Promises Unkept

Season of miseries

Maggie’s heart throbbed against her futile ribs as the girl tried to cool herself down, clutching the door knob of her own room, but terrified as if the world beyond was completely anonymous to her.

And in a way, it was so.

Now.

Now that she had shouted all those things at Eden.

She was so sorry.

God knew what came over her and she…..

The sudden whistle of crickets in the stillness of dark, gloomy night made her jerk out of her reverence and Maggie twisted the doorknob, entering the room swiftly. Softly.

Eden was asleep upon her cot, curled in a ball. She was facing away from the entrance, she was facing the wall.

The lamp on the bedside table was still alight.

Cold moonlight discarded a silver shadow on the floor through the opposite window and breezy curtains shivered randomly.

It was fifteen minutes past ten.

Only a few people were awake around the manor.

Maggie slipped into her bed, the chill of the bed sheets giving her a strange sense of forlornness, now that Eden wouldn’t talk to her.

Forsaken, she plopped her head on the pillow and words came back to her.

Mr. Penfield’s word.

He had said that though Eden was indeed crude in her conduct and harsh in her discourse, she had said not a word unjustified. Not a word untrue.

He said that Eden was a very sophisticated woman with a responsible and even strong moral and all she said was for Margaret’s own good.

And Maggie knew that it was so. Even before his saying it.

The only difference was that, unlike Eden had said, Maggie was not living in fantasies. Her dreams were not childish, they were all well contemplated, however much nonsensical they might sound to other ears. Perhaps Eden had seen too much hardship in her life to be so pragmatic. Perhaps, Eden was just afraid of great expectations.

But Maggie wasn’t.

Maggie was a dreamer.

A believer.

And she knew, Margaret knew, that when you wish for something with tough longing, the whole universe carves a lane for you to reach out and hold what you desire, what you reserve. Deserve.

But still, that didn’t comfort her right now; these thoughts. She felt so unsatisfied with the day, she sat up restlessly.

A piquant glance at Eden’s side of the room told her that Eden was deeply asleep, and had never changed her position.

She slipped out of her bed and walked around to Eden’s bed. Slowly, mounting up, she laid herself down by the sleeping figure and meticulously pulled over the blanket on them both.

Yes.

This was far better.

She closed her eyes and sighed in satisfaction, now really set to sleep when she felt shifting at her side. Afraid that Eden might leave the bed if she realized that she was by her, Maggie held her breathe, dreading each moment of the disturbance.

But soon enough, her fear, her dread settled into nothingness when she felt Eden laying a hand on her belly and placing her head near her shoulder, cuddling into her.

“Good night Magpie.”

That sweet whisper floated in the darkness, lit like a firefly and suddenly, Maggie was so very, very much satisfied.