Page 66 of Valentine's Daddy To Go
“You should stay here in case he comes back.”
“Okay, but what if he doesn’t come back?”
“I’ll figure that out. In the meantime, you go inside and just wait.”
Vivica nods, sniffling. She goes back into her house, closing the door. I’m so exhausted after that conversation that I plop down on to the porch.
I don’t know my brother at all. Not anymore, at least.
I mean, Brian’s changed so much, and I didn’t even notice. Looking back, it’s clear that there something was wrong with him. I mean, when we were younger, he was a mess, but he was never malicious or evil. It was little things like never cleaning his room or constantly getting into scrapes from the dumb stunts he’d pull. They were humorous, more than anything.
But now, I don’t even know what to say. Stealing? Meth? Addiction?
I hold my head in my hands, on the verge of tears. But I don’t have time for that. I need to find Madison and Mackenzie. If Brian is getting more and more erratic, then the two of them are in danger.
Vivica said something about an encampment where Brian goes to cook crystal. I know there’s one by the river. That’s the closest one to their house, although it’s still a distance away. That’s probably where he’s at. No one really goes there if they can help it, so it would be a good hideout.
It would be a good place to cook drugs.
I get up from my pity seat. Now is not the time to feel bad for myself. There are things I could have done differently that maybe could have prevented this situation, but sitting on this porch feeling sorry for myself won’t solve a damn thing.
I go to my car and get inside. I’m not going to waste another second.Not with my nieces’ lives in danger.
21
Nellie
Ipark my car. Getting out, I look around and see thick hedges, overgrown and unwieldy. There doesn’t appear to be any other way to get to the encampment from this side, and I don’t want to waste my time driving around. I decide to just go through the brush.
I plunge through the overgrowth, getting a few small cuts and scrapes along the way, but it’s not horrible. There isn’t too much foliage, and it only takes a few minutes to get to the encampment.
I step out from the shrubbery and brush whatever leaves and sticks stuck to my clothes. I look around, and the encampment is just as daunting as I thought it would be. Since most people avoid this area, including the police, a lot of homeless people make the clearing their home.
There are tents set up all over, and more than a few look patched with duct tape. I wonder what they do when the weather gets bad? Even when the weather’s good, this place isn’t looking too hot. Since there’s no one to take care of the grounds, trash is everywhere. It’s entirely unsanitary.
I can’t believe people are forced to live like this.
I walk a little further in. I have a singular mission, and I’m here to accomplish it. Thankfully, no one bothers me. In fact, I don’t really see people wandering around. Occasionally, the fabric on one of the tents will rustle, but that’s about it.
I keep walking and come across a ratty looking trailer. The windows are all blacked out, and it has a chemical smell surrounding it.
This has to be where they’re cooking meth. It’s what makes the most sense. I can’t believe this is where Brian has been spending his nights. It looks absolutely filthy, and if I can avoid it, I’d very much like to never set foot inside.
While my brother might be in there doing all manners of disgusting things, he’s not my number one concern right now. What I need to do is locate my nieces first. I look around and see two little blonde girls playing in the river.
What the fuck!Did Brian just leave my girls to fend for themselves?
I rush over but then stop short. I can’t confront them with this frightened look on my face. I don’t need Madison and Mackenzie realizing what kind of situation we’re in. They look so happy, and I want to keep them that way.
“Mac & Cheese! Mad Hatter!”
They look up.
“Auntie Nellie!” they both squeal. The two of them run out of the river and wrap their arms around my legs, digging their faces into me.
“Hey, babies. Are you two okay?”
“Yeah, we are playing in the water,” Madison lisps in a baby voice. God help me. My niece is only three, and I can’t believe my brother’s put her in this position. But I try to appear cheerful on the outside.
