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| a story from Wonderland by Hitomi |
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| The way the adults think... | |
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April 19th Weather: Absolutely beautiful
It is peaceful Sunday afternoon with the blue sky and a gentle spring breeze coming from the window. But not being allowed to use the computer, turn on the TV and even open the fridge for some snacks, Kenny and I are stuck in his bedroom drawing. We are grounded.
"This is not fair."
Bored with drawing, Kenny throws his crayon on the floor.
"I know."
I sigh.
This is all because of what happened last week...
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Since Lisa moved out of our apartment, Kenny and Lisa had been communicating through the Internet. We missed Lisa very much, but Mrs. Malchovich, Joe the lawyer and Don seemed very cautious on taking a next step to get Lisa back. They said we should be patient until the right time comes. Since I didn't understand what they meant by the right time and why we couldn't just visit Mr.Malchovich and grab Lisa back, I bothered them with lots of questions like I usually do.
"Mrs. Malchovich and Mrs. Malchovich have to reach their agreement on the custody. It has to be legally done and we have to be very careful on this. " said Joe the lawyer in a serious tone.
Of course what he said wasn't clear enough to convince me, so I ran to Don to ask. "Joe is a lawyer. Listen to him. He knows what proper step to take." said Don.
Don's attitude surprised me. Whenever we were in difficulty, Don always had an idea to get us through. Whether his idea worked or not, he was always the first one to stand up and take an action, so when he told me to leave it to Joe the lawyer, it really didn't sound like Don.Very disappointing.
 "Mrs. Malchovich and Mr. Malchovich will talk about this next month." said Don. "Why do they wait until next month?" I asked. "They are going to the court next month." "The court? What's that?" " Kind of a quiet place to talk." " OK, then let's go there now. I try to be quiet."
"You can't just go there whenever you feel like. The judge has to be available. " "Judge? Who's that?"
" The judge decides if Lisa should come back or stay with Mr. Malchovich. "
" Why does Mr. Judge decide? Why can't Mr. Malchovich and Mr. Malchovich decide?" "They realized they can't, so they decided to let the judge decide." "But Mr. Judge is a stranger! Why do they let a stranger make a decision? "
Don said in a low voice as if he were talking to himself. "Sometimes a stranger can make a better judgment."
I was upset. Don was telling me to leave it to Joe the lawyer, and Joe the lawyer,Mr.and Mrs. Malchovich were leaving it to Mr. Judge, who was a complete stranger that had never even met Lisa before. These things made me wonder if they really missed Lisa or not, so I shared with Kenny how sad and disappointed I felt.
"Don't worry. I have a solution."
Turning around, Kenny said with a knowing smile. Pacing the room back and forth, Kenny went on.
"Lisa wants to live much closer to us so that we can hang around every day. But one problem we have here is Lisa preferred to living with Dad instead of Mom. Right? Then yesterday I found a perfect place they can live. Come with me."
Taking me outside of the apartment, Kenny proudly pointed at "For Rent" sign on the window on the second floor in our apartment.
It had been vacant since I moved in with Don, which was almost 6 months ago.
 (6 months ago)
 ( 4 months ago)
Kenny proudly smiled and said, "Dad and Lisa can move in there.Then she can still live with Dad and it is close enough to see us everyday. Plus I can see Dad everyday!"
"Right under the nose!"
Kenny and I shook our hands and nodded with a triumph.
After that, Kenny and I busied ourselves with taking the sign "For Rent "off the building.
But our landlord was very persistent.
Everytime we took the sign off, he kept putting it up
again
and again......
While we were patiently working on this task, Kenny continued to send updates to Lisa and let her know the place was kept intact.
"We are keeping our enemies off. You can move in anytime you want to. "
Kenny typed up with his magic hands in his computer. In a minute later, we got a reply back from Lisa.
"I' m trying to convince Dad, but he keeps saying it won't happen."
Kenny wrote back.
"Why?"
Then Lisa replied.
"He said it was too awkward to live right above Mom."
We were disappointed. But believing Mr.Malchovich will change his mind soon, we kept protecting the place to make it available for Lisa and Mr. Malchocivh.
However, when the landlord knocked the door at the Malchoviches, suddenly and sadly our mission ended.The Landlord was very mad. According to him, the action Kenny and I were taking was sabotaging his business. Unless we stopped the act immediately, he was ready to sue us.
 Mrs.Malchovich sat us down. "Listen.I know you want Lisa and Mr. Malchovich to live in that room. But it won't happen. "
Kenny stood up from the sofa and screamed, "Why?"
I followed.
"Lisa wants to live near us! That's a perfect place for them. " "I want to see my Dad, too!"
But Mrs. Malchovich, who usually had mercy on our behavior,determinedly and hysterically (kind of) declared. "No! He threatened us to sue us. I don't want one court after another. Both of you are grounded this weekend."
We tried to have Joe the lawyer on our side, but all he said was, "Don't do anything peculiar right now. Don't worry about it. I am taking care of it."
Then we got worried more, so we ran to Don. But even Don, who was always on our side, shook his head.
"It won't happen."said Don.
"Why? " Kenny asked.
"Kenny, you know your parents are divorced,right?" said Don, looking at both of us sympathetically.
"So they are not friends anymore? They can't live in the same apartment anymore?"
I said, stomping on the floor.
Don stayed in silence for a minutes.Then as if he were looking for the right words, he carefully opened his mouth.
"They are still friends. But Mr.Malchovich found another neighborhood he wants to live and he is pretty happy about his new neighborhood."
I saw Kenny looking down the floor, discouraged. I couldn't find anything else to say any more. Don patted our backs. Trying to sound cheerful, he whispered in our ears.
"I wouldn't recommend they live in that room. This is between me and you.There is a rumor that room is haunted. That's why it has been vacant. Don't tell anyone."
Frightened to death, I looked at Don, and then looked at Kenny. But I could tell from Kenny's skeptical look he wasn't buying Don's story at all.. |
So that's why we are grounded on this beautiful Sunday afternoon.
"I thought your idea was perfect.I still don't get why they disagreed."
I say, drawing on the paper.
Kenny, picking up the crayon from the floor, shrugs his shoulder and says,"Well, adults think differently. They always make everything complicated. "
"That's true."
I nod, turing next page of my sketch book.
Then another question pops up in my mind, so I ask Kenny.
"Is that room really haunted?"
We both stare at the ceiling in silence for a minute, trying to listen to the footsteps of the ghost. But soon Kenny shrugs his shoulder again and says, "Sometimes Don is very childish. But for in case, maybe we should let Lisa know about it."
"Yeah. For in case..."
We have a long Sunday afternoon...
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