CHAPTER EIGHT
I scroll through my phone while I spoon scrambled eggs into my mouth. Never missing a beat. I’m looking for inspiration with what to do with Boy, and I have to admit there’s quite a lot.
Today I want to go see my beautiful creation and then I’m going to do another supply run, only with more interesting, inspired idea in mind.
Shiloh and Kerri are also seated at the table, eating and not talking because they don’t want to disturb me. Kerri briefly mentioned she’s taking Shiloh to the aquarium today for a lesson on the ocean, and I simply nodded while I poured my coffee.
When I’m done, I wait for them to leave. While they get ready, I go put the laundry on to dry and do another load.
Kerri is in charge of doing Shiloh’s and her laundry, but it’s in a separate hamper. They know not to touch my hamper.
Things are just as I like them.
Once the laundry is on, I go downstairs to the basement and enter the four-digit pin to access the room. I go in, shutting the door behind me and turning on the bright light.
Nothing has been touched in the room, and that disappoints me. It’s as if Shiloh hasn’t even explored her options. I’ll have to have another chat with her tonight before I go back to Boy.
I choose some options for her and lay them out on the metal table in the middle of the room. They aren’t too heavy, but they’re deadly sharp and would go straight through Kerri with enough force.
Shiloh needed to not be worried, her aim must just be true, and her heart must be in it.
I go outside into the backyard, and I grab some large pieces of wood and wrestle them downstairs. I set them down and dust my hands and clothes off.
Kerri can take an hour’s break for lunch while I chat with Shiloh. The basement is soundproof, so she won’t know what’s going on down here.
I wait for them to get back, sitting at the kitchen table after folding the laundry and packing it away carefully–by color, fabric, and purpose.
I can still taste the salty tears on my tongue, and it reminds me I still need to run errands to pick up some things for Boy.
I hear them come in excitedly. Shiloh is describing how much she loved seeing the sharks in the big tank. I smile softly. She would be attracted to sharks.
They walk into the kitchen, and both stop, surprised to see me there. I smile and stand up. “It sounds like you guys had fun.”
I go over to Shiloh. “I wanted to spend lunch with you. Kerri, why don’t you take some of the lunch money and go out for lunch?”
“Uh. sure.” She gives me a hesitant smile. “Is everything okay?”
“Just want some quality time with Shiloh,” I say with a small, polite smile.
Kerri nods and leaves again, and Shiloh looks up at me curiously. “We went to the aquarium,” she finally says, unable to take the quiet anymore.
I nod and walk towards the basement staircase. “Follow me.”
“Mommy…” she says quietly. “I hate going into the basement.”
“Come, Shiloh,” I say sternly, standing at the top of the stairs.
Shiloh doesn’t dare cross me. She obeys and leads the way down. “Enter the pin.”
She does as she’s told, and the door unlocks. We both go in, and I shut the door behind me.
“Now, we’re going to practice your aim and strength today, so you feel a bit more confident about getting Kerri just right. Why don’t you pick what you want to use?”
I cross over to the metal table and stand there with my hands behind my back.
Shiloh steps forward and I see her hands trembling as she looks at the selection I’ve chosen for her. She finally picks up a machete and holds it in both hands.
“Mommy…” she protests again.
“Strike the wood as hard as you can,” I say, motioning to the wood I brought in from the back garden.
“As hard as you can,” I remind her as she steps up to it.
She lifts the machete and strikes the wood, but I can feel she’s holding back.
“Loosen up and relax, Shiloh, you need to focus your energy on your swing to bring it right into the wood.”
She pulls the machete out of the wood and raises it again, striking the wood a little harder.
“That’s better,” I say with a smile. “Again.”
We go at it for an hour, and she works up a sweat despite the coolness of the basement. When we’re done, I take the machete from her and go to sharpen it.
“Now, we can practice maybe once or twice more, but you’re running out of time to deal with Kerri. Do you understand, Shiloh?”
She nods and looks ready to cry.
“What’s wrong?” I ask as I run the blade along the stone to sharpen it.
“I just don’t think I can do it.”
“Of course you can, and you’re going to because I’ve instructed you to, Shiloh. And you’ll do exactly as Mommy says, right?”
“Yes, Mommy,” she says quietly.
“Go upstairs and get washed up. If Kerri asks, tell her we were moving heavy stuff for Mommy’s work,” I say, setting the machete back on the table.
She enters the pin to the door from the inside and flees up the stairs. I follow her out and shut off the light and the door behind me.
I go back upstairs just as Kerri walks back in with her handbag draped over her arm.
“Have fun?” she asks.
“Yes, I always love spending quality time with Shiloh,” I say with a smile. “She’s certainly fond of you.”
“Thanks, Esther, I try to make the days interesting for her.”
“From what I hear,” I say. “They’re to die for.”