Alison Yaria walked out into her mother’s garden with a bouquet of carnations on a late October morning. She wore an old, long coat, one of her father’s that she stole a year or two ago, and wrapped a scarf around her head to keep out the chills. Wandering through the dying rose bushes and daisy beds, she found the angel statue, which sat above Lizzy’s memorial plaque. Alison stood in front of it before taking a deep breath and smiling.
“Look, Liz. It’s a beautiful day out. The sun is shining, and it isn’t too cold out,” Alison whispered solemnly as she stared at the statue. It had been six months since Lizzy had gone missing.
Lizzy was a dear friend of the Yaria’s. Her father had died in the first world war a month after she was born. Lizzy’s mother asked Alison’s mother if she would watch Lizzy while she was working, which brought Lizzy and Alison closer together. However, Lizzy’s mother grew ill and died soon after. Having nowhere else to go, Alison’s mother adopted Lizzy.
She had vanished on Alison’s twentieth birthday. Lizzy had gone into the garden, and never returned. They had sent out search parties and filed reports in efforts to find her. Alison’s mother believed that she had wandered out into the forest behind their house, but the authorities said that they would have found her by now if that was the case. Rumors of running away and suicide filled the town, as that was the biggest news it had heard in a while.
After weeks of searching, the police pronounced Lizzy dead. They were more worried about planes bombing and the Germans invading. They had a memorial erected in her garden. Each of the family members paid their respects almost daily until the days grew longer and more men were being drafted into the war. The house was short staffed, and the family had more chores to keep up the house and grounds.
“Ali! Where are you?!” a voice rang out, startling Alison. She cleared her throat, recognizing the voice.
“I’m over here, Lucille!” Alison called back, hoping that her voice sounded steady without emotion. Lucille came around the corner, wearing a burgundy overcoat and a stylish brimmed hat with her auburn hair curled underneath. Her Yaria lilac eyes shone in the sunlight as she spotted her little sister. “Where did you get that coat? There’s no way you found it in town.”
“I made it from the thick curtains from my room. I think it looks nice,” Lucille boasted. From closer up, Alison could see the flaws and holes in her sewing, but overall it was a nice job. “Anyway, mom’s looking for you. She wanted us to have tea before I leave for America.”
“Why do you have to leave again?” Alison whispered. In all honesty, Alison felt a little bit abandoned when her sister had announced that she was moving away. Louis, her boyfriend, had moved there not two months before and begged Lucille to come live with him. It didn’t take much for her to say yes.
“Because I think I have a future in America. They don’t have routine bombings that we have to hide from. It’s peaceful over there,” Lucille answered, ignoring the fact that she was leaving her family. Alison sighed.
“I remember,” she whispered and walked past her. Lucille frowned and turned around.
“You could come with me,” she offered for the first time. Alison stopped in her tracks and faced Lucille, almost angry.
“Why? So I can live with you and Louis? I bet you two get married within a few weeks, and then where would I be? I don’t think it’s very proper to have your little sister living with you just when you're married,” Alison answered, obviously annoyed. Lucille scowled.
“Who said anything about marriage? He is my ticket out of this boring hell hole, and I’m sorry I don’t want to live in a war zone anymore!” Lucille exclaimed before she could stop. Alison gave a weary, broken smile.
“And that’s why I can’t go with you,” Alison replied, turning around so she wouldn’t have to see her sister’s face. Ever since Lizzy had disappeared, Alison and Lucille hadn’t gotten along. Alison wanted to reminisce while Lucille didn’t want to talk about it. It was almost like Lucille pretended like Lizzy had never existed. “Come on, mom will be upset if we don’t hurry up.”
Inside, Alicia was sitting in the sun room surrounded by plants and flowers. She had prepared tea and waited for her family to appear. She could feel the tension between her daughters grow. With Lucille deciding to leave, it only made matters worse. Growing impatient, she called one of her remaining maids.
“Do you know where my husband is?” Alicia asked as the maid shook her head.
“I am not sure where he is, ma’am, but I am sure that he will be here soon. I think he was in his room the last time I saw him,” the maid answered as Alicia nodded.
“Alright, thank you,” she whispered before the maid curtsied and went about her business. Alicia sat back in her chair, looking at her tattered dress. Once a brilliant sky blue, her dress was a light periwinkle grey at best. It was one of her best outfits, but that was a few years ago. Now the color had faded with every wash, and there wasn’t much chance of buying a new one. She had thought about making a new one, but fabric and materials were also scarce.
“Sorry for keeping you,” a male voice muttered as he walked in the room. Alicia looked up at the handsome man and smiled.
“It’s fine,” she replied, sitting up. Her husband returned the grin as he sat down across from her. “Have you seen the girls?”
“I just sent Lucille out to fetch Alison,” he answered, taking off his top hat. Alicia sighed as she look at her husband’s clothes. While well kept, there was still obvious wear and tear.
“Was Alison at the statue again?” Alicia whispered as he nodded.
“I believe so. That’s the only reason she goes out anymore,” he sighed.
“Do you think she’s there too much?” Alicia wondered as her husband shook his head.
“If we ban her from going there, we might cause more damage. I think it might be best if we let her be. If it doesn’t change within the next few weeks, then we’ll talk to her,” he whispered as Alicia stared out the window, her daughters coming into view. Alison came first, grumpy and annoyed, where Lucille had her arms crossed. “It looks like they had another fight.”
“I think you might be right, Robert,” Alicia grumbled, watching her daughters walk inside. “So much for our last tea together.”
“Don’t talk like that. It’s not like we’ll never see her again. She’s just going to America, not life in prison. Besides, I’m sure the girls know how to behave at tea time,” Robert answered, comforting his wife. She gave a weak smile, nodding as the girls walked in. “There you are. I thought you had forgotten us.”
“I didn’t forget,” Lucille retorted before falling into her seat. Alison walked calmly over to the empty seat by her mother. Alicia gave a trying look at Robert before she started pouring cups of tea.
“So, when does the boat leave?” Alicia asked as she handed Lucille a cup of tea.
“The boat leaves at six, but my cab will be here around four thirty to pick me up,” Lucille answered as she grabbed the tea. Her parents stared at her with shock.
“I thought that we were taking you to the docks,” Robert reminded.
“Yes, I thought we were going to see you off,” Alicia whispered before she started to sip her tea nervously. Lucille shrugged, unable to look up from her cup.
“I thought it might be easier for everyone if I just took a cab to the docks instead of making a huge deal about it,” Lucille answered before sipping the tea herself. Alison bit her lip as she held her cup in her lap. She was neither shocked nor appalled by the announcement, as she knew that Lucille would do something like this. Her sister hated to be at the center of attention, which made it hard for her to show her true nature to others.
“You are leaving for who knows how long to an unknown land to live with someone you haven’t seen in months. It is a big deal, and I do not mind making it a bigger deal. I would like to wave off my daughter as the boat pulls away,” Robert informed, offended that Lucille would pull such a stunt. Lucille glared and lost her temper again.
“I don’t think it should be a huge deal. I know it’s a big step in my life, but I don’t know if I want to be crying as I start on my new journey. It’ll be easier if we sway our goodbyes at the door and then I can start thinking about what I am going toward and not leaving behind!” Lucille shouted, tears gathering in her eyes. Robert glared and set down his cup.
“That is what families do, and I’m sorry if you don’t wanted to be reminded of us as you leave us behind. You may be going somewhere better, but that doesn’t mean you get to forget us like you forgot Lizzy!” Robert shouted before realizing what he had said.
The room sat in silence for what had felt like hours. Alicia and Alison sat there in shock, both with their mouths gaping. Lucille froze, unsure how to react, as Robert regretted everything, but said nothing.
“I did not forget Lizzy! She ran away. Why would I mourn someone who didn’t want to be here?” Lucille asked, strangely calm. Alison glanced at her mother, who was tearing up now.
“Because she was your goddamn sister, or at least the closest thing other than Alison! You three played together for ages! And now that she’s gone, you think you can make some excuse for not caring that she isn’t around anymore. But seeing as you do, you should get in that cab and not turn around, because I won’t be at the door waving goodbye!” Robert boomed before storming out. Lucille turned forward and refused to say anything, looking angrier and more pained than ever before.
“Sweetheart, it’s-” Alicia began before Lucille stood up.
“Don’t, Mum, just don’t,” she whispered before she ran up into her room. Alison looked at her mother as she sat back down and grabbed her tea.
“Just let her calm down for a moment. She’ll be better once she gets a chance to take a deep breath,” Alison whispered as her mother nodded.
“I know, I know. I just don’t want that to be the last words she hears from her father, and same with him,” Alicia sighed, giving Alison a small smile. Alison returned the gesture as she helped her mother clean up the dishes.
“Hey, do you think she’ll run into Grandfather?” Alison asked timidly.
“Grandfather?” Alicia asked, confused.
“Yeah, you said that Grandfather Charwell lived very far away, I had just assumed that he lived in America,” Alison clarified as Alicia smiled.
“No, he lives farther away than that. I’m not sure the exact place, but I know it’s a town called Lochton,” Alicia answered, happy for the distraction. Alison nodded and scooted closer.
“Did you ever get to go?” Alison implored as Alicia gave her a curious look. “You don’t talk about it much.”
“Well, I did meet my father when I was fifteen, when my mother took me. She said that we needed a break and wanted me to meet my father. I don’t know how we were able to go, as the Great War had just started the previous year, but we went. I remember it was wooded and was creepy in some areas, but Lochton was such a quaint little town. It was the capital of a small country. It was something out of a fairy tale,” Alicia explained with a wide grin as happy memories came rushing in. “We stayed there for three years, I think. That’s what your father tells me. I told you we met there, right?”
“Yeah, but tell me how you met,” Alisha whispered, listening in delight. She liked hearing the old stories about how her parents met and where her she was from.
“Well, he had gotten in trouble again, I guess, as he sat in front of my father. I accidentally walked in when Grandfather was scolding him again. He was about sixteen, I think, when I first met him. Grandfather had known his parents, which were at a complete loss with him. He was rebellious and hot headed. According to them, he couldn’t do anything right or in a timely manner. Grandfather said that he could shape him up,” Alicia laughed. “Well, he did the best he could. He knew that I grew up in a well to do family and decided that I might be able to have a good impact on him, as well. Then three years later, we got married and moved back here with Grandmother Charwell. Do you remember her?”
“Yes, a little bit. She got Polio, didn’t she?”
“Yes, but she didn’t tell anyone. She told us that she was going to live in the city for a change of pace. We found out after she died that she had been treated at the hospital the entire time, but it eventually took her life,” Alicia sighed. “She always had to show that she was strong. She would write me every day, making up some excuse on why she couldn’t visit.”
“Lucille seems to take after her,” Alison observed, making her mother smile.
“It seems that she does a little. Let’s just hope that she makes it home for a visit,” Alicia mumbled, worried about her daughter. Alison sighed before she stood up again.
“I think we should go help Lucille with her bags. She probably has a ton of them,” Alison suggested before her mother nodded, stepping out of her melancholy aura. Alison and her mother walked up the staircase, passing her father’s library. He always locked himself inside after a fight. Alicia ignored it, thinking that her husband was acting childish and full of himself. They wandered over to Lucille’s room, where the door was open just a crack.
“Do you need any help, sweetheart?” Alicia coaxed. Lucille was sitting on the edge of her bed with her luggage neatly arranged beside her.
“The cab’s going to be here soon,” Lucille answered as she stood up. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying. She stood up and grabbed the biggest bag as Alison and Alicia grabbed the remaining two. “Do you think Father will see me off?”
“I’m sure he will. I will just have to mention you’re about to leave and he’ll come bounding down the stairs,” Alicia smiled weakly as she followed Lucille out of the room. Her daughter gave a small smile and nodded, holding her breath. Alison wasn’t so sure. Her father was one of the most stubborn men she had ever met.
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