Gloomville Diaries - Gen 1 - Ch 21 - The Hike siblings

Ochana decided to organize her finds in the secret attic office, and recently she got some more information from old Mrs. Raven; all suspicion leads to Willow Farm.

Some nights, after Chad and the children were all asleep, Ochana would sneak up into the attic, to read the old diaries. She already completed Aileen Gleeson's book twice, and then a book written by someone named Edwin. Edwin who? She ought to find out!

Sitting in the secret office was both exciting, cozy and a bit scary. The poisons up there on the shelf waited to be emptied, and soon Ochana would need to start writing her own book! Some times the entire Secret Mission felt just silly, but some nights she felt that someone was watching her.

Days flew, and most days focused on ordinary family life. With 4 kids in the house there was plenty to do. Soon the older twins, Edith and Miranda, would become teenagers!

This morning Edith was eager to go to school, while Miranda was still eating. Pivian and Paula left already.

- Hurry up, Miranda!
- I'm still hungry! Hey, soon it's our birthday!
- Yes, so what?
- Do you think we will get a new room upstairs when we are teens? Because I do! I heard someone in there yesterday, I think they made us a surprise room!

But Edith was too impatient to listen. She walked out of the kitchen to go to school.

Ochana was cleaning the bathroom, and could hear the girls' conversation in the kitchen. She wished they could afford making use of the rooms upstairs, but would the girls still be interested if all they got to bring there was their beds? No new wallpapers, no new flooring, no new furniture?

Chad was up a little later. He worked late at the club last night, and was still tired.
- We really need more bathrooms, Ochana said.
- Is the toilet clogged again?

- No, she said. - But we are 6 persons, and soon Edith and Miranda will be teenage girls. Do you know how much time teen girls spend in a bathroom, dear?

- We'll give them a new mirror in their bedroom. Would that help?

Ochana was a bit obsessed with their lack of money.
- We also need a better fridge. How many times did you fix it already?

Chad stopped and stepped away from the old fridge.
- There's so many things we could need. I think we'll start with one mirror, then we'll see...

Thinking of birthdays, Ochana realized that as the holder of the Secret Mission she would need to invite one person from each house here in Willow Field. Her birthday was still a few years away, but there were neighbours she had not met yet. It was time to do something about it.

Agaton and Sonia Oaksdale at Willow Farm she already knew pretty well. But across the street there were 3 houses, too! The left one was the Hikes siblings, and she already talked to Adrian Hikes. The middle house belonged to the Grossing family, where old Niels Grossing lived, with his son's family. Ochana met all adults there in the past. To the right lived the two young women, Zilla Brox and Brenda Kammin, Ochana had met them both.

So, she chose to visit the Hikes siblings.

Adrian was at home, and it also turned out that his brother and sister were there, too!

- Nice of you to stop by, Adrian Hikes said. He had been stalking Ochana's door in the past, and she thought he might have been interested, but back then she already met Chad and things were pretty much settled.

- It's on time, Ochana replied. - No kids in your house though? Kids seems to be better at visiting the neighbours. We've got 4.

- I know, Adrian said. - We are all single and no kids. My sister Ella is a super clever computer whiz, she spends all her time on those machines.
- I hear ya! Ella said silently from the counter.

- And my brother Hector is... well, busy with his business most of the time. And myself, I... just didn't find the right girl yet.
- Did you ever hear about a local man named Edwin? Ochana asked, thinking of the secret diary she was reading these days.
- Nope, Adrian said. - We moved in here about the time you did, so we don't know much of the past.
- But do you know who lived in this house before you? she asked.
- Not really. Some real estate company helped us.

- I'm just stoppin by to fetch my belongings! Hector said. - I just moved in with someone at Muggerdale hood. It's better that way.
- Someone I know? Ochana asked.
- Mind your own business, Hector cut her off.

Ochana didn't stay long with the Hikes. She definitely didn't want to waste time on Hector. He was leaving the hood anyway. Adrian seemed the easiest going. Ella might be interesting too, maybe later.

Then she traveled to the library. She planned to practice writing on one of the computers there.

But the library was quite busy, and she really couldn't concentrate while others came and left, and some even talked.

- Quite hard to work in a library these days, she thought, but kept writing for a couple hours.

The next day there were still no bills delivered. They had bought a gift for Edith and Miranda's birthday.

- I was thinking that we should get a computer, Ochana said. She actually wanted a computer for the attic, and her plan was to buy 2 cheap computers while Chad thought she bought just one medium expensive. That way she could keep one of them in the secret office.
- We should wait, Chad replied. - Or maybe we could get a secondhand computer? Just stay away from Hector Hikes' offers, he is a criminal, you know.
- He is? Ochana whispered. - I visited them yesterday!
- You did? Well, he is into shady business somehow. That's why they hardly get involved with their neighbours.

They didn't notice Pipian playing in the trash back there, listening carefully.