An hour after our trip to the diner, found us back at the house and surprise surprise, I was still hungry. I know it was a mind over matter thing with me. Food always has been. I wish I didn’t love the stuff so much but I do.
Of course this is something that used to drive Kevin, the self proclaimed health nut, crazy...especially when I went through my ‘everything tastes better with chocolate’ phase during our Millennium period. Food helped me deal with stress back then, and I admit I did use it as a reward. My entire family has had weight issues growing up. My mother used to tell us stories about how big she was and how badly everyone made fun of her. That’s how she met my father. He overheard people telling her she was a porker and he stepped in and saved the day.
She lost all the weight shortly after.
I think out of all of us, Leslie and I have the hardest time when it comes to food. We eat when we are sad, mad, happy, or stressed. Yup, just seeing that list you can tell that we eat a lot.
What made things even worse for me was the way Kevin and the rest of the guys used to treat me when it came to my eating habits. None of them ever had weight issues. I mean AJ was 100 pounds soak and wet. He’s like Paris’s little rat dog… AJ. Seriously I have never seen someone so small that can pack in so much food. It’s not fair!
“Why are you staring at me dude?”
“Huh?”
“You’re like…glaring at me.”
“I am?” I felt bad; I didn’t realize I was even looking at AJ. That happens sometimes when I’m in my own world.
“Yeah dude…quit it, I feel like you’re going to murder me or something.”
“Sorry…I was just thinking about food.”
“Okay so change the murder me to eat me then.” He took his paint brush and began to work on the dining room wall nodding at me to join in as well.
“I was just thinking that I’m still hungry.”
“Dude…you ate all my friggin’ fries.”
“Not all, only some.”
“Enough!”
“I’m hungry though.” And I was, suddenly ravenously hungry. See? It was one of those mind over matter things. Maybe if I whistle it’ll take my mind off things…like eating. “I should have gotten dessert.”
“Order a pizza.”
“No way, Kevin will scream at me.”
He laughed, “You know I think it’s funny that you are 26 and are still afraid of Kevin.”
“And you aren’t?” I raised my eyebrow at him.
“Please…no way. Where is he anyway? He dumps this painting thing on us and then takes off again.”
“He’s smart, he’s probably out somewhere eating a hot fudge sundae with nuts…and marshmallows…wow, I want one of those.”
AJ shook his head at me but that’s when I figured out how I could distract myself. “J, want to go searching upstairs with me?”
“No, we have to paint. Remember he showed us how to do it and everything?”
“But he’s not here; we can say we got sidetracked. Come on, I feel like exploring.”
“No way Jose.”
“See? I knew you were afraid of him.”
“I’m not afraid of him dude…I’m afraid of you and this house gives me the creeps, especially upstairs.”
“That’s what will make it even more fun….come on AJ!”
“Nick, we need to finish this.”
“Why?” I sighed, knowing he was probably right. I mean to go exploring and not get anything done for a second time in one day would really be pressing my luck and more importantly, I know this probably sounds gay, but I didn’t want him to give this up and send us home early. I wanted to stay around these guys. Call me crazy but even doing manual labor for Kevin was better than being at home and fighting with the kids. Besides, maybe there was an even bigger mystery to crack besides Tommy’s mysterious disappearance.
“Why do you think he’s doing all of this suddenly? I mean don’t you think it’s kind of odd?”
AJ looked over at me as he sent his paintbrush back into the green. “Yeah, I’m not sure… he seems really distracted, you think?”
“A little…you don’t think he and Kris are having problems do you?”
“I don’t think so; I mean he called her twice already today.”
“He did?”
“Yeah…you know, while you were ‘cleaning’ upstairs.”
“And did he talk in front of you or did he leave the room?”
“What difference does that make?”
“It can make a world of difference AJ.” When people have nothing to hide they stay right where they are on the phone, especially when the conversation is going to be a light and friendly one.
People leave the room when they are about to fight or when they don’t really want you to know what’s going on. My parents did a lot of leaving the room phone calls while I was growing up. If only I had known how unhappy they were with each other. That every phone call was probably so hate filled that if I or any of my siblings had heard them, we would have most likely cried about it.
“You’re doing it again dude!”
“Huh?”
“Is everything okay? You seem to be in your own little galaxy a lot today.”
“Uh…yeah, sorry about that. I just think it’s the heat…mixed with wanting to pass out from hunger.”
“Oh lord…”
“It is hot, don’t you think?” And suddenly it was. Well, maybe not suddenly but noticeably if that makes any sense. I was sweating like a pig and AJ was too.
“He needs to get air conditioning going in this place before we all friggin’ melt.”
“I’ll take that as a yes then.” I said at AJ as he kindly nodded at me. I figured that’s when my powers of persuasion would win out. “You know it’s kind of cool upstairs I bet.”
“It’s usually hotter upstairs then it is downstairs doofus.”
“True…so maybe we should explore the basement!” YES! What an awesome idea I had. I mean it was still daylight, no Kevin in sight and AJ was here. I wasn’t going to go down there alone. Even I’m not that brave.
I could tell by the expression on his face that it was going to take a fair amount of convincing, or bribery. “Nick, what is it with you suddenly wanting to be the Christopher Columbus of Kevin’s house? Can’t we just do what we’re supposed to do so we can go back to the hotel and jump in the pool?”
He laughed when he saw my clueless expression but I’m sorry…I had no freaking clue that the hell that was even supposed to mean. “You know, he’s the dude that discovered America, ring a bell?” He explained to me as if I was retarded.
“Duh AJ, I’m not a moron. I know who he is; I just don’t understand why he was brought up.”
“Because he was an explorer…you’re an explorer…get it?” He was talking with his hands as he so often does and in so doing he ended up flinging paint all over my face! Yeah he thought it was pretty funny until I pointed out to him that he also managed to get some paint on the floor as well. He stopped laughing real quick, but not me. Nope, I smiled as wide as possible, green face and all.
“Shit, what do I use to clean that up? Any ideas?”
“I’m sure if you wait for Kev to get home, he’ll tell you.” I was being sarcastic because of course I wanted to drive the point home. You know, the one about AJ still being scared of Kevin? Yup, that point. Ah…I love being right.
“Shut up Carter and help me out!”
“You know, I bet we can find something to clean that up in the basement.”
“Why do I feel like you’re luring me down there to eat me or something?”
“Dude, eating you would be like eating…I don’t know like a rat leg?”
“Eww!”
“I know! So what do you say? I bet there’s some of that turpentine stuff down there. Doesn’t every basement have that stuff?”
AJ shrugged at me, not that I expected a definitive answer either way. “Okay kid, let’s go…but I’m telling you the second I see my own breath or hear a ‘get out!’ I’m gone and you’re on your own!”
“Excellent!” I patted his back as we walked over to the door that led down to the basement.
It had three locks on it. Two sliding ones and one padlock. Luckily though the padlock was open so all I had to do was take it off and place it on the kitchen table. “Okay why would that door need so many locks?” AJ asked under his breath. I was wondering the same thing.
“Maybe they didn’t want anyone going down there.”
“Yeah, or maybe they didn’t want anyone coming up here.” I have to admit, that stopped me from opening the door for a second. I suddenly got a mental image of me opening the door and something with huge fangs and sharp teeth jumping out and eating me.
“You want to go first? Age before beauty, you know?”
“Nuh-uh, this was your idea Columbus…you go first.”
“Fine…not a big deal…I’ll just open the door…” It of course had this horrible, haunted house squeak. It sounded like the door hadn’t been opened in a thousand years.
I took a deep breath; I admit I was having serious second thoughts about doing this. I could tell AJ was too. God lord we were two grown men afraid to go down into a basement. What in the world was wrong with us?
I searched for a light when I saw how incredibly dark it was down there and decided that if I couldn’t find one that it was fate’s way of saying not to venture any further. Apparently fate was all for the idea when I found a switch right at the top of the stairs. When I flipped it on a small light bulb illuminated the way.
I started down the creaky stairs, kind of afraid that I would fall through them at any minute. They reminded me of the porch steps. I actually felt them warping under my weight. It kind of made me happy that I had that salad for lunch after all.
“Okay…”
“Stop saying okay, you have said okay a thousand times since we started down the steps.” I said just as I finally reached the bottom.
“Okay…” AJ said once again as he landed right behind me.
It looked just like any ordinary basement. There was an old ping pong table sitting in the middle of the room as a centerpiece. “Maybe this is where the kids hung out.” I said finding another light and putting it on.
There were a bunch of bikes sitting off to the side and a small couch with an ancient black and white television sitting on top of a crate. It smelled like mildew and from seeing a few puddles on the ground, it was easy to tell that this place had endured its fair share of flooding.
AJ made his way over to a huge steel cabinet and opened it up to see if there was anything he could use to get the paint off of the floor. I however decided on going in the other direction. There was a small hallway off to the side of the couch. It was blocked by a few trunks.
“I’m going down the hall…” I yelled to my friend. All I got back was a grunt.
The hall was lined with little pictures drawn with chalk and paint. Stick figures and some very elaborate drawings and caricatures told a story as you continued to walk down the hall. “If I ever drew on the walls, my parents would have killed me.” I said under my breath.
I could tell this was the work of Belle. She had managed to create a living comic strip down here. Maybe this is what she did when she was bored? I instantly had a mental picture of her family down there in happier times. Her older brothers playing Ping Pong as her sister and some of her friends sat around watching the television. Maybe her and Tommy came in here and painted on the walls.
I hadn’t even realized I reached the end of the hall until I literally ran into the wall. As I turned to make my way back I noticed off to the side a small door. I mean it was tiny! Something you’d see in Alice in Wonderland or Willie Wonka.
I crouched down to get a better look and in small letters, all in white it said Tommy. There was nothing cute or artistic the way it was written out either. It actually looked scribbled and misplaced compared to everything else in there.
I placed my hand on the door that also had a tiny latch on it which was locked. When I tried to undo it, it wouldn’t budge. Seemed like it was rusted in place. ‘I wonder what’s hiding behind here,’ I thought to myself just as suddenly a huge bang brought me back up to a standing position.
“AJ!” I shouted, fearing that the cabinet he was looking in had fallen on top of him flattening him like a pancake.
When I made my way out of the hallway I found him coming towards me, “Dude…the friggin door just slammed shut!!”
“Are you sure?”
“Uh…yeah…let’s get the hell out of here!” He said turning towards the steps.
That’s when the lights went out.
