Cursed Pool

Chapter 18. The Escaper

I could not sleep well that night. I tried to dream, to drift off in my slumber, but Olivia could be anywhere on Earth right now.

It was about 8:00. Thankfully now I'm in my clothes. Another old silk dress with flowers and my large earrings. There was an unwanted knock at the door. I knew the kids would be here in an hour. Of course I didn't feel like getting the door. My knees weren't strong, but I didn't want to ignore the person. I came to the door to see Mr Espcu in his black spy clothes standing out there in the sunlight. I wasn't pleased to see him. "Good morning Mr Espcu." I say dryly looking into his eyes. He looks into my eyes too. "Evangeline, I'm really really sorry about this..... but I want to take the children back." What does he mean? "What do you mean?" I ask. "What I mean is I don't want you to take care of the kids anymore." He said with a critical stare. His foot steps into the kitchen, but I block him from entering. "I'm not bad at taking care of children!" I hissed. "I didn't say that!" He sassed back. "Yeah, but you meant it!" I hissed.
  Mr Espcu held his gloved hands in a praying position. A wave of calmness washes over him. "Please Evangeline, you don't understand."
"I think I do."
"No. You lost Olivia yesterday." I tried not to sound angry when I say "Olivia's an independent kid. I'm sure she'll find her way back-"
"She's eleven!"
"Eleven isn't even young!"
"Compared to her brothers she seems mature, but there's a lot she could learn at that age."
"But Mr Espcu, you trusted me with the children."
"Yeah I did."
    I started to get angry. Realizing it's not even my fault Olivia's missing, but I'm the responsible one in this case.
  Oh my God it's Christopher and Phillip's fault isn't it? They had no idea where that girl was that morning. I had nothing to do with it.
  "It's not my fault." I said darkly. Mr Espcu places his hands to his hips. "I don't think you should take care of the kids anymore, because of the many times I saw you get them into dangerous situations."
"Like what?"
"Okay, well you sent the kids to McDonald's as you went off on the thruway, then you let the kids watch a horror movie where seven people die."
"I mean, I've seen worse."
"Evangeline, the kids would've been better educated in summer camp!"
  Did he say what I think he said? "Summer camp is for stupid people Mr Espcu. Olivia said so herself." I say bitterly. "Well I don't have much of a choice!" He yelled angrily. "You have me!" I backfired. "Evangeline, you only want to take care of the kids because they remind you of Perri!" He yelled using his pointer fingers. He was livid.
  I hate to admit to myself, he was right. The kids do remind me of a young Perri. As an only child with fashion obsessed parents, she obviously valued fashion. I valued fashion too, I just valued my family a bit more. Perri valued mostly work.
  Oh the frustration of Perri graduating high school with a masters degree and buying a house right away. Perri and her thick glasses and silk dresses rarely stopped by, or gave me a phone call. She was just to busy. I appreciate it, but I missed her. I enjoyed having the five children with five different personalities that somehow remind me of a young Perri.
"No you crazy thing, I'm not giving up the kids!" I say defensively.
"Yes you are Evangeline. I'm the Grandfather."
"Okay, but you won't take Jenifer will you?"
"She might stay in the mall with her mother for the remainder of the summer."
"And do what exactly?"
"Help her Mother fill out papers, and answer phone calls. You know Madilyn Whiteson is running the mall by herself right?"
"Well, I'll keep Scott though, because he doesn't have any parents!" I thought I stumpt him there, but Mr Espcu sighed and stares straight at the sky. "Scott needs a real parent to atopt him."
I got so angry that I could flip the house backwards if I wanted to. "I AM A REAL PARENT!" I bellowed.
"Not a very good one. Perri died."
I heard footsteps of Scott come from behind me. "What's going on?" He asked. "Scott, how about you... uh... go eat some muffins, I can't exactly talk right now." I inform. Scott gives me a head tilt and scrunched eyebrows and leaves for the kitchen.
"Mr Espcu, I think your old like dirt and your losing your mind." I whisper threateningly.
"I'm not that old, I'm only 65."
Yeah that fact was true, I don't even know why I brought it up. I'm actually older than he is. I got this ancient power of being an older elder. "Perri died a brave person trying to save her friends." I sighed.
"Well, you let her take the-"
"She made the decision herself!"
"You didn't stop her."
"I thought the uber bus was safe."
"Yeah, there's something about that bus... the busdriver who drove the uber bus on June 4th 1986 was imprisoned."
"Good! He deserves it!"
"He escaped though. It's been all over the news this morning.