The Cuckoo's Cage

Chapter Ten

Anna waved goodbye as the car pulled out of the driveway. She tried very hard to hide the enormous grin that desperately wanted to fill her face. She had to appear morose. Even lack of sleep wasn't dampening her mood. As predicted, Ernst had approached their parting night together with vigour and enthusiasm, so she had had to as well. Now, she could turn her attention to something far more important; Maria.

Anna wanted to dash back inside, but she knew that she needed to consider what she was going to say. She decided to take a walk around the lake, thinking over everything in her head. She wanted to scream at her and wound her the same way she had been wounded herself. But she knew that wouldn't help. Karl was the only one who she could yell at and not be worried about consequence. He'd simply laugh at her and carry on as he was. Her mother had taught her to calm herself down before an argument; 'Or you'll just seem like a harpee devouring its prey!' she used to say. Anything to appeal to Anna's love of mythology. She took her time wandering around the lake, mulling everything over in her mind. When she was ready, she went straight to the kitchen. Maria was there, along with Brigitte and Elsa. The cook was taking time off whilst the family were away, so Maria was now running the kitchen. Maria glanced up at her, her green eyes fixed on Anna. Then she just looked away again. Anna cleared her throat.

"Brigitte, Elsa, would you leave us please?" she said, her voice soft yet commanding. They did as they were told, scurrying away. Maria just carried on chopping vegetables.

"Taking your role as lady of the house very seriously, I see," she murmured as Anna came and sat down beside her.

"I just wanted to talk to you," said Anna calmly. Maria didn't respond, the sound of the knife against the wooden board filling the room. "Remember that you told me that you missed the sound of my voice?" Anna said suddenly, Maria pausing. "It's been two months since you've said more than two damn words to me."

"Well, what did you expect?" spat Maria, going back to her chopping.

"I'd have hoped for some understanding," ventured Anna, trying not to be deterred by her ferocity. Maria finally laid down her knife, turning to Anna with her hand on her hip.

"Do you know what, Anna?" she said in a low voice. "I don't understand. I don't understand any of this. How is your little charade actually helping your sister? All I see is you lying to those children and then have to hear your stupid sex games at night!"

"Perhaps," seethed Anna, her cheeks flushing red, "if you actually talked to me, I could tell you what good it has done!"

"You're getting annoyed at me?!" asked Maria, incredulous.

"Yes, I am!" snapped Anna, standing to meet her eyeline now. "You speak as if I've abandoned you, and it's the complete opposite!"

"Excuse me?!"

"You've decided, for some god damned reason, that rejecting me and what I'm doing will make what's happened to you easier to deal with. But it won't!"

"You have no idea what this is like for me!" protested Maria.

"Really?! I, of all people, don't understand what it's like to be repeatedly abused and then forced into contact with that man?"

"And suppose I just decided to take up with Keller one day?" she snapped. "How would you feel then? I mean, look how you hated that Myra girl! You and she are no different." There was a deathly silence.

"Are you in earnest?!" said Anna, in a half whisper. "You think I want to be with Ernst?!"

"I don't think it started that way," admitted Maria, her voice lowering again. "But the way he looks at you..." Her voice trailed off, her face screwed up tight. "How could you do this to me, Anna?"