Eastern District School

Chapter 65 - Time for a swim?

Wasn't there some kind of rule for that? Confidentiality of something or rather? Rose, open-mouthed as she was, clearly not expecting such an almost interrogation. Having had some kind of invisible hold on her as he apparently appeared to open his soul to her, seemed still to linger. Almost compelling her to answer.

Why would he suspect that his grandmother, frail in mind that she was, was able to say anything in a coherent way? Had she not cried out her husband's name through her lips? Her final words were his name!

The truth in all the matter was however, that Rose, no matter how many times she had turned it over and over in her mind, that she realised she just didn't understand completely what Jennifer was saying. And for a woman who's mind had been attacked by this horrible disease, some words made sense, and other tore down the resolves of the words previously spoken. She had wanted to tell Rose that her father loved her very much. 

Rose had thought for a time why Jennifer would even say such a thing. Had she been speaking to Rose herself meaning that her father loved her? Or had she been talking to 'Rose', as her best friend telling her how much Thomas loved her? 

'You don't know, do you?' she had said, 'He does love you, he told me so himself!'

Rose closed her eyes for a mere two seconds remembering her words as if she were right there saying them next to her again. As she reopened her eyes a single tear from each silently fell slowly down her pale cheeks. 

Rich remained silent and motionless as his eyes still locked on her own flickered at the sight of her washed emotions. Yet he waited, patiently for her answer. 

Had Jennifer thought 'Rose' her best friend was suddenly unaware of the love Thomas had felt for her? At what point in time was Jennifer's mind in, when she spoke to her those words? You don't know, you don't know. Rose turned those words over and over. The trouble was, that was just it...Rose Pearce, as she was known before she married Thomas Johnstone, DID know. The letters two and fro that she had read...that they had read proved just so...

Rose's thoughts were disrupted as she remembered the other letter that they still had to read, seemingly still in the confinements of Rich's bag by her feet. In a slow gesture, she moved her eyes towards it now, all-the-while wondering if it were even the right time. The right time to add yet more misery to her overwhelming emotions. 

Rich didn't seem to have noticed her glance, or more thankfully her thoughts. "Rose I need to know. Will you honestly not tell me?"

Rose looked once again into his eyes, almost shipwrecked by the pain she saw in his open eyes, bringing the tears freely to her own eyes.

"Rich," she began in a hoarse whisper, almost not recognising her own voice. "It's not that I cannot answer, it's that I do not understand what it...what she meant to say." She felt her hand gripping his arm, as she turned in her seat to face him. If his own eyes spoke to her, surely he could read hers, she thought. She willed her own eyes then, to tell him that she might break if he made her say those words. 

"It might not make sense to you, but..." 

Rose cut him off, knowing this stubborn mad would not give in, until she gave him some kind of an answer. 

"I think she was either talking about my father or perhaps she thought I were she again, and was simply telling me that Thomas..."

Although the pain was still visible, there was another look in his eyes now, a quizzical look if anything. "Rose? Can you not tell me? Even if she spoke of thieves and butterflies, it would mean everything to me. To know what she was thinking..." This time he broke his own train of thought.