Cleaning up a Murder - Chapter 1

18 years ago

Chapter 1

Savra had always known what she'd wanted to be in life. She wanted to be helpful. Some of her earliest memories were of helping her Grandmother on her fruit farm. She'd loved the aroma of the farm. The way her fingers smelled if she accidentally crushed a berry in them, the fresh air, she even liked the smell of the manure from the dairy farm next door. If she was being honest, the feelings the farm gave her were the true reason she'd liked to help, but she also liked seeing her Granny happy. It had been her duty to go pick blueberries, or strawberries, or whatever fruit Granny had told her to pick that day so that the busy business people could stop in and grab a bucket, pay, and leave without having to do any picking on their own. She knew that since she was only five years old at the time it was probably one of the only duties that Granny could entrust in her. Regardless, it was something she enjoyed doing and she knew her Grandmother could spend the time she would have spent picking on something else. "1, 2, 3, 4...." She would count until she had enough berries in any particular basket to fill it. Granny would check on her throughout the day, but Savra prided herself on being Granny's 'good girl' who never got into anything she shouldn't. 

Savra's mother was one of the busy business people that Granny had talked about. During the summers when Savra wasn't at school, Momma had used Granny as a free daycare. Dropping her off at 6am, rushing off to work, then picking her up anywhere from 7pm-9pm, sometimes later. It was sort of like being one of the baskets of fruit she picked that the busy people would come and get from Granny's farm on the way home, except instead of being fruit, she was just a little girl who wanted nothing more than to have the attention of her mother. Funnily enough, the fruit the other business people brought home would probably receive more attention than Savra would from her mother. Savra was just walking up the dirt path to Granny's stand. The little hand on her watch was almost on the 5, and the big hand was almost on the 12 and that's when she had to be back in from the field because Granny would have dinner ready. Just as she looked up to the house she saw her Mother's pearl-white cadillac. Her mother was just stepping out of the vehicle, wiping off her pantsuit as she stood up. 

 "Momma! Momma! I hit a new record of berry baskets today!"
Her mother had replied "That's great sweetie. Mom, do you have Savra's things packed up? I really need to get home. I just received a call from work and I need to be waiting by the house phone for a call from the CEO of Springs international." Savra had always gotten the sense that her mother didn't care about her accomplishments. To her, they were insignificant. Nonetheless, she looked up to her mom and wanted to be just like her someday.
"Just a minute, Amy," Granny callled from inside the house "I'm just fixing dinner," She appeared wiping a rag on her hands and flipped her wrist up to look at her own watch, which matched Savras. "Oh, I didn't realize it was so early. Don't you even have a minute to sit down and eat with us? I just made some fresh juice from some fruit Savra picked today to go with dinner. It would be lovely if we could all have a quick meal," Granny tried to coax her into it, but we all knew that Momma was always too busy for either of us. Savra couldn't help but beam at the mention of her fruit pickings today. She considered it her job and Granny her employer. What was better than getting a compliment from your boss?
"C'mon Mom, I can't sit down. Do you have any idea how busy I am lately? " Amy shook her head slightly and closed her lips tightly as if to say she was done talking about the matter.
"I know, I know, Honey. I just miss you is all."
"You see me almost every day when I pick Savra up and when I drop her off, don't you?" Savra could hear the annoyance in her voice. It wasn't a new sound, in fact it seemed to be a permanent part of her Mother's voice.
Granny spotted Savra on the other side of the car and forced a smile, lifting her head to look at Amy.
"OK, I understand, Sweetie. Maybe next time," but Savra could hear the hurt in her voice. Granny always tried to stay positive when Savra was around. Granny's motto was 'happiness comes to those who value others.' Savra sure did feel valued by Granny. She loved her Grandmother more than anyone else in the entire world. Granny was the one who encouraged her to try new things. Savra was naturally a shy child and it could be hard for her to make new friends at times. Granny was obviously her very best friend, and one of her only friends besides her neighbor, Julia; but, Julia had moved away last year because her daddy was in the Army. Savra didn't entirely understand what that meant, but she knew that when Julia's daddy went away, Julia wasn't around as much because she had to help out with her two younger twin brothers and baby sister. Granny was always around to listen to her, to teach her how to make a new pie out of the fruit they would pick, to play hide and go seek. Savra knew Granny was a one-of-a-kind Granny. 

"Savra, get your bag please and don't forget Ralphie. We know what happened the last time you forgot Ralphie at Granny's for the night." Ralphie was Savra's most favorite stuffed animal. He was a stuffed deer and she'd never seen another like him. Of course he was well used, but that meant he was more valued. She silently gathered her bag, double checking for Ralphie just to be sure. She slung the bag over her shoulder and Granny helped her put the other strap on. Mother picked her cell phone out of her pocket, rose it to her ear, and hurried toward the car, ushering for Savra to hurry it up. The look of annoyance really never left her face.
"I love you munchkin! I'll see you tomorrow bright and early! Maybe we can make some blueberry pancakes when you get here. That sounds good doesn't it, Love?" Granny bent down and gave her a great, big bear hug.
"Can I put the blueberries in?" Savra already knew the answer, but she wanted to make sure it was a set-in-stone thing before tomorrow morning rolled around.
"I wouldn't trust anyone else to put the blueberries in the pancakes the perfect way you do, my sweet granddaughter. I love you so very much, be a good girl for your Mommy like I know you always are for me."
"I will Granny. I love you too." Savra stood in front of Granny secretly not wanting to leave, but she knew she had to go with her Mom.
"Better get going; Momma's waiting and we both know how she can get." And with that Granny walked Savra out to the car, opened the door, and helped her get buckled in. With one last big kiss on the cheek, Granny left Savra giggling and shut the door. Granny stood in the drive waving as the car drove away. Amy never got off her phone to even notice or care, but Savra took in the image of Granny and thought about how lucky she was to have her in her life.

It was the last image she would ever have of Granny, and she was thankful for that. The next morning when they drove up. Savra ran to the house like normal, her Mother never got out of the car, just glanced towards the house to make sure Savra made it. When Savra entered the house, she knew something wasn't right. Granny wasn't in the entryway waiting to greet her. Savra rounded the corner to the kitchen. There was Granny, dead on the floor laying in a puddle of her own blood. A bowl of pancake batter had fallen beside her and was splattered on the floor.

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