Calliope
My grandpa was always a firm believer that you can never stay too far away from your childhood. Or so what he would always say when he was alive. Yuba City was my childhood hometown. It was a small town settled right in the middle of the bend in California. It wasn’t much, but it was something. If you went in two different directions, you either ended up at the ocean or the mountains.
“Callie! Snap out of it!” Maggie huffed in annoyance as she drove my car from Indiana. We are finally driving into the forest near some city with a truck in its name. Truckee or something like that. I turn my head from the window and look at her. “What? Ican’tenjoy the view back home?” Maggie practically rolls her eyes at me. “Sure, you are. I still don’t understand why you wanted to-”
“Because…It felt as if I were constantly being watched. It felt weird!” I protested as I turned my head back to the window, watching all the giant trees. Can’t remember what types of trees are in California near Truckee and near the coast. My eyes suddenly felt heavy as I stared out the window. Slowly, my eyelids overcame my vision, and I fell asleep.
We finally arrived at my new house in Yuba City and noticed something on the porch. “What is that?” I ask Maggie as we pull up on the driveway. A bouquet of red roses wrapped in red tissue paper and cellophane lay on the porch along with the gift basket. After Maggie puts the car in park, I open the passenger-side door and walk toward the mystery items. I reach for the bouquet and notice a note stuffed into the small bush of roses. With my other hand, I open the note while clutching the roses with my other.
Roses are red, violets are blue, you have caught my eye, and I have been watching you. In this enjoyable basket are some things that will make you sing, while I imagine you underneath my knees.
I can feel my face heat up. “Enjoyable?” I repeat, then turn to Maggie, who only shrugs at me. I walk up the two polished-wood steps as I reach into my pants pocket for my keys. Maggie followed me as she grabbed the mystery gift bag. After opening the door, we slouched onto my black leather couch in the living room. The room was small because it was in a one-bedroom house. A moving company moved all my things before Maggie and I drove here.
“Let’s open it.” Maggie says as she sits up, reaching for the basket. She rips open the cellophane, and my eyes widen. I couldn’t tell if Maggie was just as surprised as I was, given how shocked I was. In the bag was an assortment of disturbing yet concerning things. Ball gags, different types of skin oils, folded-up blow-up dolls, Dildos of various colors, Rope, Nipple clamps, and a lot of other things I have never even seen in my life. I immediately jumped up from my couch in shock.
“What the hell is this?!” I yell at Maggie, entirely at a loss. I can feel my face heat up yet again. From embarrassment? Confusion? I grabbed the basket, but before I could throw it out, Maggie stopped me. “Why don’t you just keep them? It’s free-”
“Toys!” I cut her off while heading back towards the front door. When I opened the door, I froze. There, in the same spot as the first, was another basket. This time the color was blue. I walked all the way outside and past the basket. Walking down the two steps, I look around the front yard to see if anyone is out. When I didn’t see anyone, I huffed and turned around, going back to the basket. Glaring at it for a few seconds, debating whether to throw it away or keep it. Sighing, I grab the top of the basket where the cellophane spikes up and drag it inside. “Here is to another crazy piece of the day.” Setting down the new basket with the old. “What should I do with it?” I ask Maggie, who is getting giddy over the suspense. “Keep them, of course! Someone clearly is trying to get your attention.”She says as her body shakes with excitement, then gasps in shock. “You could be one of those girls who are in those spicy books that everyone reads.” I give her a confused look, then narrow my eyes at her. “I am so not some girl who is about to…. Whatever it is in those books.” I huff again as I throw myself on my couch and cross my arms.
