Monday, August 17, 2009

The Other Side of the Curtain

The cold hard fact was, after my cousin Alexandra came to live at our house, she totally eclipsed me. Mercy Anne McAllister all but disappeared from view. My family barely heard or saw me anymore. Daddy, Mama, and both of my older brothers were constantly gawking at her disarmingly pretty face, hanging on to Alexandra’s every word, and far too busy going out of their way to ensure that the ravishing creature’s whims and needs were met, than to be bothered with plain old Mercy. I’m telling you, being ignored gets to a girl. And being practically invisible is no fun, no fun at all.

We had to share a room. Mama hung a floor to ceiling curtain to separate and delineate our sides. Wouldn’t you know it, Alexandra’s side had both the window, and the door? I felt as if I’d been relegated to a dark hovel. They let her have the closet because she had to have somewhere to hang all those beautiful clothes. Daddy found a couple of dinged up metal lockers in Nana’s basement, and set them near the foot of my bed, so that’s where I crammed my meager belongings.

Alexandra would go on and on about what a shock it had all been: the funeral, finding out that her parents really didn’t have any money to speak of, (aside from her lawyer father’s income), losing her color-coordinated bedroom, saying goodbye to all her friends and her posh private school, and being forced to leave Chicago to come live out in the sticks with us, in Washington. Every single night, she practically talked my ears off. I had to lie there and listen to her laments until she broke out into sobs and finally cried herself to sleep. I did more than my fair share of listening. Alexandra didn’t expect, or desire a response from me, I figured that out early on. She just wanted me to be there for her, quietly listening on the other side of the curtain.

A few months went by and I watched her begin to accept the death of her parents and little sister. After a time her discourse switched tone, as well as subject matter. Chicago became a distant memory, and our small town took center stage. Even at the age of ten I understood that Alexandra had gone from being a little fish in a small pond to being a big fish in a little pond. The attention agreed with her. People would run into me, and instead of saying, “Hi there Mercy,” as they had before, they would say, “How’s that gorgeous cousin of yours doing?” Or, “Say hi to Alexandra for me, won’t you?” At an age when I was supposed to be growing, I was shrinking. I figured that pretty soon I’d be as miniscule as a fly, and about as important.

All total, my cousin shared my bedroom for three years. I was the first one to know that the traveling preacher was driving Alexandra out to the orchards whenever he came to town, that he was teaching her things. That he was doing things, to her. I listened to my lust-driven cousin list all the reasons why she loved The Reverend Wiley Thomas. And I didn’t dare bring up the Holy Bible, or tell Alexandra that she was surely going to burn in hell.

After the ugly truth came out about how he had planted his seed in Alexandra’s belly, Daddy went to visit The Reverend Wiley, and the contrite preacher readily agreed to marry her. Who knew he had another wife in Spokane, and three little kids, that he hadn’t even bothered to divorce? All that mess got handled though, thanks to Daddy. They wed in her eighth month of pregnancy, and That Scoundrel (Daddy’s words) preacher took our Alexandra away to live in another town.

Mama tried to take the curtain down, but I asked her to go ahead and leave it hanging. I’d gotten used to sleeping against the wall in the dark. I’d grown accustomed to anonymity. I felt safe, concealed, and protected from the kind of emotion and passion that had gotten Alexandra in so much trouble. You see, I knew, being invisible has its rewards.


All Rights Reserved. © 2009 by Elizabeth Bradley.

18 comments:

Kim said...

Great story!!! I grew up sort of like this in the shadow of my older sister. Well into my twenties I had men (that I was interested in) asking me to introduce them to her. She too got pregnant very young. Being in her shadow also shaped me in a way.

Elizabeth Bradley said...

I imagine that was difficult, but we are the sum total of all our experiences, good and bad. They do shape us.

Rosaria Williams said...

My, she did get her comeuppance!

Marguerite said...

Excellent writing and story, as always! I must say that my heart really went out to Mercy. Cheers!

Lori said...

Wow. This was great reading. It caught my attention quickly and I couldn't stop reading. I usually just skim thorough blogs, but this one I had to read. I can identify with a lot in that story.

Sandi McBride said...

Oh my...I see a bit of Harper Lee peeking from behind that curtain. Great story...congrats on POTD mention from David
Sandi

Anonymous said...

Really enjoyed reading this post. So many of us wonder about the grass on the other side, yet we forget to realise that what we have is probably better.

CJ xx

ellen abbott said...

Wow. Great story.

I'm a middle child too, though it wasn't my older sister it was my younger brother, the one and only boy. The Golden Boy, my sister and I tagged him.

Thanks for visiting my blog. I'll be back.

lime said...

wow, that is a fine bit of story telling. glad i came over from david's.

Brian Miller said...

wow. you have such a way of telling a story...my heart went out to Alexandria and the betrayal of trust...but to you as well in the isolation that became a comfort...

TestofF8th said...

Bravo Liz...What a great story. I have learned so much from reading your blogs. I've started on my first book, and while it is work, it is a labor of love. Thank you for your constant inspiration.

Mary

The Victorian Parlor said...

Wow-that's powerful! Great story!

Blessings,

Kim

Elizabeth Bradley said...

Lori--That's what an author strives for, a way of causing the reader to identify and connect!

CJ--I agree with you.

EllenA--I am a middle child too.

Lime--Thanks for dropping by.

Brian--Thanks. Mercy is fictional and so is Alexandria.

Mary--Hi! You touch me with your words.

Kim--Always good to hear from you.

fuzzbert_1999@yahoo.com said...

Excellent story...I see why got were picked as a POTD! Thanks for the visit.

SandyCarlson said...

An amazing story. Thanks.

Unknown said...

It sounds like a horrible experience for a young girl. Your writing of it was phenomenal!

Cheryl said...

I really like the voice of the character. I really felt for her! Sad but I didn't feel sorry for Alexandra, though really she had the worse end of it.

Excellent story!

Rick said...

There was a smooth, authentic flow to this story that made it enjoyably easy to read. YOu have such a wonderful touch, Elizabeth.