Chapter 2
“You better go swim in that pool,” Willie tells Anne the moment she swings the dryer shut and catches sight of the girl looking back at her from the top of the cement cellar stairs.
“It’s going to rain, and I like being with you,” Anne shrugs.
Willie spins the dial and pushes a green square button to make the load machine to start. It begins to rumble with noise.
“Anne. Your mother’s already unhappy with me...” Willie starts walking towards the stairs in a pair of hemp woven flats. Taking hold of the bannister, she moves up with Anne scrambling to get out of the way.
The late summer weather has fallen cool outside. The sky darkens with clouds. Anne’s hugging her goosepimply arms together as she stands above the Schlaflys’ swimming pool in her bathing suit and rubber cap.
Back in the house, Phyllis prepares herbal ginger tea for both herself and Eleanor. The sister-in-law sits at the table with one hand touching the primary color square box of the Connect Four game. Her mind’s on her niece and the dramatic stunt she pulled earlier.
“I’ve never played this game before,” she says more to herself than to Phyllis.
“It’s a classic!” Phyllis dips both their cups of boiled tea with flavored bags at the countertop. She peers up once Willie approaches them with a folded towel in her arms.
“This towel’s for Anne,” the housemaid explains.
“Oh, how very kind of you, Willie, but I’m afraid she’s still not in the pool yet,” Phyllis chuckles.
“It’s for the rain…” Willie now remembers the child’s words.
“Rain? Well, it’s not suppose to—”
A faint, yet distinctive low sound of thunder breaks apart outside of the house making Phyllis stop what she was doing and Eleanor slowly moving up on her feet.
They went outside to meet the cold, shivering Anne standing above the pool getting soaked by the heavy downpour. Phyllis moves to collect her, but it’s Willie who has the towel spread out that makes the girl run for it.