I nodded quickly and ran up the stairs. I was very worried about the bottles of alcopops in the basement. If Alanis's granddad punished her and made her stay in the house, she couldn't get over here to get rid of them, and then, if the police came to look, they would see we were all lying.
I decided to sneak down into the basement and take care of it myself, Great-aunt Frances was watching her show, so it wasn't hard. I was glad I had done it because the bottles were everywhere and there were seven full ones left in a bag at the side of the sofa. I gathered it all as quickly and quietly as I could and then took it all upstairs. Before I stepped out. I listened for Great-aunt Frances. I just heard the television. so I went quickly through the kitchen and out the door to the big garbage cans. I put it all in one and then hurried back inside and up to my room to start my homework. I wanted to get it done as quickly as I could so I could get back to Ian's letters and finish reading them. Maybe there was something about Mother in one of the letters he'd written later. Surely, they wouldn't all be about insects. I hoped.
The homework wasn't difficult, but there were so many math problems to do that I thought I would be working on it until I went to sleep. I lost track of time, so when I heard footsteps in the hallway. I was sure it was Great-aunt Frances coming to tell me to get ready for our French dinner. I wasn't excited about getting dressed up as a French lady, but considering the phone call she received and the trouble we could still be in, I thought I should do whatever she wanted,
When I looked up, however, I saw it was Alanis.
"You took away the bottles. I hope?" she asked. "I went down there but they were gone. It wasn't your great-aunt, was it?"
"No. I did it. I put them all in the garbage can."
"What? We can't do that. My granddad takes the garbage down to the front of the driveway for the garbagemen. He's liable to see it. He thinks I might be telling the truth right now, otherwise, he'd whip me good."
"He whips you?"
"Not with a whip, but it might as well be. He's got this thick leather belt leaves welts the size of quarters. Your parents never whipped you?"
I shook my head.
"Not your grandmother either?"
"No." I didn't say it, but her whipping us with her words stung enough.
"I'll take care of the bottles.I'll hide it all behind the barn in a hole where I've thrown other stuff. What did your great-aunt say when you got home?"
"She said Mrs. Browne called and asked about a party."
"What did she say?"
"She told her I was asleep and she hadn't seen Stuart."
"Good. That's perfect. We'll be fine. You did real good today, Jordan."
I knew it wasn't something to be proud about, but her smile and compliment made me feel better.
"The bottles," she said and hurried away. Not ten minutes later. I heard Great-aunt Frances coming with the skirt, hat and blouse she wanted me to wear,
After I dressed. I looked at myself in the mirror. Suddenly. I was surprised myself at how comfortable and relieved I felt escaping from reality and
pretending to be in one of Great-aunt Frances's makebelieve worlds. In those worlds, we had no Mrs. Brownes and no policemen, no lying and trembling with fear.
When I stepped into the kitchen. I found her in her skirt and blouse and French hat. The French music was playing. She turned from the oven.
"Bonsoir, ma peu assez un. Comment allezvows?"
I didn't know what to say.
"That means 'Good evening, my little pretty one How are you?' Go on and say 'How are you?' in French."
She repeated it for me. and I said it.
"Parfait. That's 'perfect' in French. Now I'll tell you to sit at the table. Reposez-vous a la table,s'il vows plait. The last part means 'please.' Always say 'please' when you ask someone to do something. Go on. say 'please' in French." She repeated it. and I did it, and she clapped. "Parfait. What's that mean?"
"Perfect "
"See? You're speaking French."
"How did you learn it?" I asked. impressed.