The Echoes of Solitude

Chapter Eighteen

The inside of Martha's house was huge.

I stood behind Mrs. Webber and took in the surroundings of the foyer, noticing the bright colour and look that was displayed everywhere. It had this homely feeling about it even though it looked like something out of a magazine. With marble-tiled floors, a huge black spiral staircase, and standing pillars that held up the second story, I felt as though I had walked into a celebrity's mansion. I looked down at the black work clothes that I was wearing and grimaced internally, I felt very underdressed.

I followed Marie through the archway and down the wide hallway, stopping behind Marie when we entered the next room.

Martha was standing behind the bench that faced the doorway, a black pot in one hand and a spatula in the other. She smiled brightly at us when she saw us.

"Perfect, you ladies are here." She stated. "Dinner should be ready in the next ten minutes."

"What can I do to help, Martha?" Mrs Webber asked as she walked towards the kitchen, passing the massive wooden dining table that sat in the middle of the room.

"Could, you grab some plates out of the pantry, please," Martha answered as she stood at the stove, stirring the pasta in the pot.

"Of course."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked politely. I moved away from the doorway and began walking towards where the two women were in the kitchen. They were moving around each other with ease, almost as if they had been doing it for years.

Mrs Webber looked over at me, a small smile appearing on her lips. "No, thank you, dear. I think we have it all covered. Why don't you go sit down and relax or have a wander around the house? I'll call you when it's ready if you would like?"

"Oh, okay, sure," I replied with a small smile. "I'll just look around," I motioned with a hand around the room.

I walked away from the kitchen and over to the sitting area, my eyes were drawn to the artwork that hung on the far west wall. I stopped in front of each one, my eyes examining each of the pieces, admiring and taking in their different expressions and meanings.

I moved over to the dining area and stopped dead in front of a black-framed family portrait.

A small gasp slipped between my lips, no way... I thought to myself in disbelief.

I didn't realise I had spoken aloud. Mrs Webber's lifted her head from where she was stood in the kitchen and turned around to look at me. "Are you okay, dear?" Concern filled her face.

I shrugged my shoulders unable to get a grasp on my thoughts. "Um..." I couldn't speak, I couldn't think.

Everything in my vision blurred except the picture in front of me.

My eyes stayed fixated on the photo, becoming entranced with disbelief in what I was seeing.

Because there in front of me stood an ordinary family smiling happily at the camera.

A young Martha who had her arm around her husband's waist, and two tall boys who stood on either side of the young girl who had red curly hair, bright green eyes, and a small dotted nose.

Red hair, green eyes, and a dotted nose that were almost identical to the ones on my body.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The young girl in the photo, looked exactly like I did when I was ten years old.

She looked exactly like me. I froze at the thought. What does that even mean? Who is she? I frowned in confusion.

Mrs Webber moved from the kitchen and stood beside me. She didn't say a word. She just stood there in silence, looking up at the photo that had me spooked.