5 #2
So Jia opened the passenger door, and just as she stepped in, her grandmother reached over, grabbed her hand, and squeezed,
drawing her back.
“I’m so glad you’re here, honey. We’re gonna have the best time ever,” she said.
“We always do,” Jia said back. And she buckled her seat belt and got ready for the ride.
Mimi poured Jia a glass of lemonade and led her to the guest bedroom. “Okay, so this is where I keep most of my old clothes.
Why don’t you rummage through and see if there’s anything you can wear until they find your suitcase.”
Jia’s eyes widened as she saw a stuffed-to-the brim closet full of color and possibilities. She pulled out a yellow dress
that caught her eye. The tag read Givenchy. “Mimi, this is incredible. It’s stunning!”
“Not quite so practical for an eighty-year-old woman living in the desert,” she said, laughing.
And there was more where that came from. Balmain. Dior. Pucci. Saint Laurent. “Um, you do know you’re sitting on a gold mine
here, right?”
Her grandmother just shrugged as she smiled at Jia, pleased she was finding things that she fancied. “If you’re not gonna
wear this, you should totally sell this stuff. You’d make a fortune.”
“Who has the time? Not me. And definitely not the energy. It’s all just taking up space. I bet all the ladies in the neighborhood
have much the same in their closets too,” she said.
“If you guys wanted to, I could help organize it all while I’m here. We can think of a way to market the vintage luxuries.
Could be fun and a nice chunk of cash for you to take a vacation or something,” Jia suggested.
“Well, whatever you like is yours. So feel free to sell it or keep it.”
Jia hugged her grandmother. “You’re the coolest, you know that? Thanks so much for letting me come out and stay with you.
I know I owe you an explanation—”
“You owe me no such thing. When you’re ready, you can tell me whatever you feel comfortable with. For now, I’m keeping you
here where no one, especially not your parents, can take you away to some godforsaken southern state.”
Jia laughed. “What trouble should we get up to tonight, Mimi?”
“Oh, well, I don’t drive after dark anymore,” she said as she looked out the window, gauging how much daylight they had left.
“And not much going on here at The Sunset.”
“Really? I remember it being such a happening place,” Jia said. Jia was starting to feel like she’d entered an alternate universe. It had only been a couple years since she’d been back. But it had changed so much.
“Maybe, at one time. But it’s slowed down a lot. We’re all getting old. Not much we’re able to do with the ailing bodies and
minds.”
Jia hated hearing this. She didn’t doubt aging was hard. But it didn’t mean they couldn’t have fun and live full lives. “Well,
how about we go for a walk around the neighborhood? You can fill me in on all the gossip.”
“I suppose a short walk can’t hurt.”
Jia offered her arm, and Mimi hung on as they walked around the block. The pace was slow, but Mimi was animated as she caught
Jia up on who still lived where and all the new names that had recently moved in.
“There’s a lot more turnover than I expected,” Jia said sadly. Sunset Hills felt different. The yards of the houses, though
maintained with pride, looked duller, simpler landscaping taking the place of the more vibrant ones she remembered. Fewer
cars lined the streets. No one was out and about, despite it still being somewhat light out. It wasn’t what Jia had expected.
And she started to worry that her memory had oversold what she’d find here.
“You remember the community center,” Mimi pointed to the large single-story building on the right. “And the pool, though no
one uses that anymore. We’re voting at the next HOA meeting to see if we should just fill it up and make it into a desert
garden.”
“What? Get rid of the pool? But—” Jia stopped herself.
All of this change made her sad. But she didn’t want to put that onto Mimi.
Maybe Mimi was sad about it too. Jia couldn’t tell.
She just couldn’t fathom it. So many memories in that pool.
And pools were great for low-impact exercise like aqua aerobics.
The seniors here should be taking advantage of that.
They stopped at the next corner. “Mimi, you doing okay? You want to rest?” She looked tired. And Jia felt tired. Lack of energy
was contagious. And maybe all the self-loathing and feelings of failure Jia had been putting herself through the past days
were catching up to her.
“I wanted to show you this.” Mimi pointed up to the sky.
Jia lifted her eyes, and her breath caught. It was like a painting. The entire sky was colored with shades of pink and light
orange, the horizon sprinkled with the outline of palm trees and wind turbines. She’d forgotten how stunning the desert sunsets
were. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
“Never, ever gets old,” Mimi said.
They continued on until they reached Mimi’s front gate. Mimi seemed a little out of breath. She’d once been so active. Jia
made a mental note to try to casually ask Mimi about her overall health. She was starting to worry.
“There’s a new neighbor moving in across the street. A Korean man, if you can believe it,” she said. “I’m excited to meet
him.”
“You should throw him a welcome happy hour,” Jia suggested.
Mimi laughed as if it was the funniest joke. Mimi used to be in charge of the neighborhood welcoming committee. She used to
be the one to suggest a party.
“Mimi, I’m serious. And I can help, if you tell me what to do. It will be fun. Plus, I’ll get to see all the familiar faces
and meet some of the new ones. Please let’s do it.” Jia wasn’t sure why this felt so important to do. But she should at least
make herself useful while she was here, right?
“Well, what if you take on the planning?”
Planning a party for a bunch of seniors? Jia’s confidence had taken a hit with the loss of her job. She wasn’t sure she would
be able to take on any amount of responsibility. But this didn’t seem too hard a task. It could be easy enough.
“Will you help me and tell me what I need to do to make it the best party ever? I need it to be of Mimi-level proportions.
I have a family legacy to live up to.”
“You betcha. That’s what I’m here for. But I have complete confidence in you,” Mimi said with a smile.
Jia hugged her grandmother and led her inside.
Sunset Hills might not be what it used to, but Jia knew there was still life left in it. And she was determined to help everyone
tap back in.