Saving Brooksie Read online

  “He believed… he told me one day while we were both on the highest point of the Ferris wheel – I mean, it was like we could see all of creation from up there… Anyway, I mentioned to my dad how much I just loved hanging out at the park… and to that, you know what he said? He told me that I must never get attached to anything here. He firmly believed that if you get attached in any way, you’ll be stuck here. Basically…” Rich said, looking over at Eddie, “Don’t fall in love with anything or anyone.”

  Eddie tried to look beyond that veil of sadness, but it was too thick. Rich was burdened not only with losing his parents, but also with losing access to his own era altogether. But for some reason, Eddie swore there was something hidden behind that veil of sadness. He could almost see a flicker of joy in those eyes.

  “Is that what happened?” Eddie asked, “Did you get attached?”

  Rich nodded and then looked down at his shoes.

  “And now if you open the door, it just goes outside?”

  Rich nodded again.

  “What if… what if you un-fall in love? What if you split up with the one you fell in love with?”

  Rich turned to him and smiled. That flicker of joy he had suspected was more than just an ember. There was something ablaze in this man.

  “I sincerely hope to never find out,” Rich said, “Look, you have to be careful here. Just because these people are old enough to be our great-grandparents doesn’t mean they’re not regular people. By that, I mean these people are very normal. They love and… and they can be loved.”

  Eddie looked around at the people walking past, trying to somehow comprehend Rich’s statement. Rich had most likely been unprepared for whoever latched onto his heart. He must have figured he could never connect with someone in the past. Yet glancing around, Eddie had to admit that these people really did look fairly normal beneath the old clothing, the makeup, and the hairstyles.

  “Just don’t get too close to anyone and you can have all the fun you want,” Rich stated, before pointing down at Eddie’s shoes, “But you need to get some better clothes and some money.”

  Eddie grinned as he looked down at his blazing white shoes. He definitely was standing out in a bad way.

  “What year is this anyway?” Eddie asked.

  “1928. It’s June 28th of ‘28,” he said, “You’ll need money if you’re going to hang out here. Dad and I found that the cheapest way to get spending money is to either buy a lot of pennies or silver dollars. Pennies and silver dollars from the 1920’s aren’t worth much because everyone in the world saved them. No one spends silver dollars, so if you go to a coin dealer, you should be able to buy a few for less than ten bucks a piece.”

  “Ten bucks?” Eddie blurted.

  “It’s actually very reasonable considering a silver dollar goes a long way here. You could buy yourself two meals and still have money left over for a swim at the Crystal Pool or a few rides on the coaster.”

  Eddie watched two men shadow boxing on the midway. They were apparently trying to look tough for their ladies seated on the bench nearby. The girls poked fun at these “tough guys” as they pretended to sock each other. Eddie took the moment to examine their shoes and the clothing they wore. He should be able to come up with something to wear as long as people didn’t examine the tags too closely.

  “You should probably get out of here and come back when you’re more prepared for the world of 1928,” Rich said, “I’ll walk you back if you want.”

  “No, I should be fine. Thanks for the advice,” Eddie said, shaking Rich’s hand, “It’s good to see that you’re not dead and buried underneath the house.”

  “Is that the story circulating?” he asked with a laugh.

  “Yep. Supposedly you’ve been haunting the house for years,” he replied.

  * * * *

  Eddie set the Arby’s bag on the dining room table next to his car keys. His mom was washing her hands in the kitchen while humming a tune from The Sound of Music. If the world was a movie, his mother once said, she would turn it into a musical. She proudly warned him that she would have no problems leaping onto the table during an important business meeting while chanting songs of expenditure reports. His mother had no idea what an expenditure report was, but she could surely invent a song and dance about it nonetheless.

  “When is Dad returning from China?” Eddie asked, sitting down and opening up the warm bag of food.

  “He’ll be back tomorrow,” she replied, drying her hands on a towel, “He was in meetings for three days straight. He also had to stop in Japan and visit one of the factories there.”

  She pulled out a chair and sat down next to him. He placed a sandwich and a pack of curly fries in front of her.

  “I couldn’t handle all that travelling – even if it was paid for by the company,” Eddie said.

  He dumped the other two sandwiches onto the table in front of him. Then he pounded the wrapper from his straw and inserted it into his soda.

  “Thanks for bringing me lunch. What’s the occasion?” she asked.

  “I was just in the area. I wanted to check out the coin dealer down the road from you,” he replied, removing the wrapper from his sandwich.

  “I didn’t know you collected coins,” she said.

  Last night while lying in bed, Eddie found himself pondering who he could confide in. He wanted someone to go with him – someone to help keep him focused. He wanted to go back, but he didn’t want to go alone.

  Ever since Cassie broke off their engagement two months ago, he found himself relying on one person alone – himself. He no longer trusted anyone and he counted on nothing. But when he needed to confide in someone, the only person that came to mind was his mother.

  He reached into his pocket and placed five silver dollars onto the table. She reached over and picked one up.

  “Cool. That must be valuable,” she said, feigning interest.

  “Actually it’s not. The coin dealer sold me these for twelve bucks each,” he said, “I sort of needed them.”

  She gave him a questioning look.

  “Mom, would you come over to my house tonight so I can show you something?” he asked.

  She cocked her eyebrow as she took a drink from her soda. Despite the questioning look from her, Eddie didn’t want to reveal too much.

  “Don’t tell me that house is really haunted,” she said.

  “No, it’s not that,” he said, retrieving the coins from the table, “I’m having a costume party and it’s very specific in nature. You need to come dressed like someone from the 1920’s.”

  “On such short notice? Why are you throwing a costume party without giving people time to get a costume?” she said, shaking her head in disapproval, “Besides that, why would you invite your mom?”

  He set his sandwich down and shook his head. She could see the concern in his face, even though he attempted to conceal it.

  “What’s really going on, Eddie?”

  “I can’t trust anyone, Mom. That’s what it all comes down to. Everyone lets me down. You’re the only one I can turn to and I don’t want to do this thing alone.”

  “You can’t let Cassie sour you on all people. What she did was cruel and most people aren’t like that,” she said, “But if you want me to come over, I don’t have a problem with it. I’d just like to know what’s going on.”

  “It’s kind of a surprise, but it’s a good one. Can you trust me on that?” he asked.

  She picked up her sandwich and watched him over the top of it.

  “As long as the house isn’t haunted – and it isn’t, right?”

  “Right, but I’m not kidding about dressing like the 1920’s if you can,” he replied.

  * * * *

  She stood on the front porch, feeling like an idiot. Eddie smiled widely as he held the door open for her.

  “Where is everyone, Eddie? There are no other cars on the street or in your driveway,” she said.

  She took comfort in the fact that he lo
oked as ridiculous as she did.

  “How did you learn to do your hair like that, Mom? You look just like one of those dancing ‘speakeasy’ girls,” he said.

  “Flappers,” she corrected, “They were called flappers. And I dressed as one a million years ago when I stupidly auditioned for ‘Chicago’.”

  “You were in a play?” he asked, taken aback.

  He closed the door behind her as she walked cautiously toward the couch.

  “The Silver Falls Lions Club was doing a play to raise money for the Children’s Hospital. I thought I’d be a shoe in, but apparently our city has a lot of talented dancers,” she said, “I never got past the second audition.”

  “But that’s awesome anyway,” he said, grabbing a hold of her hand, “I just can’t imagine you doing that. What did Dad think?”

  “He was supportive. He and I took a few years of dance lessons, so at least I had a chance to put some of it to the test,” she said, hearing a faint sound of music coming from somewhere in the house, “When are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

  He led her into the kitchen and then stopped at the basement door.

  “No, I’m definitely not going downstairs. This house is freaky enough as it is,” she said, crossing her arms.

  “Mom, I’m taking you to an awesome party. Hear the music?” he asked, opening the basement door.

  She turned to him with a frown that matched her furrowed brow. He was beginning to wonder if he should take offense to her reaction.

  “You’re starting to scare me, Eddie,” she said.

  “Just do this for me one time. For me. That’s all I ask. After that, I’ll be fine to go by myself. I just need…” he started to say, before laughing at the words he was about to speak, “I just need a date that I can trust. Mercy, I’m pathetic.”

  She shook her head and then held her hand out to him.

  “Just this once, but then we need to find you a real date. I can’t have my son being known as the boy who takes his mom on dates,” she said, “Lead the way.”

  He led her into the basement and found himself having to pull her harder as she became aware of the frightening emptiness. He couldn’t blame her for her reluctance, but now he was in over his head. If he let her turn back now, she would forever wonder what maniacal things he had planned.

  “I changed my mind, Eddie,” she said, snatching her hand away from his, “And we need to get you some serious help.”

  “Mom, stop it!” he hollered as she headed toward the stairs.

  The sincere amount of fear in her expression hurt him more than he had expected. She really must have thought that he was losing his mind.

  “Do you hear the band playing, Mom?” he asked, “Stay right there and look over at the shelves if you don’t trust me. Wait just a moment while I push them further out of the way.”

  In spite of her growing fear, she stood and watched as he pushed the shelving unit up against the other wall. She could now see a door that had been blocked by the massive shelves.

  “The music is coming from beyond this door and it’s not what you think,” he said, reaching for the knob, “Can you see from there?”

  With pursed lips, she gave a quick nod. He opened the door and stepped into the Wisteria Ballroom.

  “What is all that?” she asked, ducking by the stairs and trying to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be a room full of people.

  “It’s exactly what it looks like, Mom,” he said, “I have an enormous 1920’s dance hall in my basement.”

  She let go of the railing and slowly walked toward the door. The whole time, she searched for evidence of a mirror or a television screen used to create the illusion before her eyes.

  “Mom, I wouldn’t trick you. It’s exactly what it looks like – I have a giant 1920’s ballroom in my basement,” he laughed, “Will you join me please?”

  A nervous smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she peered past him. Then she looked over at Eddie, finally recognizing her son again as he stood at the doorway. Setting all logic aside, she was faced with only one choice – to trust her son as she always had.

  3

  June 29, 1928

  It wasn’t easy to duck into the shadows when you chose to hide out in a dance hall. In truth, she just wanted to enjoy the music and watch the real world fall in love. The pretend world had done enough damage to her and now she just needed to see a small slice of reality.

  Reality however wasn’t looking so good to her at the moment. The tall man dancing with his wife just a few paces from her wasn’t entranced by his own lovely wife. Instead, his eyes were continuously captured by the top-heavy woman dancing a few yards away.

  Was reality as bad as the fictional world? Did anyone even care about women anymore? She caught sight of another appalling figure headed her way. She pretended not to see him in her peripheral vision.

  “Would you care to-”

  “Scram,” she blurted, raising her hand to shoo him away.

  It was rude, but it always worked. Let them mutter their insults as they shuffle away – as long as they shuffle away. Men sometimes felt inferior around strong, beautiful women. While she couldn’t be herself anymore, she could definitely still be strong and beautiful.

  The door opened to her right and a man stepped into the dance hall. He paid her no heed as he prodded his mother to join him. His mother? What kind of man brings his mother to a ballroom? She already knew the answer to that. It was usually a homely man who-

  She turned to him in the same moment that he turned to her. He smiled at her and then took a hold of his mother’s hand. The man was strikingly handsome, yet for some unknown reason, he arrived here with his mother. The lady attached to his arm was an anomaly of equal proportion. While attractive in her own right, she was oddly dressed like someone half her age. She sort of resembled Patience Webb in The New York Flapper.

  The woman gaped around the ballroom in stupid amazement, as though she had never been to one before. If so, how did her son ever come into existence? Was she raised on a farm in the middle of Iowa? Was she ever permitted to go out and have a little fun before she ended up pregnant?

  The man led his mother out to the dance floor and joined her in a waltz. She chose this moment to size them up. She had an uncanny ability to figure out anyone in a matter of five minutes or less. They circled on the dance floor, talking to each other the whole time.

  Mother nodded up at the ceiling and then Son responded. She decided to put the words into their mouths as they danced – “Is that wisteria draped on all the lights?”, “Yes Mom – that’s why this place is called The Wisteria”,“Look how crowded it is” (followed by a glance around her), “You should see the rest of the park” (followed by a nod at the main entrance), “Did you see that brunette by the door” (accompanied with a nod at- )

  She quickly looked away, but not quick enough. His eyes met hers again, but only for a moment. She pretended to be looking at all the dancers instead of staring at the mother and her son. She waited a moment and looked back at them. They were focusing on each other again as they talked.

  “You need to find someone else to dance with” (accompanied by a slight nod in “the brunette’s” direction), “Stop pushing, Mom”, “If you’re not going to dance with someone your own age, then let’s go see the rest of the park” (followed by a nod toward the door), “Fine”

  With that, they separated and headed for the door. Should she follow them? Paranoia had been affecting her senses over the past couple of weeks. As long as everything was normal, she was fine. It was only when the people around her started acting peculiar that she began questioning their motives. The bobbed, dark brown wig may have stylishly concealed her blonde curls, but if someone looked too closely at her face…

  Louise Brooks was the actress who started this hairstyle craze a few years ago. When she first saw the movie Girl in Every Port, it was Louise’s hair that caught her eye. That Buster Brown/page boy hair cut looked extraor
dinarily cute, but her blonde curls would never permit such a thing. Who would have ever imagined…

  She watched that anomalous pair as they strolled out the door. It was in that moment that the buried paranoia would surface and demand her full attention. She decided that she would follow at a distance. As odd as they were, those two were probably the most normal people in the whole place. Never once did he intentionally look at the other women or break eye contact when he spoke to his mother. While she had no intention of pursuing this man or any other for that matter, she still felt a need to figure these people out. Were they sent here to find her?

  * * * *

  “It’s the real Bethel Lake Park, Mom. Welcome to the world of 1928,” he said, enjoying her expression as she gaped at the Ferris wheel lights in the distance.

  “This just has to be a dream. This stuff only happens in movies,” she replied.

  “Do dreams smell like carnival food? Speaking of that, do you want something to eat? Or how about trying your luck at one of the games? Want to ride the White Lightning?” he asked, pointing to the rollercoaster in the distance.

  She stopped as her eyes her drawn toward the souvenir stand. An elderly man in a bowler hat was currently hanging some plush Bethel Bears from a chain. Eddie’s mother raised her hand and pointed toward the vendor.

  “Over there. Let’s buy a souvenir and if it still exists in the morning, then we’ll know that this was real,” she said.

  Eddie laughed, fishing a silver dollar from his pocket. He tossed it to his mother. She held it up and verified the date on the coin.