Chapter 14
“Presley! Are you okay?” Paulette shouted.
“Yeah . . . I’m okay,” she said wearily as she rubbed her head. “My head hurts,” she complained as her eyes blinked rapidly.
“Yeah, mine too.”
Presley looked into the swirling water. For a brief moment she could see Jesse’s sad face and then the image was gone. Her heart ached. It took a few seconds for her eyes to focus on her new surroundings.
“Paulette? Is that you?” Presley said, stunned by Paulette’s appearance.
“Yeah,” she answered, with her hands shaking.
“Paulette, you’re like . . . an old woman,” she whispered.
“This is so strange.” Paulette looked down at the bulging veins in her arms and hands. “Look how my skin has aged!” Paulette said.
“And look at the back of your dress! It totally ripped!”
Paulette gasped and held the back of her dress tightly. The laughter quickly turned to silence. They stared at each other for a long while, neither of them knowing what to do or where to go next.
“What are we going to do now? Everyone’s probably out looking for you, Presley,” Paulette said as she anxiously began to pace the ground.
“You think so?” Presley asked, excited at the thought that people might be concerned about her.
“Well, of course! You’ve been missing for days. I remember you saying that my parents were out looking for me when I went missing."
“Yeah, well, your parents cared about what happened to you. My mom probably didn’t even notice that I was gone.”
“Well, what about me?” Paulette asked. “What are we going to say happened to me? I got kidnapped?”
Presley thought for a moment. “A kidnapping is out of the question. With the advancement in forensic science, they will blow a hole in that story in no time. I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I have one idea that may just work. Amnesia. You had amnesia.”
“I had amnesia? What is that . . . exactly?” Paulette asked.
“It’s when you can’t remember anything from your past. So, let’s see, you could have been kidnapped and beaten.” Presley paused briefly, her mind racing with thoughts, then continued on with her nervous chatter. “I don’t know, the beating could have caused memory loss. Therefore, you don’t remember what exactly had happened to you. Now, you suddenly remember who you are and you came home. Simple. I will help you, don’t worry.”
“Don’t worry?" Paulette said sarcastically. “So I had amnesia? You don’t think that anyone will investigate the story?” she asked.
“Not if we stick to our story and lay low,” said Presley.
“Lay low?” she repeated.
“Yeah, just don’t draw a lot of attention to yourself. You know, just lay low," Presley said calmly.
“Okay,” Paulette took a deep breath. They started to walk down the same dirt path that led them both to the creek and ultimately Porha. Paulette looked around in amazement.
“Nothing has changed,” she said under her breath.
“Trust me, Paulette, everything has changed.”
Presley grabbed her guitar and song book, which were exactly where she had left them days earlier. They continued to walk until they came upon the road that led to Paulette’s abandoned home.
“I want to see it,” Paulette insisted. She stopped and turned toward Presley. “For so many years I had played this day out over and over in my head, the day when I would make it back home from Porha. But, honestly, I never really believed that I would. The day that I disappeared I had decided to take a walk. Isn’t it weird to think that one little decision, a trivial decision really, could change my entire life? I mean what would have happened if I hadn’t taken that walk? How would my life be today? Would I be married? Would I have children? I’ll never know,” she said.
Presley saw the sadness in Paulette’s eyes. She gently patted her back trying to comfort her. Paulette stood in front of her old dilapidated house, and in the midst of the decaying weathered boards and deteriorated roof, Paulette noticed the plants.
“You know, I helped my mom plant those hostas when I was thirteen years old. And they are still here,” Paulette smiled.
“Do you want to go inside?” Presley asked.
“No, I want to remember it, how it once was."
They turned and walked back down the road to Presley’s house.
≈≈≈≈≈
Passing the old grain bin and windmill, they could see her house.
“I bet there will be so many people waiting for you,” Paulette determined.
“I don’t know. If they had a search party out looking for me, then where are they?"
“I don’t know,” Paulette answered.
“You are going to have to stay at my house tonight,”
Presley said intentionally changing the subject. We need a little time to get our stories straight.”
As they approached Presley’s home they noticed Presley’s and Lisa’s cars in the driveway, but there was no sign of life. No search party in sight.
“Maybe the search party is out looking for you. Maybe that’s why nobody is here,” Paulette encouraged.
She could see the sadness in Presley’s eyes. Presley walked up to the front door, quietly opened it and peeked through the crack. She didn’t see anyone. She motioned for Paulette to follow her, up the stairs and into her room. She shut the door behind them.
“Okay, I’m going to my mom’s room to get you some clothes and then you are taking a shower,” she ordered.
Presley slipped into her mother’s room, she noticed her mother lying asleep in her bed.
“Mom?” Presley whispered.
“Yeah,” Lisa mumbled.
“You need anything?” Presley asked, curious to know if her mother had even realized she’d been missing.
“Yeah, could you get me some water?” she garbled. Presley’s heart sank.
“Another late night?” Presley asked shaking her head.
“Yeah. I had another fight with Bob so I went to the bar. Jerk. He hasn’t even called,” she stammered as if she were still drunk.
“I’ll get you some water,” Presley said.
On her way out of the room, Presley snuck a pair of black stretch pants and a pink tank top out of Lisa’s dresser drawer that looked big enough to fit Paulette.
“My mom’s in her bed,” Presley said disappointedly.
“What? Your mom’s here? What did she say?” Paulette blurted.
Presley handed the clothes to Paulette. “She didn’t even know that I was gone. I guess she and her boyfriend had another fight. It looks like she has been drunk for the last few days."
Nervous energy led Presley to her closet as she dug out a pair of flip flops for Paulette.
“I’m sorry. I can’t believe that she didn’t even know that you were gone,” Paulette said sympathetically.
“Honestly, I’d have been surprised if she had known that I was missing. Come on, I’ll show you to the shower.”
They went to a small compact bathroom big enough for only one person. Presley showed her how to work the faucet.
“It’s kind of tricky and old. Just pull down right here and it will come on. Turn it this way to make it warmer. There is soap in the shower, and shampoo. Conditioner too, if you need it,” she added as she pointed to the individual containers.
“Okay, got it. Thanks,” Paulette said and shut the door. Presley walked back to her room. As she lay on the bed, she instantly thought about Jesse. She reached for her cell phone.
“Now I have signal,” she said under her breath. “The battery isn’t low anymore. Huh. I never even charged it. How strange.”
She turned her pho
ne on and there was the picture of Jesse. Her heart leaped. She stared at the picture for awhile, wishing that he were there with her, and realizing she was never going see him again. She put her phone down and she closed her eyes. Wondering what he was doing at that very instant.
Does he miss me? Does he love me as much as he said that he did? Should I have stayed with him?
Her bedroom door flew open and Samantha bolted into the room.
“Where have you been? Are you crazy? I have called you like a thousand times and what, you don’t answer? I could understand you not answering Tyler’s phone calls, but mine? Do you know how worried I’ve been? Where were you? Do you think that just because you and Tyler had a fight that it gives you the right to run away and avoid me? Where were you?” she demanded without taking a breath. Shocked by Samantha’s anger Presley scrambled for an explanation.
“Yeah, I just . . . uh . . . went away for a few days. You know, to gather my thoughts. To figure out what to do about me and Tyler.”
“So, you just decided to go way for a few days?” Samantha said annoyed.
“Gosh, I’m sorry, Sam. I swear I didn’t mean to worry you,” Presley apologized.
“You're lucky that I came here first, Presley. When you missed school today, I really started to worry. I thought maybe something really bad happened to you! Like you had been murdered! I was ready to go to the police!” she shouted.
Just then Paulette entered the room. Samantha jumped slightly, startled by Paulette’s presence.
“Hi,” Paulette said nervously, looking down.
“Hey,” Samantha said as she studied her face as she tried to place her.
“I’m Paulette, a friend of Presley’s,” she finally said.
“Oh, a friend of Presley’s. Right. A friend who I have never met. Or heard of.” Samantha glanced back at Presley. “What’s going on?” she pressed.
“Yeah, okay, you see I just met Paulette myself, a few days ago. And . . . uh, well . . . she had been sick,” Presley said.
“Sick?” questioned Samantha, her eyes squinted.
“Yeah, sick. It’s a crazy story, sad really. She had amnesia for most of her life.
Anyway she remembered who she was just recently and, well, we were both staying at the same hotel here in town
and - ”
“Wait. A hotel? You stayed in a hotel here in town?” Samantha interrupted.
“Yeah, I had to get away. You know, the whole Tyler thing, I needed to clear my head. Anyway, we met one morning and I just . . . uh . . . felt sorry for her and I wanted to help her find her parents.” Presley hated lying to her best friend, but their secret was too dangerous.
“Amnesia?” Samantha repeated clearly not buying the story.
“Yeah, amnesia,” Presley repeated.
“Yeah, Okay Paulette. Is this the same Paulette that you were telling us about the other night in the barn?” Samantha asked confused.
“Yes, weird isn’t it? Trust me it’s such a long story, I’ll tell you more about it later. For now Paulette needs to rest. She has had a dreadful week.”
“Yeah, okay,” Samantha said as Presley led her out of her bedroom.
“I’ll call you later, Sam,” Presley said as she closed the door.
They waited until they heard the front door shut, and then they heard Samantha’s car start up. Presley sighed in relief.
“Okay, she’s gone,” Presley rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t prepared for that, not yet anyway!”
“Me either. At least we’ve had some practice now,” Paulette sighed.
“I guess so,” Presley said as she held out her hand. “Look, I’m shaking. I’ve never been good at lying.
Presley’s phone vibrated a few times, and then rang loudly. She went over to her bed to check who was calling.
“Tyler,” Presley panicked.
“How do you know?” asked Paulette.
Presley held the phone out for Paulette to see his name.
. Presley answered the phone trying to stay calm, “Hello. Yeah, I’m home. Okay. I’ll be here. Bye."
“What was that all about?" Paulette pried.
“Tyler wants to see me.”
“Is he coming over here?”
“Yes. In awhile.” Presley took a pair of jeans and a plain blue fitted shirt out of her closet. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
Presley walked down the hall to the bathroom. She was perplexed by a dull, aching feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“Am I anxious to see Tyler? Am I nervous to see Tyler?” she asked herself out loud, as she tried to put words to this aching feeling. Then it hit her.
This feeling is painful, like misery. I’m sad. I’m disappointed. Ahh . . . I’m heartbroken. I feel broken. I miss Jesse, she thought.
Presley finished her shower and went back into her bedroom where she found Paulette fast asleep on her bed. Presley sat down at her old vanity and began brushing her long wet hair. In the reflection of the mirror, she saw the bag that Jesse had given her. She grabbed the bag and then sat back down at the vanity. When she opened it she saw a bundle of wilting flowers. When Presley touched the flowers they began to change from black to grey. They were flowers from Porha and they were dying. They had been wrapped with a brown string and attached to the string was a small note.
It read:
Presley, remember that I will always love you. Have a wonderful life. I hope that I can find you again someday. Maybe in a different time- in another life.
Love always and forever,
Jesse
The flowers had small bulbs instead of roots. She instinctively ran outside to plant them behind the house. She quickly grabbed a shovel that was near the back porch and dug several holes in the ground. She stood back once they were planted and watched as they flowers adjusted to their new environment. They gradually perked up, turning towards the sun. She went back into the house and into the kitchen.
Presley opened the aged oak cabinets to find them almost empty, as usual. She finally found half a bag of stale potato chips, some bacon and two tomatoes. She decided to make a couple of sandwiches and chips. She ate a few bites as she hurriedly ran up the stairs, anticipating that Tyler could show up at any minute. While she finished her makeup, she heard a knock at the front door. Tyler had arrived.