Eastern District School

Chapter 26 - A Quiet Night

"'P'?" Was all she could manage to say.

"I wonder what it means, 'P' could stand for anything." Rich said. His words were soft, calm. The total opposite of what Rose was feeling now.

Her head was actually buzzing, and she sat there staring at him, in such a dream-like state. It was true, but far-fetched that Rich could think that P stood for anything other than Peter. 

The room fell silent for a few minutes.

"Tomorrow I am going to take you down town to the city's archives, and we will find death certificates, marriage certificates. We need to establish some kind of family tree, before we start speculating things that don't add up!" Rich said suddenly, and Rose heard every word he said closely.

She nodded. "Thank you."

It obviously made sense.

"Have you never thought to look for a family tree? You know, to start a family tree of your own?" he asked.

"No, I've never had any need to look for them. I never knew them.Like I said before, there were no pictures to look at. No stories to hear. This is all new to me now. Only now do I wonder what they were like. To wonder when they were born, their anniversary....their personality. Only now are those thoughts in my head. Are those kind of questions even forming. In fact, sometimes I don't even think of the question, I just hear you say it."

"I don't mean to put ideas in your head, Rose. I just tend to think out loud." he seemed quite sorry for himself then, his eyes went down with his head, staring at the grown. Rose half expected his tail to go down too....if he had been a dog.

"No Rich, you don't put them in my head. Believe me they're already there. You just voice them when I'm too coward to do so!" It wasn't the first time she had admitted this, she thought, only this time it was out aloud.

"You're not a coward. You're very brave. Sometimes I just look at you and think 'how the hell is she holding it altogether?' I don't think I would be the same. The slight mention of my own family in this story sets me crazy inside."

And he didn't think she was?

"Look, let's not try to comfort each other here. Tomorrow we'll sort some more details out. There isn't much more we can do now, is there?"

Rich seemed to hesitate at first. "Well not really no. Except get something to eat."  

She couldn't be sure if that had been a rhetorical question or not, but internally she was rolling her eyes. Had he not heard her say earlier that she just wanted to rest? Being addicted to reading those letters, hadn't changed that.  She may not have been tired, but she wanted to rest. For her body to do nothing, just lay there, whilst her mind did all the hard work. She wouldn't worry what was going on (or so she told herself), but she thought that by going over things in her own mind, without Rich's helpful input, she may be able to piece together some of what was going on.

"We can go somewhere. I know of somewhere in town that is great, and not too busy during week nights. You do have to eat Rose. If you don't want to talk, that's fine. I don't need to talk. I'll read a newspaper!"

She hadn't meant to laugh, but she couldn't believe he would actually do that. Also the image of them sitting in a restaurant together, a candle and an uncomfortable silence between them. Her sat one side tucking into a huge steak (which she couldn't deny, sounded amazing right now) and he...sat there, reading a newspaper. The newspaper would no doubt catch alight with the luck they seemed to have.

Rich stared at her, his eyesbrows both high in a questionable way. He waited for her to explain her outburst, but she didn't.

She sighed, a deep sigh. Half of her wanted to tell him to leave her alone, she also realised, however, the reason why he didn't want to leave her alone. But why would he take her out somewhere? "Okay, on one condition. Don't bring a newspaper!"