Digging a Secret and Changing a Life

In the past few hours, my life went from a free and relaxing summer to an intense schedule of work
everyday. My mom decided that since I would be going off to university in the coming September
I should earn some money so that I can pay for all the items I need when I am away. In order for
that to happen, my newfound summer job will consist of looking after an elderly couple that happens
to live at the end of my street.

At the moment, steam from my hot chocolate is rising as I read and send messages on Facebook. My mom
on the other hand is finishing the last couple of dishes.

Kallie, are you ready for your big day tomorrow? You know, your father would be very proud of you
for accepting the job, and giving up your summer. Oh how I missed my dad. He had been killed by
an IED in Afghanistan 3 weeks before he was supposed to return to our home in Ohio. Two years have
passed since the then.

Yup, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be I said smiling half-heartedly, thinking about my dad. My mom
smiles, and moves on.

Sweetie, I’m going to bed now. I have a hectic day tomorrow; hence, I’m going to leave early.
So make sure you lock the door when you leave her emphasis fading as she leaves for bed.

My mom can be a little assertive at times, which is totally understandable since she is a lawyer
and a single mom. I hope sometime in the future my mom will find someone to love again. I realize
it is hard to move on, especially for my mom, but I know I at least need someone else in my life
to fill the empty void my father left.

Kal… my mom begins to say.

Yes mom, I heard you. Realizing the annoyance in my voice I followed the remark with a kinder
response. I will lock the doors before I leave. Good night Mom, I’ll see you sometime tomorrow.

Night love. She said as she went upstairs to bed.

The tiredness began to set in so I logged out of facebook, closed my laptop, returned the now empty
mug, and headed off to bed. My mom is right; tomorrow is going be a big day. With a hopeful wish,
I started up the wooden stairs.

At ten o’clock in the morning I was standing on the front porch of Mr. and Mrs. Dumont’s traditional
one story home. I stand there for a couple of seconds trying to organize and calm myself before
knocking. With the sound of the old knocker comes the sound of shuffling feet, and the muffling
of some disagreement. As I was trying to listen through the door, it swung open and a tall and
rather handsome looking young man was standing before me.

Hi, my name is Kallie Higgins and I’m here to help out the Dumonts.

I spoke quickly and felt rather pathetic afterwards. I am usually not a nervous person in social
situations, but for some reason this was different.

Hey Kallie, it’s nice to meet you, he said holding out his hand. Managing to pull myself
together again, I find myself not only shaking hands, but also feeling the shivers run through
me. I’m Jake Taylor, and the grandson of the Dumonts. I would have taken care of them myself,
but I’ll be busy taking a summer course down at the university so I haven’t got time. Thanks by
the way, for accepting so last minute.

Jake spoke with such smoothness, and as he did I completely melted into his rich blue eyes. However,
soon enough I was released from the trance and brought back to reality.

Hey, yeah, no problem.

I didn’t know what else to say to him, all I wanted was for Jake to leave, so I could feel a little
bit more comfortable with myself and start work. Jake steps aside to let me in, and as I entered
I was flooded with artwork on the wall and artifacts on every surface possible. All of it was
absolutely beautiful, but before I could ask where they all came from, Jake starts walking and
talking. He was showing me where everything was, such as the food and cleaning supplies, as well
as explaining to me what his grandparents like to do daily. While touring, I realize that there
are not any pictures of Mr. and Mrs. Dumont, or any of their extended family, which I find to be
a little odd. We end the tour outside on the back porch where Mr. and Mrs. Dumont were sitting
on wooden chairs, sipping their hot beverages while staring off into the distance. Their youthfulness
surprises me.

Grandma and Grandpa this is Kallie. Jake gestures towards me, as I wave a friendly hand at
them. She will be here everyday to help keep the house tidy and hopefully entertain you as well.
He looks up and smiles a warm smile at me, which makes my heart flutter. Mr. Dumont rises from his
chair and begins speaking to Jake. However, I couldn’t hear the discussion.

My gaze fell upon Mrs. Dumont and when I saw her I got chills all over me, her eyes were massive.
It was as if she was trying to peer deep inside my soul. It felt as if it would last forever, but
then Jake interrupts.

Kallie there is just one more thing I have to do with you before I go. Jake walks inside and
I follow him. He stops at the front door and hands me a key.

Here is the key for the front door. I won’t be here in the mornings like I was today. My classes
start early everyday, so I will be living closer to campus to make it more convenient for me since
I don’t have a car. However, I will be here everyday after school, which should be around three o’clock.

Awesome! I exclaim.

Great, so make sure you are here by eight o’clock everyday; I know it’s early, but they need to
be supervised. Jake looks at me, and gave me a little wink before walking out the front door.
Blushing, I nod my head in response to his comment as he sets off. With my head leaning against
the door, I began to realize that this day might be longer than I had anticipated.

The next morning I’m running to work, trying to get out of the downpour that was occurring. I hop up
onto the porch stairs, shaking my umbrella dry. Once I unlock the door, I find something on the
floor that strikes me as odd. Dirt, wet clumps of dirt, scattered along the hallway that reaches
the back door; as well as around the kitchen and down the hall to the bedrooms. Suddenly I thought
what if a thief had come into the house during the night. I became scared and the worst possible
scenarios were popping into my head. I wish you were here dad; you would know what to do. I couldn’t
hear anything else but myself, so I creep forward and look around, noticing that nothing has been
stolen, broken, or misplaced. I tiptoe down to Mr. and Mrs. Dumont’s room, and find them still
asleep. Phew! I thought to myself as I go back to the main room and proceed to clean up the dirt.

Upon hearing the sound of footsteps, the Dumonts appear. Morning Mr. and Mrs. Dumont! I made coffee,
is there anything else you would like?

Morning Kallie, Mr. Dumont said, coffee is good enough for me right now. And please call
me Charles and my wife Anna, this Dumont nonsense just makes me feel older than I already am.
With a slight chuckle I hand him his coffee, and he goes off to the main room to watch the morning news.

Anna still standing in the kitchen, quickly looks up from the floor, only to gaze at me with the
same dark eyes I had previously encountered. Why did she dislike me so much? Then without saying
a word, Anna grabs her coffee cup aggressively from me, and shuffles her way into the main room too.

For some reason Anna’s behaviour makes me think of the morning dirt. However given the current
situation I figured I should just continue on with my work.

Weeks have gone by, and the same thing happens every morning, with piles of dirt on the floor, and
me cleaning it up. On the upside, I have gotten to know Jake quite well now. We talk a lot more,
and I have stayed later than usual just to see and chat with him. I feel so comfortable around him
now that he makes me feel safe. I definitely have feelings towards him, and I hope they are reciprocated.
Of course there is still the matter of the dirt. Thinking that he might have the answers, I decide
to tell him what was going on.

That afternoon, I wait for Jake to get back from class so I could tell him the news. I am sitting
in the main room with Charles and Anna watching some TV when Jake walks in.

Hey Jake, can I talk to you over here for a minute. Trying to make sure my voice sounds strong
and confident, because what I was going to say next was not going to be pretty. Jake nods and walks
into the kitchen with me.

Um, I don’t know how to say this but um… it’s about your grandma. I think she’s gone crazy.
I said bracing myself for an explosion of fury from him.

What do you mean? What has happened? The sound of fear filled Jake’s voice when he spoke.
I explain to him what has happened ever since I started working here.

Its scaring me a little, and I don’t know what to do now. I tried so hard not to breakdown
and cry in front of him, but some tears escaped my eyes. I could tell he was in shock, and I would
be too if someone told me that my grandmother was crazy. Jake stands there, frozen, taking it all
in when he finally turns around and says her name.

Grandma can you come here please, I need to speak with you. Jake said with such a stern and
authoritative voice. Anna stands up from her seat and walks right up to Jake’s side with her cup in hand.

Grandma, is it true that you’ve been… and Jake was interrupted when Anna spoke something so
softly that even Jake had a hard time hearing. Jake asks again what she was trying to say, and
Anna flips out.

I want her gone! Anna shrieks while smashing her cup onto the counter top, shattering it.
In the same shrill voice she continued. I can’t have her here, without thinking about her! It
hurts too much; she needs to leave now! She needs to go, or else!

What are you talking about Grandma? Who is she and what hurts so much? Jake starts to move
away from Anna and towards me; he has never seen her act this way before. Charles gets up from
the main room and marches his way over to the kitchen.

What is going on? Charles yelled, but succumbed to silence.

I never did tell anyone this, but I had a younger sister, Jovie. Surprised? Well she was always
the popular one, and me? I was always on the outside, and being used by my sister. It was awful!
Did I tell you she wanted to be an archeologist? Anyway, it was getting dark, and Jovie liked to
go out into the forest and dig. When I found her, I saw the opportunity I was looking for. Jovie
had her back towards me kneeling over a fairly large hole. The shovel was right next to her, and
without hesitation I picked it up and smashed it against her head! Jovie went tumbling down into
the hole where she bled to death. It felt good, like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders.
I buried her and the shovel making sure my tracks were covered, and went home. Jovie was a missing
person’s case, but no one found anything of her, and the case went cold. From then, I decided that
I should go into archeology, not because it interested me or anything, but because it would look
like I was doing this out of love for my sister. I eventually did enjoy being an archeologist, and
eventually Jovie escaped my memory, that is, until you got here. When I saw you, I couldn’t believe
what I was seeing; you, Kallie, are the spitting image of her. I thought Jovie woke up from the grave,
and came back to haunt me. Of course I knew that was impossible, but seeing you triggered something
inside of me, and it needed to be dealt with. So the dirt you saw in the house was from me being
outside digging a hole just for you.

The sound of those last couple of words makes me light-headed; Anna wanted to kill me! I stumble back,
but Jake catches a hold of me, and aides to my stability.

Why did you want to kill me? My voice is shaky and I feel very faint.

Well first off you look just like Jovie, and that pissed me off immediately. Secondly, you were
out of my life before, so I thought, I can do that again, and make sure you were out of my life
again! At that moment Anna launches herself at me, and just as I was getting ready to defend
myself Charles catches her by the arm, and pulls her away. His action causes Anna to lose her balance,
and she hits her head on the corner of the table causing her to fall to the floor and become unconscious.

Jake call 911, then take Kallie back home. Charles said calmly as he rushes to grab a towel
to put pressure on her head. Jake nods in response, but I just bolt out the door, never wanting
to go back there again.

A few days later, Jake arrives at my doorstep.

Hey I said trying to conceal any expression.

Hey, I’m so sorry about what happened the other day. I know you want to forget about it and all,
but I thought you’d like to know what’s been happening. Grandma is in recovery now, but will be
transported immediately to a mental facility when she’s okay, and Grandpa has moved into a home
for seniors which I think is the best for him. I could tell Jake spoke with sadness, but I was
glad that Anna was being put into a psychiatric ward.

And in spite of all that has happened, I also want to know if you want to go out with me sometime.

I jerk my head up, and see that he is blushing. I just got asked to go on a date with Jake. I keep
on staring at him, and all the bad feelings that were bottled up inside me disappear. Then Jake
quickly adds a comment.

I totally understand if…

Yes! I added quickly, I would love to go on a date with you. Putting emphasis on the
word love.

Great, I’ll call you tonight then. Then he walks up close to me and kisses me on the forehead.
Jake smiles at me, then turns around and leaves.

See you later. I said as I stand in the doorway. Breath taken, happy and void-less, I continue
with my day.