Chapter 2: Familial Leanings

Valleyview turned out to be about 90 minutes from the airport and it was what I assumed most of the places too tiny to be called a town with a straight face must look like. The river was to the north, travelling south from that you had a collection of trailers, followed by a lot of tiny houses (I’d guess 4-6 rooms each), the main road, and then the mountain. The houses on the mountain were much larger. I’d guess they were 3 to 4 bedrooms in those. There was a pub, a water tower, 3 churches, and a post office. All the houses were set in rows, except for an old yellow one.

The yellow house was my destination. Where the other houses on the hill were set in tiers the yellow house was set in a flat next to a small cliff. There was a lower gate that evened it out with the house on the where the main house set, but near the road to the top of the hill there were a series of parking spaces that were where another house would’ve normally been. The upper gate was just off those space and there was a raised wooden walkway leading to a screened in wraparound porch. The lower level had one that was unscreened as well.

As I approached the gate I noticed that there was an above ground pool with a deck behind it next to a large barn-like shed. The women surged ahead and I gathered my bag. From the porch I followed them in and downstairs. The grandmother went to work in the kitchen. My Aunt sat on a leather couch in the living room and pulled out knitting. My sister pointed. I walked through the dining room to the door she pointed at. There was an obvious break in the materials the house was made of.

Whatever was beyond the door was an addition and judging from how even the exterior had looked there were additions to every level.

My sister spoke softly, “That’ll be your room. It has a shower and a toilet.”

I opened the door and stepped in and was immediately hit with the smell of cedar. The walls, the ceiling, the furniture, even the ceiling fan was made of cedar. The smell hit me and I could feel the twin-beating stone in my chest start to pound. The blood filled my ears. I tried to calm it and bring on the cold, but it was too quick and I wasn’t ready.

I blinked and I was in the row house my nose flush with the corner of the closet. My father screamed, “You’re not allowed to be rude. You can’t embarrass the family!” and the belt came down. The buckle striking my back.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and it pulled me out of it, I stepped forward slinging an elbow instinctively only to realize it was my new sister. She seemed to have an air of concern, “What the hell was that?”

“Just the smell. Need to open a window.”

“It’s July. The air conditioning is on.”

“I can’t take the smell.”

“Of cedar? The paneling was just redone when we found out you were coming home.”

“It’s fine. I can sleep on that porch upstairs. I think I saw a cot.”

The grandmother popped out of the kitchen. She’d actually put on an apron. She was stern, “Put him in the attic room.”

The two started to argue and I went back to the living room.

My new Aunt said, “The attic room is up the stairs. Through the first door you see. That’s the bathroom. Go through that and you get to Mindy’s room. There are stairs up to the attic from there. You should check out the actual attic too. Maybe after I have my bath later.”

That’s a weird thing to fucking suggest? Why does it matter when I look at it? And won’t Mindy be upset if I have to go through her room to piss?