Story-True and Allison

Well I’ve been happily married to my master’s son for 20 years. That may sound odd, but I was a maid for old mister Burton. Mister Burton was a millionaire with a wife, 3 sons, and 4 daughters. Ms. Burton was a pet groom. The first son Garton was a hotel manger. The second son, my husband, True, short for Truman was a risk taker and his father’s favorite. When his father passed away, he left everything to True. Next came his twin daughters, Clarabelle and Georgette, they became the worlds first twin TV stars. Then came Seymour the last sin. Sey as we call him, became a NASA scientist. Renata came next. She died at the age of twenty-five, of a virus unknown by doctors. She died 4 years after I came, she told me about the disease. I told her that I didn’t mind and we became good friends. Her and True were best buddies. When she died the family said we took it the hardest. Valerie, the youngest, said I probably knew more about Renata then the rest of the family. Val begin a pet store. She adored animals. She died three years after Renata. Val got hit by a drunk driver.
I guess I better tell the whole story not just that little bit about the family. So here it goes. I went to work at the Burton place after I finished my 4 years at college. The first night there, I met True and Renata. They gave me a grand tour of the place. It had four bathrooms, a music room, a kitchen, a fining room, a parlor, six bedrooms, and two master bedrooms. The maid quarters weren’t finished yet so they let me have great-aunt Carla’s room. They said it hadn’t been touched for years. They said try to leave the make-up kit alone. Renata said the last one who didn’t, disappeared. True said to look with eyes not hands. Then in came Sey. Seymour was small and got picked on a lot. But once I came I stuck up for him. And they left him alone when I was around.
Garton fell in love with me. Whenever he got a chance he made a pass. The next night I got a better look at it. Carla’s room was a dull blur with dull pink and yellow flowers. I started to get nosy. I forgot True’s warning and started to look at the make-up kit. It was blue and green flowers outlined in white. Blush and eyeshadow on top, all the lipstick on the bottom. Then the darkest red lipstick I ever saw stood out from the rest, it was taped up. The tape had a little tear in it. I couldn’t help but finish breaking it so I could see hoe it looked on my lips. When I put it on I felt different. The room spun and didn’t look so dull anymore. I went to the closet and put one of the dresses on. Then went back to put on my eyeshadow and blush. Then put on a pair of dark red high heels to go with the dark red dress I had put on. Just then Tue knocked on the door. I went to answer still in dress and heels. When True saw me, he quickly took out a Kleenex from his pocket and wiped the make-up off. Then went and took the darkest red lipstick and taped it up again. He looked at me and said to leave it alone. From that day forth he kept a close watch on me. The close watch got Garton mad, he made a dash for True, but I jumped in front of him. I said cool it, do you want me fired for not keeping a clean house? Garton said he didn’t want me fired.
Next day was off for me so True asked if I wanted to go shopping. I really wanted to and said yes. When Garton heard this he said he’d like to come along. So we got dressed in our best city clothes. True drove, I sat in the middle and Garton sat on my right. Garton took my and as soon as we stopped and asked to come help him pick out a suit. I asked True what he was going to do. He said he was going to buy flower seeds. I told Garton no and went with True. I loved seeing the face Garton made. That afternoon I helped True plant the seeds. From than on people said True and I were made for each other. Garton didn’t like that one bit. So in the years that followed he wanted to know me better. So I told him all I wanted him to know. True knew me more than Garton.
The day right before Renata died Garton came up to me and asked to have my hand in marriage. I told him I’d think about it. That night I went to Mister Burton and told him about Garton’s proposal. Mister Burton asked me if I wished to marry him. No, I would marry Seymour before I marry Garton, I told him. Then tell Garton no and get on with your work. The day Renata died Garton asked for my answer. I told him no because he wasn’t my type.
Renata’s death was hard on everyone, mostly on True. People everywhere tried to talk to him. But I was the only one to understand his pain. We started hanging around more. Garton didn’t like that one bit, either. So later that year Garton tried to kill me by running me over with his friend’s car. I jumped in the nick of time. Garton was madly in love with me though I told him I didn’t want him. True and I went almost everywhere together.
Now even though I have lived here for four years, I’m still in Carla’s room. I try to avoid the make-up kit. But it’s hard, very hard. It was three months after Renata died. I looked more closely at the make-up kit. Something was different about it. When I looked inside it there stood three pictures. One was of a man and woman holding a baby in her lap. I found out that the baby was Mister Burton. The next picture was of a family. The family had five sons and two daughters. This family was Ms. Burton’s family. The last picture was Mister and Ms. Burton. It was their wedding picture. Then I saw it, the darkest red lipstick again. I was tempted to put it on. I was alone in the house, expect for Garton. I couldn’t resist, I put it on and felt like I did last time. Only this time True wasn’t there to stop me.
I put on a black dress and black heels. Then I put on the eyeshadow and blush. I went out the room, down the staircase. Looking in the mirror before going into the parlor where Garton was. I was stunning. Then walking into the room, I said something softly enough for Garton to hear. He turned around and said, "Allison, is that you?" "Yes, it’s me darling. What took you so long to get home? I’ve been waiting for hours." I couldn’t believe I said that, but it wasn’t me it was the lipstick. Garton asked if I was okay. I told him I’m okay and give me a kiss.
We were both surprised by that. He came over and held me tight. Then gave me a long passionate kiss. He ran his fingers thru my hair and started to unzip my dress. I started to unbutton his shirt. When I finished I ran my fingers thru his dark curly chest hair. He got the dress unzipped and pulled it off. Then he reached down and pulled off my shoes. I undid his pants and pulled them off. He kissed me over and over again. He was about to take off my bra, when True came in. He came over put my dress back on me and told Garton to put on his pants. When he got my dress on he wiped off the lipstick. He told me to go upstairs before his mom came in.
Later on he came up and told me what happened. I could almost feel my face turn red. During the night someone came in and went to the make-up kit. They took out one of the lipsticks. Then came by the bed and was about to put it on me when someone else came in. They went into the hall and talked. One stomped away mad. I don’t know what the other one did, but about five minutes later he came back in. Later I found out it was Garton and True. True came back in to make sure I was still asleep. That night I found out True loved me. He said he was glad I came to the house. It gave him someone to talk to besides Renata. And also that I said no to Garton. He gave me a light kiss on the forehead and a light kiss on the lips.
I told True to get rid of the lipstick so I wouldn’t do anything stupid. He said he couldn’t because Renata was the only one who had the courage to do it. So I went to Garton and told him I needed a favor. He said anything for you darling. I told him to dispose of the lipstick. He said no way on earth could I. Dad would kill me if I did. I said and to think I thought you were a man.
So that night I had a dream. Renata was in it. She simple told me to get up and throw away the lipstick. But not to worry everything would be okay. She’d make sure the lipstick would stay put in the garbage. I started to get up as if she were lifting me up herself. I ran over to the kit, picked up the lipstick, opened the door so I was inn the hall. I ran to the stairs with the lipstick in my hand, when I got to the kitchen, there was Mister Burton. He asked if everything was okay. I said it was, but I couldn’t sleep and came down to get a glass of warm milk. So as I went about fixing the glass of milk, I went and got a Kleenex and pretended to blow my nose. I threw the lipstick out with the Kleenex. I hoped and wished to God that I’d never see it again.
For two months I didn’t see the lipstick. But the first of June it was back. I couldn’t believe it was back. Renata said it wouldn’t come back. I went down stairs to find True. I found him in the music room, I said, "What’s with this?"
"With what?" he asked. I held up the lipstick. "Oh that. Well, it’s kind of long. I don’t know the whole thing. Val knew the whole story. I’ll try to fill you in the best I can." He took a drink and continued. "When Aunt Carla was seventeen years old, she feel in love with a man who knew how to use women to get what he wanted. But Aunt Carla was different. He didn’t just use her he made a true beauty out of her. He found that he really loved Carla." He stopped to take a drink. "As soon as Carla turned twenty-one, the man asked great-great-grandpa if he could marry her. Great-great-grandpa said yes on one condition. Be and let her be free. So the man did. But Clara wouldn’t hear of being seen with any other man but her husband. So, he had the lipstick made and he gave it to Carla on her twenty-second birthday." True stopped took a breath, "That’s all I know if the story."
"Thanks True," I said and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Garton walked in just as I finished giving True the kiss.
"How dare you kiss, True! Your my girl, not his." Said Garton.
"I’m not your girl, Garton." I said. "I’m just True’s friend. That’s it."
"Yeah, right. That’s why you gave him a kiss?" Asked Garton.
"He told me the truth about the lipstick. And why everyone is afraid to throw it away." I nearly yelled at him.
"Yo sweetie, don’t get mad at me. I didn’t mean anything by it," Garton said as he slowly moved closer.
""Stay away from Allison, Garton. She doesn’t have anything to do with this." True said.
"Do with what?" I couldn’t help but ask.
"None of your business!" Garton yelled.
"Garton was adopted." True said.
"Why’d you go and tell her that? Huh? It was the family’s secret!"
"She’s part of the family." True answered back.
"She’s the fricking maid for crying out loud." Garton said.
"Before you walked in I was going to ask Allison to marry me," he said to Garton. Then he turned to me and said, "Allison, would you, I mean, could you, will you consider marring me?" He asked.
"Oh, True. I will marry you." I said.
I had been with them for ten years when True finally asked me to marry him. I was so happy. I’ll fast forward to the wedding. The day we picked was a beautiful day. All sun, no clouds. My dress was a bright white, it flowed down into a long train. True’s tux was a dark green (his favorite color). Clarabelle and Georgette stood up, and so did Se and True’s friend Steve. The girls wore dark green and the guys white, to contrast. Steve and Clarabelle hit it off instantly. They made a cute couple. They went together for five months. Steve broke it up because he had fallen in love with Georgette. Steve keeps going back and forth.
For the honeymoon we went to Spain and Germany. We would have gone to other places but we got a letter from True’s mom saying Mister Burton wasn’t doing to well. He had come down with the flu and kept getting worse. So we rushed home. True kept saying how sorry he was that we had to cut it short.
When we got home Clarabelle and Georgette were fighting over who was Steve’s true girlfriend.
"Oh, Allison, could you please tell my sister that Steve is mine." Asked Georgette.
"Why don’t you two talk to Steve about it." I said trying to be helpful.
"Oh don’t mind those two, they have been at it for a month already."
"Se, it’s good to see you." True and I said at the same time. I went over and hugged Se.
"My favorite maid," said Se jokingly, hugging me back.
"Don’t I get a hug?"
"Garton," I said turning around. "How are you?" I started to give him a hug.
"Fine, I got you something." He said taking a gift out of his pocket.
"What is it?" I asked starting to open it.
When I finished opening it I was shocked and lost my hold on it.
"Don’t you like it? I thought that, that color would look good on you."
"Oh, it’s fine." I said picking up the lipstick. "Thank you."
"Aren’t you going to put it on?" Garton asked.
"I’ll put it on later. After dinner sometime," I managed to say. "True, honey, let’s go unpack."
So True and I went to True’s old room.
"What was wrong with Garton’s gift?" True asked.
"Come I’ll show you." I said and started to go to Clara’s room. "Remember, when I first started working here. You and Renata told me to leave the kit alone, but I didn’t."
We reached the room. I went straight to the make-up kit after True opened the door for me. I opened it and took out the darkest red lipstick, it was tapped up.
"Look at this and then look at the one Garton gave me." I told True. "Just a little to bit the same for me."
"I don’t get it!" True said. "Why would Garton give you this?"
"Because remember what happened that one time I put it on. And what would have happened if you hadn’t come in."
"Yes I see. But how do you know it will have the same effect?"
"I don’t know."
"I hate to say it, but put it on. Just to see." True said.
"Alright. But I’m warning you." I wiped off the lipstick I had on and started to put on the lipstick Garton gave me. The room spun and I was in the past when I first came. Only it was Garton and not True.
"True were are you?" I said because I couldn’t see him anymore.
"I’m in Carla’s room, Allison! Allison!" True said. I could just hear him. I ran up the stairs and to Aunt Carla’s room.
"Allison!"
"True!" I quick rubbed the lipstick off. "True it’s not coming off."
"And it won’t." Garton added.
"Garton, please." True asked in vain.
"Garton how can I get it off?"
"The only way it will come off is if I kiss you and…"
"Well kiss me, then!"
"I wasn’t finished. Then once I kiss you, we’ll go back but you’ll be married to me not True." Garton finished.
"No. What happens if I kiss Allison?" True asked.
"If you kiss her she’ll stay yours. But she’s not going to."
"Why not?" I had to ask.
"Because, he’ll have been dead for at least a year." Garton said a little too snug.
"Garton, True. Are you two in here?" Se called.
"Garton, what about Se? What if I kiss him?" I asked.
"If you kiss Se everything will go back to normal. I never gave you the lipstick."
"Se, come meet Allison," True said. "It’s a custom in her country that the youngest son gives her a kiss on the lips."
"On the lips. Alright."
Se leaned forward and gave me a nice long kiss. When I opened my eyes, True and I were on the front steps about to go in.
"True, I’m ready."
"Ready for what?"
"To face Garton."
"Oh you mean that."
"You remember then. Do you think he’ll keep his promise?"
"I hope so." True answered and knocked on the door.
"Everything’s the same. The twins fighting over Steve. Oh here comes Se." I whispered.
"Oh don’t mind those two they have been at it for a month already."
"It’s good to see you Se," True and I said at the same time. I went and gave him a hug.
"My favorite maid and the best kisser, too." He said joking around.
"You remember that!?"
"Of course. Garton told me about the present before you guys came. I couldn’t stand to see you stuck with him." Se finished
"Thanks Se, you’re the best."
"Hi, Allison. Can I have a hug?"
"Garton, sure you can have a hug." I said and gave him a hug.
"Sorry about that trick I pulled. I had to try once more. I guess I thought I could still get you." Garton said.
"That’s ok." Se, True and I said all together.
"What are you four mumbling about?" The twins asked.
"Oh nothing." True said.
"Nothing at all." Said Se.
"Nothing that can’t be fixed." I said.
"How true!" Garton added.
I went and gave the twins both hugs. The phone rung then. I reached and picked it up.
"Hello Burton’s. Allison speaking. How may I help you?"
"Oh, hi Allison. It’s Steve."
"I suppose you want to talk to someone else?"
"No, I called hoping to reach you. Clarabelle told me you were coming home."
"So you’re with her right now?" I asked.
"Yes and no. Yes were friends but not girlfriend/boyfriend. Just friends. Can I come over and talk to you about it?"
"Sure, but how about in the park at the monkey bars?"
"Why not at the house?" he answered.
"The t-w-i-n-s have been constantly fighting."
"Oh, park sounds fine. 3:00 sound good too?"
"3:00 in the park it is."
"Bye Allison and thanks." Steve said.
"No problem. Bye." I said and hung up.
"Who was it?" asked Se.
"S-t-e-v-e" I spelled out. "He wants to talk to me about his situation."
"Why you?"
"I really don’t know, Se."
"Was that Steve?" Clarabelle and Georgette asked.
"No it wasn’t."
"You’re lying!" Clarabelle said.
"Okay, I’m lying. But he didn’t want to talk to either of you. He asked if he could talk to me about it."
"Why you?" Georgette asked.
"I don’t know."
"He’s going after her now." Clarabelle said.
"Who’s going after my wife?" True asked hurt.
"No one. Steve wants to talk about his situation. That’s all."
"Okay, I can see why. You are a good listener, understander, and good advice giver." True said.
"Thank you." I said and gave him a kiss.
Garton came into the parlor where I was, "It’s almost 3:00."
"Okay thanks." I was starting to leave when I remembered something. I went straight to Garton and asked, "Distract the twins so they don’t see where I’m going."
"You got it." He leaned forward and gave me a kiss on the forehead. "I hope Steve doesn’t pick either of the twins. I f he does the other could kill herself.
"I gotta go thanks Garton." I said and left.
I was walking down the street toward the park when I saw Steve.
"Allison! Over here!" he said running to me. "Thanks for coming."
"No problem. What did you want to talk about?" I asked him.
"Well, about the twins and another thing."
"Steve are you telling me that you found someone else?" I asked.
"In away. My sweetheart from high school came back to town. She asked me if I was married and I said no. Oh, this is a good mess. I just don’t know what to do. Allison what do you think I should do?"
"Well, Steve, what do you like about Clarabelle?"
"She’s shy, sensitive, and cute." He said.
"Okay. What do you like about Georgette?"
"Oh, she’s outgoing, understandable, and funny."
"And your high school sweetheart?"
"Oh, Josephine. She’s everything. She’s Clarabelle and Georgette combined."
"Then I know you don’t want Clarabelle and Georgette. Take Josephine. She’s everything you seem to want. Why not take her?"
"Because she’s engaged to Washington Freeman. He was the ‘bully’ at school. I can’t believe it."
"Neither can I!" I said.
"What do you mean?"
"I used to live next to him and his wife. That’s before I came to work for True’s father. So either he got divorced or she passed away."
"You mean there’s a chance that Washington might still be married. Yes, I’ll have to check into that."
"Steve, where is Josephine staying?"
"With Washington in her parents home. Why? Did you want to meet them?"
"As a matter of fact, yes."
"Okay. We can go now. I told her I’d be stopping by." He said pointing to where his car was parked.
"Sound’s good. Shall we?"
As we drove to her house, Steve started to shake. We reached the house and got out.
"Are you okay?"
"I’ll be fine." He answered.
We went up and rang the bell. Washington answered.
"Hullo, what can I do for you?" he asked.
"Hi, is Josephine home?" Steve asked.
"Who’s wondering?"
"Allison Burton and Steve Beten." I said.
"Steve Beten is Josey’s old boyfriend. But Allison Burton doesn’t ring a bell." Washington said.
"I used to live next to you when I went to college. Then I was Allison Young." I told him.
"Oh now I remember," he said. "My wife wondered what happened to you."
"How is your wife?" I asked.
"She’s doing fine. Just a second, I’ll go get her. Why don’t you come in?"
"Thank you." we said stepping in.
We waited a few minutes and Washington came back.
"Follow me please."
So we followed. We went into a room. It had purple walls and white carpet, a maple dresser set and a canary bed.
"Allison is that you?" the lady asked.
"Yes, Mrs. Freeman. It’s me." I said walking up to the side of the bed.
"Miss Young, how is everything going?" she asked.
"Well, I got married it’s Allison Burton now. And this is Steve, a friend of Josephine’s." I told her.
"Oh it’s good to meet friends of Josey’s."
"Is Josey staying with you?"
"Yes she is. She was having trouble at home and Washington couldn’t let her go through the pain."
"What pain. Mrs. Freeman?" I asked.
"With all the bruises and cuts." She answered.
"Josey’s father was beating her. She lived with her mom and when her mom died…" Washington couldn’t finish.
"She ended up moving in with her father. Washington, why did you take her in?" Steve asked.
"She called and asked if we had a room. This was her mom’s house. When her mom died they put it up for sale. A month later we bought it. We lived next to Allison for a short period of time while the house was getting painted." He answered.
"But why did Josey call you?" I asked.
"Because I am her uncle. Yes we’re the same age. But when she was born, her mom’s parents adopted me. They decided that Josey needed a companion."
"And here I thought she was here for a different reason." Steve said.
"While we should be going. It was nice seeing you. I’ll stop and visit sometime next week." I told them.
"See you then." Mrs. Freeman and Washington said at the same time.
We, Steve and I, left. I looked at him and said, "Now don’t you fell stupid?"
"Very much so. Tell the twins I found someone else." Steve said as we got into the car.
"Steve, that’s your job. When you drop me off you can tell them."
"That’s what I thought you’d say. Your right." He said quietly.
As we pulled up he started shaking again.
"You’ll be alright." I told him.
"Steve, we’ve been waiting for you," the twins said.
"Ladies, won’t you sit down. I have something to tell you." Steve said. "I’ve found someone else. I’m sorry."
"Sorry, after all we’ve been through! He’s sorry, Clarabelle." Georgette said.
"Georgette, don’t get in a hissy fit. He liked me better. I just don’t know what this new person has that we don’t."
"He liked me better not you."
"Clarabelle, Georgette. Please stop arguing. I’ll bring her around. She’s the niece of a friend of Allison’s." Steve said.
"Steve, I’d like to invite you and Josey to dinner this Saturday." I said.
"I’d be honored. I’ll see if Josey is available this Saturday."