Outside the Ordinary World by Dori Ostermiller

Author:Dori Ostermiller
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: MIRA
Published: 2010-07-08T16:00:00+00:00

I arrived home from school one March afternoon to find my grandmother at the kitchen sink, loading the dishwasher.

“Gram—what are you doing here?” I tossed my things on the kitchen table, glanced around for my mother.

“Don’t clutter that table, honey. I just cleaned it.” She peered over her glasses. “I’m just tying up a few loose ends around here.”

I experienced, again, the unsettling sensation of dreaming. Gram and Poppy hadn’t been to southern California for years. In fact, as far as I knew, they hadn’t really left Orchard Hill—aside from going to the market or the post office—since 1970. I rubbed my eyes, willing myself to awaken. Then Gram’s arms were around me, her real, warm bosom pressing my neck, her familiar smell of old linen flooding my senses.

“Is Poppy here?”

“Oh, heavens, no. Poppy wouldn’t get on a plane—not for all the avocadoes in Mexico.” She pulled away, resumed her work. “Your mom’s in her room, getting ready for choir.”

Walking down the long hallway to the master bedroom, I could tell by the sound of Mom’s voice that she was talking to Sammy. I crouched on the blue shag carpeting to listen.

“I just picked her up at John Wayne Airport a little over an hour ago.”

Calamity Jane slithered from Mom’s closet and purred against me.

“No, I had no idea,” she continued. “She said he called on Monday. Wouldn’t tell me what he said, just that we needed her help!”

There was a long pause. I held my breath while CJ stalked away, tail twitching.

“I’m telling you, he brought her here to keep an eye on me or—Sylvie!” Mom had appeared around the corner, wearing nothing but her pink lace panties and bra, clutching the powder-blue phone.

“What?” I made my face blank.

“As if I need more spies in my house! I’ve gotta go, Sammy.” She hung up the phone, then reappeared, hands on her hips. “What are you doing slinking around?”

“I’m not slinking. I just came from school. Is Gram really spying on you?”

Her gray eyes narrowed, as if she believed I’d become part of the conspiracy against her, then she turned and began dressing. “She’s here to keep an eye on you girls. So I can go to choir practice without worrying what you’re up to,” she concluded, slipping on a pair of black gaucho pants and a chartreuse sweater—the same one she’d worn in San Luis Obispo a few months ago with Mr. Robert. I wondered if she knew, somehow, about my afternoons with Darian. But how could she? She fastened the opal pendant around a neck that seemed gazelle-like without its usual adornment of hair.

“You’re not supposed to wear jewelry to church,” I scolded.

“Gram’s here to help out for a few days, so please behave,” she said, walking past me down the hall. When she got to the bedroom door, she stopped and looked back, contrite, and held her arms out. I flew into her embrace.

“I’m scared, Mom,” I said, surprising us both.

“Next time I’ll take you with me, angel.

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