At last ‘A life’
By Julie D Cole
Chapter 38 Aladdins Cave

I just ignored the text and focused back on the journal. I didn’t want to hear rubbish from Jessica just now.

The last entry said
‘ I had a bad day today. I had a big argument with mum but at least dad was on my side. I feel I need to get away for a while. D is under pressure and only Jen to turn to. Wish mum hadn’t hit the roof again since I said some awful things that I didn’t mean. She just doesn’t understand so maybe tomorrow I will talk to her again to try to explain everything. Lucky I’m going out with Jen and her friends tonight. Love her to bits and I don’t want to hurt her. So what to do? I’ll think of something.’

I tried to put myself in her position and think how she was feeling as she wrote that last message. She wasn’t to know that was her last message. I wondered how my life would have been if she hadn’t been killed. Maybe I’d have been more outgoing and confident at school and gone to the same university as Aunt Judith. Maybe I’d have still had a close friendship with Julie as a cousin and maybe mum would have had another boy. A strong boy like dad who he could have been proud of.’

I read a few pages about relationship with Darren Harper and how they’d had a week together at a conference in London and it was obvious that they loved each other. I wondered what Gran had thought about this since she was sure to have read the journal.
Then I got another text message and this time it was from Sally. I wondered if it was to do with the text from Jessica so I opened them.

Jessica had sent a message to ask if we were enjoying ourselves in Birmingham and she hoped we weren’t spending too much. That confirmed it as far as I was concerned it was some evidence at least that she was at the back of my credit card problems. I’d forgotten all about that with everything that had happened. She had a blooming cheek!

I opened Sally’s message and she said I’d had a couple of telephone calls from the credit card Company. I called her and told her about the text and she said that I should go to the police.

I said that was difficult if I was dressed as I was and I was fearful of being arrested myself. I didn’t know the law about dressing in public and certainly about visiting ladies bathrooms and dressing rooms in the shopping centres.

Maybe I’d have to revert to Chris and go see them but just now I couldn’t bring myself to dress as a man again. What to do?

I said that I’d probably call the fraud department man who left his telephone number and let them know about it but that I’d wait until I got home. Julie was going to pick me up in half an hour or so and then we were going to call and see Gran and bring mum home. I knew what Julie would think.

Then I had a thought and I decided to text back to Jessica.
'I couldn't go to Birmingham. I had some bad luck. My bank account has been raided and somebody has charged to my credit card. So I had to so it out and now on top of that I had some other bad news.'

'I told you that you deserved everything that is coming to you. I expected that you would run out of luck. What's your bad news? Can I help?'

'No thanks I'm in a mess. No money and Gran in hospital'.

Sad. "I can lend you money you only have to ask'.

'Thanks I'm OK I will see you tomorrow.'

That was it I was sure she was at the back of this.

I put the phone down and then tidied the bed that I’d crumpled. My skirt was crumpled too and I found my shoes that I’d kicked off and tidied myself. I looked in the dress mirror and was pleased how I looked and then I decided to look in the wardrobes and drawers to see Aunt Judith’s taste. Everything was neatly hung and folded.

I looked at her raincoat and couldn’t resist to try it on. The style was a little dated but it was high quality. I thought maybe it was a gift from Darren Harper. There were other expensive coats and two beautiful evening gowns. There must have been twenty pairs of shoes and boots. I looked at the sizes that were size 51/2 compared to my size 6. I suppose most people have bigger feet than their mum these days. At least Julie and I had the same size.

She had drawers full of lingerie in all colors and I was sure that some were gifts looking at the material and the styles. If the circumstances had been different I couldn’t have resisted them.

Then the doorbell went so I looked at my watch. I hadn’t realized how time had passed so I put the journal back and went downstairs.

Julie came in for 5 minutes to use the loo and then I told her what I’d found and also about the text from Jessica. ‘Let’s get the little bitch’ she said. ‘Come on I’ve had enough.’

I laughed at her and said I preferred to deal with this properly with the fraud office of my bank and also with Kate at work tomorrow. She agreed that I was being more sensible but she still wanted chance to punch her nose as soon as possible.

I showed her the journal but despite her prompts I didn’t open too many pages since I wanted to read it alone first that she understood.

Then as I showed her the clothes in the wardrobe I tried on two of the coats and Julie insisted to take photos with her new i-phone. She said that I was every inch a young woman and if I went to the police dressed like this they’d be too mesmerized to throw me in a cell. We laughed together.

Then Julie insisted that I try on one of the evening dresses. It was full length and black that needed stiletto heels. Julie took hers off and said ‘Easy done’.

It was strapless and off the shoulder and needed a fuller bust than I had so Julie padded me a little. Maybe I wasn’t courageous enough yet to pad out full time.

I added a necklace and some clip on earrings out of the jewelry boss on the dressing table that didn’t quite match but gave a good effect. Julie said ‘Right that’s it, we need to do ear piercing next.’

The dress hugged me at the waist and I really like the material. The dress was training too much on the bedroom floor so I put on Julies shoes. I felt quite tall as I turned to look in the mirror. ‘Wow’ I couldn’t believe it. Was that me? By this time Julie was snapping away if indeed you can snap with an i-phone.

She passed me a black evening bag from the shelf in the wardrobe where there was quite a collection. I was feeling a little bit guilty but the feeling in my stomach was just like I’d tasted the most gorgeous cheesecake in the world. I wanted more.

Julie smiled . ‘You look like a film star at the Oscars’

I blushed since I knew this was a vast exaggeration so I said ‘Are you sure I don’t look like Oscar at the star film show?’

‘OK Ozzie if you insist’..’Come on be confident and give me a twirl.’
I just loved the feeling of the long dress and I wished I could have the chance to wear it one day.

By now it felt like we were in Aladdin’s cave that I didn’t want to leave. I liked to be so open in front of Julie and for her to treat me like a sister after all these years.

I wanted to find out as much as I could about Aunt Judith and I hoped that Gran was improving and could accept me now after all these years so I thought hard about how to approach her and convince her to let me spend time with her so that I could talk to her to share her memories and maybe find even more information. I’d no idea how she might react to my appearance but based on the first visit I think that mum was right to feel that it might have helped release a lot of built up emotion.

By now I thought we should make a move and go to the hospital so I carefully undressed and hung up the dress replacing the plastic cover. Julie helped me and we tried to make everything as neat and tidy as we could. Pity that Julie wanted her shoes back though so I thought I might invest in a pair one I had my credit card back and assuming I didn’t lose any more money from my accounts.

I sent a message to Sally to let her know what time we expected to be back and she said that she’d gone into town to pick up some bits and pieces to replace ones that were still at her flat.

When we arrived at the hospital Gran was sat up in bed and mum was in the armchair alongside reading the Sunday magazines that came with the newspapers. I’d expected Gran to look ill but she looked as bright as I’d seen her before and she smiled as we entered the room. It was strange but we’d never had such a welcome before.

Mum briefed us on the daily reports and Gran chipped in to say she wanted to go home because she hated to be confined to bed. Mum just said she’d have to do as she was told for once.

Gran looked at me in a strange way and said that I’d surprised her and that I’d brought back a lot of very happy memories once she’d gotten over the shock of seeing me. She said that I was the image of Judith but she didn’t say much more because I don’t think mum had told her how much we knew.

As it happens I didn’t need to ask Gran about visiting her because she said she hoped that we could visit her a lot more frequently since she had a lot to tell us after all these years and she whispered ‘particularly me.’ Poor Julie she did look disappointed that she was the outcast.

As we walked to the car to go home I got a call from Sally.

‘Hi Chrissy I have just got back to your house and a car pulled up as I arrived. I was a bit surprised and wary.

You’ve got a visitor and if you don’t mind I’ve let him come in.’

To be continued……