“Here By Me”
Chapter 2
The next morning Jon and Joan were in the dining room talking about what they where going to do with Isabella as she walked into the room and took a seat at the table still in her pajamas.
Her mother shook her head as she asks her, “You could not have gotten dressed before you came down?”
“Why it is Saturday I do not have school this morning.” Isabella replies as she picks up her teacup taking a sip. Joan shakes her head looking over at Jon as he says, “Well young lady your mother and I have been talking this morning and we think the best way to deal with what happen between you and your so called friends is to separate you all.”
“I guess I am grounded for the hundredth time this year again.” Isabella says chuckling.
Her father gets a scorned look on his face as he looks her dead in the eyes and says, “No you are not grounded…”
He pauses as Isabella gets a look of surprise on her face she asks, “Then what is your plan with me this time. You know what the councilor said sticking me in the hospital will not help me either.”
Her father picks up his teacup and goes to take a sip as he says, “We are moving back to Rockwell.”
Isabella slams her hands down on the table pushing her self to stand as she exclaims, “That little hole in the wall town you and mom raised me in, what am I going to do there sit in my room and rot?!”
“All of your old friends are there you will have plenty to do. They will be so happy that you are back they will keep you very busy.” Her mother says.
“Oh My God Mother like I remember any of them and you know that!!” Isabella exclaims looking at her.
“It is for your own good Isabella you have gotten so unruly with trying to remember everything and becoming your own person; you have started following the wrong path in life. Trouble seems to follow you everywhere you go any more. It is time for a change and with the right people in your life you can start to walk the right path.” Her father tells her Isabella gives her father a dirty look.
“Sebastian will be so happy to see you again. Do you still have the blue silk ribbon he gave you when we left there?” Her mother asks trying to avoid the fight she saw coming with what her father said.
Isabella quickly looks at her mother as she asks, “What ribbon and who is Sebastian?”
“You have heard us talk about Sebastian, Isabella. He is your best friend back in Rockwell.” Her mother said.
Isabella chuckles as she says, “OH… that’s right the little cry baby you told me about… He gave me that ribbon?! I guess I should not be surprised, he seems like the type that would give a lame gift like that.”
“Isabella now that is no way to talk about Sebastian he is a very sweet boy and cares about you very much. You two where very young and it was an important gift to him, you two were the best of friends back then.” Her mother says.
Isabella sits back at the table as she says in an angered tone, “Well things change Mother, and I am sure he has forgotten all about me, and of course it was on his own free will he was able to do that.”
“Isabella we know what you are going through is hard on you, but…” Her father was saying as Isabella interrupts him exclaiming,
“You think so Father… You know I really wish you and Mother did know… Then you would not be riding me so much when I cannot even remember simple things like who my best friend was from my past. I am lucky that I remembered you and her.” Isabella hangs her head as a tear falls to the table she says, “I did not even remember my own Grandparents…”
She looks up at her father as another tear finds its way down her cheek as she says, “Do you know what it feels like to be lost all the time Father to feel like your life has abandoned you never to return? To look at old family photos, not know anyone in them, and barely know your own mother and father. To never really have a past that you can look back on and say, ‘Wow I remember when me and so and so did that we use to have so much fun back then.’ All my life but the last two years I can tell you nothing that, I remember from it… Nothing… nothing from the age of 16 back and I do not know if I really want to remember from what I have been told about why this has happened to me.” Isabella hangs her head as she sobs harder.
Her father gets up from his seat going to her he takes her in his arms and hugs her as her Mother sat at the end of the table and wept Isabella heard her father say, “Then this move may be the best thing yet Izzy. It will get you back to your true friends to were your life was good and all your memories were happy.”
Isabella hugs her father as she says, “Please do not call me Izzy dad. You know that drives me crazy.” Isabella pulls away from her father as she smiles he smiles back at her.
“So are you willing to try this out and see if it might help you remember your life?” Her father asks her.
Isabella dries her tears smiling at her father then looking over at her mother she says, “Yes I am… I am so tired of not being able to remember. I just want my life back once more.”
They both smiles at her as her mother gets up going to her husband and Isabella she gives them a hug saying, "I am sure Sebastian will be the biggest help in recovering your memory. You two where so close, I remember Sebastian’s mother and I talking about how one day we may be hearing wedding bells in you twos life together.”
Isabella looks at her mother wide eyed as she says, “Where we really that close?” Her mother nods as her father chuckles.
“Well times have changed I am sure he has forgotten all about me by now and even has a girlfriend. After all I do not remember him and from what you and dad say I wrote him everyday. It has been 3 years since I have done that he probably thinks I will never remember him.” Isabella says.
“Well for him to have forgotten about you he sure seems to be very interested in a young girl he called Izzy, every time we talk to him or his parents.” Her father says.
Isabella blushed as she says, “He does…” Her father nods and chuckles at her.
Isabella looks at her father as she asks him, “So when are we going to be doing this move?”
“Well I have to get things set up back in Rockwell and find us a new home. So I would say in about a month.” He tells her.
“Alright it will give me a chance to say good bye to everyone here and get things together myself.” Isabella says.
Her mother nods as Isabella smiles she turns walking back to her room. Isabella turns looking at her mother as she says, “Oh Mom that ribbon you ask about?” Her mother nods waiting for her to continue, “It is tied around my gray teddy bear Miles got for me for my sixteenth birthday.”
As time went, one Isabella packed slowly getting everything together for the move. When the last week finally came around the move looked like it may have to be canceled because her father was unable to find them a new home there. While Isabella was in her room lying on her bed looking at the ceiling, she heard a knock at the door.
“Come in…” She says as she sits up on the bed. Her Father walks into her room as she jumps up exclaiming,
“Dad when did you get back?” She gives him a hug as he hugs her back.
“Just a few minutes ago and I have great news for you.” He tells her.
“Really what is that?” Isabella asks him.
“I was able to buy our old home back.” Her father says.
“Wow the one I saw in all the old family photos?” Isabella asks him. He nods as Isabella says, “That house is huge what are we going to do with a place that big?”
“Well if I remember right you have always wanted a horse.” He tells her.
“Dad I am more into a car now then a horse.” Isabella replies.
Her father smiles as he says, “Well maybe we can do both.” Isabella jumps for joy as she exclaims, “A CAR!!”
“We will see… lets get moved and everything settled first.” He says still smiling. He turns walking to the door as he heard Isabella exclaim under her breath,
“YES A CAR!!”
He turns with an even bigger smile as he says, “Oh yes your mother wanted me to tell you dinner was done.”
“Ok dad, be down shortly.” Isabella replies.
As the days moved on the end of the week finally got there and the Alder family found themselves moving back to Rockwell. While saying goodbye to everyone that worked for them in the home Isabella’s cell phone rings, she reaches into her purse and pulls it out. She looks at the number and blinks a few times getting a confused look on her face.
“What is it Isabella?” Her mother asks her.
“I do not know this number it is coming up unavailable.” Isabella says.
“Well answer it maybe it is one of your friends from Rockwell.” Her father says smiles knowing exactly who is calling her.
Isabella shrugs her shoulders and answers the phone saying, “Hello…”
“Wow I was starting to think you were never going to answer the dang phone.” A strange voice said to Isabella.
“Who is this?!” Isabella exclaims.
“This is Halyn your best friend in Rockwell you goof, but I guess it is normal you do not remember after all you did have a really bad accident.” Halyn says.
“Yes so I have been told many times before and I thought Sebastian was my best friend in Rockwell?” Isabella questioned.
“Well yeah he is your best guy friend along with Tristan, but we were best girl friends back then.” Halyn says.
“OH ok then.” Isabella says really confused not knowing who she was talking about and still not sure whom she was talking to.
“So how did you get this number?” Isabella asks her.
“Oh Sebastian gave it to me he got it from your father. He told me to tell you ‘Hi’ by the way.” Halyn tells her.
Isabella parent’s motion for her to come on as Isabella starts walking from the home she hears Halyn say, “He wanted to call you his self, but with football practice he could not find the time before you would get out of range of your phone. So he told me to call you and tell you we would see you in a couple of days.”
“Ok then… Well I do need to get off here we are leaving now. So I guess I will meet you all in a couple of days.” Isabella says stepping up to the car and reaching for the handle.
“I am so excited that you are moving back Izzy. It will be like old time again.” Halyn says.
Isabella gets quite as she hears Halyn gasp saying, “I am sorry Izzy I keep forgetting you do not remember anything.”
Isabella sighs as she says, “That’s alright Halyn, and I am hoping to recover my memory with moving back there.”
“That would be cool if you did Izzy. We all had so much fun when you lived here. I think Sebastian is more excited then any of us all he can talk about is Izzy this and Izzy that and Izzy, Izzy, Izzy, he misses you so much. I just wish you sounded more excited then you do.” Halyn tells her.
Isabella cringes at the crazy nickname she hates to hear as she says, “Well I am sorry to say Halyn but I am more scared then anything, but that is cool because you sound excited enough for the both of us.” Isabella chuckles.
“Yeah I guess I am it has been a long time Izzy we are 17 now and the last time I saw you we were 13 years old that was the summer right before the accident.” Halyn says.
“So I have been told.” Isabella says.
“Well I will let you go Izzy, so you can get on the road. Sebastian will kick my butt if I make you any later getting here.” Halyn says.
Isabella smiles as she says, “Alright Halyn, we will see you soon. Bye…” Isabella hangs up her phone as she climbs into the car.
Her father looks at her in the rearview mirror as he asks her, “Who was that?”
“Well it was not Sebastian like you thought, it was Halyn. Sebastian did not have the time to call me because of practice… She said she was my best girl friend in Rockwell.” Isabella says looking confused.
“So what is wrong Isabella?” Her mother asks looking back at her.
“She is so excited about me coming back, as is everyone else she says, but I feel bad because I do not remember any of them. I only know what you and dad have told me about them and that is very little.” Isabella replies.
Her mother reaches over the back of the seat patting Isabella’s leg as she says, “Do not worry dear it will all come back to you one day.”
“What if it doesn’t mom then what? What if I never remember anyone or anything for that fact?” Isabella asks her becoming sad.
Her father looks at her in the rearview again as he drives along he tells her, “Then you start making new memories with your old friends. That is all you can do Isabella, we must never give up and always push forward, because standing in one place never got anyone anywhere in life.”
“I know father it is just so hard and I feel so bad about not remembering them…” Isabella pauses as she looks out the car window she starts to chuckle as her mother turns looking at her.
She asks her, “What is so funny Isabella?”
“That crazy nickname I hate so much… Izzy…” her mother nods as Isabella says, “I guess I am going to have to get use to it, because that is all Halyn called me on the phone while we talked.” Isabella replied.
Her mother and father chuckled as her mother says, “Well that is the nickname Sebastian gave you when you two were very young.”
Isabella sighs as she goes back to looking out the car window wondering if this was really the best thing they could be doing to help her memory to return. Moreover, wondering if she really wants to remember with the awful stories she has been told by her mother, father, and councilor about the misfortunate day she had lost her memory. Before Isabella knew it, she was fast asleep as her father drove along back to her past and hopefully her lost memories.
After a couple of days on the road Isabella found herself standing in front of the biggest house she had ever seen. It was a beautiful two-story home setting on acre after acre of land as a white fence ran down the property line she looked for miles, but could still not see where it ended.
She walked to the front door following her mother and father as the movers unpacked their things from the truck. Isabella walks in the home as she stops in the foyer looking around. She was surrounded by light oak trim and marble floors beneath her feet. The stairs that lead up to the second floor was solid oak and shined like a new copper penny. The fixtures on the doors were brass and plugs and light switch covers looked like solid wood as well.
“Isabella come here.” Her father called to her from the second floor.
Isabella looks up the stairs as she sees her father walk around the corner to the top of the railing on the second floor. The chandelier catches her eyes as she walks up the stairs looking at it. It was beautiful as it sparkled from the noonday sun shining through the windows above the door. She picks up her pace as she hears her father call from a back room.
“Come on poky we do not have all day.” Isabella follows her fathers’ voice as she walks into a room of whites and blues, the floor was solid wood, and there was a set of French doors that lead out on to a balcony.
“This was your old room.” Her father told her.
Isabella stops in her tracks looking around the room. She took a deep breath and walked farther into the room she looked to her right and saw a full bathroom with a shower and tube, she turns back around looking across the room at the French doors that lead out on the balcony. She slowly walks across the room. Isabella hesitated as she reached for the door handles.
“Are you alright Isabella?” Her father asks her.
Isabella did not say a word as she finally opened the doors walking out onto the balcony. Her room over looked the back part of the property as a garden sat just below her balcony floor. She looks down into a garden of roses and other pretty flowers as she hears her father behind her saying, “You and your mother use to love working in that garden together. I am surprised they were able to keep it alive. They must have hired a gardener to keep the up keep on it.”
Isabella looked around seeing a pool and a tennis court and a barn for a horse. She looks at her father as she asks him, “Did we ever have horse’s dad?”
“No we did not… our lives were to demanding for them at the time, but I was thinking maybe this time we will get a few.” Her father tells her sitting his hands on her shoulders as they look out over the land. Isabella crosses her arm over her chest as she sets her hand on top of her fathers she looks back at him as a single tear rolls down her cheek.
“What is wrong Izzy?” Her father asks her.
She turns back looking out over the property as she says, “Nothing rings a bell… Nothing seems familiar to me… I was hoping something would strike me as familiar when I came in here and still nothing.”
Her father pulls her back into him as he wraps his arms around her shoulders he gets next to her ear as he whispers, “Give it time we knew it would not happen in one day. This will take time sweetie.”
He turns her around to look at her as he says, “You will remember… it will take time but you will remember.” She hugs her father and walks back into her room and starts looking around at where she wanted her things to go.
“Well I will leave you to your unpacking sweetie.” Her father tells her leaving the room as the movers start bringing her things in.
Isabella watches the guys walk in as they ask her, “Where do you want us to place your stuff ma’am?”
“Well the boxes just set against the walls so they are out of the way. As for the furniture…” Isabella pauses as she looks at the one older guy she smiles saying, “I am not sure yet.”
He chuckles at her as he says, “Well we still have a few more boxes to bring up for you so you look around and see where you want it and we will set it up for you there.”
“Ok and thank you.” Isabella says as they walk from the room. Isabella turns looking at her new room wondering where to place everything. She turns looking at the one wall that had shelves built into it and an entertainment area in it as well.
She smiles as she says aloud, “Well that solves that problem.” She turns looking around the room again as she heard the guys walking back into her room she turns watching them as she goes to one of the boxes and starts to open it.
She stands there fighting with the tape that taped the box closed, as one of the young men walked over “Excuse me…” He said he pulls a utility knife from his pocket he cuts the tape from the top of the box and cuts the sides as well opening the box for her.
Isabella smiles telling him, “Thank you, but you would not by chance have a razor blade I could get from you so I could cut the others open?”
He hands her his knife as she says, “Oh no I just want a razor blade so if it gets left you do not have to worry about it.”
He smiles at her as he replies, “Yeah we have a box full of them down in the truck I will bring you a couple up.”
“Thank you very much that would be great.” Isabella says smiling at him. The young man turns walking from the room he turns looking back at Isabella, which was still looking at him as he walked out.
She waved at him as he walked out into the hall and ran into one of his friends. Isabella chuckled as he smiles back at her his face was beet red as she hears the one guy jokingly say, “Watch where your going your not suppose to be watching the client.”
The young man turns looking back into Isabella’s room seen her reach into her box he opened for her as she turns looking at him he said, “But she is so pretty I cannot help myself.” Isabella blushes at his words and quickly goes back to digging through the box.
A few minutes later, the young man walks back up on the second floor going to Isabella’s room with a box in his arms.
He looks in the room not seeing Isabella as he calls out, “Are you in here?”
Isabella walks out of her bathroom as she sees the young man smiling, “Yes I am just getting lost in the bathroom.” He chuckles as Isabella chuckles as well.
“That big is it?” The young man asks her.
Isabella nods as she walks toward him she says, “Is that box mine?”
“No it is your mothers I was just dropping off your razor blades.” He tells her.
“OH great…” Isabella exclaims as she stands there waiting for him to hand them to her.
“Umm well could you help me out so I do not have to put this box down?” He asks her.
“Sure where are they?” Isabella asks him.
“My shirt pocket here.” He says looking down at his left pocket. Isabella reaches down into his pocket and pulls out three razor blades.
“Thank you, but I only needed one.” Isabella tells him.
He smiles at her as he says, “Well I brought you extra just incase you lost one or your mom or dad needed one.”
“Well thank you that was very thoughtful of you.” Isabella turns walking over to the shelves in the room and setting them down.
She turns back around and smiles at the young man as she says, “By the way my name is Isabella what is yours?”
He smiles at her as he says, “Jon…”
“Well thank you Jon I appreciate this very much.” Isabella tells him.
“You’re very welcome Isabella.” He says walking away from the room smiling.
Here By Me Chapter 3