Adam and Eve

I took yet another day off of work and drove to the location of the mansion I inherited. It was wide and tall, with a winding path up to the front porch and many windows. Around the mansion was a large garden of various flower beds and between of the cobblestone paths was a fountain of an archangel spilling a gourd full of water. A woman was waiting for me at the top of the concrete staircase, smiling thoughtfully.

"My, you're such a thin girl. You look like you haven't had a meal in months." the dark-skinned woman commented as I climbed the stairs. She offered to help me because I was walking so slow and was out of breath, but I waved her away. The sun was beating down on me. "I'm Kathy, with a K. I was your father's housekeeper for 22 years."

"Eve," I replied, shaking her hand. Her hand was warm and rough with calluses. "So you live here, too?"

"Yes, but only on week days. On weekends and holidays I'm with my family." She explained, leading me inside.

The inside looked bigger than the outside. Most of the floor was covered in lush, red carpeting, the walls were painted black, and the stairs were white and accented with gold trimmings. There were oil paintings hung on the wall of historical events like the Boston Massacre and historical figures like Napoleon Bonaparte and George Washington. One picture that caught my eye was the painting that depicted Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. I was raised a Catholic, but, I lost faith years ago and continued to be enthralled in the story of Adam, Eve, and the sly serpent.

"How old are you, Eve?" Kathy asked, pulling me from my deep thoughts.

"Eighteen, ma'am," I answered, turning to face her.

"You look like him, your father."

"Did he ever...?" I hesitated.

"Mention you?" Kathy supplied. I nodded. "On plenty occasions. He liked to go gloat about his beautiful, smart, special girl."

Beautiful, smart, and special, huh? Dad must've mistaken me for another Eve. I wasn't beautiful when he knew me, I'm not half as smart as he was, and if I was so special, he wouldn't have traded an hour or two with me for countless hours of calculating numbers and throwing cocktail parties every night. Yeah. I was definitely his beautiful, smart, special, number one priority.

"He also let his guilt eat him alive every single day. I'm sure that's what killed him- not no damn heart attack. That man put on a real good front to his clients and colleagues and string of lovers. But when that man had the time of day to finally be alone, he cried his little heart out over a photo of you and your mother. I've seen it. I know deep down that if he could go back and change everything he'd done to y'all, he would. That man lived with too many regrets, and leaving you and your mother was his biggest." Kathy explained sullenly.

I pressed my lips together and stared down at my feet. I'd always hoped my father would feel the pain he left me with, but it seems he'd felt a lot worse than I imagined. And I have to give my mother props for raising me by herself. We managed to get by without too many financial problems. And when I got a job I began paying for myself. Mom had stayed strong for both of us and I knew she needed him more than I did, He was her love, her rock, her soul mate.

"Don't look so down, girl. It's a new day. He's in the ground now and there's no going back. We just keep moving forward." She pep-talked me into feeling better. I smiled a little and followed her throughout the rest of the house.

Kathy concluded the tour by leading me back to the front door and handing me a ring with at least fifteen keys. Each key had words engraved into the surface. Front door, back door, downstairs bath, upstairs bath, etc.

"Welcome to your new home," Kathy said, grinning from ear to ear. "Now let's get you something to eat."
~
I went straight to the bathroom when I arrived home to my little apartment, jammed my fingers down my throat to gag myself, and purged the half digested sandwich into the toilet bowl. Tears leaked form my eyes; I couldn't help it. I gasped when my throat stopped convulsing and my stomach was emptied. I pressed my cheek to the cold porcelain and stared absently at nothing. I wiped the tears away with the back of my hand.

Finally, I stood, inhaled, flushed the toilet, and exhaled. I looked at myself in the mirror, studying my features. My blonde hair spilled over my shoulders and curtained my face. My cheeks were finally beginning to hollow out and my collarbones jutted out, sharp and prominent. Spidery, pale fingers outlined my jawline, long, thin legs that almost don't touch, and lips that hide acid worn teeth. Yes, I was satisfied with my appearance. I'm aware, fully aware, that people are horrified by my anorexia. Just because they can't do it, doesn't mean I can't.
~
After a week of hauling furniture from my apartment to my mansion, I was physically and mentally worn out. I took it upon myself to explore the area. The backyard was massive. The mansion had a back patio, large enough to throw a rave, There were tables with built-in umbrellas, chairs to match, and a multi-level grill. there was a topiary garden about a yard away from the patio; little bushes cut into shapes and animals with various colored roses sprouting from them.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" I jumped at the sound of a man behind me. I spun to actually see a man there. He smiled at my skittish behavior. "I'm sorry for startling you. I'm Adam."

"I'm Eve," I replied, still shivering internally as we shook hands.

"It's you." he sighed.

"Yeah, I guess so. Almost like it was meant to be." I replied in confusion.

"Walk with me?"

"Through the garden?"

"The Garden of Eden, to be exact."

"Another Biblical reference?" I asked Adam, suddenly annoyed.

"No, I'm serious. Your father named his garden the Garden of Eden. I'm not sure why, he never said."

"You knew my father?" I asked in shock. Adam walked right past me and began toward the garden. I noticed his feet were bare. "And how did you get in my house? It's fenced in."

"I used the front door? And, I guess you could say I knew him. You wouldn't believe me if I told you how we met."

I followed him and said, "I don't believe anything anymore."
~
"This garden is a lot bigger than I thought." I mumbled to myself, ducking under low branches and side-stepping ant hills. Humph! And Adam is walking around with no shoes on.

Adam plopped down under an apple tree and sighed in relief. He ruffled his short, brown hair, and looked up at me with sleek, blue eyes. I sat across from him and inhaled deeply, trying to keep from fainting from light sensitivity.

"Where are your shoes?" I questioned, giving his dirt-caked feet a look of disgust.

"I don't wear shoes," Adam replied, happy with himself. "They take away from the natural feeling of the ground. I'm blind when I wear shoes."

"You're a hippie?"

He shrugged and nodded. "And you're a hipster?"

"Thanks for noticing," I responded, nodding. "Does it look bad?"

"Not at all. You look great."

Adam seemed nice. A little weird, but nice. I'd never met a nature freak.

"So, how do you know my father?"

Adam poked his tongue to his cheek. "I said you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"And I said it doesn't matter because I don't believe anything." I retorted.

"Do you know who you are?"

"What?"

"So, you have no idea what you're capable of."

"What are you talking about?" I stood, looking down at him. "Do you think you can just walk in and harass me? I don't care if you know my father, you don't know me!"

"I know you, Eve, I know you better than you know yourself, obviously. I just wish you knew you." Adam was sullen now. I felt a sliver of sadness but smacked it away.

"You're not making sense and you're scaring me. I want you to leave." I demanded.

He stood slowly, looked me in the eyes, frowned deeply, and whispered, "Please remember."