Bicycles in the mist

This next piece is very recent.  I realize that I said to read them in order and then I post all out of order.  Uh well.  Artistic license or some such.

So, background is needed.  There are a lot of characters in this one.  Bear with me.

Georgia is Georgia of course.

About a year prior to this story, Georgia had found out that she had a twin sister named Heather.  She had always been told that her twin had died.  Not the case.  For reasons as yet unknown, her mother, Henriette, had given up one of the twins.  Heather, who still lived in Virginia, had tracked Georgia down first, not contacting their mother.

Georgia was shocked of course and even more shocked when Heather showed up on her doorstep one day.  Georgia lives in a small two bedroom basement suite.   

Her long term roommate had moved out and his place was David, an ex-Mormon gay midwife that Georgia had originally met years and years ago.

Heather stayed on and on and then Georgia's mother, Henriette, had also shown up.  Nobody seems to ever want to leave.  And now, one of Heatherr's six children, Sarah Lee, is coming up for a visit.

I am realizing that many stories prior to this have been lost due to broken down computer and my carelessness.  Eeek!

So here is the story - with Georgia, ex-Mormon gay midwife David, Heather, and Henriette.  Have mercy.

Georgia has chosen to wait for Sarah Lee at home.   Her mother and David are with her while Heather has taken a bus, SkyTrain, and SkyTrain out to the airport.

“This is probably best,” said Heather,   “This way you all can straighten up the place a bit and maybe make a welcoming cake.”

“A welcoming cake?” said Georgia.

“Yes, just maybe like a Bundt cake.  Sarah Lee loves those.”

“You want us to make a Bundt cake?”

“Sure.”

“I don’t think we have a Bundt pan.  We’d need a Bundt pan wouldn’t we?”

“Well, yes, that’s true.  Why don’t you own a Bundt pan?”

“Because I don’t make Bundt cakes,” said Georgia.

“I like a nice Bundt,” said Henriette.

“I make a nice pot brownie,” said David.

“David,” admonished Heather, “Certainly not in front of mommy.”

Mommy, thought Georgia, this is new and a little bit disturbing.  From the corner of her mind she thought, mommy is my mommy.

“Oh ok,’ said Heather, “Any kind of cake would be good enough.  Or a lovely meringue, nice and fluffy.”

“Oh yes,” said Henriette.

“It will help break the ice,” said Heather, “I know we are all going to be a little bit nervous.”

“Well, yeah,” said Georgia.

“I’m not nervous, just super excited,” said David.

“Or a squash casserole maybe.”

“With sweet iced tea,” said Henriette.

“Oh god,” said Georgia.

“No need to –“said Heather.

“I know, I know.  Look, I don’t know why you haven’t noticed but I do not bake.  Nor do I cook.  Either you cook or we eat frozen food.  Well not frozen I mean we heat it up-“

“Yes, lots of microwaving,” said David, “I try to stay well out of the kitchen during the microwaving. It’s not good for sperm count.”

“What?” said Georgia.

“I like to maintain a high sperm count.”

“And too much might cause infertility,” said David.

“I thought those were old wives’ tales,” said Henriette, “Although of course in my day we didn’t have microwaves.”

“I don’t think any of us have to worry about being infertile,” said Georgia, “Heather has six children for goodness sakes.”

“And one of them will be here soon,” exclaimed Henriette, “I am quite eager to meet one of my grandchildren.  I mean I’ve seen photos and we did talk on the computer a few times but to see in the flesh, the flesh of my flesh. I can’t quite describe how I feel.”

“Oh, I’m excited too,” said Georgia.  “I mean, her staying here will be crowded for us and hopefully-- Wait, how long did we say she was staying again?”

“Well her return ticket is for two weeks but -’”

“Two weeks,” said Georgia.

“Yes but we can change it if we need to for only a small fee.”

“Oh, you mean if Sarah Lee gets homesick or overwhelmed which I could see because she will be meeting us for the first – “

“No, I mean in case she wants to stay longer.”

“Oh,” said Georgia.

“Yup,” said Heather.

“Phoy,” said Georgia.

“Phoy?” asked Henriette.

“I dated a guy named Pho once,” said David, “But not Phoy.”

“Phooey,” said Georgia.

“You know, Henriette, our place is not that big and –“

“Oh you will barely even notice Sarah Lee.  She’ll be out most of the day collecting things for her art.”

“Collecting what?”

“Well, I don’t know exactly.  I just know she likes to make installations with things she finds like, you know, old bicycle tires, pieces of metal and such.  It is really so interesting when she uses a blowtorch to – “

“A blowtorch!” shouted Georgia.

“Yes, well, I don’t think she can bring that across the border so she will probably get one for when she is here.”

“But where on earth will she use this thing.  It sounds so dangerous.”

“It’s a bit exciting,” said Henriette.

“Coolio,” said David.

“Well, just outside I suspect,” said Heather.

“I don’t think the landlord or the tenants who live upstairs would want a blowtorch used in the yard.”

“Oh I’ve checked and they are fine with that as long as she is safe and Sarah Lee is all about safety.”

“You have already checked?”

“They are a lovely couple upstairs.  We should have them for tea,” said Henriette.

Georgia hadn’t spoken much to the upstairs neighbour since the incident at their barbecue five years ago.  She still kept the photo of some of the firemen in her wallet.    Since then, the neighbours were civil to her when they passed by each other coming and going but that was about it.

“Did you know that her father died after being shot out of a cannon?”

“Whose father?”

“Your upstairs neighbour.  Quite a sad story really.  Quite touching,” said Henriette.

“Why was he in a cannon?”  asked Georgia.

“I think you should ask her yourself.”

“Anyway, a cake for Sarah Lee.”

“Well, I guess I could go and buy one from Superstore,” said Georgia.

“Is there a bakery nearby?  Superstore seems a bit, I don’t know, low rent,” said David.

“No there isn’t a bakery nearby.  You all should know that by now.”

“Georgia you are being a little touchy,” said Henriette.

“Well, no, I mean yes, but no, no.  I’m just.  I don’t know.  A little crampy maybe.”

“That time of the month,” asked David and he and Heather burst out laughing.

“Oh, David, you’re a pip,” said Heather, “A real pip.”

“Ha,” said Georgia, “No, I mean intestinally, but just a bit.”

“But there’s no such thing as a free cramp without diarrhea,” Heather and Henriette said in unison.

“I’ll go get the cake,” said David.  “Georgia you stay here in case you need the bathroom.”

“Oh Christ in a cake,” said Georgia.

“Georgia!” shouted Henriette.

Three hours after her flight is to have landed, Sarah Lee and Heather walk through the door.

“We are home!” exclaims Henriette.  “The flight was a bit late and we got stuck on the SkyTrain after a jumper jumped on the tracks.  But they got it all cleaned up remarkably quickly.”

“My god did you see it?”

“See what,” asks Heather.

“The jumper?”

“No, thank goodness.”

“Phew,” says Henriette.

Georgia looks at the younger woman standing beside Heather.  She is tall, brown-haired, and a tiny bit plump.  When she takes off her jacket, Georgia notices that one of her breasts is significantly larger than the other.  Georgia finds herself tearing up a bit because until she had her breast reduction 25 years ago, this was the case with her as well.

Georgia sees Henriette stand up from the futon.

“Hello,” Henriette says to Sarah Lee.  “It is so so lovely to meet you.”

“And you,” says Sarah Lee.  The pair embrace. 

“Grandma,” says Sarah Lee.

“Oh my goodness yes,” says Henriette, who has, Georgia notices, begun to cry.

“Let’s sit down,” says Henriette, “We can put Sarah Lee’s things in our bedroom after.”

Georgia looks over to the door and sees three large suitcases.

“Wow that is a lot of stuff.”

“Yup, well, I’ve got clothes for all seasons and some of my art supplies.”

“A blowtorch?” asks Georgia.

“Oh no, no, I’ll get one here, although I was able to bring the nozzle across.”

“Right,” says Georgia.

After a beat of silence, Sarah Lee chimes in – “And you are my Aunt Georgia!”

“I am,” says Georgia.  “I mean, yes, I certainly am.”  Georgia surprises herself by pulling Sarah Lee into an almost aggressive hug. 

“Make sure she can still breathe there, Georgia,” says David.

“And you are David,” says Sarah Lee.  The pair hug.  “Mom has told me quite a lot about you.  You are a doula?”

“A midwife.”

“Oh, wow.”

“Well, I’m training to be one.”

“That is so interesting.”

“I like it.  And I’m going away on a gay ex-Mormon midwife retreat for a week starting tomorrow so you are welcome to use my room.”

“You are?” asks Georgia.

“Yes, I told you about it.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Oh wait, I might have just told Heather and Henriette.”

“That must be it,” Georgia sighs.

“Anyway, we have chocolate pie,” says David, “I’ll go cut up some pieces.”

“Oh none for me,” says Sarah Lee, “I’m off all refined sugars.”

“Good god,” says Georgia, “But there is so much sugar in Virginia.  I was always eating something with sugar.”

“Well, yes, maybe back then but there are vegan restaurants there now even.”

“I’ve been thinking of going vegan,” says David.

“You had a Big Mac just this morning,” says Georgia.

“I need to cleanse my body.  I’ve been getting a bit of back fat I’ve noticed.”

“You hide it well,” says Henriette.

“But mom likes meat.  She needs it to keep her energy up.”

“I’m happy with whatever makes Sarah Lee happy,” says Henriette.

“Heather, you make such great things with meat.”

“I do, but I think it would be good for this household to go animal free.”

“What?” says Georgia.

“I’m happy to cook for everyone,” says Sarah Lee.  “I should have some time when I’m not working on my installation.”

“Your installation?” says Georgia.

“Yes, it’s called, “Bikes in the mists of glory, in the mists of fog.”

“Oh,” says Georgia.

“In the mists of time.”

“Long title,” says Georgia.

“Glorious,” says Henriette.

“Are we talking about motorcycles? I loved the work you did last time.  So did your father,” says Heather.

“Yes, partly.  And bicycles.  All kinds of parts and tires and wheels get soldered together.  I did this in Virginia, in Georgia, and in Puerto Vallarta.  I like to do it wherever I go.”

“Soldered,” says Georgia.

“Yes with the blowtorch or sometimes a heat gun.  It’s quite technical actually.”

“Oh,” says Georgia.  “And again, you are going to do this here?”

“Well, yes, actually in the carport.  Mom said there is no car in it and I am happy to clean up to make room.”

“Oh, gee,” says Georgia.

“Yes, I can clean and cook some great vegan dishes.  I will need some money for the ingredients though.  And the spices.  And the paint.’

“The paint?” asks Georgia.

“For my installation.  I usually use about 40 different colors.  Some acrylic, some oils.”

“Oils stink,” says Georgia.

“Oh, you won’t notice after a while.  Anyway, I’m really tired.  It has been a long day.  I thought I’d have more energy going into the third month but I don’t really.”

“Wow!” exclaims David, clasping his hands together.

“It’s exciting,” says Heather.

“Be careful with a blowtorch while you are pregnant,” says Henriette.

“What,” says Georgia.