"Exhumed"-Entry 1 Draft

Carl turned the wheel of his 74 Pontiac being careful not to spill the ashes on his cigarette. He was looking for 14522 Blunt Tree Lane. The trip had been fine so far. He had made it the nine hundred and ninety four miles from Houston in just under three days without incident. There had been plenty of truck stops and welcome centers along the way and he was feeling good about his decision to come and live with his son and his small but compact family. Grant would be easy but Eleanor was another story. Standing only 5’4”, tiny and fragile as an orchid, she possessed a fierce and uncanny life force. She saw right through Carl and he knew it. His granddaughter would be a non event as she was at an age where not only would she be spending most of the summer away at this camp or that but she also wouldn’t care to spend time with an old fart like him. A few introductory gifts and a perfunctory hug would take care of her lickity split.

Carl took a right onto the street he would soon take for granted then realized he should have taken a left. He turned around in a circular driveway of a well groomed and substantial brick home and headed back in the other direction, his excitement and dread both building. He was pleased with the houses he passed and patted himself on the back for yet again working his way into a respectable upper middle class neighborhood and lifestyle despite not having had a job in over ten years. His car came to a stop when he came to 14522 and he paused briefly, breathed deeply and blew out the hot air from his mouth hard before turning into the driveway and putting the car into park. He turned off the engine and waited to see if anyone would come out to greet him. After a minute or two of taking in the well manicured lawn, the magnolia tree in full bloom, the pretty ivy growing over the front entrance wall, he slowly emerged from the car and stretched his long, lean legs.

Eleanor was in the house sedated. She absently moved from room to room, adjusting flower arrangements, lining up shoes, folding and refolding hand towels. Today would be a day that would either finish her off completely or cause her to rise up from the ashes like a phoenix reborn. Having taken a Vicaden, two mirapex and a soma, she was as still and poised as a snake getting ready to strike. A false sense of calm fell all around her and she was the embodiment of grace and exotic beauty under pressure.

Eleanor had heard the car pull into the driveway, had seen the old green clunker out of the corner of her eye. “Grant, your father’s here.” She put her hands gently on her husband’s shoulders to get his attention as she often did while he was working. “Oh cool!” Grant sprang from his seat and headed out the front door to greet his favorite look alike relative.