Chapter 6 – Good Progress, and a Match
The School Certificate exam was now pressing on the girls. If they passed it they could all move up to the Great Fifth. Finally, it was over and the girls began to relax. Esther was top. Bianca tied with Esther. Alexis and Celine were second. Evelyn, Alice and Baixue were third. No one failed, but Carlotta, who only got 79.5%, which was already considered gold prize, was last. She laughed when the girls teased her, because .5s will be rounded up, so she got 80%. The first few, who were 1st, 2nd and 3rd, who had gotten 90% or above, got gold prizes and the diamond honor prize. Only Georgina, was still at home, hadn’t taken the exam. They all knew she was smart, so most of the time she got either gold or diamond honor.
But then Georgina went awfully sick. She had bronchitis, and coughed blood out. Georgina’s parents had written to Esther, and Esther had told all her dormitory girls and Felicia and Celine. She hinted that the good riders could ride to the nearby town, Rochester County, and take the train and a bus to Georgina’s home. If they were restless enough they could ride all the way. It was only seven miles away. Bianca, Celine, Alice, Alexis, Evelyn and Esther were the first to see her.
“Oh, hi,” she croaked. “How’s school?”
“Well, we have to perform at the end of term,” said Evelyn. “Do you think you’ll be back in time for us to add you into the show?”
“I’ll have to pass School Cert. first, you know. I’ve been trying to work for that already. Just when I’m about finished, I get this awful coughing, so I have to go to bed, and then I forget everything I’ve just learnt.” Georgina coughed. “I always seem to get better for a day or two, and then I just start having the beastly coughing. It’s so awfully tiresome! I know I’ve been a nuisance, but I do miss school. Doctor Vernon said I could go back to school next week – and stay in the san, perhaps. Still, then I can still hear the distant chatter of excitement and the laughter – and I can see that new girl – what’s her name – yes, Baixue. That’d be fun.”
“Take it easy, darling,” called Georgina’s mother, hearing her daughter’s restless chatter.
“Yes, Mother,” she called back.
When the girls left, Georgina’s cheeks shone. She could be sick so much – but she’d still be happy.
“Oh, Esther! Do ask some of the girls to come and see me. I’ll die of boredom if they don’t.”
“You needn’t worry,” said Celine, smiling. “We’ll bring some girls to you all right!”
Celine and Felicia had worked together well and had produced a first-class play in no time at all. They had also produced the characters. Felicia read out the play. It was all about a pair of twins, always arguing and fighting and doing wrong. They met an angel king, whom they didn’t know was the angel king, and the angel king tried to make them change. But then the demon king, an enchanter and conjurer, sends his servants to fight the two white swans, the angel king’s servants. When his servants fail to bring the twins to him, he himself goes and fights the angel king. What will happen next?
There was a lot of cheering and clapping going on. “Now to read out who’ll be what,” said Celine.
“Twins – Janet and Joanne – Alexis and Evelyn! Angel King: Bianca! The two white swans – Esther and Alice! Demon King – Carlotta! Demon Servants – Baixue and Andrea!”
“You’ve done it jolly well,” said Esther. “I’m sure it’ll bring the house down. Rehearsals will be Mondays and Wednesdays after prep. Here are the parts. Oh, Jennifer, you can do the props and designs for costumes. Bianca, I know you’re a part, but you are good with your needle, so you can help make the costumes? And Elsie, you’re good at music, so you can maybe help train our chorus for opening and ending. And for the singing in sideshows, you can write the music?”
The girls who were given jobs and parts beamed. Carlotta had already known about it, so she had been practicing her conjuring.
The play was just part of the show. At the beginning, there would be a two-part song sung by all the girls who weren’t given a part. Then, Lucy would sing a song, and so would Ramona. Alicia was to show her skill and brilliance at piano. Maria would be playing a tune while the servants did their juggling on her double bass. June would be playing on her flute during Carlotta’s conjuring. It would be so much fun.
It was Tuesday when the girls heard that the doubles tennis match would be next week, on Sunday. The two team girls, Esther and Alice, would be playing. Carlotta and Elsie practiced hard too. Finally, the day came. It was a home match.
The enemy came on a small van. It was Rochester College Primary Division team, and they were all big and fierce like boys. Their captain, a tall, slim girl with auburn hair shook hands vigorously with Sadie and Annabeth. Then the match started. Esther ran like the wind, catching the ball without any problem. She hit them hard, so that it was hard to return. Then the Rochester girls got a point! Alice had been rather tired, and then suddenly, when the ball came to her, she missed it. She cried out in humiliation.
The girls played on until they got to the deciding point for the match. And then a terrible accident happened! Just as the ball came to them, Alice accidentally tripped Esther. A sharp pain went through her ankle. The ball came to Esther as she slowly drifted towards the floor. She saw it, and, with all her might, hit the ball. Then she collapsed. The enemies were so happy that they didn’t even see the ball coming to them.
“Point! POINT!” shouted all the home girls. They won the tennis cup. Alice claimed it. She knelt by the unconscious Esther.
“Wake up! We won!” said Alice, anxiously. Then the whole grade came in like a well-trained chorus, “Well done – ESTHER – WE WON! Well done – ESTHER – WE WON!” Then Esther awoke. The girls cheered and clapped. Esther took the cup and hugged it. She asked, “Please, while I go to the san for a few days’ rest, may I take this?”
“Sure!” replied Alice. “Your brave move was the reason we got it. It belongs to you, not me!”
Esther had sprained her ankle badly, and had to stay in the san for a few days before she could get up and walk. It was a relief to her that none of the tennis or swimming competitions were dawning upon her, so that her reserve might play.
When Esther came back into the classes she was quite the heroine of the form.
Georgia went into the san to rest for a few days just as Esther was leaving. For the two overlapping days, the two played games and chatted. Georgia was well again, but the doctor didn’t want her to be exposed to too many people just yet, so he suggested her staying in the san under Gladys the nurse’s care. During that period, Georgia worked hard for the School Cert. She was to take it soon, and she didn’t want to fail.
“We should do something to celebrate Georgia coming back,” said Bianca, generously. “What about that trick? You know, the bubble wrap one.”
“Fine!” screamed Andrea. “It’ll be so much fun!”
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