The Sun, The Moon, and Their Stars

41 : House

Benjamin

"Are you even sure that she's there?" Jessy asks me as I open the door of the car.

"I'm sure," I reply as I step out of the backseat.

It's three o'clock this Saturday. I know she's just in their house.

My sister stops the engine of our SUV and continues chatting with Therese, who's in the passenger seat.

I shut the door, walk over to the gate, and ring the doorbell.

Someone who's not Kim peeps out of the screen door. She's somewhere within Kim's height, but her hair is longer, and her face is rounder. She looks like someone in their mid-twenties, so she must be their cousin, Cherry. She just goes back inside the house.

The door opens seconds later, and Kim makes her way to the gate. She's smiling when she opens it. "Hi, there," she says, moving her eyes from me to the car.

She's wearing red again. So, I can see the mole below her left collarbone again. And I'm finding it tough to speak again.

I point my thumb backward. "We're, um, on our way to grandma's house," I say, though I think it comes out as a question.

Kim slowly nods. "Okay." Her response registers to me as a question as well.

"We have stuff our mom wants us to bring there. I...um...I just thought...I mean, we..."

I glance at my sister, who's looking out from the driver's side window, grinning at me. Then back at Kim, who looks like she's waiting for me to make sense.

"Do you want to come with us?" I ask. "If...if you're not busy, of course."

"I'm not doing anything," she says, letting go of the gate.

"You know my sister Jessy, and her friend Therese."

Kim looks past me and waves at them.

"Can you give me a minute?" she asks me. "I'll just go tell my cousin that I'm going out," she quickly adds.

"Sure."

Then she hurries her way inside. And I turn back to my sister, who's now leaning closer at the window.

"That was smooth, Benjie."

"Shut up."

Kim comes back about three minutes later while her cousin watches us from the door. I wave at her first before Kim closes the gate. She also changed clothes and is now wearing a black t-shirt and longer shorts.

I open the door of the backseat and let her step inside first. Then I follow and pull it close again.

Jessy starts the car.

"Wait," Kim says, leaning diagonally forward to the back of the driver's side. "Are you legally allowed to drive?" she asks my sister.

"I'm eighteen," Jessy replies with a chuckle. Then she reaches for the small bag on her side, takes out her wallet, and shows Kim her driver's license. "When some girls do that debutante ball thing, and other girls ask for money and stuff, I just want a driver's license."

"Oh. That's nice," Kim says, smiling at my sister.

Jessy settles back behind the wheel, pulls the visor by the windshield down, and starts driving.

No one says another word.

Our grandma's house is three blocks away from Kim's. It's on an inner street, so it's quieter, except before and during All Saints' and All Souls' days 'cause it connects to the road going to the cemetery. She lives there with one of my mom's older cousins.