First Impression I

Chapter Twenty-One - Eventful

  Chapter Twenty-One – Eventful

I stood at the doorway of the room, hesitating. Mrs Elisabeth Watts was sitting on her rocking chair at the window, her eyes half closed as she enjoyed the rare sunshine that this rainy spring afforded. She wasn’t asleep though as she immediately turned around when I stepped into the room.

“Eleanore, you’re here,” she beamed beatifically.

Dr Hall, Mrs Watts’ doctor, gently nudged me forward.

“Hello, how are you?” I greeted her awkwardly. “I heard you caught a cold.”

“I’m fine, dearie,” she waved away my concerns. “So how was your search?” she asked, with an almost childlike impatience.

I sat down opposite her, fingering my pleated school skirt. “Madam Darryl, she, she has moved away. It’s rather, far away from here.” I swallowed. “And, she’s not very well so she can’t visit you.” 

Mrs Watts’ face fell and I paused, a lump forming in my throat. Dr Hall squeezed my hand reassuringly, reminding me that I was doing the right thing. I continued, my breath shaky. “I, I managed to make a trip there though. And she gave me this to give to you.” I took out a card from my blazer pocket and handed it to Mrs Watts.

Tears filled her grey eyes and spilled onto her pale wrinkled cheeks. She sighed as she stroked the card gently. “I hope she is in better health than I am. I’ve missed her so. Ah, her handwriting has changed. It used to be the most beautiful cursive ever.”

“She has bad eyesight so her, her niece wrote it for her,” I hastily explained.

“Ah,” she said and began reading.

“I can’t thank you enough, Eleanore,” she smiled through her tears as she finished reading and closed the card, placing it on her lap. “Genevieve has forgiven me for all that I did. I can die in peace now.” She heaved a long sigh, as if all her worries and guilt had finally vanished.

“I’m sorry you two couldn’t meet,” I said.

“Don’t worry, child,” she said airily. “Perhaps it was meant to be this way. We’ll meet again in heaven though. I’ll be waiting for her.”

Mrs Watts just smiled. “I used to wait for her under the willow trees near our school. She would always be late. I hope Heaven has some willow trees too. Then, I can wait for her there again.”

It would be Madam Genevieve waiting for her under the willows when she passed away a few days later.

*

“This is the list of people who signed up for the pageant,” Audrey said, handing me the file. Then she turned to address the room, which comprised of the Middle Student Council, Edward – he was responsible for the press coverage of this event. 

“There will be three rounds in total, spanning a period of one month. The first round will begin soon. I have organised a photo shoot at the end of this week for the participants. The pictures will be uploaded online and the students and faculty can start to vote. Voting ends a few days after the Spring Gala.”