Chapter 15: Time - It's Waiting In the Wings

This is a birds eye view of the Fisher house....if you cast your mind back, you may recall that room at the top was the attic bedroom of Marjorie Diarmid nee Fisher, where she spent her teenage years, where shewould hang out with her friends and with Luke.

The old place hasn't changed at all thinks Marjorie. All her mother's trinkets and collectables sit in their regular places, the smell is the same, the oppression of clutter and heavy furnishings. She has not been back here for many years. Years of shame. The prison years - when she was almost as much in prison as Luke Hans was. The family remained polite, but cool and distant. Her mother preferred to take the hands off approach and let Marjorie thrive or fail as she might.

But now she has accepted an invitation to her sister's birthday. They were never close really, Chloe was an academic girl, a bit of a loner and fulfilled their father's wish for a scientist and high achiever in the family.

Marjorie found her at the bar.

"So glad you came." Chloe murmured, drink in hand, her long blond hair curled and set in a strange and old fashioned style that definitely didn't suit her. Marjorie wondered if she should tell her so.

"How are you Chloe? Happy birthday, by the way. It feels a bit weird coming back to the old place...it's been so long. Nothing much seems to have changed though." commented Marjorie.

"Oh not that much ever does, does it?" said Chloe cryptically. "Except...the hierarchy has flipped. you might say? You're not the golden girl anymore. I am. You won't inherit. I will. You didn't do a doctorate. I did. You didn't achieve tenure at Ryder University, Appaloosa Falls....guess who did?" her tone was robotic and tinged with sarcasm.

Marjorie felt a stab of anger which quickly morphed into pain, and then sadness.

"Well Chloe..."she gulped, trying to hide the hurt, refusing to bite at the bait. "I guess you must be very happy. For what it's worth I am happy too, writing for Plumbbob. There's a chance I will get to direct soon too."

"That's nice." said Chloe coldly.
 "Nice hair by the way." replied Marjorie.

__ ~ __

Tara had come up town with her mother that evening too. While Marjorie was next door, Tara had gone to visit her grandma because she had been unwell and Tara had been worried. Lesley normally bounced back from any short illness, but this time it had taken its toll.

"Are you feeling better now grandma?" she asked a tired looking Lesley when she opened the door.

"Hello my dear!" said Lesley "Well seeing you certainly helps! What brings you over?"
"Mum is at a party at the Fishers so I hitched a ride with her...."

"Dad's working and Curtis has his girlfriend over....ugh...he wanted the place to himself. And to be honest I'd rather be anywhere else when Curtis is making goo-goo eyes at his girlfriend."

"Ohh? Curtis is dating? Is it serious? Who is she? Do I know her?"
"Oh grandma, have you been off the planet or somewhere? He's been seeing Leonie Locke for ages now. They're going steady and everything. So yeah its pretty serious I'd say...."

Lesley laughed heartily for the first time in weeks at Tara rambled on with all the news and gossip.

"Well come sit down and I'll make us some supper. You can fill me in on all the details until your mother is done next door." But although she smiled and put on a positive face for Tara, Lesley felt like a heavy weight was bearing down on her and it was all she could do to not let Tara see it.

__ ~ __

Net door, Marjorie was taking a trip down memory lane.

She visited her old room. A couple of party guests were using her old stereo and dancing, but she ignored them. The entire room was as though she had left it only yesterday. Memories came flooding back. her counterpane was the same one that Luke Hans had lounged on. All her old cd's were still stacked in their holder. Her computer was in the same place on the desk in the window nook. All those years ago, all those different futures she might have had. A lump rose in her throat, but she swallowed it back down. Images of her beautiful children Curtis and Tara came to her mind and she knew she would never exchange them for any other future.

She went down a flight of stairs. Deciding to exorcise all ghosts this evening, she knocked on the door of her parent's room. Inside her mother was in bed, ear plugs in place, snoring away in a deep sleep. Sleeping while there were guests in the house - as rude as ever, thought Marjorie. She gazed at her mother's boudoir, all the things she clung onto so tightly might one day bury her, she thought.

And she left without waking Tessa.

__ ~ __

Meanwhile...at the Diarmid house, time was laying the groundwork for its next project. Curtis had planned to propose to Leonie that evening. They were both still in high school, but in six months time they would be free and let loose on the world. Curtis knew he did not want Leonie to get away. He had thought long and hard and his conclusion was that he should ask her to marry him before school finished. He hadn't thought at all about any of the practicalities, such as where they would live, how they would pay the bills, he just had both eyes on the prize - Leonie.

Leonie was  so stunning, sometimes it made it difficult for Curtis to string several words together and make any sense. But tonight he knew he had to get his act together. He cornered her in the kitchen, clearing his throat he put on his best romantic stare and went for it.

"Leonie....ummm you know how we said mutual "I love you's" a couple of months ago? And that like....we always wanted to be together? And that sort of thing? Oh and how I think you're just easily the most drop dead gorgeeeeeessssstic girl in this whole town?" Curtis' brain was frantically searching it's vaults for other romantic stuff to wow her with.
"Ummm yeah?" smiled Leonie. Luckily she was a girl of simple needs and few syllables.

Curtis took both her hands in his and looked deeply into her eyes. he was wishing he'd gone for a more romantic location now. The kitchen was kind of putting a downer on the mood, but he'd started now so he carried on.
"Ummm....what I'm trying to say is....that.....ummmmm" Curtis suddenly felt panicky. And hypnotised by Leonie's ice blue hypnotic eyes gazing impassively back at him.

"Curtis?" Leonie asked in a husky tone.
"Yyyy..eeesss?" he was floundering now for an anchor, anything.....
"Just say it." said Leonie.

With that Curtis found himself suddenly on his knees, the small jeweller's box out of his pocket and raised towards Leonie.

Leonie gasped. Then she squealed with delight. Finally she laughed and did a small dance.

Without further discussion Leonie took the ring and placed it on her finger. The rapture on her face was all that Curtis needed as confirmation that she was happy with his proposal.

"Errr....I want to marry you?" Curtis offered redundantly.
"Ahhh my girlfriends will be soooo jealous!!" squeaked Leonie.

Curtis took that as a yes.

__ ~ __

The next morning he told the family.

This is their reaction.

They didn't get caught up in the details - where would they live, how would they support themselves, weren't they too young? Shouldn't they get jobs and save some money first?

No. Theirs was the reaction of a family of party animals. They flipped on the stereo and worked it out.