upon them, and the cool air that had seeped into her bones was leaving her as she sat at the table and started listening to Tommy and Jill talk, as the warmth of the place soaked into her flesh and bone, right through to her marrow. She chewed the pizza slowly as not to choke on it, and listened at the same time to their conversation; the hot chocolate Jill had prepared for her was full of flavor.
Her tears had dried up, leaving a light smug of mascara under each eye, but her face was shinning, instead of the pale dread it had an hour earlier. She glanced out of the window that was in back of Jill, which led to the backyard; the kitchen-basin (sink) stood right under the window. Birds were tweeting-chirping, singing along as if they had no cares in the world beyond the window. It is how she wanted to see things, just like the birds, undemanding. As Jill and Tommy continued to talk, she couldnt think of anything much to say; thus, finishing up her last bite of the pizza, and listening to the birds, along with their conversation all at one time; which was kind of amazing, in the sense she could now transcend more than one happening at a time in life; then she sipped her hot chocolate to its bottom, and tried to absorb the moment some more.
The house was a turn of the century wooden Victorian House, with a bluish-gray tone to its exterior. A brick or two were missing from i ts chimney. There was a screened-in porch with three soft chaise lounge chairs to relax in. And a double garage in the back of the house, with a gray wooden fence dividing the neighbors lot from theirs; a handsome looking house she thought.
See Dennis' web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com
Author:: Dennis Siluk
Keywords:: Chapters
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