Red (Part Two)

The violet sky sparkled with gold flecks as the sun fell slowly below the horizon. Number 28 Militant Road, looked the same as it did in the picture her brother Adam took out of his back pocket and was now holding in his sweaty hand. Avani folded her arms and looked up with disgust at the giant slab of concrete her grandfather once called home. In her sixteen years, she never thought her life would evaporate normalcy and rain irregularity. And somehow Avani could feel in the pit of her stomach, that there was a storm brewing. 

The wind picked up and Avani twitched her nose when she inhaled the faint smell of death. A flock of birds cut through the twilight and flew overhead in a v pattern, singing their last song before they resign to their homes. Avani tucked the stray black hairs that lashed her face, behind her ear and looked up, watching the birds circle, dancing their last routine, when her eyes caught something moving in the tree in the neighbour’s yard. A branch began to shake, then suddenly somettheg black flew out and came rushing toward her. Avani gasped and ducked as it flew over her head and landed on the top of the car. The huge crow gaped its beady eyes at her; it was so intense that Avani felt uneasy.

“Shoo!” she said, lifting her hand to scare the bird. But it just stared at her and let out a loud squawk. A chill crawled over her skin and Avani suddenly felt like she was in an eerie horror movie. She looked across at her brother, but his attention was engulfed in mythical war or something to that extent. No one noticed the bird but her, so she acted like nothing happened and walked to the end of the driveway, pretending to admire the landscape, or lack there of. 

Across the street, an old man was just walking out the front gate of his house. He almost looked like the illustration of Scrooge. His hair was ash grey and started with a horizontal line from one ear lobe to the next, falling in thin strands down to his neck. His forehead had two white bushy caterpillar eyebrows, but what was most prominent was his nose. It hung long and crooked in the middle of his face and was bent at the tip, so it looked like he forever smelled his top lip. Suddenly the old man turned and stared Avani in the face. His eyes were squinted like he was straining to see and his mouth looked like it was cemented into a frown. Avani’s heart rate escalated and she swallowed hard. She turned on her heels and headed back to the house.

“Great! Fabulous start. Girl moves to a new town and is spellbound by boy next door, nope not for Avani, no she gets creepy old man next door. Bet we’re going to have great house parties with him!” she said quietly to herself.

Her black knee high boots crunched the gravel as she walked to where her mother stood.

 “Grandpa must have really hated us, leaving us with this dilapidated mess,” she finally broke the silence and folded her arms while looking intently at her mother.  “Look at it! It’s the colour of puke. He’s laughing at us right now from wherever he is.” Her hands took hold of her hips as her performance of 'teenage rebellion' took stage. "You really did it this time mother. The award should already be in the mail for 'Mom of the Year!'" She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone and her thumbs began their tap-dance across the screen.

Mrs. Evans sighed and gently rested a hand on Avani’s shoulder, “Please don’t make this more difficult than it already is Ava” she said

But all Avani could think of was the house back home. It was quaint, but it had warmth and a big back yard with grass and a tyre swing hanging from a giant maple tree. It was where she felt safe and it was nothing less than home. She shrugged off her mother's hand and clomped over to her brother.

 “Mom I know all our money is gone, paid off in debt, but come on,” said Avani with an exaggerated whine on the last syllable.

 “Come with me. I want to show you something,” said her mom as she walked to the car pulling Avani along. The roof of the car was empty, the crow was gone and Avani found herself looking up at the sky in every direction, praying she isn’t attacked by a psycho bird or worse she doesn’t feel a drop of anything other than rain on her head.

 “What are you doing?” said her mom as she scanned the sky tracing jer daughter's eyes, bewildered.

 “Nothing,” said Avani quickly. “What did you want to show me?”

Mrs. Evans unrolled a long sheet of white paper on the bonnet of the car. It was a drawing of a beautiful house; sort of a Spanish style villa, with white walls and a red roof and clay tiles that covered the front steps and led up to a giant wooden front door. The landscaping was breathtaking. Manicured grass blanketed the entire front yard, except for the path in the middle that was layered with stepping stones and introduced two giant palm trees on either side. Colourful flowers stood in a chorus line and bordered around the house and yard; it was a dream house.

“It’s beautiful mom. Did you draw this?” said Avani, her eyes wide taking in every detail of the drawing.

“Yes. Its how much potential I think this house has,” said Mrs. Evans with a smile. She knew it was a stretch, but there was no doubt in her mind that it could be done. And watching her daughter’s excited expression, gave her more motivation to get started.

 “Hey guys, check out this creepy looking house.” said Adam stretching his neck to see over the neighbour’s fence. He looked almost headless from where Avani and her mother stood. Avani rolled her eyes and began walking over to Adam while Mrs. Evans returned the drawing to the car.

 “You know it’s not polite to spy Adam,” said Avani. “The owner should catch you and eat your eyes for dinner.”

 “I’m delighted you said that,” said a croaky voice from the other side of the fence. Avani stopped in her tracks, startled and looked over to where Adam was standing but saw no one else.

 “Very funny Adam,” said Avani “Why don’t you grow up!”

 “It wasn’t me, I swear,” replied Adam. “It came from over AAH!” Adam was horrified and leaped backward from the fence.