Summer of Caleb
Gold Canyon
Hannah was half awake as the plane landed. It wasn’t until the flight attendant had announced that it was 105 degrees outside that Hannah jumped awake. 105?! What was this place her parents had sent her to? The eleven year old girl sitting next to her was bouncing in excitement. She was a little chatter box and had been chatting away since they had departed. Hannah only half listened. She learned the little girls name was Kay and that she was visiting her dad who had left her mom when she was a baby. That was the only part of Kay chatter that meant anything to her. She kind of knew how that felt. Her biological dad had left when he found out her mom was going to have a baby. But unlike Kay’s dad, Hannah didn’t know hers and doubted that he would ever want to see her. That had only contributed to her theory that love did not exist. At least not true love. She had discovered that unconditional love did not exist. Love was based on physical appearances and sexual appeal. She knew that her step dad didn’t really love her mom. He was a decent guy who had met a young still attractive girl who was abandoned with her newborn baby. Who would turn her away? So they had gotten married and had two kids of their own but Hannah had always wondered how much love was really apart of their marriage. None of her ex boyfriends had ever loved her for any other reason than the fact that she had something they couldn’t get on their own. Hannah wondered if anyone would pretend to love her or be with her after she had lost her good looks. After all, that was all men wanted. She looked down at Kay. Her mother must've been pretty because even at eleven Kay's young face was pretty. Kay's father had used up her mothers pretty and then fled just like her own dad had. Hannah knew it was the harsh reality of life.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the bustle of the other passenger as they got their bags and hurried off the plane. Kay was gone in a second, skipping out of the plane. Hannah gathered her bags and shuffled past the other passengers and flight attendants as she left the plane. As she walked out into the gate she was overwhelmed by all the people. There were strangers all around her hugging their friends and loved ones. It hadn't really occurred to Hannah that it would be a long summer with out seeing any familiar faces. She didn’t even know what her Aunt Violet, the woman she was staying with, looked like because she had never seen her. Violet Reynolds was Hannah’s grandpa’s younger sister. Violet had never left Arizona, even after her brother and young wife had moved to New York where they started their family. Hannah's parents had heard that Violet was in need of assistance because she owned some land and live stock and was having a hard time taking care of things with her arthritis. Her parents had thought it would be the best opportunity for her to get out of the city and serve someone. Interrupting her thoughts, Hannah could hear someone calling her name through the crowd of people. At first she couldn’t see who it was but just then an old gray haired woman with wide eyes pushed her way through the crowd.
“You must be Hannah! Im aunt Violet lets go dear.” She said grabbing Hannah by the arm and dragging her out of the airport. Aunt Violet’s car smelled like dog shampoo and old people. It was a light blue minivan with crates of animal food loaded in the back. Aunt Violet was wearing dark blue sweat pants with a white top and a lavender cardigan. She wasn’t wearing any make up except for a bright red lip stick. Her gray hair was cut short with bags. Hannah didn’t say much during the drive from Sky Harbor Airport to Aunt Violet’s house. Aunt Violet did most of the talking. She was going on about her arthritis and how hard doing simple things had become for her. She talked about her house and where she lived. She said she lived in a community called Gold Canyon which was by a really big mountain called the Superstition Mountains. She said it was kind of out in the middle of nowhere. She said how most of the people who lived out there were older but that there were some kids. She said there was a boy named Caleb who just lived down the street and who came over and helped her sometimes.
“He is a very attractive young man.” She said with a wink. “I think you and him will get along just fine.”
She went on talking about her animal and all the regular chores that needed to be done. She said she had some goats, horses, cows and chickens and a bunch of dogs. The drive felt like forever but finally they turned off the highway and drove past a small grocery shopping area with a few cafes and fast food restaurants. She said that those were the closest stores. They drove on up a windy road. At first the houses seemed to be in normal neighborhoods. But the farther they got the more individual and spread out the houses were across the desert. It seemed like they were getting closer and close to the mountain because it just kept growing. There were cacti everywhere and rabbits hopping along the road. Finally they arrived to a big pretty house. Aunt Violet parked her car in the rocky drive way in front of the house. As Hannah got out she could feel the summer heat weighing down her. New York never got this hot! She followed Aunt Violet up some stone steps and through the front door. It wasn’t as pretty on the inside as it was on the outside, though it looked like it had the potential to be. The Linoleum which made up the entry hall and kitchen was a dusty faded shade of yellow. The carpet in the living room was an odd pink color, which didn’t do well with the pretty crème colored walls. There was a stone fireplace against one wall and white couch against the other. There was a carpeted spiral staircase that led to the second story. The doors to the master bedroom on the far left side of the hall were closed. Aunt Violet showed Hannah the hall bath and the linen closet and then led her to a bedroom.
“This is where you will be staying!”she announced with a big proud smile on her face. The guest bedroom was painted a pretty purple. There was a queen size bed with a white bed spread in the middle of the room. Black and purple polka dot curtains hung from two big window. There were white cabinets along the back wall and a door led to a walk in closet. It was a cute small room. Hannah turned to Aunt Violet who was smiling softly. “Welcome home dear.”
Her thoughts were interrupted by the bustle of the other passenger as they got their bags and hurried off the plane. Kay was gone in a second, skipping out of the plane. Hannah gathered her bags and shuffled past the other passengers and flight attendants as she left the plane. As she walked out into the gate she was overwhelmed by all the people. There were strangers all around her hugging their friends and loved ones. It hadn't really occurred to Hannah that it would be a long summer with out seeing any familiar faces. She didn’t even know what her Aunt Violet, the woman she was staying with, looked like because she had never seen her. Violet Reynolds was Hannah’s grandpa’s younger sister. Violet had never left Arizona, even after her brother and young wife had moved to New York where they started their family. Hannah's parents had heard that Violet was in need of assistance because she owned some land and live stock and was having a hard time taking care of things with her arthritis. Her parents had thought it would be the best opportunity for her to get out of the city and serve someone. Interrupting her thoughts, Hannah could hear someone calling her name through the crowd of people. At first she couldn’t see who it was but just then an old gray haired woman with wide eyes pushed her way through the crowd.
“You must be Hannah! Im aunt Violet lets go dear.” She said grabbing Hannah by the arm and dragging her out of the airport. Aunt Violet’s car smelled like dog shampoo and old people. It was a light blue minivan with crates of animal food loaded in the back. Aunt Violet was wearing dark blue sweat pants with a white top and a lavender cardigan. She wasn’t wearing any make up except for a bright red lip stick. Her gray hair was cut short with bags. Hannah didn’t say much during the drive from Sky Harbor Airport to Aunt Violet’s house. Aunt Violet did most of the talking. She was going on about her arthritis and how hard doing simple things had become for her. She talked about her house and where she lived. She said she lived in a community called Gold Canyon which was by a really big mountain called the Superstition Mountains. She said it was kind of out in the middle of nowhere. She said how most of the people who lived out there were older but that there were some kids. She said there was a boy named Caleb who just lived down the street and who came over and helped her sometimes.
“He is a very attractive young man.” She said with a wink. “I think you and him will get along just fine.”
She went on talking about her animal and all the regular chores that needed to be done. She said she had some goats, horses, cows and chickens and a bunch of dogs. The drive felt like forever but finally they turned off the highway and drove past a small grocery shopping area with a few cafes and fast food restaurants. She said that those were the closest stores. They drove on up a windy road. At first the houses seemed to be in normal neighborhoods. But the farther they got the more individual and spread out the houses were across the desert. It seemed like they were getting closer and close to the mountain because it just kept growing. There were cacti everywhere and rabbits hopping along the road. Finally they arrived to a big pretty house. Aunt Violet parked her car in the rocky drive way in front of the house. As Hannah got out she could feel the summer heat weighing down her. New York never got this hot! She followed Aunt Violet up some stone steps and through the front door. It wasn’t as pretty on the inside as it was on the outside, though it looked like it had the potential to be. The Linoleum which made up the entry hall and kitchen was a dusty faded shade of yellow. The carpet in the living room was an odd pink color, which didn’t do well with the pretty crème colored walls. There was a stone fireplace against one wall and white couch against the other. There was a carpeted spiral staircase that led to the second story. The doors to the master bedroom on the far left side of the hall were closed. Aunt Violet showed Hannah the hall bath and the linen closet and then led her to a bedroom.
“This is where you will be staying!”she announced with a big proud smile on her face. The guest bedroom was painted a pretty purple. There was a queen size bed with a white bed spread in the middle of the room. Black and purple polka dot curtains hung from two big window. There were white cabinets along the back wall and a door led to a walk in closet. It was a cute small room. Hannah turned to Aunt Violet who was smiling softly. “Welcome home dear.”