Eastern District School

Chapter 77 - The Final Tour

It is only in those moments that you truly understand anyone else who has tried to describe to you the feeling of time moving so slowly that you almost feel pulled back in time. As each step you take you try your hardest to smile, all the while every step you take you are crushing the lives of others. Like walking along a bed of bird nests laid out next to each other.

Now although Rose knew she wasn't exactly crushing her mother's home, as she drew closer, step by step she knew this wasn't going to be easy for her. Although her mother appeared calm and composed, her Nan showed clear signs of excitement. 

"Rose, darling." greeted her Nan as she walked towards Rose, cutting the distance between them and lessening that feeling of guilt. "You designed all this?" That was her Nan, cutting to the chase. Unlikely for a chance of a tour first. Another thought occurred to her then, that although she may be able to get her mother confined from the rest of the site, and from fellow workers, she would never get her away from her Nan. Her gaze quickly flicked to Rich now standing beside her. Her Nan followed her gaze and turned her greeting to him.

"So lovely to see your project too. I am excited to be here. We both are aren't we Shirley?" she added as an afterthought. Her hand and head gestured to her daughter to comply with her.

Rose turned her attention from her Nan to face her mother, there eyes instantly connecting. The questionable look from her mother set her back despite the fact she had been anticipating some kind of reaction. However she didn't look angry, just puzzled. 

"So erm, where were you thinking of starting the tour Rose?" Rich asked her suddenly, his eyes trying to tell her something she could not read. 

"Uh...well..." she glanced from Rich to her mother.

"Where does your mum want to start?" 

Rose whipped her head towards her Nan who was stood in the middle of them all. She cocked her head to one side as she looked at her. Why was she asking for her mother's choice, if she seemed to be the only one of the two of them that had just arrived, with any hint of anticipation? Was it simply that she was trying to pull her daughter out of the downward spiral of emotions that she must have picked up, or was there something more that she knew?

"She's being polite, but really quite excited to see her daughter's work," she spoke to Rich as she folded her arms across her chest. "What mother wouldn't..." her voice hovered a moment before she took Rich's arm and walked towards the main entrance. "Close your mouth Rose, you'll catch flies!" she managed in a muttered tone as she brushed past Rose.

Rose did, subconsciously albeit, and then turned to face her mother, having realised she was staring at her Nan as they walked away.

"Well they won't get far without hardhats and high-vis jackets!" Rose said, almost automatically to herself than her mother who still stood speechless beside her.  "Did you want to start at the bottom Ma or from the top?" she asked her in the most casual way she could manage, as her stomach was surely doing somersaults at the mere thought of what was to come ahead. 

Even as she spoke, she looked up and noticed Jay stood at the entrance, already prepared with the safety wear in his hands. Well that had made the decision for her, she realised. 

"If you'll follow me..." 

Rose led her mother towards the main entrance after her Nan and Rich, all the while almost feeling her mother's eyes boring into the back of her head. This could have been her imagination getting carried away with her, considering how her stomach of knots were feeling right now, but she was too cowardly to turn around and face her mother's scorn. 

As they approached the others, Jay handed out the visitors high vis jackets, hard hats and lanyards out. He kept his smile strong and only let it flicker as he looked to Rose before heading back to the office hut.