Chapter 19: Poor Cree

Cree has grown into a pretty wee child. Though she has no siblings and is alone a lot of the time she is well behaved, friendly and a model student. But let's have a closer look at her childhood and upbringing, because there are some serious issues here. Let's look at the adults in her household.

Her grandfather Luke is a thief, he's done time. He's supposedly on the straight and narrow these days, but secretly he's doing some overtime in the dead of night, mainly as a cat burglar, targeting large houses with valuable jewellery. Suction-cupping down plate glass obviously gives him an appetite.

Her grandma Marjorie is a successful movie director, she's a workaholic who balances the stresses of her profession by turning into a party animal in her down time.

When she's not partying, drinking and dancing, she's in the hot tub, unwinding. She works hard, so she needs serious relaxation time. Rain, hail or snow. Luke and Marjorie gave birth to Curtis who inherited his mother's party animal nature and father's dubious morals. He went on to marry a fellow party animal Leonie and they still live at home with them.

Here they are, Curtis and Leonie, getting their party on in the hot tub. They like to cast off their inhibitions (ahem!) and really enjoy those warm bubbles. They don't pay much attention to Cree  they're usually too busy having a good time.

With these people as her only guardians, Cree has not had the same nurture, love and care that other children normally receive.

Cree has pretty much grown up fending for herself.

The things that Cree loves best in the world are the snow cone maker, which is kept out on the back patio. It has 8 different flavours and she has grown to associate each one to a different mood. So in winter, like here, when its really cold and she's very hungry, she has pineapple passion because it reminds her of sunny tropical weather and makes her feel warm. Sometimes a snow cone is all Cree can find for dinner.

And the painting easel in her Grandma's study. Marjorie lets her paint anytime she wants , because it keeps her quiet and occupied, she says. Cree is never happier than when she's painting - it's like being in her own world where the colours are so much brighter and the people she paints are kind and fun to laugh and play with.

On the weekend's there always a party going on at the Diarmid house. Cree gets really annoyed and tired of the crowds of people and the noise.

On weekdays when she comes home from school, the house is either empty and quiet.

Or if everyone is home, her Grandma has hit the bar and turned the music up high and her Mum and Dad only have eyes for each other, dancing, laughing and playing their instruments.

 Her Mum and Dad have a band and they were very popular in a few of the local bars. They played a few gigs regularly each week - there duo ensemble was called Duetics. The gigs went late and they were often tipped or paid with a bar tab.

One day Cree came home from school to find the house empty. She did her homework and played outside in the snow for a while. It got very late and still no one had come home. She called her Mum and Dad's cellphones and got no reply.  She knew her Grandma and Grandad would be working, as they often were. She found some old leftover mac and cheese in the fridge and ate it, but it tasted awful.

Eventually she she went to bed and fell asleep. But later on she woke up with a gnawing pain in her stomach. She was very hungry.



She put on her clothes and went outside to the snow cone machine. She made her favourite pineapple passion, to try to make herself feel warm and full. Then she noticed a large lump lying in the snow. It gave her a fright, it looked like a person. When she looked closer she realised it was her mother! She was passed out snoring and probably drunk, buried in the snow on the patio.

Cree was frozen in fear. She knew if her mother stayed out here in the freezing night, she might possibly freeze to death. She looked are her stupid drunken mother and felt a rising anger. How could she be so ridiculously foolish as to pass out on the freezing patio? A terrible thought passed briefly through Cee's mind, that Leonie deserved to freeze to death for being such a horrible person and a careless drunken fool.

She went inside and sat still for a few minutes, scared and confused. Then a small voice that sounded like hers in her head told her she should try once more to get hold of her Dad on the phone.

Curtis picked up this time. Cree told him where Leonie was and that she was a funny blue colour.

He rushed home and ran to the aid of his blue unconscious wife, but he was unable to revive her. She looked dead, his heart was racing. In a panic he rang the emergency services and they gave him some instructions to perform over the phone and said an ambulence was on its way.

They sounded risky, but Curtis knew there was no other way, she would die if he didn't try it. Taking Leonie's hairdryer he set to work.

When he had finished with Leonie, to Cree's surprise her Dad came up to her bedroom and asked her if she was okay. Cree was amazed, he never came into her room usually. He seemed sad and awkward as he fumbled for something to say to her.
"Are you okay Dad?" Cree asked him
Curtis closed his eyes and she heard a strained sob break in his chest.
"Is Mum going to be okay?" Cree asked.
Eventually, Curtis regained his composure and said softly "Hop into bed Cree, its very very late. Mum will be okay, she's been taken to hospital where the doctors will take good care of her, okay?"

Cree got under the covers, "Why did Mummy lie down in the snow outside Daddy? Had she lost her key?"

Curtis sighed and his shoulders drooped. "No .....sweetie.......ummm, Mummy was ahhhh really disorentated and dehydrated and needed to rest really badly." Curtis felt appalled that he was having to explain Leonie's actions and her state of intoxication to his young daughter who could so easily have found her mother dead outside the back door.

He knew there needed to be some changes. "But the hospital will fix her right?" a concerned Cree asked. Curtis swallowed hard and sighed again, "Yes baby, they'll make her all better. You don't need to worry about that. Now its time to sleep....errrr should...I?" Curtis felt hesitant and out of his comfort zone and that was awful, he had no real experience in looking after his own child!
"Should I read you a story...and then you'll be able to fall asleep?"

Cree gasped in shock. "Would you?" she asked tentatively.
Curtis smiled and reached for a book. "Let's give it a go eh?" he said. "I don't know if I'm any good at this...."
"You will be.." Cree said encouragingly.

And in the morning Curtis made them both pancakes. He felt like it was about time he learned how to be a father.