Haunting-Adeline

I nod, a frown marring my features. The fear Nana must’ve felt. And the
absolute sickening feeling knowing she was helping Gigi’s murderer.
Jesus.
I can’t even begin to imagine how she must’ve felt.
“That’s probably why she spent so much me up there—why she stayed
in this house. She was probably punishing herself. Forcing herself to stay in
a house with such terrible memories as penance for helping cover it up,
even if it wasn’t her choice. I mean, who knows what was going through
her head. God, Daya, she was always so damn bright and happy. But on the
inside… she must’ve felt such dark things.”
Sympathy etches into the lines around Daya’s frown. “She lived a long,
happy life. I’m sure of that. Especially because she had you.”
The alcohol has started to kick in, crea ng a pleasant buzz in my head. It
makes the revela on a li le bit more bearable. But not enough to deter
the stabbing pain in my chest.
I’m heartbroken for Nana. She lived un l she was ninety-one years old.
Seventy-five years carrying that weight on her shoulders.
I wonder if Grandpa ever knew. He was a quiet man that loved Nana
fiercely. I’d like to think he did and shouldered some of the weight for her.
A memory sparks of about two years ago, a year before she had passed.
Nana si ng in Gigi’s chair, staring out the window at the rain.
I was in town visi ng her, and she looked so sad.
“What’s wrong, Nana? You feeling okay?”
“Yeah, baby, I’m fine. Nana’s just red.”
“Why don’t you lay down and rest?”
A small, sad smile graced her lips. “Not that kind of red, my love. But
you’re right. I’ll go lay down for a bit.”
Another memory replaces that one of when I was about twelve years
old. I was coloring at the kitchen island when I had asked her a seemingly
innocent and random ques on.
“Nana, if you won a million dollars, what would you buy?”
“No money in the world could buy me what I truly want,” Nana says, a
teasing grin on her face.
“Well, what do you want?”
Her smile drops, just for a second, too quick for my twelve-year-old brain
to think much of it.