The Proposed Prophecies
Chapter 5: THE NEW NEIGHBOR

“Welcome to my house.” Amy proudly escorted Liv around her new home. She had moved there shortly before her son was born.

It was gigantic compare to the one she used to live in back in New York City before her business expanded.

The open floor concept made her house to appear twice the size it actually was. Amy’s white two-story villa included nine bedrooms and twelve bathrooms, ensuring that anyone entering had a fear of getting lost just by using the restroom. Liv had never seen such a tall ceiling in a house and her own reflection on the black marble floor made her feel like she was walking on a mirror, which she found sort of creepy and hard to get used to. Right across the entry way there was a wide staircase leading to the upper part of the house but Amy turned to the left and rolled the purple suitcase right behind her, not letting Liv take it herself.

“I am so happy that you are here, I hope you know that your mom is very proud of you,” she added softly, with a delighted expression. Liv walked next to her through the hallway that was bright and sunny from the wall-to-wall windows all along the left side. There were about four bedrooms on that part of the house and Amy headed to the last one.

Every time Amy glanced at Liv, she looked like it was in disbelief. Liv knew it was because she could not believe her niece was really there in her house. It has been fifteen years since they had last seen each other but for Liv it was a time she never wanted to remember. But somehow the memory kept playing in her mind, despite how hard she tried to not to think of it. The last time she saw Amy was on the airport after Amy’s last visit to Stockholm. Only ten years old, Liv had literally begged Amy with her eyes to not to leave them as Amy’s visits were the only time when Liv’s father Christopher kept his anger to himself. The only time when he pretended to be a loving father like he should have been, without the strength of his controlling and always loud voice, without the power of his verbal abuse forced on his own family including Liv and her sister Becky, who was three years younger than her. Twice a year, for two weeks, that’s all he managed to keep his ‘good father’ look for.

But on that very last visit fifteen years ago, Liv revealed to Amy Christopher’s abusive methods of keeping a control in their household. She thought that perhaps Amy’s voice would make a difference in her family but it erupted into a fight between Amy and her brother Christopher who forbid her to come for a visit or for the girls to go visit Amy. And Amy listened. She never came for a visit after that and somehow even after Liv’s parent’s divorced, they kept more of a virtual relationship with Amy though Skype chats and phone calls.

Amy often said sorry over the phone, and Liv always replied with a simple “its ok.” She never thought it was Amy’s job to fix the problem anyway. Nothing was ever good enough for Christopher, no matter how hard everyone tried to please him. It was an issue that appeared to be hidden deep inside of him, possibly, thought Liv, coming somewhere from his past.

“Do you like your new room? I chose this one for you so my kids won’t bother you while you study,” said Amy. Liv never expected anything special but her room was amazing. It was much bigger than the one she was sharing with Becky back home or the small motel rooms she slept in when she travelled. And it had its own private bathroom. Everything was designed with only four colors: grey, black, blue and yellow. There were grey walls, black marble floors, blue sheets on the bed and yellow toned decorations.

“I will leave you to rest and unpack.” Amy smiled and grabbed Tommy who managed to climb onto the bed and jump a couple of times.

“Wait. Thank you for everything, really,” Liv added before Amy walked out. She smiled but it looked more like a guilty smile than a happy smile. She thought that perhaps Amy was also thinking back to that last time they had seen each other. Maybe somehow she still felt guilty, in spite of the time that had passed.

As Amy left, Liv sat on her new bed, hugged the sky blue fluffy pillow and glanced around. Her room was the last one at the end of the hall and appeared to be in the quietest part of the house as no one’s voice from the rest of the house could be heard. An old family portrait hung on the grey wall right above her desk. It was faded but still neatly framed. She walked to it and saw it was Amy as a child appearing to be somewhere around six years old. Liv’s father, Christopher, who was five years older than Amy, was also in the picture, and another man which could have been their father. Liv couldn’t tell for sure as she never met her grandfather and Christopher never spoke about him. There were no pictures of him anywhere. This was possibly the first time she had seen what he looked like. The only thing she knew was his name, Jason Johannsson, and that he was in the military and that he had died few months after Liv born. He looked serious on the picture, dressed in a dark suit, with bold hair and reading glasses covering his eyes. He was sitting on a chair and Amy stood next to him on the right side and looked happy, smiling as always, wearing a plain white dress. Christopher stood on the left and smiled too. Liv had never seen him happy, not even in photographs. They all were next to each other but still looked as if they did not want to touch each other, as if they did not even belong together. From the plain background she deduced the photograph was taken in a professional studio. As far as Liv knew, her grandmother had died from cancer when Amy was six. But she had never seen a picture of her either. Christopher always appeared as if he hated all his family members. Perhaps that’s why he never talked about them or kept any pictures. And maybe that’s why he moved from New York to Sweden with Liv’s mother, Helena, after Liv was born. Liv exhaled and laid on the bed. She kept thinking about getting back up and unpacking but somehow the comfort of laying on soft sheets and the quietness around her made her want to go to sleep.

Despite the promise she made to herself of not thinking about the past, her dreams took her to the last day she saw her father. She found herself in their old apartment in Sweden before her parents divorced.

“It is going to be ok. I promise.” Liv heard her own voice and found herself calming down her sister Becky in their room. The scene felt like it had happened yesterday. Liv was about thirteen years old and her sister had just turned ten that week. They both sat on the twin bed they shared at that time and tightly held onto to each other. The toys were laying everywhere as their play was interrupted by the loud voice of their father as he came home. Both girls felt fearful. He often broke items that he considered were in his way when he was drunk and he had difficulty controlling his temper. Even behind the closed door, Liv could still hear her parent’s argument coming from the living room. Christopher yelled at Liv’s mother, Helena. He often said that she wasn’t even a woman but some type of creature and everything that was happening around was her fault. Liv never fully understood what he meant by that but Christopher was hard to understand when he had been drinking. Helena never really fought back but that day she said it was all about to end for him. There was the sound of glass breaking.

Suddenly it was quiet. Liv’s first thought was that Helena must be hurt. Perhaps Christopher had hit her with something and that was the noise she had heard. “Maybe she is hurt, maybe we have to call the ambulance or the police,” said Becky and her eyes started to tear.

“Stay here.” Liv always felt as it was her responsibility to keep Becky safe. She peaked out of the room and saw her father in the living room on top of her mother. He appeared to be choking her. There was a vase on the hardwood floor that had shattered into pieces. Liv ran towards him and yelled. “Leave her alone. Leave us all alone.” As she jumped on top of his back he pushed her to the side and her small body landed on top of a glass table that broke into pieces. Chunks of glass pushed into her body. She hurt everywhere, on her back, on her arms on, her legs.

“Liv!” She remembered her mother’s scream. Her sister Becky was suddenly standing above her crying and Christopher was standing behind Becky staring at Liv. His eyes were wide open and blood was dripping from his forehead. Liv thought that Helena must have hit him with that vase. His eyes reflected fear. Perhaps he was realizing that he had crossed the line. Liv was passing out. Her memories started to become hazier. She remembered seeing her father being taken by the police and a paramedic’s young voice, assuring Liv it was over and everything would be ok. The sound of the sirens in the ambulance and the lights above her head as she was taken into the surgery room. She thought about the fear that had engulfed her, as well as the feeling of freedom, when she opened her eyes and looked at her mother who slept in the chair next to Liv’s bed in the patient room Becky resting in her arms. It had felt as if life had finally started to make sense, as if there was a chance they could experience happiness and peace after all. She smiled that day even if her body was still in pain. She never saw Christopher again, not even during the divorce process. He disappeared along with his anger and their life as a family finally turned around.

***

“Liv, my little sleepyhead, please take a seat anywhere you like,” said Amy and Tommy giggled as Liv entered the formal dining area to join the family for dinner later that evening. The room had huge windows across two of the walls and smelt pleasant and new, just like the rest of the house.

Liv sat on the chair across from Amy and looked over to the end of the huge solid dark wooden table, a table that could easily fit fifteen people around it. A thin girl sat in a wheelchair pulled next to the table at the very end. Her skin was pure white as the winter snow, her hair was shaved and her body overwhelmed by the continuous fatigue she appeared to experience. Every breath seemed challenging, and she was hooked up to a breathing device placed next to her. Her name was Ashley and she was thirteen-years-old. Liv’s mother had told her previously about Ashley’s sudden battle with the deadly illness, but it was a different feeling to hear about than to see it with her own eyes. She used to see Ashley though Skype but she looked nothing like that girl from the screen of her computer. She used to have long, thick, brown hair, big, blue eyes and her skin was always slightly tan from the sun. Her body used to look full of energy and her mouth never stopped talking, just like Amy’s.

Despite the cancer that was slowly killing her young body and the ongoing chemotherapy, Ashley appeared very open about her illness. She seemed to accept the likelihood that her life would end early after an unfortunate prognosis from her medical professionals.

“It all begun with some rashes on my elbow which we thought was an allergic reaction, but the doctor said it was skin cancer instead.” She spoke with long pauses in between as she tried to gasp for air each time. She was losing her strength and ability to walk which forced her to be in a wheelchair and meant she was in need of assistance at all times. She was unable to go to school anymore, nor take part in many of the activities a regular teenager would take part in. Amy said she wanted Ashley home and away from the hospitals. Instead, she paid for nurses and doctors to come to the house.

“My mother died from skin cancer, but back then they didn’t have any fancy machines or complex medicine to work with at the clinic. Nowadays, they have all sorts of modern devices to fight against the cancer.” Amy spoke with a calm voice, clearly trying to remain positive but her eyes showed fear at the prospect of losing her child, in the face of negativity from medical professionals about her prospect of survival. Liv never knew about her grandmother passing away from skin cancer. She had never even thought about what kind of a cancer it was. This obvious omission in her knowledge shocked her at first but then she had never really questioned her grandparent’s life before. No one had ever talked about them or showed pictures of them so she had never really thought about them either. Amy confirmed that the man in the picture in Liv’s room was her father and that he liked to write just as Liv. Amy mentioned her father Jason used to write diaries while he was in the military and also stories about another civilization named Alters that he used to tell them about when they were children. Liv smiled as this kind of storytelling and make-believe reminded her of herself. She used to make up stories about aliens too and tell them to Becky when they were younger.

As they were finishing up the mashed potatoes and chicken, a woman was escorted into the room by Amy’s maid.

“This is Eve. She moved nearby last Friday and is helping me with some things at my company.” The tall blonde female walked into the dining room but did not take a seat at the table, despite Amy’s multiple attempts to make her join for dinner. Instead, Eve continued to glance at Liv. “So you are Jason’s granddaughter,” she said. Amy interrupted. “Eve’s brother was in the army too, and he knew my father. It’s a small world, isn’t it?” Amy smiled. Liv smiled back. “It is a small world indeed.”

Eve appeared to be in her late thirties. She was dressed in an elegant white dress and her hair was neatly placed into a bun. Her grey high heels knocked on the marble floor each time she made a step. She reminded her of a typical suburban wife but her eyes had a spark of independence and strength. Even the way she walked suggested confidence and independence.

Both women walked to the living area together but their voices still loud and clear enough that Liv could hear their discussion of Amy’s new designs on her sketchpad. Eve was apparently helping Amy with work after Amy had given up working long hours at her company in order to stay home with Ashley.

“I don’t like her. There is something mean about her,” Ashley unexpectedly whispered. Eve glanced at Liv as she stepped back into the dining area with the sketchpad in her hand and Amy right behind her, making chills run through Liv’s body

“It was nice meeting you my dear. I have to run now.” Her voice sounded warm as she said goodbye to Liv but her eyes were still cold and mean. Liv thought it was perhaps her ice light blue eyes that made her seem that way or maybe she truly was mean, just like Ashley had said.

“You have finally decided to join us? You are an hour late, as always,” said Amy to the man who walked into the dining area. It was her husband Jake. They had been married less than a year, shortly after her previous husband had left her.

It appeared to Liv as if the two of them hated each other. Both appeared exasperated just by being in the same room as each other, causing a wave of negativity and despondency around them.

He glanced at Liv, a glance that gave her goosebumps and instantly made her blush.

He walked by Amy and Eve without even looking at them or say anything back, as if they were invisible and headed straight to Tommy and Ashley to greet them. The children seemed very happy to see him, hugging him and telling him about what had happened in the last episode of the Walking Dead while he was gone. He seemed interested and the bond between all three of them appeared to be real and pure. It was sad, thought Liv, that she was seeing more care in this short period from Jake than she saw from her own father the whole time he was around. She wondered what could have happened between him and Amy. Why did they appear to hate each other so much? He obviously loved her kids and was still living with them, but was any time Amy spoke, he looked like he was suffocating from the sound of Amy’s voice. Every time she would say something he would just roll his eyes and Amy seemed incapable of saying anything to him that wasn’t criticism.

“It’s nice to meet you. I am Jake,” he mumbled, when Amy urged him to introduce himself after his rude ignorance towards Liv. “Likewise” she replied, immediately hoping she would not have to interact with him much more during her stay, even if she found him handsome and his voice was attractive enough to make her cheeks burn. She tried to quieten her thoughts. They felt wrong, given that Amy was her Aunt and she was now living with them.

He excused himself, saying he wasn’t hungry and would not be joining for dinner, then walked upstairs. Amy’s whisper was loud enough for Liv to hear. Amy told Eve that he had moved himself into a separate room two months ago in order to keep the peace between them and to interact as little as possible.

The dining area became very quiet and slightly awkward after his walk out. “He doesn’t mean it that way, he just needs some more time to open up to you. But once he will, you will love him, Liv. I promise.” Ashley’s way of defending her step-father was heart melting and made Liv smile.

“How naïve, my dear,” Eve commented with a smile on her face at Ashley.

“I am sure I will.” Liv calmly raised her voice right after Eve’s comment and smiled back at Ashley, sensing that Eve was staring at her with what was fast becoming her usual mean look. It appeared as she wasn’t used to people crossing her words or disagreeing with her in any way. Her friendship with Amy seemed bizarre. It almost appeared as there was a hidden secret behind Eve’s appearance in Amy’s life.

“Jake was tall, with tanned skin. His eyes were darker than darkness itself. He was a handsome guy, and his expensive designer clothes flawlessly covered his muscles. He appeared to be in his late thirties and his short, dark hair had no signs of gray in it. I always thought that Amy has fallen for him because of his physical features rather than his soul, as they seemed to have nothing in common at all.

Jake appeared to have an imaginary wall built around him; preventing Amy from reaching him. The only signs of emotion he showed were around Ashley and Tommy, but any other time he was mostly ignorant and quiet.

Amy said he was gone a lot, and that she frequently went days without seeing him, with no explanation from him about where he had gone. Amy often said she did not care about him, but I saw her curiosity whenever she glanced at him, like she was wondering who he really was, trying to read him as if he was a book with missing pages, and wondering who was this man that she had married.

I could understand why she had initially been attracted to him. There was something about Jake that made you feel love, curiosity and desire all at the same time, in a contradictory and blurry mix of feelings.”

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