Brittney's Story (Chapter 7)

Brittney’s Choice

3 years later

“Are you sure you want to do this Leena?” Mattim leaned up against the wall his arms crossed in front of him. His wife sat in a window seat looking out the window.
“I’m sure!” She replied without looking at him. “It’s what I want to do.”
“But you said –“
Leena turned to look at him cutting him short “I know what I said Mattim.” She scolded him gently but firmly. She crossed her arms in front of her. “It’s for the betterment of the planet.” She stated turning back to the window.
“You and your excuses.” Mattim said coming to stand behind her.
Leena turned around surprised. “What do you mean?”
“Come on Leena.” Matthew nudged her playfully. “You may fool the rest of the planet with that whole ‘Betterment of the Planet” speech but you aren’t fooling me.”
Leena smiled. “Your right Mattim, you see right through me.”
Mattim smiled too. “You’re right…but do you still want to do this.”
Leena’s smile broadened. “Definitely!”

The cool breeze blew through Brittney’s curly blonde hair and she closed her eyes and smiled as the wind blew a slight mist from the sprinkler into her face. She took a deep breath and tried to remember the smell of Imaginess, the feel of the early morning mist on her face, she could almost hear Shanti’s laugh, and taste the flower-nuts.
It had been 3 years since Brittney had been to Imaginess and not a day had gone by that she didn’t think of the things that had happened there. In fact she had been caught day-dreaming more and more often. She was certain Chris had noticed by now but he hadn’t talked to her about it and so she continued to dream.
“Brittney!” her little brothers shouts from the back door filled her ears and burst the dream-bubble before it had had much of a chance to grow.
“Coming!” she yelled grabbing her jacket and racing through the sprinkler toward the door. “What is it Big Guy?” She asked when she got there.
5-year-old Joseph stood at the door holding on to the doorknob above his head “Daddy says that he wants to talk to you in the livin’ room. There’s some people here who want to talk to you.”
“Who is it?”
Joseph shrugged his shoulders until they nearly touched his ears his eyes widening as he did so.
“Ok thanks Bud,” She said heading in the direction of the living room. “Hey why don’t you go and play with your cars and when I’m done we can walk down to the corner and get some ice cream, how does that sound?”
“Yeah!” Joseph shouted jumping up and down.
“Ok, now just relax. Go play with you cars and I’ll come get you when I’m done.”

“It’s really up to her.” Chris was saying. “Things haven’t been the same for any of us since Kira died. We’ve both mourned in our on way. I’ve distracted myself with Joseph, but Brittney…well I worry about her. She’s been very distracted lately she can’t focus she spends a lot of time out reading her fantasy and science-fiction novels down at the park but mostly she day-dreams. To tell you the truth I think it would be good for her to get away for awhile.”
“I’m not talking about for just a little while Mr. Baker. If it’s alright with you and of course Brittney we’d like for Brittney to stay there…forever.”
“Forever!”
“I’ve already talked it over with the Zotac she would have the best of care, an incredible education that any hard-nosed student would die to have, and she’d be working to make our planet beautiful something I’m told is a weakness of your daughter’s.”
“Yes, she’s very into nature.”
“Which is why she’s the perfect one for the job. Now I’m going to need your approval to do this Mr. Baker. If you aren’t 100% for it I won’t even offer it too her and of course it will be open for her to visit, or even for you to visit anytime.”
Chris stood to his feet and walked over to the mantle looking closely at a picture of his wife. “Kira loved nature you know. That’s one of the reasons we chose to come here when we ran from the Martians but she hated that she couldn’t do anything about her own home. I remember her constantly complaining about how we had the only dead yard in the entire neighborhood.” Chris turned back to the woman sitting in the chair by the door. “I think my wife would have been proud to have Brittney help in something like this…and so will I.”
The woman smiled just as she door opened and Brittney stepped in.

Brittney knew right away that the woman sitting in the living room wasn’t human. After all how many women did her dad know with aqua colored hair? Not very many she was sure.
“Brittney!” Chris greeted her as she entered the room. “Come have a seat this woman Dr. Jent has something to ask you.”
Brittney found a seat beside Chris suddenly very nervous and a bit freaked by this unexpected visit. “What’s going on? Do I have a secret case of Quaple that you’re here to tell me about?”
The woman chuckled. “Oh no nothing like that. I actually have a proposal for you.”
“A proposal?”
“Yes, now I should probably tell you that I work for the Zotac of Imaginess. I’m a biologist specifically I study plants. Now I don’t know if you realize this but earth is the only planet with controlled plant life the rest of the planets just can’t seem to figure it out. I’ve tried for years to find a solution but I keep coming up empty.”
“What does this have to do with me?”
Dr. Jent smiled her eyes gleaming. “Brittney,” Her voice couldn’t contain her excitement as she said her name. “you are the first human to have ever stepped foot on Imaginese soil.”
“Yeah?...So?”
“What nobody not even you realized is that humans have an amazing ability to control vegetation. The places where you walked were filled with some of the most beautiful flowers any of us have ever seen.”
“What do you mean ‘were’?”
A frown creased the doctor’s forehead. “The flowers lasted only about six months after you left…and then disappeared. It’s taken us all this time to make the connection between you and the bloomage.”
“So what do you want me to do?”
“I want you to come back with us.” Brittney began to protest but Dr. Jent interrupted her. “You would live on Imaginess and bring life to our land. I’ve already talked to the Zotac and she’s agreed to let you live with her.”
“But what about my family?”
“I’ve already talked to Christilone. He’s ok with your going. Your brother’s young enough not to take it to hard. The people of Imaginess would –“
“I’ll do it!”
“You will?”
“Under one condition.”
“Anything!”
“I’m free to return to Earth if I ever choose too and can come visit anytime I choose too.”
Dr. Jent stood and crossed the room holding her hand out to Brittney in agreement. “It’s a deal! I’ll pick you up tomorrow so be sure your ready.”
“Make it a week and you got yourself a deal.”

Brittney watched her brother playing with his matchbox cars. It had been nearly a week since Dr. Jent’s visit. Dr. Jent would be coming to get her any minute and she still hadn’t told Joseph about her decision “Joseph there’s something I need to tell you.”
“What?” He asked pulling himself to his knees and his hands on his knees like he had seen his sister do time and time again.
Brittney sighed trying to think of the best way to tell him. “Joseph I’m going to be going away for awhile.”
“Where are you going?”
“That lady who came wants me to work for her and I said ‘yes’”
“But why?”
“Because Joseph she needs me.” Brittney looked around and noticed a single white lily sitting in a vase on the table by the couch. “Joseph you see that lily?”
“Yeah?”
“Well the place where that lady comes from doesn’t have flowers and things like that lily and she wants me to go and help them to get beautiful flowers like that one”
“When are you coming back?”
Brittney thought about it for a minute. “I’m going to stay there for awhile but I’ll come back and visit you I promise.” Brittney stood up and sat down on the ground beside Joseph grabbing him gently by the shoulders and looked into his eyes. “No matter what Joseph I’ll always be there to take care of you.” She smiled then. “I’ll be like your guardian angel. You may not always know I’m watching you but I will somehow I’ll always find a way.”
Joseph nodded sadly still not fully understanding but knowing that somehow what his sister was saying meant change.
There was a knock on the door and Brittney could hear her dad answering it, she could hear Dr. Jent’s voice down the hall
“Here I have something for you.” Brittney stood up and raced in the direction of her room when she returned she held a small statue of an angel the inscription around the base said ‘I’ll be there’ “Here.” She handed the statue to Joseph. “This was our mothers. I want you to have it now. It could be something to remember both of us by. To remind you that we’re both watching out for you.”
Joseph took the statue gently from his sister. “I’ll miss you Joseph” She said grabbing on to him and pulling him close. “Be good for daddy.”
“Ok!”
Then she grabbed her bags and followed the doctor out the door. She would miss Joseph she knew that, she would miss Chris too. But she would come back just like she had promised Joseph. She couldn’t promise that he would always know when she was around after all it would be better for him if he forgot he ever had a sister. But she would watch him, she would be his guardian angel.