Let tomorrow come

Chapter 8.

On Sunday everyone gathered for tea in the large living room. In one part, the housewife's friends were interested in Mabel, because it's not every day that they see guests from afar. The woman willingly shared information about her life, family life and the latest news from Northern Ireland. The living room was a beehive; there was noise from conversations in this corner and that corner. In another part, a children's table was set. In addition to Christina, John and Amber, grandmother's friends brought three more, two eight-year-old girls, like two peas in a pod, and one shy teenager of about fourteen. Christina was not so bored today, because she communicated well with the twins. They came once a month with Grandma Greta to Grandma Eugena. They had been friends since they were young, and always found something to chat about, sometimes they knitted something together over a cup of tea, and behind their chairs the fireplace crackled comfortably. Christina loved to sit and watch the fire, or play with dolls with the twins, because then her grandmother would let her play with the girls. And Grandma Greta was not so strict towards Christina. And the shy teenager's name was Peter. He studied at the same school with Christina, was very smart and inquisitive, and preferred to read books alone. His parents were friends of Christina's and John's parents, and sometimes visited the elderly woman. Their son sometimes came by himself, because he loved such things, as the silence, the old-fashioned atmosphere of the estate and the crackling of the wood in the fireplace. Lady Winnes always told John that he would become as smart as Peter if he studied hard, to which he assured his grandmother that it would be so. And then laughed for a long time because of her naive faith in him.

So today, after having a snack, the children went upstairs to have fun with toys. Nanny Sophie went to look after them. Peter took another book, sat down in the corner of the room on a soft mattress and seemed to isolate himself from the rest of the world. Only John and Amber remained downstairs. They kept whispering about something and did not go with the others to the leisure room, but headed to John. Christina didn't like it, but she quickly forgot about it because her friends were with her and she didn't feel lonely. And when they were playing with a small ball and laughing loudly, Nanny Sophie tried to reason with them, but the little girls quieted down for a while, and then it all started all over again.

After seven o'clock in the evening the guests slowly began to leave. Christina said goodbye to the twins, for whom Grandma Greta had already come, smiling warmly at Christina goodbye. Peter decided to read a little more. Nanny Sophie took Chris to her room.

***

Ten days later, absolutely identical, with tedious classes from Alice, who was already quite annoying and constantly nagging, although Christina grasped everything on the fly, the girl went out to get some fresh air to the fountain, then decided to walk along the lawn. She was left to her own devices: John and Amber tried to do petty mischief together while grandma wasn't looking. Chris even noticed the day before how they stole into Amber's room her grandmother's favorite shawl, which her parents gave grandma two years ago when they arrived from India.

"I wonder where they got her from... I should say, but what if she scolds me again," the girl thought and decided to remain silent.

Today Christina wore a beige turtleneck and a blue felt skirt.

"How beautiful and airy she is."

With these thoughts, the girl decided to spin around a little as she approached the house. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, her skirt caught fire. Christina didn't even have time to understand what was happening, and the fire was already eating up all the beauty. She screamed and started rolling on the grass. After about fifteen seconds she managed to knock the fire off herself, but she was so scared that she passed out. Ann ran out first and found the girl lying unconscious and rushed to her lamenting. Gardener Claude came running from his greenhouse. A little later, an old lady came out. She began to say in a raised voice that screaming was unacceptable in this house, then she saw Christina in Claude's arms. Amber peeked out from behind her skirt. John ran out and started saying something harmful. But the grandmother motioned him to shut up.

"Ann, call Peter's father, maybe he can help, he's a doctor. Claude, take her to the hospital, just wrap her in something. I can't look at this shame."