Sunshine and Butterflies

The day a stranger came to town, the sky turned black. It was an omen I thought. Lydia said I was being foolish.

Mulgrove normally sat nestled on the coast, characterized by sunny blue skies. Butterflies fluttered around, and Ol’ Miss Wilson’s petunia pots swayed in the cool breeze. It was only ten in the morning on May 12, 2000. At this time, everyone would walk down Mulgrove Lane, checking out the boutiques that opened their doors to let the wind rustle through hanging dresses. Java Coffee shop bustled as usual. Neighbors called a hearty hello to friends they’d only seen yesterday.

It was a quaint sort of town. Lydia and I grew up there and hadn’t even thought about moving. Well, I hadn’t.

 Lydia had dreams. She was studying to be a pharmacist and wanted to move down the coast to one of the bigger cities for college. I would go too but wanted to come back and intern at the local veterinarian clinic down the road.

It was during one of our study sessions in Java Coffee that a loud rumble put a stop to our pencils and quieted the customers.

The gunmetal gray Mercedes brought with it storm clouds and stillness. The butterflies disappeared. Even the wind ran from the crisp gray suit and aviators perched on the stranger’s nose.

“Ooh he’s handsome,” Lydia gushed. She primped her curls and dug through her purse for her strawberry scented lip gloss.

I leaned far over the table to peek and see what Lydia was talking about. The stranger had sharp features and was even sharper dressed. A slick grey suit and black tie complimented the hawkish nose and dark eyes. Perfectly slicked black hair and neatly groomed eyebrows completed his look.

“Yeah, I guess,” I huffed, knowing he was more Lydia’s type than mine.

The man stepped into the coffee shop and even the light seemed to shrink in his presence. He looked around before going to order. Lydia giggled behind her hand. As if hearing that tiny sound, the man craned his neck around and met her eyes.

I don’t know what love at first sight is, but I think Lydia found it. Her mouth opened with a gasp, while his slowly sharpened into a smile.

I didn’t like that smile one bit.

“I’m going to go say hi,” Lydia whispered, her eyes still transfixed.

Before I could say anything, she was off like a runaway train. I watched as she came to a stop, barely coming up his shoulder. I assumed he said something funny because she laughed and flipped her blonde hair over her dainty one. They shook hands…and he didn’t let go. She didn’t seem to mind.

I buried my nose back in my book on how to birth foals before I noticed two pairs of feet pointed toward me. Looking up, I saw the stranger and Lydia, the latter looking happier than I had seen her since dad said she could go to college out of state.

Setting my book down, I plastered a smile on my face.

“Hello,” I started before he could say anything. “I’m Helene and I’m guessing you’ve already met my sister, Lydia.”

The man sketched a bow and held out his hand, which I shook. His skin was warm and rough, silent strength in those fingers that curved around mine.

“I’m Edison Jameson, how are you?”

“Fine, thank you.”

“Oh Helene,” Lydia gushed. “Edison was just telling me he’s in from out of town. Isn’t that neat?”

Out-of-towners were rare. Sometimes they were just people looking for beautiful scenery or new fishing spots. Never ones dressed in immaculate suits.

“What is it you’re here for,” I inquired.

Edison found a chair at the table behind us, thanked the people there for the extra chair, and sat down.

“I’m here to look at some developments. Your mayor was kind enough to invite me to see if I wanted to invest.”

“So, you’re an investor,” Lydia said, chin in her hands. Her whole body was leaning toward him, like a twig that hadn’t yet toppled into a fire.

“Of sorts,” he said, a subtle smile blooming across his lips. “What I’m more interested in, however, is if Lydia would like to go on a date with me?”

My mouth dropped open.

Lydia was tall like my mom, with her long golden tresses and piercing ocean eyes. She wasn’t too curvy, but just enough because of her sporty background. I could see how she drew him in, considering she was always welcoming, and she had the kind of body men loved, soft and supple. She was always the popular kid and had become popular for her kindness among the adults of the town as she’d gotten older. Mom said Lydia would probably take in all the strays in the world if she could.

“Excuse me,” I said before Lydia opened her fat mouth. “I don’t mean to be rude, but you seem too old for my sister, and she is definitely too young for you.”

“Helene!” Lydia gasped.

Edison merely smiled, “Looks like some big subjects you’re studying. If anything, I’d assume you were in college, which is plenty old enough for me.”

“Will be in college—”

“Yes that’s correct,” Lydia said, pressing down on my foot with hers.

“And besides,” she said, leaning over to whisper to me. “I’m old enough to decide who I date and don’t, aren’t I, Helene? I am older than you after all.”

I gritted my teeth and nodded slightly. Yes, this was true. We did take a gap year after high school and she was older than I, which put her at 20. I guess I just didn’t think she’d want to go after someone clearly a decade older.

“Now that that’s settled,” Edison said, amused. “Would you go on a date with me Lydia? I hear the beaches are beautiful this time of year.”

I sighed and leaned back in my chair. Once Lydia put her mind to something, there was no stopping her. And right now, her latest obsession was Edison.

“I would love to,” Lydia beamed. “Helene, would you like to come?”

I blinked quickly, thinking I hadn’t heard her correctly. Though I must have, because Edison was looking at me like I should say no, and fast.

Which meant I’d say yes.

“Yeah, sure. When’s the outing?” I said, grinning.

~~~

The water was warm the next day and I splashed around in the gentle waves close to shore. I chanced a glance at Lydia and Edison lying on matching towels. She had her big hat on, the one with the blue and white ribbon around it, and he sported a pair of expensive-looking aviators. I heard her laughter from down here, and his echo.

I spotted Lydia’s hat now covering both of their faces. I could only guess what they were doing from the way Edison’s hand moved to caress her arm. I lifted my head to glance at the sky and noticed the storm clouds were still present and bulging.

The heavens opened up, and it started pouring.

I ran out of the water and toward the couple as fast as I could, grabbing clothes, shoes, and whatever else I could reach. Lydia squealed because she hated getting wet. Edison grabbed her hand, and they raced up the hill toward his car.

As he drove back to drop us off, rain pounded against the roof of his car, and I couldn’t help but feel a knot in my stomach. I wasn’t one to believe in omens and spooky things, but it never rained in May. And there were never gray clouds. Come to think, I hadn’t seen any butterflies by Ol’ Miss Wilson’s flowers recently.

It was only yesterday since Edison Jameson came to town and he was already making the town gloomy.

I glanced at the man in question and noticed his hand wrapped around Lydia’s. Her thumb stroked the skin along the back of his hand, and it made me want to barf. But I looked at her too, and I might as well not have been in the car with the way she looked at him, like there was only him.

~~

           Over the next few months, Edison and Lydia went on more dates. To the creamery, to the beach, to the movies. I wasn’t invited to any of them. It was almost like Lydia had forgotten I existed, except for the updates she would give after she came back from every one of them.

           “Oh, it was a dream!”

           “He’s so handsome and smart, Helene.”

           “He wants to do something special for me.”

           “I think I love him.”

           I sat on my bed, book forgotten, as I gaped at Lydia, “What do you mean you love him?”

           She was on her side of the room, folding clothes to be packed. Apparently, Edison was taking her out of town for a couple of days. Somehow, dad approved. I wasn’t sure they had even met.

           “Exactly what I said. I think I’m in love with him.”

           I sat up, “In love and love are two very different things, Lydia.”

           “Well to me they’re not,” she said. “It’s him. He’s the one. I’ve decided I’m going to marry him.”

           “Has he asked for your hand?” I said.

           “Not yet, but I know he talked to daddy for a long time,” she said.

           “When was this? He’s met dad?”

           “When you had your nose in a book, as always, that’s when.” Lydia angrily shoved more clothes into her suitcase.

           “Why are you upset?” I said, standing slowly, not understanding this change in direction.

           “Because Helene,” she shouted. “Because this time it’s about me. I want this. I want him in my life. We always do everything together, and I know we agreed about college and you maybe coming with me, but this time it’s just for me.”

           I stepped back in shock, but ended up plopping on the bed, stunned to silence. It had always been me and Lydia, true. I had decided to go to college with her and come back to Mulgrove after, but this would change everything.

           “I still don’t understand, Lydia, it’s only been a couple of weeks…surely that’s not enough time—”

           Lydia dropped the clothes she was fussing with. Her shoulders drooped and a strangled sob emitted from the hands that had come to cover her mouth.

           “I’m pregnant.”

           She turned around and sat on her bed. Mascara-soaked tears streamed down her face and stained her white shirt.

           “I love him, yes,” Lydia continued, “but I also…this baby…marriage would set us up right.”

           “What do you mean?” I said, coming to sit next to her. It had only been five months since they had started dating. I slowly placed a hand on her shoulder before wrapping my arm around her.

           “Edison doesn’t know yet. I’m not trying to trap him, but if we were married when I had the baby…” she goes to wipe her eyes with her sleeve, before realizing she doesn’t have sleeves at all. As her hand went down, I spied the tell-tale signs of bruising.

           “What’s this,” I said, holding up her arm by her fingers. The mottled greens and yellows were faint along her wrist and arm, almost as if it had been covered up with makeup.

           I licked my palm and rubbed it along her arm.

           “Ouch, stop! That hurts!” Lydia cried, grabbing her arm back and looking affronted, like I had attacked her. But I knew it wasn’t me.

           “Did he put those bruises there,” I said, my voice low and quiet.

           She opened her mouth to say what I knew would be a lie, so I put my hand up and asked again.

           “Yes,” she admitted.

           “You need to tell me everything right now or I’ll—”

           “Or what? What are you going to do?”

           “Well,” I said, twirling my thumbs. “I do know how to castrate a bull.”

           “Helene,” she gasped.

           I shrugged.

           “Just tell me what you want to do, because you’re not staying with him.”

           “You can’t tell me what to do,” Lydia yelled.

           “I sure can,” I yelled back. “I’m your sister, and sisters take care of each other. Isn’t that what you always say? ‘No matter where, or how far, I’ll always be there for you.’”

           This calmed Lydia for a second. I just needed her to think. There was no way I would let her stay with Edison, but then again, it wasn’t my choice. I just hoped she made the right one.

           “Well?” I said, sitting back on my bed. “What’re you going to do about Edison and the baby? If he hurts you now, imagine what he’ll do if he finds out about the baby.”

           “He might love me more,” Lydia sniffled. “It might make it stop.”

           I sighed and shook my head, “I doubt it.”

           Lydia bit her lip before coming to my side. I wrapped my arms around her, and we leaned our heads together.

           “I just want the best for you,” I said.

           “I know.”

~~

           Lydia ended up telling Edison about the baby. She said it was better now than later. He did what I expected and beat her black and blue. Luckily it wasn’t so bad she had to go to the hospital, but dad cleaned his shotgun daily now. I may have also spread word that Edison Jameson liked to beat women. Everyone refused to serve him and it’d been a while since he’d been seen.

           I told this to Lydia as I sat on her bed.

           “Well good riddance, yeah?” I said, smiling slightly.

           She winced and tried to sit up more. She looked like a mess. I was just glad she was alive.

           “Do you know what you’re going to do about the baby?” I asked.

           She nodded and took a deep breath, “I still want to go to college. And I barely have enough money to look after myself let alone a child. I think I’m going to…get rid…of it.”

Abortion is taboo in our community, let alone in most of the states. She would possibly have to go to another city or state to have the procedure. I could understand why she felt hesitant about the whole thing.

           “I’ll support you either way,” I said.

           The doorbell rang and both of us looked at each other quizzically. We were more of a ‘stop on by, no need to knock’ neighborhood.

           I looked out the window and saw a familiar gray Mercedes.

           “Shit, it’s Edison,” I said.

           Lydia pulled up the blankets and pools of tears started to well in her eyes.

           “I won’t let anything happen to you,” I said, and looked for where I kept my bat.

           The door opened and dad peered in, shotgun in one hand.

           “Do you want to handle this or should I,” he said, not unkindly.

           We both looked at Lydia, who took a deep breath, and slowly got out of bed.

           “I’ll do it,” she said

           Downstairs, the front door was open. Lydia was facing Edison, and Dad and I were behind her, each armed, though I wished I had a shotgun too.

           “What do you want Edison,” Lydia whispered. Her voice sounded so frail.

           “I just wanted to know what you were going to do with the baby,” Edison replied.

           The audacity of the man. I move forward, about to give him a piece of my mind. Lydia speaks before I can.

           “I’m not keeping it,” she said coldly. “Now go away.”

           “I’ll pay for—”

           “I don’t want your money, Edison,” Lydia said, stronger than before. “I don’t want anything from you, except for you to leave and get the hell out of my life.”

           Dad started to load the shotgun to make a point. I smiled and hoped that smile was more maniacal than I felt.

Dad clicked off the safety. Lydia stood with her arms crossed, silent tears rolling down her face.

Edison nodded and left.

I breathed out a sigh of relief and looked outside. Half the neighborhood stood on their front porch. I raised the bat in victory and applause sounded from the watching parties. Good riddance indeed.

I followed Lydia upstairs after that. We sat on her bed and looked at each other. There was a sadness in her eyes that I didn’t understand then, but I’m sure I knew now. I think part of Lydia died when Edison left. Here she was, left with reminders of a love won and lost. I think she really wanted it to work, but in the end, she knew life wouldn’t be the sunshine and butterflies she wanted to see.

But that’s what love did to her, I guess. Made her close her eyes and leap, even when the clouds were black and there were no rays of sunshine left to see.