Jacque slowly swung his legs over the side of the bed and ground the remnants of sleep from his eyes. The night of dreams plagued by his father had taken its toll but Jacque knew he needed to go to his mother maybe she would have the hidden key to the answers of his dreams.
Jacque opened the bedroom door and was greeted by the sounds of two cooing babies. The sound brought a smile to Jacque’s lips and put a spring in his step. He walked out toward the living room where Dianna sat on the blanket-covered floor with the two children. The floor was scattered with various toys that were designed to stimulate children the ages of Bella and Jordan.
Dianna knew that they were going to his mothers today and had already dressed the children accordingly. Bella was dressed in a lilac and plum colored velvet dress with white leotards and black leather shoes. Her sandy blonde tresses were pushed back with a cloth style headband that was adorned with ribbons and pearls. Jordan had on a pair of dark blue dress pants, a white short-sleeved dress shirt covered by a light blue-stripped sweater vest. Beneath the vest stuck out a small blue tie. His sparse hair was neatly combed in place but a few wild strands stuck up around the crown of his head. Both children were absolutely adorable and Jacque couldn’t help but scoop them both up and shower their pudgy faces with kisses.
He smiled brightly at Dianna and placed a kiss on her cheek. She looked very tired; the heavy dark circles that were etched under her eyes diminished their beauty. Her skin seemed to be drained of its natural glow and slightly darker coloring. Her once shiny and lustrous blonde hair had dulled to look more like straw than spun gold. To Jacque though she was still as beautiful as the day he met her. She had chosen a simple light blue velour sweater and black jeans to adorn her still slightly swollen figure.
“I guess you guys have been waiting on me,” Jacque smiled as he placed the children back on the floor with their mother. “I’ll be ready in a few.” Jacque headed toward the bathroom for a much needed shower and shave. He looked like hell and didn’t need a mirror to confirm that fact.
Standing in the archway of the living room dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a white T-shirt Jacque was now ready to face the day or so he thought. The put both children in the car and headed to his mom’s with out much being said. Both children were asleep and they didn’t want to risk the slightest noise to awake them.
Jacque pulled into the driveway and looked at the grand plantation house that he had spent his childhood in. There were so many fond memories of this place and he had hoped that his children would be able to build some memories here before... before it was too late. After piling everyone out of the car they all walked up the steps of the house. Jacque could see where things had been falling into disrepair. The large front porch with its white pillars could use a new paint job as well as a few new planks to fix the rotting wood flooring. Jacque sighed heavily and opened up the large front doors.
He ushered Dianna and both kids to the left of the receiving room into the living room. Everything looked the same as the last time he was here but more dust covered. He could tell that his mother was not herself. She would never in a million years have allowed her home to look like this if she were not sick.
“Mom... where are you?” Jacque called out but didn’t get an answer.
An alarming look crossed Jacuqe’s face as well as Dianna’s. “You stay here with the kids and I will go see if she is in her room.”
Jacque ascended the staircase, it moaned and protested at his weight. As he reached the top he turned right and stopped in front of his mother’s doorway. He slowly opened the door and slid inside the dimly lit room. Jacque looked around his mother’s bedroom and it still looked the same as before his father died. The walls were still the same shade of baby blue. The bed was the same queen sized, solid cherry bed that he and his brother had jumped on to wake his parents Christmas morning. The only real difference was the very small frail looking woman that inhabited it. Jacque sucked his breath in deeply at how gaunt and pale looking his mother was. He immediately rushed to her side and sat on the edge of the bed.
Her breathing was so shallow and uneven Jacque became nervous and screamed for Dianna. When he did this, his mother’s eyes snapped open and a look of terror filled her eyes.
“Gerald.” Her frail voice croaked.
“No mom, it’s Jacque,” he told her as he placed a hand on her forehead. He yanked back his hand at the feel of her clammy skin.
Dianna came charging into the room and this cause Sonja, his mother, to let out a howl. “What the hell is that tramp doing in my house? Get her the fuck out of here. I don’t want her anywhere near me. You better get her out of here Gerald.”
Confusion rippled across both their faces. Jacque had told her about him and Dianna getting back together and she seemed happy about it. Happy to know that things were working themselves out.
“Mom... I am not Dad. It’s me Jacque.”
“I am telling you Gerald if you don’t get that hussy out of my house I will beat her ass as well as yours. I forgave you for what you did but...” That was the end of it. Her eyes slowly fluttered closed leaving things a mystery.
Jacque shook his mother, “What did dad do? Come on mom you have to tell me.”
When Sonja opened her eyes again it was like she was a whole different person. “Jacque... Dianna... when did you two get here?”
“We got here just a few minutes ago. Don’t you remember mom? You thought I was dad.”
Sonja laughed, “I did no such thing. Where are my two grandbabies? You did bring them with you didn’t you?” She asked as she slowly sat up in bed.
“Yeah we brought them with us. They’re downstairs in the living room fast asleep.” Dianna quickly answered when Jacque couldn’t seem to spit the words out. “I’ll go get them,” Dianna said and hightailed it out of the bedroom.
“Mom... are you sure you don’t remember thinking I was dad. You said some pretty weird stuff and you shouted at Dianna. You called her some pretty mean things.”
Sonja just looked at Jacque with the same terror stricken expression she had when he first entered her room. “I don’t know what would possess you to think I would allow that woman in my house Gerald. I forgave you for your infidelity but to bring your mistress into my house is just unforgivable.”
Warning bells rang in Jacque’s head. He never knew that his father had cheated on his mother until just now. Maybe there were more mysteries to be uncovered in his families past. Could that be what his father wanted him to do? Jacque knew there had to be more to his father’s ‘hauntings’ than just him being unfaithful to his mother. There had to be something else. He knew now that his mother was only half of the key to his quest now all he had to do was find the other half.
Sonja slowly dosed back off and Jacque slipped out of the bedroom deciding that until she was with it he couldn’t ask her about her so called encounters with his father. He needed to know if they were the same as the one he had or if they were more like the ones he just witnessed.