Eastern District School

Chapter 79 -No more secrets!

Her head literally felt like it was going to explode. It were as if it could not contain all the recent information. Too much input!

Her mouth once again found the inability to speak, but she felt Rich come to her side. His arm came around her side and with his other hand he grabbed her arm, sliding down to her wrist.

"That's great news right?" he said in an undertone, meant only for her, but the room was empty except for the four of them. "Your Grandmother held you in her arms. She would have been the first person to hold you Rose, to see you."

Her face ached, heck everything ached right now, but she looked up at him, thankful for his support around her waist, she was sure he was holding her up right now. Her eyes seemed to ask him a hundred questions, but why did she turn to him? He did not know all the words!

"So that was the last time she saw me? Ma..." her soft tone had turned to almost squeaks as she sobbed. "My Grandmother was the first person I saw, yet I will never remember her face." She paused and looked to Rich again. "Except for the photos found here, which was the evidence that first aroused the questions. She looked just like me! Yet I don't remember her!"

"Yes you do." Shirley said gently.

"No I don't mother," her sobs engraved with another emotion...Anger! "I was kept away from family because of some stupid rule that people took seriously!"

"It is serious Rose! It is something you will never understand. You just need to believe us and trust us. That we did it all to keep you safe! I never want you to understand, because that would mean you understand part of that corrupt organisation!" She took a step towards Rose, with the immediate flinch from Rose in reaction to her movement.

"But you knew her sweetheart! I wouldn't deny you to see your grandparents. We just unfortunately had to go about it a different way..." Her voice hesitated, unsure whether to continue, perhaps hurting her daughter more with the sheer shock the truth was causing. "They would come over...separately of course to avoid attention.  "You'll remember Bill the carpenter who did designs to our house...the kitchen, the stairs, repairs to the barn over the years."

She started off as though asking Rose to recollect her grandfather who had disguised as a carpenter, just to see his grand-daughter.

Rose gently sobbed. "I do...I do remember him. He was always trying to make me laugh."

Shirley whimpered slightly as she tried to continue her unveiling. "He did. He used to grab your nose when you were really little, and you would call him Uncle Bill."

"I remember him Ma, but he did die when I was still young!" She vaguely remembered the dates of their research only a few days ago.

"2005!" Rich said simply, he looked guilty then, as though intruding on their conversation.

Rose nodded with her mother, in mere recognition and respect to a man who spent his life trying to take care his family. Which of course included her. She suddenly had a face to put the letters to. Before he was just her grandfather, who fought in the war and fought to keep his girl. Now...? Now he was her Grandfather, Thomas Johnstone. The first Thomas in a line to protect her, and he had been involved in her life.

She tried to remember any conversations they had had together, but her thoughts were clouded with the impact of love, anguish, grief all in one hit.

"And Rose...Rose senior saw her too?" Rich asked, his tone moderate in an attempt to support and give strength to the woman at his side. 

Shirley smiled through her tears, her face wet with the impact they had made against her cheeks. "Yes she saw you grow into a young woman. We tried at your father's request to make you a lady," her hand flicked in gesture as if to say they tried to no avail and that she had been a lost cause...in that aspect. "Little black shining dainty shoes, with those beautiful white socks she would bring over, with the lace rimming. She would pin those dresses so gently together, the worry etched on her face that she might prick you and hurt you...you...her only grand-daughter!"