Maura wore a loose-fitting near-transparent blue and white blouse with wildly oversized sleeves, so when she raised her slender arms upward (dramatic and slow, so as to make an impression), they flapped loosely in the evening breeze like the wings of a bird preparing for flight.
Then she winked.
And then there was that white girl who was leaving the party, her clumsily joyful demeanor somewhat amplified by a collection of helpful substances playing tag inside her brain. She was with a friend, an Asian girl who appeared to be a bit more stable and who lightly held white girl’s elbow, steering her past and through the animated crowd in the Congregation backyard toward the sidewalk. They were both giggling about a shared amusement, not paying much attention to Donatella and Maura who were headed the opposite direction into the party and were directly in their path.
Until Maura simply appeared. Right there under the streetlight. Right beside Donatella. Which was where she had been all along except…well…
Since Donatella could always see Maura, she didn’t notice anything different at first and was about to ask her “Watch what?”, but then she noticed the shocked expression on the white girl’s face who had just witnessed Maura somehow just …appear right in front of her. The girl with Asian features hadn’t noticed because at that moment she was looking over her shoulder trying to locate the origin of an angry shout she heard barking out of the crowd. White girl slowed down, shook her elbow loose from her friend, and was raising her arm to point at Maura, who slowly shook her head in warning as she placed a bejeweled finger to her lips.
Shhhhhhhh.
White girl’s expression changed from one of fear to confusion and then faded to blank.
“Hey, are you OK?” her friend asked, her attention refocused after feeling her hand being shoved away from the elbow. White girl nodded, her eyes a bit cloudy.
“I think we better get you home,” she said.
“Yes, you probably should,” agreed Maura, with a concerned smile. “She’s had quite the night. Looks like a good party though, right?”
The Asian girl wore polished black boots, cutoff jeans and a black T-shirt that read “Evolution Before Revolution” in large all cap white letters. She returned the smile and nodded.
“Hey, you know how things get at Jan’s parties sometimes, right? Did you know about the one next week? At that mansion in Palmer Woods?”
Maura shook her head.
“Hadn’t heard. Gonna be a good one?”
“Girl. Not to be missed. This is gonna be the one.”
Maura turned to look at Donatella, who was glaring at her and obviously dying to say something.
“She says it’s not to be missed, Donnie! We should make plans.”
“Hey maybe we’ll see you there! Well, I’d better get this one home. She isn’t looking too good. Kinda strange though, you know? I mean, she was having such a good time and I couldn’t shut her up even if I tried. And now this. Oh well. Maybe she just needs to sleep it off.”
Maura nodded sympathetically.
“Yeah. Sleep always helps. See you.”
“Bye.”
Maura and her new friend exchanged farewell waves before the Asian girl and her friend made their way down the sidewalk and into the night.
“They must have parked a ways away,” observed Maura, her voice sounding a bit distant. “Wow. Look at all these cars.”
“So when were you going to tell me?” blurted Donatella, not quite yelling but definitely several notches above her normally shy voice.
Maura giggled.
“Just waiting for the right time I guess. I thought it would be a fun surprise for tonight.”
“Maura, we’ve been together for five years. Five years. All that time you’ve been acting like you didn’t have any choice in being invisible and…no. Wait. Because here’s what’s more important; you and me? We’re supposed to be sisters. It’s what you always say. What you said first. And that should mean something. And now I’m finding out you’re biggest secret after all this time at a party?”
Maura reached out, trying to calm Donatella down.
“Being invisible is just more fun, that’s all. I didn’t think it was a big thing, OK? I didn’t. I just thought…”
Donatella snatched herself away. She shook her head, eyes heated.
“I don’t believe you sometimes.”
“Donnie…wait…”
But she wouldn’t. Instead she whirled around and disappeared into the throbbing embrace of the crowd. Maura started to follow, looking like a sad puppy, then shrugged her shoulders as she watched her sister disappear. The two remained at an estranged distance for a long while, far enough apart not to be together but close enough to still be a visible presence. Donatella didn’t seem to mind the distance at all and, in fact, seemed to bloom as the warmth and nearness of all those bodies moving to the beat gave birth to something inside, something that had never had the chance to be born until now. Turns out Maura wasn’t the only one hiding a surprise, and she watched at first with sadness, and then a growing anger and resentment as she noticed how so many of the young men at the party found themselves attracted to Donatella. Asking her to dance, if she wanted something to drink, if there was anything they could do to gain her affection. Donatella would just smile, sometimes laugh, letting herself dance and sway with her eyes closed, which only drew them closer.
Why had she chosen this night to step into her beauty? Because there was no doubting how beautiful she truly was with her coffee and cream-colored complexion, almond-shaped green eyes, and filled out curves. Maura had to wonder how she had not allowed herself to pay more attention when this change had taken place. And she simmered about the unfairness of it all. Because, after all, how could Donatella have ever survived without Maura? Wasn’t Maura the one who rescued her from …everything? And to now be subjected to so much ingratitude and disrespect. Didn’t Donnie know she could have never achieved that beauty without Maura keeping her safe? Keeping her fed and clothed?
Never.
Maura smiled. And then, in a hiss of smoke and flame, she disappeared. The chill of her laughter lingered longer.
TUNE IN NEXT WEEK AS THE STORY OF ‘THE WITCH’ CONTINUES…