I Can Taste The Failure On Your Lips

I knocked on the door once, twice, and a third time.

I pounded on the door once, twice, and a third time.

“Hello!? Anyone home?” I yelled. Apparently no one was, seeing as I had been out here for half an hour, and no one has opened the door.

It was raining in Sheffield, and I was standing on the porch of what I hoped was the right house, getting soaked. I looked up at the sky, only to have a few raindrops go up my nose. This was not a good start to what was supposed to me my ‘new beginning’ or so Danny called it.

It was then, as I was turning to head down the sidewalk and walk to the nearest Starbucks (if they even had those in this place) that she opened the door. Petunia, my grandmother, was standing before me in nothing but what looked like a miniature silk gown. Maybe she wore it because she thought it would make her look younger, but she looked ridiculous.

“Are yeh here selling something dear?” She asked. She had a thick accent, and you could tell by the scratchiness of her voice, that she was a chain smoker.

I was not at all surprised that she had no idea who I was. After all, she was an eighty-seven year old ex stripper. “No,” I replied to her. “It’s me grandma, Delia.”

“Are yeh Anne’s kid?” She asked, I nodded. “I guess yeh could come in. Don’t want yeh getting’ rained on no more.”

The first thing I noticed when I walked into my grandmother’s house was the pungent smell. From the looks of it, this pace hadn’t been cleaned in years. There were large stains on the couch, carpet, and recliner. I could only imagine what they were from. Above the mantle was a large, rather scary looking portrait, of my deceased grandfather. He was wearing a pin stripped suit, and a green bowler hat. I had to admit, it was the creepiest thing I had ever seen in my entire life.

Petunia led me to my room. It was small, but at least the smell had gotten better as we walked further into the house. I sat my things down on the bed and pulled off my wet hoodie. “Is the heat on in here?” I asked.

It was freezing outside, and the inside wasn’t much better. Petunia only looked at me, blinked her eyes a couple of times, and smiled. “Yeh’re just goin’ to have to get used to it. We have no heat.”

“Great.” I whispered.

“Are yeh hungry?” She asked as she walked out of my room and into the hallway. “We got oatmeal in the cupboard, but that’s about all we got.” She used the word ‘we’ as if she was talking about her and my grandfather.

“No, that’s alright, I ate at the airport before I came.” I lied.

I didn’t want Petunia to think that I was unhappy, though she probably could careless. I would just have to go to the store later and pick up a few things; Lean Cuisine, Windex, a broom. My eyes shot up to the cobwebs in the corners of the kitchen. They were even worse in the living room. I would defiantly need a broom.

My phone buzzed in my back pocket. It was Danny. “Hello?” I asked. Petunia was just staring at me like she had never seen a cell phone in her entire life. I wouldn’t be surprised if she actually hadn’t.

“Hey, did you make it there alright? Are you hurt? Are you dead?” There goes Danny being over protective again.

“Obviously I’m not dead if I’m talking to you right now.” I replied.

“You never know.” He said. “Did you make it okay.”

“I’m great.” I lied. I was far from great. I was just wishing that I could be back home in my bed.

“How’s Petunia?”

“She answered the door practically naked, how do you think she is?” I replied. “How is my car?”

“She’s great.”

“Well I’m glad you’re happy. I have to drive around Granny’s old Station Wagon.”

He laughed loudly, “Well, It’s late there right?”

“It’s almost ten, and I’m dead tired, so I’ll talk to you tomorrow?” I asked. It was hard to believe, but my twin brother that I usually could not stand, was probably going to be the only person that could keep me sane right now.

“Sure thing, bye.”

“Bye.” I clicked my phone shut and walked into the living room where Petunia had fallen asleep on the stained recliner.

I pulled a blanket over her frail body and retreated back to my own room. After I unpacked all of my things and changed the sheets which smelt like they hadn’t been changed in a while, I crawled into bed and fell asleep.