The girl who would wear green

Chapter Thirteen

Tomorrow Essie would be twelve. She woke on the morning before her birthday thinking about turning twelve, about growing up, and about her gift. She'd definitely grown up over the past year, she thought. She knew she would be a woman soon, and that thought was sort of scary.
Her mum had explained it to her about bras, and other things. She sort of understood she thought, and she had a bra or two for practice wear, but she really didn't care if she just stayed the same as now. Her hair was still impossible, and nothing else had changed much except her legs and arms seem to have gotten even longer, her feet bigger, and of course, she was taller. She would worry about the rest later.
She jumped out of bed and headed downstairs to find the kitchen empty.
She searched the house, calling "Mum? Dad?"
Surely mum had not had to go into work on a Saturday? Dad usually had breakfast started if Mum wasn't up yet, but nothing had been started. She went back up and got dressed in her green top and matching skirt, and then headed out towards the shed.
Her mother and father were there, packing up the car, both of them looking a bit frazzled. "What's up?" Essie asked. "Where's breakfast? What's going on?" Her mum and dad explained that there was an emergency, and they had to leave now, they had a long drive ahead of them.
"What about my birthday tomorrow? Are we coming back for it?" said Essie. "Is someone sick? "
"No, Essie" replied Sebastian, "but we need to go and visit your grandmother, there is work to be done that she can help us with, and your help is going to be needed as well. We will celebrate your birthday at your Grandmother's. It is time for you to meet, and the combined strengths of your gifts will be essential to our mission".
Essie felt a thrill of excitement. She was going to meet her grandmother, at last! But then she remembered.
"What about Amelia, dad? We were going to spend my birthday together, she was coming for a picnic with us, remember?" The look on her dad's face told Essie that he'd forgotten and that this may cause a problem with their plans.
Her mum said, "Essie, I am sure Amelia will understand. Can you go to her place now please, and tell her we have a family emergency and we have to leave early?"
Rather reluctantly, Essie headed around the side of her home, and started up towards Amelia's house. As Essie came closer, she started to feel upset, and then scared and worried. Then waves and waves of misery came to her, and they were coming from Amelia's house.
Essie ran the rest of the way, and when she reached the front of Amelia's home, she started calling her name. Amelia came out and Essie could see that she had been crying. Essie suddenly felt a terrible sadness, and with it a yearning and lost feeling. She reached out and held Amelia, both arms around her as they put their heads together.
As she did so, the picture became clearer to Essie. She forgot the errand she was supposed to be doing, and forgot the family emergency, because there she could see. Amelia was on her own, and Amelia had been on her own for quite a long time. Essie suddenly understood the feelings that had come from Amelia, the confusion, and most of all, the longing. She just wanted her mum.

"Where's your mum, Amelia?" Essie asked quietly.
"She's gone" Amelia replied sadly, "and I don't think she's coming back this time."
In bits and pieces the story came out, with Essie prompting Amelia as the picture became clearer in her head.
Amelia's dad had been the one who looked after her, Amelia said, and he and Amelia had been very close, best friends really. Then he died. Amelia was devastated but she knew her dad would want her to be strong, so she tried.
But she was left alone a lot, because her mother went away. "I don't know why mum went away all the time, she said she had to, and she said I couldn't come!" cried Amelia.
When everyone had thought that Amelia's mum was at home and preferred to stay in the house, she had been gone. Quite often Amelia woke to find herself alone, with no idea when her mum would return.
Amelia said she'd been managing on her own when she was gone, but she didn't have much food left, and she was worried because this time she'd been gone for weeks.
I'm scared, so scared that she is not coming back" Amelia cried, "I don't know what to do. "
Essie hugged Amelia as she sobbed and she closed her eyes and concentrated as she tried to bring something of Amelia's mum into her mind, but Amelia's sadness kept getting in the way.
Essie could see quite clearly what must be done. She wasn't sure how her mum and dad would feel about this, but suddenly Essie was very certain that she was to bring Amelia with her, to visit her Grandmother. She would know what could be done.
A long discussion followed with her mother and father. They were both quite angry and upset that they had not known what was happening, and that Amelia had been on her own for so long now.
Her dad was not sure at all that this was the right thing to do, to bring Amelia with them as there was a certain danger in allowing anyone else to be involved in this, but of course she could not be left on her own for one minute longer.
In the end, Essie's mum said, "I shouldn't be coming on this journey either, but sometimes the unexpected is exactly what may be needed."
Eventually, a little later than planned, and after Essie's dad had made sure she was wearing her locket, they all set off on the journey to visit Essie's grandmother. Amelia sat in the car, feeling relieved that someone else knew at last, but also feeling as if she had let her mother down by telling. She felt guilty too, because somehow she thought that it was her fault if her mum kept leaving her.
She had been so frightened that she may have been put in a home if it became known that she was on her own. At the same time she was upset because she could not understand why her mother left her, and didn't seem to worry about her when she did. Was it her fault?
Really too much for an Eleven year old to handle on her own.
Julia assured Amelia that she would not have to go into any home once they returned, and that Amelia could stay with them for as long as she wanted.