THE CODE
OF ABUBASI

     "Andralina, are you ready to go yet?" Aunt Karen's voice drifted down the stairs to her basement apartment as I stood in the bathroom.

     "Two minutes," I yelled back. The upstairs door closed as I glanced in the mirror.

     I don't want to be here in Colorado with her and Uncle Benjamin. I know what my parents are trying to do in sending me out here for a month this summer.

     I stared closer at my reflection.

     God, I hate my red hair. I hate my tiny ears. I hate my narrow nose and small mouth. Uncle Benjamin and Aunt Karen found out yesterday when they picked me up at the airport in Eagle how much I hate to be around people. I wonder what they would think if they knew I didn't even like to be around myself.

     I checked my clothing.

     I think this long skirt is all I need. My bathing suit can act as a top. I'm only going to the pool anyway.

     I grabbed my beach bag and broad-rimmed sun hat off the toilet seat, plopped the hat on my head, and stared at the length of my straight hair hanging to the top of my shoulders. "I should've cut my hair for the summer."

     "Andralina. I've got to leave for work. Hurry up and say goodbye."

     "Coming."

     I scrunched my feet into my slip-on shoes, darted around the corner, through the tiny weight room, and took the stairs two at a time. Stepping into the kitchen, I looked down to see Buster sleeping in his cat bed.

     Yuck. There's that old, decrepit marmalade cat. To know I'll have to live with him for a whole month … it makes my skin itch.

     I turned and walked toward Aunt Karen and Uncle Benjamin standing in the adjacent dining room. Aunt Karen had on slacks and a nice top. Uncle Benjamin wore shorts and a touristy-looking shirt loaded with a hodge-podge of summery designs.

     He and I are going to his workplace … and he's wearing those clothes? I guess health spa masseuses really dress like that.

     Aunt Karen picked up a briefcase off the floor. "Andralina, you should let Uncle Benjamin give you a massage while you're there. He's got great hands."

     "No, thank you."

     That would mean he'd have to put his hands all over me. My skin is just crawling at the thought of some male I've only known for one day running his hands all up and down my body. I think I'd rather have a tooth pulled.

     Aunt Karen bent over offering me her cheek.

     What does she want?

     She straightened up and mashed her lips together. "Oh, no kiss for your Auntie."

     Do I look like I'm eight? If you had your own kids, you would have known that twelve-year-olds are too old for that sort of thing.

     Uncle Benjamin threw an arm around me. "She's too old to be kissing aunts and uncles."

     At least Uncle Benjamin understands. Yuck. His arm feels like a log.

     I couldn't keep my mind off the pressure it created on my shoulders.

     He's too close … but I have to stand it. I don't want to start all over causing them trouble like I did yesterday. They put me on notice that I had to be more sociable like my parents wanted. How could Mom and Dad have ever expected a childless couple to teach anything to children?

     I stepped over to Aunt Karen, stretched up, and puckered my lips. She smiled, bent down, and turned her cheek. I kissed it.

     Yuck! That was like kissing a giraffe … but at least it forced Uncle Benjamin's arm off me.

     "How sweet," Uncle Benjamin said. "Tell Aunt Karen goodbye. She's off to the social security office."

     They're rich and in their late fifties. I don't understand why they work.

     "Why do you work, Aunt Karen?"

     "Got to keep myself busy. I had this job for many years when I met Uncle Benjamin, and I wanted to finish out my career. We've only been married eighteen years, you know."

     She walked down the short hall next to the downstairs door. "Bye, honey. See you when I get back."

     She called me honey again. If I ever get married, and thank goodness I don't have the looks for it, I'll never allow my husband to use any putrid terms like honey … darling … sweetheart. It's so phony.

     Aunt Karen opened the door and left. After she drove away, I watched Uncle Benjamin fidget back and forth, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

     You're alone with me now, and you don't know what to do with yourself … or what to say? Well, this girl isn't going to help you. She'd rather be back home by herself.

     "Uh … sweetheart … I've made us some sandwiches. Let me get them and we'll go."

     Now, he's the one starting with the putrid terms.

     He walked to the dining room table and swept a small cooler off it. The doorbell rang.

     "At last," Uncle Benjamin said. "Come on. There's someone I'd like you to meet."

     So, that's why you stalled.

     I walked with him to the front door and he opened it. A boy stood on the other side of the screen door grinning and swinging his arms back and forth. He looked to be about thirteen or fourteen.

     Uh, oh. What are you up to, Uncle Benjamin? The last thing I want is to meet some boy.

     "Hi," he said. Uncle Benjamin opened the screen door. The boy stepped in and offered his hand. I stared at it.

     No way. I didn't want to come here in the first place, but as long as I'm here, I don't want to get friendly with any boy. I only have two friends … and they're female.

     He glanced at his hand and whipped it down by his side.

     "Andralina McKelvey," Uncle Benjamin said, "meet Nate Brooks. He's thirteen and lives a few doors down."

     I noticed he held a cloth bag. Shooting my eyes up to Uncle Benjamin, I grunted.

     No. My uncle can't be thinking …

     "Nate's coming along with us, sweetheart. I thought you'd like some companionship while I'm working. You and he can swim, and I'll meet up with you both at lunch. You'll have a grand time."

     Oh, God! My stomach is hurting again like it did when I arrived … and I can't breathe.

     I shook my head and backed up. "No. No, no, no." Dropping my bag, I twirled, ran to the stairway door, and threw it open. Uncle Benjamin caught up and spun me around.

     "Now, look, Andralina, we're not going to hurt you." I tried to squirm free. "We want to help you. You know your parents are concerned that you're not … well, let's just say friendly towards others. You cannot just go out and live somewhere where there are no people. Please understand that if you think you're being pushed, it's because we're trying to do what your parents want … to introduce you to new people, new places, and to provide you with new experiences that you can't have in Florida."

     I yanked my arm free, pounded down the steps to the basement apartment, dashed to my bedroom door, and stopped. I took several deep breaths listening to my heart beat steadily against my chest wall.

     "Andralina, come back up here, please."

     Wait. He didn't follow me down, but he probably will soon … and then he'll talk me into going with him and Nate.

     I opened the door, reached around to the inside knob, and pushed in the lock button. Closing it, I rushed around the corner toward the back door. Already open, I swung the screen door out, stepped outside, and closed it.

     It's a good thing the builders sunk the backyard much lower than the front and sides so a back door could exist here. This'll make a great escape.

     I peeked in the door window.

     He still hasn't come after me.

     Side-stepping toward a three-foot rock wall to my left, just enough room existed to steer clear of the door window. I looked past the door and spied a double set of windows and a five-foot rock wall on the other side of the cement walkway. My thundering heartbeats caught my attention.

     Seconds later the thundering turned into a pounding from inside the basement apartment. "Andralina. Come out of that bedroom … please. Let's talk. I didn't know you were scared to be around boys. I thought …"

     A long pause.

     "Nate, the door's locked. You see that little tool kit by the sofa? Get me a medium-sized flathead screwdriver from it, please."

     He'll force his way in. Then he'll discover I'm not there and … the only other place I can be is right where I am now.

     I stared at another five-foot rock wall beyond the bedroom window. The top of it was level with the ground on that side of the house.

     Those rocks look too loose to climb on.

     I spun my head and looked past the double windows at the other wall.

     Those rocks look sturdier. I think I can climb them … but I must pass by the door and the double windows. Wait! There's three feet of solid wall below the windows.

     I peaked in the door window and watched Nate carry a screwdriver across the room.

     I don't see my uncle. He must be around the corner standing in front of my bedroom door.

     The moment Nate walked out of sight, I dashed past the door, knelt down, and crawled beneath the windows.

     Reaching the rock wall, I sidestepped to the right to avoid climbing up on a bed of flowers. I thrust my left foot on one of the larger rocks sticking out. Grabbing the top, I hoisted myself up. My left foot slipped off the rock and I plopped the top half of my body down on the ground. Lifting my right foot over the top, I pulled up the lower half of my body, but felt my left shoe slip off. I looked down and watched it hit at the base of the rock wall.

     Oh, darn. Now, I've got to climb down and get it.

     I lowered one leg down the wall.

     "Nate! She's not here!"

     Uncle Benjamin's voice had carried through the bedroom window screen.

     I looked down at my slip-on.

     No time. Got to run!

     I sprang to my feet and sprinted off between Uncle Benjamin's house and his neighbor's.

     I'm free!