Читать книгу Spinning Forward - Terri DuLong - Страница 14

“That does seem a bit odd that Dora asked so many questions,” Ali said a few nights later. “I’ve never known her to be a nosy person.”

“So, what do you make of it?” I asked, and took a bite of my juicy apple.

“I’m not sure.”

“Maybe it’s an island thing. People just naturally ask a lot of personal questions?”

Ali laughed. “Could be. I know when gossip spreads around here, they refer to it as the coconut pipeline.”

Living in a small town was definitely different from one with more than thirty thousand people. I realized that I’d been here less than a month and already many people knew who I was. I did enjoy the feeling of welcome it gave me though, to be walking down the street and have somebody wave to me. Reminded me of the TV series, Cheers, where everybody knew your name.

“Heard anything from the adoption Web site?” Ali asked.

“Not a thing. I checked again this morning. It’s highly doubtful I’ll ever find out any information.”

“Don’t be so sure of that. Give it time.”

I took another bite of my apple. “So is Paul arriving tomorrow? I’ll finally get to meet him?”

Ali smiled. “Yes. He should get here around six tomorrow evening.”

“How long will he be staying?”

“He’s never sure, but I penciled him in for a month.”

“Penciled him in? He stays in the main house?”

“Yeah, we both still kinda like our space. But trust me, he wakes up in my bed most mornings. By the way, the couple in the Tree House—they’re checking out earlier than they planned. The day after Christmas, rather than January. So you can move in there when they leave.”

“Oh, no, Ali. Really. You could rent that again and right now, I couldn’t afford to pay you very much.”

“Don’t be silly. I want you there. It’ll be so much nicer for you and Lilly. So that’s the end of it—be prepared to move within a few weeks.”

Damn this menopause. Emotion gripped me again as I felt tears forming in my eyes. “Ali, I don’t know how to thank you. You’re truly the best friend a woman could have.”

“Nonsense,” she said, reaching over to pat my hand. “I’m just being selfish. I love having you here with me.”

A few days later, I walked outside at Cook’s to collect dirty dishes and was surprised to see Sybile Bowden taking a seat. It looked like I was finally going to meet the mysterious woman. Walking to her table, I smiled. “Can I help you?” I asked in a friendly tone.

Without removing her sunglasses, she glanced up at me. “Well, I imagine you can, since you’re the waitress here.”

When she neglected to say any more, I asked, “What would you like?”

“Two eggs, boiled for three and a half minutes. One slice of toast. Dark, but not charred. Do not bring me any butter, because I won’t use it. If the coffee has been brewed within the past thirty minutes, I’ll have a cup. Otherwise, forget it.”

I couldn’t help but feel she rattled off her order like she was a customer at the Ritz-Carlton. When I neglected to move, she glared up at me, sunglasses still on.

“Well?” she demanded. “Get to it.”

What a nasty woman. It was impossible to believe that she was Eudora’s sister.

I walked inside the restaurant shaking my head. Sandy, the cook, saw the look on my face and bent down to peer out the window.

“Oh, we should be honored. Miss Sybile has decided to grace us with her presence.”

When I attempted to pass her the order slip, Sandy shook her hand in the air.

“I know exactly what she wants. She never deviates.”

“Not very friendly, is she?”

“Nope. That woman has an attitude with a capital A.”

“Wonder why she’s so miserable?”

“Have no idea,” Sandy said, preparing to boil the eggs. “Never known her to be any different. My mom tells me Sybile left this island years ago and came back a changed person. And not for the good.”

“Interesting,” I said, going to tend to my other customers.

When I placed the meal in front of Sybile, I didn’t even get a thank-you. So she’s not only unfriendly, she’s rude.

After she’d finished eating, I put the check beside her and was about to walk away.

“Hold on there,” she hollered after me.

“Did you want something else?”

“I hear you’re a friend of Alison’s and staying at the B and B. Planning to be in town long?”

I was beginning to find it amusing that complete strangers were so interested in my comings and goings. “Probably,” I said, refusing to share my plans with her. But it seemed she’d already gotten wind of that coconut pipeline.

“I hear you might be opening a knitting shop. And that you do something with dog and cat fur. Does the Humane Society know about this?”

Who the hell did this woman think she was? Obviously, she didn’t know a thing about spinning fiber, and she was making me feel like an animal abuser.

“It’s perfectly legal to spin pet fur. It doesn’t injure them at all. Collecting excess fur that would be thrown away doesn’t harm dogs or cats.”

She made a sound that resembled a snarl. “Well, it doesn’t sound right to me. And I can tell ya right now—if you think a business like that would be successful here, you’ve got another thought comin’.”

What a nerve. I hadn’t asked for this woman’s opinion and here she was knocking me down before I even started. Damn her. I was sensitive enough right now and didn’t need her adding to my problems.

Removing her glasses and staring up at me she said, “Well, just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

She sniffed and replaced her sunglasses, but not before I had the distinct feeling we’d already met.

Had I not been waiting on her as a customer, I would’ve had some choice words to fling back. But instead, I said, “Guess we’ll see what happens,” and I walked back inside.

“Oh, yeah, Sybile can be a bitch,” Ali related to me. “But don’t let her get to you. Sometimes I wonder how poor Miss Dora puts up with her. She seems to carry sisterly love to a whole new level.”

I nodded. “Yeah, why would Dora put up with such behavior?”

“Have no clue, but…Now, I know you won’t say anything, but somebody mentioned to me that they saw Dora and Sybile at the Medical Center in Gainesville last month.”

“So you’re saying she’s ill?”

Ali pursed her lips. “I really don’t know, but I guess that would explain why Dora seems to cater to her. Sybile has always acted like a prima donna. But she’s gotten worse this past year.”

“Is Dora her only relative? Sybile never had children?”

Ali paused for a moment before answering. “God, I feel like a guest on The Jerry Springer Show. I don’t enjoy gossip, but I know what I tell you won’t go further. Although, most of the town probably knows this rumor.”

“What is it?” I asked with curiosity.

“I’d heard from a number of different people that Sybile did have a child years ago. But nobody knows for certain what happened. If the child died or she gave it up for adoption…or what.”

The word adoption jumped out at me. “How the heck would anybody know something so personal? You mean it happened here when she was a teenager?”

“No, I guess she was drinking at the Eagles years ago and got to talking. It seems whatever happened occurred when she lived in New York City.”

As soon as Ali said the words, I could see by the look on her face she was headed on the same track that I was. “New York City?” I repeated.

“Yeah,” she replied slowly, nodding her head. She remained quiet for a few moments. “Oh, Syd, don’t let your imagination run away with you. I know what you’re thinking.”

She was right. Both about what I was thinking and about the thought being ludicrous. It was insane to even consider that Sybile Bowden could be my biological mother. Wasn’t it? The age would be about right though—Dora told me that Sybile was seventy-two. She would have been twenty when she gave birth. And why was Dora so inquisitive about my birth date, where I was born, and that I was adopted? No. Absolutely out of the question, I told myself. Get a grip, Sydney.

“Yeah, you’re right,” I told Ali. “God, what would the chances be? That I’d end up here in Cedar Key and find my biological mother? That’s the kind of stuff they make movies about. It’s just not possible. Besides, I can’t stand this woman. No way could she be related to me.”

Ali laughed. “Your chances are probably about a billion to one. So I don’t think you need to be concerned.”

A group of six women came into Cook’s for lunch and took a middle table inside. I recognized a few from the hair salon. They were friendly, and it made me feel good that they remembered me.

One woman in particular kept staring. When I stood next to her for her order, she made no effort to switch her gaze from my face. “I’m Raylene Porter,” she said. “I don’t think we’ve met, but you sure do look familiar to me.”

I recalled Polly saying those exact words on Thanksgiving and gave my standard answer. “No, I don’t think we have, but you’ve probably seen me around town. I’ve lived here a month and I stay with Alison at the B and B. She’s a good friend of mine.”

“Hmm, no, I don’t think I’ve seen you around. I live in Rosewood, off island, and I don’t get into town that much. Strange. I could swear we’ve met before though. Oh, do you have some relatives in Cedar Key? That’s probably what it is. You resemble somebody that I know.”

A lump formed in my throat as another hot flash raced up my neck, causing me to break out in a sweat. Running a hand across my forehead, I shook my head. “No. No relatives here at all. Just a coincidence, I guess. What would you like to order?”

For the first time since encountering Sybile and hearing her story from Alison, I wondered if any of what I was experiencing was merely coincidence.