Immortals Of Byolla Bay

The doctor’s office smelled like a floral plug-in air freshener and had the tacky wallpaper to match. It was time for my yearly checkup, which was stupid seeing I was almost eighteen and yearly checkups are for children. What really made me feel extra juvenile was that I was seeing the same doctor that had delivered me.

Perks of living in a small town was that most of our residents in the lovely town of Byolla Bay worked two jobs because our population was under 1500. For example, Dr. Gohlan, who was every bit of eighty, was the pediatrician and family doctor of the town. His wife, who was also in her eighties, was the elementary school principal and weekend pharmacist. On the weekdays the pharmacy was ran by her sister.

My mom was no different except her positions aren’t as exceptional as a doctor or pharmacist. She worked Monday through Friday in Zephyrs Landing, the big city next to our tiny town, in a factory that made door frames. She gets home every day in time to tell me goodnight and fall face first in her bed only to get up, take a shower, eat and kiss me goodbye on the forehead at six in the morning. The weekends she works evenings stocking shelves at our small grocery store a few blocks from our house.

I told her when I turned eighteen I could take over her weekend job so she could rest, but she refused. She wants me to only focus on getting into a good college and making something of myself. Apparently also having yearly checkups at the doctor to make sure I’m healthy is part of her goal as well.

My focus dropped down to my ring. It sort of looks like an old mood ring from the seventies, which was left to me by my grandmother. Absent-mindedly I was twirling it around my finger to pass the time. A habit I have had since the day my mom told me she thought I was old enough to start wearing it. The garnet stone caught the reflection of the fluorescent lights with each round it made. Finally Beatrice, the stuffy-nosed sounding secretary, called me into the examination room from the lobby.

Jumping up on the table, I yet again twirled my ring in hopes the doctor showed up soon. I knew I was going to be later to school than expected because my 8:00 appointment was pushed back due to a “situation” with Mrs. Leopold, our town hypochondriac. As I was signing my name on the check-in log this morning, she almost knocked me out of the way screaming to Beatrice she needed to see the doctor immediately because that was not an ant bite on her arm, it was leprosy.

There was a knock on the door and then the bald head of Dr. Gohlan popped in. Before he shut the door, I spotted Mrs. Leopold signing out at the front desk and talking animatedly to Beatrice, while pointing at her arm. She was also fake coughing and glanced the doctor’s way with a sour expression on her face.

“Good morning, Kinsley. Sorry for your wait, but Mrs. Leopold, well she had a breakout from a bug bite and was convinced she contacted a plague of some sort. I respect doctor-patient confidentiality, but the whole town will know about it by noon so I do not see the harm in telling you the real reason you have been forced to delay your education for the day. Anyways let’s listen to your lungs and hopefully we will be done in just a moment.”

After making sure my heart was beating like it should and my breathing was even, Dr. Gohlan gave me a clean bill of health along with a doctor’s note excusing me from being late to school. I walked outside into the crisp, cool autumn air and breathed in the wonderful scent of pumpkin pie from Dally’s Bakery a few buildings down. After another whiff, I started walking the few blocks down to my school.

My mom gave me enough money to call Dino, the local cab driver who uses his personal vehicle for a taxi, but by the time I called him, woke him from his after breakfast nap and waited on him to get here it would have been after lunch and into 3rd period by the time he got me to school. Dino is a good guy, but he operates on his own time and I can’t be anymore late than I already am. It’s 10:30 now so classes will just be letting out for lunch when I arrive as long as I keep a steady pace. Winter break is in 4 weeks and I can’t miss the review for exams.

Taking the quickest route, I walked along Teal Street and crossed over the main road to Sanna Way. At the end of Sanna was a dead end that has a trail through the woods I always use as a shortcut to school. It comes out directly behind the gym and I will be there in no time.

The sidewalks down Sanna Way had fallen into disrepair years ago because no one has lived on this road since I been alive. The only house here is the one that sits close to the trail and would be absolutely beautiful if someone would fix it up, but no one has moved to this town in over two decades.

Mom says Byolla Bay has nothing to offer outsiders, not jobs or anything, that would make anyone in their right mind want to permanently move here. I am starting to believe her especially since the only house available is that one by the trail.

Trudging along, I pulled my jacket a little closer to my face as the chilly wind blew across it. I love this time of year, but I wish it was about 10 degrees warmer. As I rounded the corner where the vacant house sat, I was beyond surprised to see there was a moving truck outside it with two guys moving an expensive looking sectional couch into the house. The weather-worn for sale sign was gone and there was a blonde headed young woman standing beside the truck barking orders to the guys moving the couch. Sensing someone staring, the woman turned to look at me. She stared back at me with a blank expression before giving me a little wave. Before I could return the gesture, she strode in the house. The two guys continued hassling with the couch and eventually got it inside. The door shut abruptly behind them leaving me and my questions out on the sidewalk.

Now I was really eager to get to school. Another perk of being in a small town is everybody knows everybody’s business, which means the whole school will be talking about the new inhabitants of our little town.