Dinner at the Reeds'

Walter Hallaway watched out the window as the Taxi carried him to Brook Street. There was a quiet rainfall that morning, and the small raindrops fell down on the windshield, creating a pleasant sound the whole ride there.

 "What number did you say that house was, lad?" The Taxi driver asked.

 "Oh, 13." he repeated. Walter's eyes fell on a wooden sign before him, reading, 'Brook Street'. The wood was stained a dark color and was cut rather roughly around the edges. Walter's head turned slightly as they passed by the sign and entered onto an old winding road.

 The path in front of them was almost impossible to see by all of the sharp turns ahead. The edges of the street were lined with large, looming trees, blocking off almost all of the sunlight, and most of the rain. The Taxi came to an abrupt stop when a house suddenly appeared before them. Walter nodded at the taxi driver and stepped outside. Reluctantly, he closed the cab door and examined the rickety old mansion before him.

 Almost immediately the Taxi took off, leaving nothing but the smell of exhaust, which was soon washed away in the rain. Walter studied the house. Every shingle was in shambles, except for one beside the doorway that read the house number, which was number thirteen. Walter stepped up on the porch, causing it to creek loudly, and knocked on the door.

 A moment later, a short portly gentleman opened the door. He was wearing a black suit, white gloves, and had a bow tie around his neck.

 "Mr. Hallaway?" he questioned.

 "Yes," Walter replied. "Are you the butler?"

 The butler nodded. "Butler Joey, you may call me." he pulled to door open and stepped aside, gesturing for Walter to come in.

 Walter nodded and stepped into the house. He entered into a foyer, where pictures hung above the coat hangers and candles glowed on each wall. The butler closed the door and made his way through the hallway. Walter took off his gloves and slipped them into his coat pocket as he followed Joey through the house. They passed by a swinging door, which Walter guessed to be the kitchen. Just past that room, were french doors with glass paneling.

 Butler Joey politely opened one of the doors and stood aside for Walter to enter. He stepped into the dining room, which was actually surprising in size. It was a rather small room, with only a long table in the center. Though the table was in the very center of the room, it was actually occupying most of the space. There was barely any space for one person to walk around it.

 The table was set nicely, with snow white napkins at each place and a beautiful red rose centerpiece. Walter looked to his right and noticed another swinging door. Suddenly, it flew open and a gray haired woman in an apron entered the dining room. Her blue eyes opened widely when she noticed Walter.

 "Oh!" she exclaimed happily. "Walter, you're here!" The next second, she was back into the kitchen, and right back out with two other family members beside her.

 "Walter, I am you Grandmother Agnes Reed." she gestured to herself. "This is your Grandfather James Reed." she pointed to an old gentlemen, who was hunched over, leaning on his cane and peering through his round spectacles.

 Beside him, was a man around the age of forty. He had a thin mustache and short, stubbly beard. The man's brown eyes were fixed directly in front of himself, just staring.

 Grandmother Agnes gave the man a shove, causing him the blink and smile at Walter. "This is your Uncle Will Reed."

 Uncle Will dipped his head slowly, keeping his dark brown eyes on Walter's chest. The man's smile was a small smirk, and immediately disappeared after he lifted his head.

 Grandmother Agnes held up her hand. "I'll go get the others." She pushed the swinging door strongly, causing it to swing back out and roughly hit Uncle Will's back, but he didn't even stumble. Uncle Will had put on another strange grin, and his eyes pointed sharply at one of the chairs around the table.

 Walter swallowed and pulled his gaze from his Uncle Reed. Grandfather James stood looking at the dining table through his foggy glasses, though his expression made him seem quite confused. "There isn't much space now, is there?" he questioned.

 "Grandfather," started Uncle Will, with a rather unexpected high and cracking voice."We will all be sitting down."

 "Yes, son." Grandfather James agreed. "You do have a point for once."

 Uncle Will looked very pleased with himself. His head cocked slightly to one side as Grandfather James went into the kitchen. Suddenly, the moment after Grandfather left the room, Uncle Will stepped towards Walter, getting rather close to his face.

 "Listen Walter," he commanded, suddenly changing into what seemed like a totally different person. His voice deepened and the cracks disappeared. "Some of your family members here are not at all normal."

 Walter nodded, slightly confused.

 "Don't let them scare you away to soon, aye?" he asked.

 Walter nodded again.

 "Alright then." Uncle Will said contently. "Now, I'm only confiding in you because I like you." he tapped Walter's shoulder with his finger and then gestured for him to sit down in the seat on the corner.

 Walter sat down and watched as Uncle Will sat at the head of the table. A moment later, Grandmother Agnes came from the kitchen, followed by Grandfather James, a young dark haired woman, a red headed girl, an older woman, the butler, someone who looked like a maid, and another woman in an apron.

 Walter's eyes widened as to how many people could fit around the large table in the small room. All of them sat down except for the maid, the butler, and the woman in the apron. Grandfather James sat directly across from Uncle Will and was set beside his wife. There was a silence, until someone began to speak.

 Uncle Will turned his head to Walter. "This is your Aunt, my sister, Sarah Belows and her daughters Lisa and Amy."

 Walter found it odd that Uncle Will didn't go back to his high cracking voice again, though he wanted him to. His voice was too deep and rusty, almost giving Walter chills.

 Grandfather looked up at the maid beside him. "Well go on Carrie, bring us our supper."

 The maid put her hands on her hips frustratingly. "Well, how am I supposed to bring your supper is there is no supper to bring?"

 Grandfather looked at the woman in the stained apron next. "What is it Dora, go cook us our supper so Carrie can bring us our supper."

 Dora, supposedly the cook, threw up her hands. "How am I supposed to cook you your supper if there is no supper to cook?"

 Grandfather James huffed in frustration. "You're telling me that Carrie can't bring us our supper because there is no supper to bring because Dora can't cook our supper because there is no supper to cook?"

The room was silent for a very still second.

"How can we eat our supper if you can't bring our supper because there is no supper to bring because she can't cook our supper because there is no supper to cook?" Grandfather wondered. "Why haven't we got anything to cook?" His eyes veered to Uncle Will sitting across from him.

 Uncle Will's eyes scanned the table, one person to the next without moving his head an inch. His eyes stopped on Walter, who was sitting beside him. A moment later he looked back to Grandfather.

 "We're too poor." he answered.

 "Nonsense!" Grandfather stood up from his chair, aiming to slide it back with room for him to stand, but it only caused him to fall face forward onto the table.

 Uncle Will began laughing hysterically, but he was the only one. The next second, he stopped and looked at the maid. "Go bring us some tea." Uncle Will's top lip quivered strangely. "Take him with you."

 The maid took grandfather's arm and walked him into the kitchen, followed by the cook. Uncle Will smiled at Walter and frowned when he looked at the rest of the family.

 "Father?" Amy, the red headed girl started. "Why-"

 "I am not your father!" Uncle Will protested loudly.

 "Then why are you known as Uncle Will to Walter and we are his cousins?" the girl asked.

 "You stupid girl." Uncle Will expressed. "A man can have more than one Uncle, why do you suppose we have different last names?"

 The girl was silent. She sunk down in her seat and started nibbling in her nails. A moment later, the maid came out of the kitchen holding a tea pot. She sat it on the table beside of Uncle Will. He took the tea pot and poured it into his cup. He raised the pot high above his head and watched as the tea cascaded into his cup, splattering here and there as it did.

 He smiled another short smile and sat the tea pot on the table. The whole family watched him strangely. "Cools it down quicker." he stated; they had been staring ever since he started to poor the tea. The rest of them nodded and waited for the maid to bring them the tea pot.

 By the time the tea got around to Cousin Lisa, it was empty. The girl stared into the pot, hoping more may appear, but it never did. Suddenly, she began to cry.

 "Stop it child!" exclaimed Uncle Will. "You act like five year old but you are nearly seventeen." he lifted his head to the maid. "Take her with you into the kitchen and bring out another pot of tea."

 The maid nodded and took the girl into the kitchen. Walter's eyes drifted to the butler, who stood motionless in the corner. His eyes were fixed on Uncle Will. strangely, the whole family seemed to be afraid of him.

 "Who here didn't get any tea?" Uncle Will asked.

 Aunt Sarah answered him. "I didn't."

 "Me neither." Walter replied.

 "You don't need any tea." Uncle Will said harshly. "Stop complaining."

 "You asked." Aunt Sarah spoke up bravely.

 "I asked, but I didn't tell you to answer." Uncle Will picked up his knife and loudly whacked it a few times on the side of the table. A moment later, the maid appeared.

 "Yes, sir?" the maid asked.

 "Take her into the kitchen." he pointed his knife at Aunt Sarah. "And hurry up with that tea."

 The maid took Aunt Sarah into the kitchen and came back out with a pot of tea. Uncle pored some for Walter the same way he did it for himself, splattering it in all directions.

 "There you are." Uncle Will smiled and sat the pot down beside Walter

 "Will, you're insane," stated Grandmother Agnes.

 "Are you all that dense?" Uncle Will asked her as he lifted his cup. "I thought you knew that already."

 "Stop pretending." Grandmother protested.

 "I am not pretending anything." Uncle Will told her. He sipped his tea and sat his cup down. "Why do you think those dimwits came and took me away back in ‘05."

 "If they took you away then why are you here?" Grandmother started to raise her voice.

 "Because, mother." Uncle Will argued

 "Because you are not insane, you are perfectly normal." she told him. "You just pretend you are to get attention."

 "Do you think I like it when someone calls me a lunatic?" he asked.

 Grandmother Agnes was silent. She had nothing else to say that would get her anywhere. It was clear her son was right.

 Uncle Will lifted his hand and shook it in the air, signaling for the maid who was behind him. "Take her into the kitchen." he paused. "And take that girl with you."

 The maid nodded and took Cousin Amy into the kitchen with Grandmother Agnes. The room was almost empty. It was only the Butler Joey, Uncle Will Reed, and Walter. Walter didn't understand anything about his mother's side of the family. They were all strange and senseless, even the Butler was odd.

 Minutes passed with complete silence at the table. Walter could hear the clanging of pots in the kitchen and faint voiced beyond the door.

 "Butler." said Uncle Will. "Go see how things are going in the kitchen." there was a slight pause before he continued. "Tell the cook that I sent you."

 The Butler followed as Uncle Reed asked and pushed open the swinging door. Walter and Uncle Will were the only two in the room.

 "So, tell me, Walter." Uncle started. "How is your mother?"

 "Uh, Uncle Will." Walter didn't quite know how to proceed. "She's dead."

 "Oh, is she?" he asked, sounding confused. "I thought she moved to France."

 "No sir." Walter answered.

 Suddenly, the kitchen door opened and the maid stepped out, carrying an oversized pot of soup in her hands. She lifted it up and sat it on the table.

 "Supper is served." she claimed and went back into the kitchen.

 "Uncle Will, aren't the others going to join us?" Walter asked him.

 A small grin appeared on the man's face. "Oh," he started. "They're joining us alright."