I picked my bag up from the small, little grey bed and locked my apartment, for good. For once, I don’t even care what time it is. All I’m doing is walking. The dim, drab building will now, also, be just a memory. Delilah is picking me up. I never knew Ricky proposed to her. She set our bus ride. The bus will take us to Marlowe Davis. Roxy and Joe will also be with us. And we’re all going there, together. It’s not raining, but it’s cloudy. I’ve just exited the building…and I see them. They’re standing by the car, waiting for me. Wasting no time, I ran to them and hugged them tight. We all started crying, this is the longest any of us have ever been separated from one another. Feeling the warmth of their embrace, we got in the car, on our way to the train station.
‘Del, it’s massive!’ Roxy admirably spoke of Delilah’s, truly massive, one-carat diamond ring, who in turn, held out her slim finger for all of us to see.
‘Thanks…though can you believe Ricky insisted on bigger?’ She blushed pink.
‘Oh! It’s so beautiful!’ Roxy continued. She had always been the romantic one, so for her, this held more meaning.
‘When’s the wedding?’ Roxy perused the ring some more. ‘Just know I’m the maid of honour!’
Delilah burst out laughing. ‘Yes, you are!’ She then looked at her ring again, dreamily and appreciatively. ‘The wedding’s soon. In about three month’s time. Ricky suggested it would be better to complete the deal with his company first.’ Roxanne nodded, understanding. ‘You know…he told me, the night he proposed to me of course…’ de-tracking again, looking abstractedly ahead of the car (she’s sitting in the middle) ‘…when we had gone to the park together, at night, under the brightest stars, for a walk…’ she then turned, gazing at us, ‘…he said, there’s something about me that immediately tells him I’m his…’
Amid Roxanne’s ‘awwws’, I smiled… ‘That’s what dad said to…’
‘…Mom.’ Joe and I said it together. We looked at each other and gave wistful smiles. I had my partner in crime back.
‘Del…’ I leaned over to her and hugged her. ‘I’m really, very happy for you… Who would have thought? The second youngest the first to get married!’
Suddenly there was a long silence. That was the first time anybody had mentioned her – even if indirectly. And it made us all aware of why we got together in the first place.
‘Ma’am…we have arrived at the bus station.’ Del’s fancy chauffeur just informed us.
Shaking from the long spell of silence, I opened the car door. We all got out. Everyone looks so ill equipped. It’s like we just left all that we were doing and decided on the journey. We can’t bring anyone else with us, because they’ll kill them. We on the other hand, are shielded.
I see the bus waiting for us. None of us ever went back to Alistan Town, but instead, all my sisters came to meet me at News Grove…and from there, we were boarding the bright purple bus together. The driver was an old man, with a polite looking face, hidden by his round spectacles, and a crisp white uniform to match his crisp white hair.
‘Welcome ladies! It looks like we don’t have many passengers.’
No…just us.’ I add awkwardly.
‘Well now, I wouldn’t be surprised. We ARE going to Marlowe Davis after all. Damn town has all sorts of rumours circulating about it.’ We all sighed, which immediately prompted the driver – as if we had been the recipients of his ill conduct, to add, ‘Not that they’re real of course. Only rumours.’ And he turned to radiate one of the most assuring smiles ever, though we know how dead wrong he was.
Inside, Roxy and Del sat together, gossiping away about all the romantic rendezvous Del had with Ricky, while Joe chose to sit at the end of the bus, looking out the watered window.
‘Joe?’ I put my hand on her shoulder.
‘What do you think is gonna happen now?’ She looks so apprehensive; there are tears in her eyes.
‘I don’t know myself.’ She looked away; disappointed. ‘But, hey, listen…’ I pulled myself closer to her, ‘I know the worst. I know we’re going there with a purpose. We may not be able to save her…we may not know the answers…we may not know how long this happened…but we, will, not, give, in…’ I can feel the tears coming in my own eyes now, but don’t remove my steady gaze away from Joe’s eyes.
‘Carr-oli...’ She tries to finish my entire name again.
‘Carr…’ I coax her once more.
‘Carr…we may not find her there even… What if…they moved?’
‘Then they moved. Not much we can do then. You need to know properly right now that the chances we have, our minus infinity from the start, against them.’ I stopped, a sudden comfort sweeping over me. ‘But Joe, we shouldn’t worry too much. After all we’re protected by mom’s clause remember? They can’t so much as touch us. It’ll backlash.’ I can see Joe relax a little. ‘So we are just going to go and save Annie…which we will…somehow…I can feel it.’
Joe began to push back the loose fringe on her forehead. ‘I guess.’ She looked out the window and just stared. ‘I…had a dream about mom.’
‘Mom?’ I’m a believer in all dreams now.
‘Yeah, mom. She told me…she…has faith.’ Joe breathed a heavy sigh. ‘And she said…you won’t let her down.’
This is very fascinating. I hope I’m hearing what Joe said correctly. ‘Why me?’
‘Because…’
‘Ladies, we have arrived at the destination.’ The bus driver, Mr.Polsky announced right then.
‘All right…’ I said, getting up. ‘Let’s bring her back.’ I said to Joe, who nodded fervently. She’s perked up with the same gloss of adventure I had remembered her with.
We got off the bus and onto the wet stony pavement. Once again there was not a taxi in sight, and we realized there that we had no other option but to walk to Holstridge Manor.
‘Will we ever learn?’ Joe said, laughing sarcastically, as the furious, cold rain pecked at our heads. ‘We should honestly have our own car by now.’
-- CHAPTER 13 --
Reunion