The crazy family

My aunt Greta was weird,  the whole family has told me this through my whole life.  She lived a nomad lifestyle with her numerous lovers.    Every so often she would show up.   Stay for a while causing havoc and leave.   I was scared of her as a child,  she wore long black dresses and had long black hair that was wild and unbrushed.  I thought she was an evil witch.  When I was five she told me she was a gypsy witch and all they did was good.  She still scared me.

Whenever she turned up I would hide in my room and refuse to come out until she was gone.   Mom understood how I felt. My mom loved her sister,  however she would also breathe a sigh of relief when she was gone. Mom told me about aunt Greta,  she was like her grandmother.  Another family member who the family thought to be weird.  I barely knew her, as she died when I was five.  Though I was never scared of her,  she made the best scones and told the best stories.   My favourite memory of her was taking me to the apple tree at my home and would tell me about the fairies that lived there.

At the age of nine mom sat me down and told me that my older sister Skye was not my sister but my cousin.  Aunt Greta had Skye and couldn’t look after her so mom and dad who had just married took her in as their own.   It did explain a lot Skye was five years older than me and had a wild streak.  I must admit at first I was shocked, then worried for my sister/cousin.  I didn’t know how to behave around Skye,  not that she cared.  She didn’t even care that her mom was her aunt.

Skye moved out when I was 12 and I rarely sore her after that.  I was fifteen when she turned up with a babe in arms.  The little girl was the image of Skye,  same eyes and nose.  Like aunt Greta she left the baby with my parents and took off once more.  I loved looking after Aria,  she was always so happy to see me.  When she was three I took her to the apple tree and told her the same stories my great grandmother told me.  It was while I was telling Aria another story aunt Greta showed up.  She laughed.  “One of grans stories I loved those stories.”

I had barely spoken to aunt Greta all my life.  Part of me was still scared of her.  “You are still scared of me Juliet.  I understand.”

I picked up Aria and was about to make a run for it.    “I gave you your name. Your mom wanted to call you Polly.  You are no Polly,” she started to tell me.

I was intrigued and stood there to listen.  “You are a Juliet, just like the famous Juliet from the Shakespeare play.  Don’t worry sweetheart you are not going to come to some gruesome end.”

Aria wiggles to be put down.  I smile at aunt Greta and walk away.  “Your mother never told you,” she called out.

I paused for a moment and turned to look at aunt Greta.  “You are going to be famous.”

I laughed as I couldn’t sing or act.  “You are going to fall in love with a successful and somewhat famous man,” she explained.

I shook my head and walked away.  Later that night I told mom what aunt Greta had said.  “I know,” my mother told me as if were nothing. “When you were born both gran and Greta said when you grow up, you’d marry a somewhat famous man.  You both would work at making the world a better place.”

“You don’t believe that do you?”  I asked

My mom sighed.  “Gran and Greta had these premonitions.    They were never wrong.   When I was ten Greta wouldn’t let me out of the house to play with my friends. She said I had to stay in or something bad would happen to me.  The next day I my best friend who I was to see was in hospital.  She had been hit by a car.  If I was with her I would have been too.”

I laughed.  “So she get things right. I don’t know if I believe this.  I mean why the secret about this prediction about me.  It’s not like I’m going to become a serial killer.”

“I don’t want you wasting your life looking for this man.  Greta did, she searched for him and found him when she was 18.  Or she believed.  He got her pregnant and left.  Greta still searches for him. “

I felt sorry for aunt Greta.  She had spent her life looking for a man she, in my opinion never found.   

I continued with my life and got my nursing degree.  Had friends who I would go out and have a good time with and also I got to travel.    I had boyfriends, but they never lasted.  I felt I would never meet the one.  This man who I was supposed to marry never turned up.

Breaking up with my last boyfriend I went home to stay with my parents.  Aria was now ten and was as wild as Skye.  She had been grounded when I got home. My mom found her smoking.  It was this time Skye came home.  She was clearly very sick and I learnt she had terminal cancer.  As a nurse I knew how to care for her and we spent many days and nights talking.  The day she passed away she looked at me and told me of her many regrets.  Giving up Aria and what surprised me was not treating me like an older sister that I deserved.  I recall crying when she told me.  A hour later she fell asleep and I thought she would not wake up.

Aunt Greta came by to say her goodbyes to Skye and I wondered if she regretted giving her up.  I sat with Skye, when Aria walked in.  She stood there and stared at the woman who gave birth to her.  “It’s okay for you to come over,” I told her.

Aria paused for a moment.  Then walked over to the bed.  Skye looked at her daughter with tears in her eyes.  She tried to speak but couldn’t.  “It’s alright Skye.  Aria your mother regrets giving you up.  She loves you,” I spoke.

Aria cried and looked at me.  “I can’t tell her I love her.  I don’t know her,” she announced.  “I have to go.”

Aria ran out of the room.  “Sorry Skye.”

As she had a sudden burst of energy.  “I loved him,  I thought he was my destiny.”

“Who Skye?”

“Arias father.  Like Greta he left me.  Don’t let Aria become me or Greta.”

“I promise I will look after her.  Mom and dad too, we will look after her.”

Skye breathed a sigh of relief.  “I didn’t tell you.  But he’s coming.”

“Arias father?”

Skye shook her head and with that she drew her last breath.  

I walked out in tears to see my family all crying in the living room.  “She’s gone.” I announced.

Greta stood up and without saying a word she walked out.    I went to comfort mom and dad, while gran comforted Aria.  We all sat in silence until the ambulance arrived.  The paramedics  went into the room I left Skye.  I got up to go in.  When I heard one of the paramedics shout.  I raced in to find Greta slumped on the floor blood pouring from her mouth and stomach.  I was in shock.  “Who is this?”  the female paramedic asked.

“Her mother, her biological mother.  How is ….

“Looks like we are too late,” the female paramedic replied.

I couldn’t believe it.  I didn’t know what to say.  “I have to get back to my family.”

As I walked into the living room everyone looked at me.  “Greta, killed herself.”

A painful cry came out of grans mouth.  

Within a couple of days both mom and I had organised 2 funerals.  It wasn’t an easy time for us, however Aria calmed down from her wild child ways.  Something I was grateful for.  At the service Aria comforted mom and gran,  she made sure both of them were looked after and cared for.

After the service I was so tired I wanted to sleep for weeks.  Then there was the wake.  I sat on the sofa alone.  I older man walked over to me.  “Juliet,” he said.  “I’ll leave if you want me too.  I’m Skye's father.”

“I was too exhausted to say much.  “Stay, just don’t tell anyone who you are.”

The man nodded.  A young man walked over and I felt a strange feeling I knew him from somewhere.  “Juliet this is my son Matthew.”

I smiled at him as my heart fluttered.  “I’m sorry for your loss.” Matthew said.  “I wish I had known Skye.”

“She would have loved having a brother.”

I know you're not Skyes biological sister, but I’m sure you were a wonderful sister.”  

“Welcome to our crazy family,” I said.

Matthew laughed and everyone turned to look at him.  “I should go,” the old man announced.

“It was nice meeting you both.”

“Oh god I know you.” my cousin Sophie said.  “Juliet this is Matthew Hutchence.  He wrote that great book on his charity work.  I’m such a fan.  Can’t believe someone famous is here.”

“I’m not famous.  I just wrote a book that’s all, I wanted to highlight poverty in this world.  It was nice meeting you ladies, we have to go.”

Sophie sat down next to me on the couch, as Matthew and his father walked away.  It was then it hit me.  Was this the man I was destined to meet.  I got up and ran out after Matthew.  “Skye has a daughter Aria.  You have a niece and you a granddaughter.” I quickly blurted out.

Matthew paused and took my hand. It was then I knew aunt Greta was right.  “I better go back in and meet her,” he said.

Mom was standing in the doorway and she smiled that knowing smile.