loved you too much to leave you alone.”
My head shot up and I looked at him surprised. I wasn’t sure if I heard right. “Excuse me?”
“I’ve been to a number of African and South American countries. They believe when a spirit visits a loved one it’s because of unfinished business. I assume she’s not haunting you to torment you, so it must be something important. You’ll find out soon.” He placed a comforting hand on my forearm, “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to attend the funeral.”
“That’s fine mother would have had you in a matching suit like the rest of us if you had.” Still in doubt, I asked, “Have you been watching the Ghost Whisperer ?” Ronald liked playing pranks on me and I wasn’t certain if this was one of them.
“I have better things to do with my time than watch television.” He answered, void of the true question I was asking him.
“You are the first person who believes me.” I felt my body unknot in relief. But having my brother believe me still didn’t mean whatever was happening was normal.
“I’m your brother. I should give you the benefit of the doubt. Come on let’s go drink some of father’s old scotch.” He stood up and I followed him. He stopped and turned to face me, his brow raised and his lips curved in a mischievous grin. “By the way, how is the delectable Sandra fairing?”
I laughed. “She still despises you.”
Ronald has always chased after her since Kristy introduced them. I didn’t know exactly what Ron wanted because he had no intentions of tying himself down.
He turned around and kept walking. “She loves me. She just doesn’t want to admit it to herself yet.”
“You are delusional Ronald.”
“Says the pot to the kettle.”
Chapter Six
After the argument with Gloria, all I wanted to do was stay as far away from her as I possibly could, but I couldn’t do that. Alienate my mother in her own home. It’s much easier to do that when we are in two different continents. But I needed to spend some time with my mother and my brother before his itchy feet took him to the other end of the world.
Gloria had made me shave, cut my hair and threatened to hire someone to groom me on a daily basis if I fell off the wagon again. Gloria was a pain but she was still my mother.
I went down the long staircase to meet my brother at the foot of it with a glass in one hand and a silly grin on his face. He looked amused by something and he seemed to be bursting at the seams to tell me, which only meant I wouldn’t like it.
“Okay Ronald what has you so amused?”
“Here, this is for you. Brandy,” he handed me the glass and chuckled. “I have a feeling you are going to need it.”
I felt the dread wash over me. My mother was up to something, “Ronald, tell me what’s going on?” I asked patiently saving all my rage for whatever mother had in store for me. If it was the psychiatrist, he’d have a serving of that rage too.
“Oh I think I’ll leave that honour to mother. I don’t want to steal her thunder,” he turned and walked ahead of me. “She’s in the drawing room. Wait five seconds before you come in, I want a good view of your reaction.”
I was already beginning to feel irate. Why my mother thought she had to control every second of my life was beginning to annoy me. Yes, I’m talking to my dead wife but I wasn’t doing crack. I was very much in control of my life and I didn’t need her interfering.
I gulped down the brandy and sauntered to the drawing room. I was going to put a stop to whatever she had planned and set her straight.
When I got there Ronald was holding out another glass of brandy for me. Once I took it from him he rushed to stand behind mother with an excited smile on his face. I looked at him with a raised brow, wondering why this was all so amusing to him- not like anything in life wasn’t.
He might be on crack and he was the one mother should be trying to control- wait;