All the way across the town, the old wrecked house shone in dim lights with all purity fighting the darkness of night. If peeped inside the house through one of the open windows, the smell of peppermint tea and chocolate pie will make your mouth water.
The people inside the house could be seen relaxed amongst these delicious smells mixed with a fragrance of south african freesias, one of the attractions of this seemingly messed up house.
With the entry of the house there was an open hall with an ancient looking TV on one side. The other side of the hall was covered with a massive looking yet old fashioned chaise lounge. The corridor in the middle led towards the kitchen. The kitchen was equally ancient looking. However, the smell of the cooking food was abundant enough to fade away all the misleads. The kitchen door opened into a small yet well managed backyard. That's where the freesias lived along with all other flowers and some garden antiques. At one corner there was a decorative tank and garden hose attached to it.
This is how the old abandoned house appeared to be, on getting close. A dinky little abode. Well we knew the saying of 'All that Glitters is not Gold.' Maybe, Mrs. Marrison's can be described as the opposite of this saying. A saying stated - 'All that seems Dull is not Twardy."
Nevertheless, Jess and Mrs. Landy could be seen seated in front of each other on two different seats. Mrs. Landy was a cherry old woman. With wrinkles covering her face, her smile never faded. Even now, she was smiling dearly towards Jess and offering Jess with the chocolate pie just baked. In this pleasant atmosphere, Jess always used to feel more comfortable, much safer. As if no sadness could outgrow her as long as she is surrounded in this aura. More like a protective barrier for Jessie.
"You didn't have to do all this, Nana. I was just passing by and was a little tired, so I sat by your wall to take some rest and maybe accidentally fall asleep." said Jess a bit ashamed. She was not going to tell that, she has been madly crying all that time.
"Oh, my dear. Do you really think I should believe you? Besides, you are my granddaughter. I love taking care of you. Oh, boy! You haven't finished your tea yet. Come on. Drink it up. It's getting cold." Mrs. Landy said in her utterly cheerful temper.
Jessie used to call Mrs. Landy as Nana and Mrs. Landy considered Jess as her granddaughter since she was born. Mrs. Landy was the most elderly person amongst the area where Jess lived. Emily used to visit Mrs. Landy a lot. She used to say that Mrs. Landy was a new mother blessed to her after her original one died. As a consequence, the attachment and love between Marrisons and Jones flourished.
"How do you do this? Huh? I mean you know everytime I lie. It's not like I am sitting on a lie detector or something." Jessie said even more ashamed and rolled her eyes.
"Well, well. You know, that's what we elders call experience." She winked towards Jess.
Jess made an expression saying whatever and picked up the cup of tea from the table. She took a sip from it and normalized herself to now convey the details.
"Now that you know, I have been crying. I will give you up my explanation." As soon as Jess was about to open her mouth to tell everything, Nana interrupted her saying,
"I never knew you were crying. Were you? Oh, my my, what a pity!" At the end of her sentence, Nana giggled a little trying to tease Jess. And Nana was successful in doing so.
"NANAAAA!!!" Jessie yelled immediately and pulled out a face.
"I ain't talking to you. Hmph!" Jess declared and turned her face away.
Nana laughed out loud.
"My silly baby. Spare your poor Nana of your wrath. I was just joking. Go on. I am all ears. I won't interrupt" saying Nana camouflaged her smile with a serious yet funny expression.
Jessie turned her face back and stared Nana with sharp and deep eyes. Then she turned herself completely towards Nana. Making herself comfortable, she folded her legs and said,
"Now that you are being such a sweetheart. I have considered letting you know."
Nana quitely smiled at her 17 year old dear granddaughter and gave a look saying, yes please.
So, Jess started everything right from the beginning, that is the night when everything started.
Mrs. Landy listened to Jess quietly and seriously. This was something new for Mrs. Landy too. She expected Jess to be sad about someone taunting her about her parents. However, what she never expected was that someone would one day come out to be her best friend. Her childhood gal pal. Mrs. Landy's temperament as she heard everything. She grasped something Jess was not able to uptil now.
As soon as Jess' story ended, Nana quickly questioned,
"You mean she saw something that night. Something she recognised. But she didn't tell you or Emma. And both of you didn't try to find it out either?"
"Everything happened so fast. I don't know. I didn't get a chance. She didn't give me a chance. Why would she possibly do so? Do you feel she thinks the same way as others do about me? The way they say that I am abandoned and neglected. And that I am nothing but trouble for everyone. Do you feel so too, Nana?" asked Jess. All of a sudden she was heartbroken again. Everything seemed dark once again. The fragrance disappeared. Instead the foul smell of the past lingered everywhere.
"Maybe she didn't mean what she said. Maybe she was bound to say so. Maybe she is in trouble." Nana was speaking thoughtfully.
Jess was puzzled. She didn't get what Nana was trying to say.
"You mean she is doing all of this because someone is pressuring her to do so? Are you serious? Why would someone do so? I mean I know her parents don't like me or whatever. But---this. This is huge. They won't do so." said Jessie shaking her head in disapproval.
"I am not saying she is under her parents. You said she was threatened the other night, right? It's the legend that proves her behaviour. Disappearing people. Changing attitudes. False behaviours. All of it." explained Nana like narrating some old folk tale.
"What legend?" asked Jess, confused.
"The Legend of Marmoris." replied Nana.
And just that moment they heard the doorbell ring. Jess was startled a bit. Nana left to open the door. Until then Jess was still engrossed in thinking about what Nana. Half the things she heard were all a phantom for her. She came out of her thoughts when she heard Nana talking to someone and footsteps coming towards the hallway.
"Yes, I why not, my child! I would love to. Jess is here too. You wanna meet her? There you go." Nana could be heard saying. Until she finished her talk, they were in the Hall near the couch where Jess was sitting.
Jess rose rapidly seeing Emma stand beside Nana. Emma was equally shocked which could be seen through her facial expressions.
"YOU!!!" both Emma and Jess exclaimed together. Both of them weren't expecting to see each other. At least not this soon.
"I see…." suddenly Nana spoke out, taking both Emma and Jess' attention.
"What? Why are you both looking at me like that? I was just watching my favourite TV show's climax scene. Ugh! It ended. Now I will have to watch the repeated telecast. Fine, now I can pay good attention towards you. So, where were we?" Nana being the most charming person spoke everything all at once. Well she was a bit talkative for a woman of her age. But what can be said, that's just how Nana was.
"Uhm. Maybe Emma will need a tea too. It's chilling out there. She came all the way here. I hope you might be having another cup for her." clearing her throat Jess twisted the topic and made Nana leave.
As soon as Nana left, Jess grabbed Emma's elbow and dragged her towards the couch, literally throwing her over it. Jess sat beside her at a distance and said in a whispering manner.
"What are you doing here? Wasn't you supposed to be away from me for some time, until…"
"Until you get back to your senses. I know. I wasn't expecting to bump into you either. I had something to talk about with Mrs. Landy." Emma completed Jessie's statement and clarified herself. She really wasn't here for Jess.
"Whatever." Jess waved her hand in the air showing negligence.
"Wait a minute!" Jess exclaimed suddenly after a moment of silence passed between the two of them.
"Didn't you visit Ross? I mean she might have left too, the moment I ran." Jess interrogated, throwing curious looks towards Emma.
"I did go." Just as Emma was to tell Jess her story, Jess abruptly spoke out.
"Oh, well, then I might know what happened next. Let me guess." Jess said, scratching her chin.
"You went to her house. Asked to meet her being all furious and she refused. And maybe her mother even presented before you a long broad speech." she said thoughtfully.
Ah! They knew each other so well. No matter what happens, the fact that they have gone through a lot of life's ups and downs together will never fade. And who knows, this might be many of the other tales for their grandchildren to hear about from them.
"Yes. You're right again. That's exactly what happened. Except that I am always the one to hear all the elderly speeches." Emma said, making a bad face. She was really pissed off. This has been quite hectic.
"Aw. My cute lady Ms. Perfect is distraught." Jess mischievously pulled Emma's check and gave a burst of laughter when Emma pushed her away.
They both fell on either sides of the couch and laughed out loud. Nothing was more powerful than a friend's company. No sorrow, no grief, no anger. Nothing.
"I see someone has made their dead friendship alive." Nana said. She came out nowhere and was now standing bent on the snacks table pouring the freshly brewed tea in Emma's cup.
"You like spying on us a lot, don't you!?" said Jess in a teasing tone.
"What can I say? I love happy endings." Nana chuckled a little. Her smile was so peaceful. It made the surroundings even more pleasant.
After a while of useless chatter amongst the three of them, Jess suddenly remembered something. She was having a cookie at the moment and due to her abrupt move she bit a big chunk of it and choked on it.
"Woah, girl! Easy. I ain't gonna steal your cookie." Emma joked about.
"It isn't about the cookie." Jess replied irritatingly as she was managing her coughing. Nana handed her a glass of water. Emma was riant.
"You are always in a hurry, J. It's true you were born in a hurry." Emma chuckled and finished her piece of the cookie.
Jess was really always a hustle bustle kind of a girl. As a result, Ross and Emma always joked about her being born in a hurry.
"Gosh! My glottis doesn't know yet how to manage my pace." said Jessie drinking another sip of water from the glass.
"Spare it, Your highness. It isn't as generous as we are." Emma said, trying to make her neck more erect as a sign of her proudness. Just then she received a blow of the pillow. Shocked, Emma turned around and saw Jess laughing.
"Screw you, Highness." Jess giggled.
"I won't forget that." Emma warned, giving a look with sharp eyes before getting up and sitting straight.
"Okay. So, you were in the middle of saying something, obviously before you got yourself choked." teased Emma.
"Yeah! I was wondering. You said you came here to discuss something with Nana." Jess said pointing her hands towards Nana.
Then, suddenly as if a thought flashed her brain, she said,
"Were you here to inquire about that legend too?"
"What legend?" Emma was puzzled.
"The legend of Marmoris, she is talking about." Nana interrupted their conversation in a low voice while constantly doing her own work.
Emma first saw Nana who was seeming least attentive towards Jess and herself, and then Emma turned towards Jess who was looking at her, anxious for an answer.
"Umm…. I wasn't here to talk about that. Actually, I have already heard of it before. It's kind of a pretty crazy legend. Samuel used to scare us narrating that during mid schooler age. But I don't see a point of you bringing out this topic right now. Why did you think I was here to ask about it?" Emma was really fazed about this absurd question.
"You knew about it? I haven't heard of it ever. In ages." Jess was even more shocked.
"Well that's because we never really gave it a thought. And it was just a legend that became during Samuel's teen age. After that it disappeared. Moreover, I don't think this side of the town talks about it." Emma clarified.
"I guess you're right. There are many things that we outsiders never know of." Jess sighed. However, all of a sudden her curiosity rose once again.
"But what is this legend? I mean, Nana said Rossie's matches this legend. Do you know something about it?" Jess inquired eagerly.
"Not quite much. I just know that the legend says there's this huge something called Marmoris - The source of all Evils. Sam used to say, it's covered up now. That's the reason for peace and harmony in the town. However, he added, if we disobey what elderly people said, that covering could loosen and evil could make its way towards Blueball once again. And yes I remember he mentioned once that this thing, Marmoris, is located somewhere beyond western parks. That's all I remember I guess." said Emma and shrugged her shoulders.
"I see. Why then that place was abandoned." Jess asserted. "I did some digging about the place and found some historical value about it. I'll show you everything tomorrow at my place. Meet me tomorrow morning." she added.
"Sure. Now I must leave. It's getting very late. If my mother finds out I am here at this tym, I am dead. See ya, Mrs. Landy! And thanks for the cookies and tea." Emma greated Mrs. Landy a goodbye.
Jess left with Emma too. At the moment when they had to part ways, Emma and Jess saw each other for a fraction of second and without saying anything they hugged. Warm hugs with your best friends. Indeed, what words can't express actions did. And they both saying goodbye parted their ways with an aspiration of meeting again tomorrow.