Cataindar

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Luisa awoke in bed with her rucksack in her hand. After the day she had just been through in Cataindar she had all but forgotten about the episode with her Grandmother, the memories flooded back like the tide of a cold sea. She gave a large sigh and went downstairs to see her Grandmother making toast.

"Gran I think we should talk about last night."

Her grandmother stopped scraping.

"Cup of tea?" she said.

"Yes please,"

Her Grandmother silently made tea and Luisa thought about what she should say. But her Grandmother spoke first.

"Luisa I apologise for beating you, that was dreadful of me. No grandparent should hit their grandchild and a woman of my age should know better. I quite lost control."

Luisa held the cup of tea in both hands and looked into it.

"That's OK." She mumbled.

"The truth is Luisa, I saw how much speaking to your mother had upset you and I thought to visit you in your room and talk with you there. Offer some comfort perhaps... perhaps part of me thought you might try and run away to visit her or something equally as ridiculous."

She took a deep breath and continued.

"It seems running away is somewhat of a family trait. My eldest daughter Anne disappeared when she was a little older than you. Taken or ran away, I don't know. Like you, I had caught her gone to bed with bags of god knows what. It was very difficult for me, to see you in her bed, with your things packed up like that..."

Her grandmother stopped talking, and put a cloth to her mouth and closed her eyes for a moment. When she continued her voice was cold and hard.

"Now I am going to be out today, as some of us still believe Sunday is a day to be spent in contemplation and things are far too busy here. You must look after Max. I have something important to tell you, but it can wait for now.

Luisa nodded,

Something important? Who leaves people waiting with a cliffhanger like that?

"Umm, OK."

"Thank you Luisa."

Her grandmother quickly packed up her things and left the house.

Luisa made Max his cereal and they sat chomping down on the flakes as the sun rose high over the ruins of the Abbey. The telephone rang and Luisa answered it like her Grandmother had taught her,

"3491 Wynn residence."

The voice on the end of the phone crackled in a thick Welsh accent,

"Ello Luisa it's ya Uncle, Hugh"

"Oh hello Uncle Hugh,"

"Is ya grandmother in?"

"No she has gone out,"

"She always buggers off on a Sundays, that's why I called actually."

Something tingled inside Luisa and not in a good way.

"So I spoke to Professor Grattan from the pub, and me and 'im are coming over to look at that stone ya' found in the Abbey... today."

Luisa felt her gut wrench, she really didn't want anyone poking around in the ruins at all, or going near the dysk. She really didn't want some stupid professor poking his nose in.

"Ah, Hugh, it was just me being silly, it isn't important and I really don't want the professor to waste his time."

"Pah nonsense Luisa! You have been spending too much time with that negative nana of yours! T'was a great find, we'll see you in an hour!"