Your Ghost

Chapter 18:

I am so tired!

I spent most of the morning cleaning the house. There was dust in every room. I don't know when last Ransom hired anyone to clean this place, but it was not recent - clearly. I also gave Sheila a bath because she was covered in mud. She decided that she was going to roll around in the muddy water near the tree closest to the house.

She isn't the easiest dog to bath however...because she loves the water so much that she jumps around like a puppy who just received a new dog toy. Sheila is also not a small dog either, so trying to make her stay in one spot was tough.

Ransom was not at his house for most of the morning as he said that he needed to run some errands, so I made a mental note to check for any lipstick stains once he returned home.

After cleaning the house and bathing Sheila, I decided to turn my phone on. There were about 50 missed calls and 10 messages, but surprisingly they were not all from my father - except for the messages.

A couple of the missed calls were from my mother.

"Hello my dear. You finally decided to call me."

"Hi mom. Did something happen? I'm sorry I didn't answer my phone. I switched it off."

"So that is why your father phoned me..."

He phoned my mother? To what? Tell on me?

"Why would he phone you?" I ask, sounding worried. "He was upset with you. He..." My mom takes a breath.

"He what?" I urge.

"He yelled at me Evelyn! He exploded and basically said he wished that you were not his child!" I can hear my mother's voice warble.

Typical of my father to take his anger out on my mother - his ex-wife. My father hardly expresses compassion toward my mother.

"I...I -"
"He said such hurtful words about you my girl! You are my child as well as his, and he has no right to say such hurtful words."My mother squeaks.

I shouldn't be surprised that my father would say these words, but yet I am.

"He had no right to be rude to you, mom. He was angry at me, and he should not have taken his anger out on you." I rebuke.

"Well he did!" My mother screams, startling me. "Why did you hang up on him?"

"Well..." I gulp, "He was being rude and he went from level 1 to level 100 on the anger radar when I mentioned that I was staying with Ransom."

"He hates Ransom!" My mother retorts.

"I know he does, but he doesn't understand the situation." I start to whine, but compose myself.

"He was angry that you were not at the house, and you know that he likes it if you inform him well in advance if you wish to change the plans you have both made."

I sigh heavily. "I forgot about it. I was planning on telling him, but I was caught up."

"In Ransom's arms?"

"Mom! Seriously! We are talking about dad here!" I fume.

"Sorry, but isn't that the truth?" My mother asks. I know she is raising her eyebrow at me on the other line.

"Mom..." I sigh, "Look, I know I was supposed to call dad, but I honestly forgot. At least I called him, and I know it was after the fact, but I at least phoned him." I sit back on the couch. This conversation is exhausting me.