I woke up with the sun, just as it was about to rise over the horizon. In spite of the challenging week, I was greatly relieved to have come to terms with certain aspects of the past.
I felt lighter, less burdened after my visit to Lamport. Pushing myself up off the bed, I looked around the golden-lit room and jumped out of bed with renewed spirit.
Just like every morning, I started my routine with a shower. When I opened the bathroom cabinet and reached for my medication, I paused. My whole life, I had been on so many different kinds of medication that I had lost count. I placed the bottle back on the shelf and moved on to brushing my teeth.
Regardless of what will happen, I had to give it a try. I was slightly worried that the nightmares would return or worse, I would start seeing things again but that was a risk I was willing to take.
Thankfully, I was an early bird and that allowed me to have breakfast and a cup of coffee at ease without having to rush out the door.
At least the big old mansion kept me company in its weird way with the creaking sounds that an old house makes.
Being alone, had offered me the possibility to think, and rearrange my thoughts. A little bit like feng shui but on a psychological level.
Out of habit when I walked into the kitchen, I glanced at the clock. It was almost half past six. Boy, I spent a lot of time inside my own head. That thought made me giggle.
Going through the motions, I made myself some toast and a cup of coffee. For some reason, solitude didn't bother me at all. Years of practice. I sighed and took a seat at the table. Mason floated at the back of my mind, that was a constant that I had gotten used to it. It happened organically, effortlessly.
Time flew by faster than I had expected, and when I looked at the clock it was already a quarter to eight.
Jumping out of my chair, I grabbed the keys and my bag and dashed out of the door.
I was going to be late, again. And I had no excuse this time around.
The storm passed, but it left behind quite a disaster. The mud that washed off the plateau piled on the roads and some of the street lamposts were damaged. The flower beds around town had been destroyed, and the Morston Gazette reported that parts of the harbour had been wrecked by the strong tidal waves and the wind.
The quarter had survived pretty well the storm since it stood further inland, on higher ground than the rest of Morston. But even so, the damage some of the barracks took was significant.
I slowed when I caught sight of Laira sitting on the side of the road with her arms crossed, tapping her foot, and a frown deeper than a canyon. I was late.
" I know, I'm late. I'm sorry," I sheepishly grinned when Laira climbed into the angry looking.
I cleared my throat " Seatbelt please," I said in a sing-song voice, hoping to turn that frown upside down.
" Honestly," Laira sighed, " Just drive," Boy, she was not happy. I wondered if there was more to it than just me being late.
" So, " I paused to put the car in drive " How are you?" I was reading carefully. She was sweet and kind. But all that sweetness had a side that I didn't want to see.
" I'm fine," She grumbled, looking ahead. So, not fine.
" What is wrong?" I was worried. Me being late couldn't have caused such displeasure.
" Nothing," She let out a heartfelt sigh again, " My father and David's mother are separating," Laira finally let me in on what was troubling her. That would be enough to put anyone in a sour mood.
" I see, " I hummed. I had no clue how to navigate that kind of situation " Does David know?" I decided to pull over on the side of the road as soon, as drove past the demarcation line between Morston and the quarter.
" Yes. He has known for quite some time now. They were just waiting for me to start at the academy before they delivered the news." She didn't seem overly upset about it.
" When mom died," Laira sighed and turned in her seat to face me, soulful " I didn't think dad would move on so quickly. But Millie was nice to me, and so was David. Everything is changing again. We will have to move, again and I don't even know where we are going to live," Laira frowned, rubbing her forehead, and behind those brown eyes, laid tangible pain. A familiar feeling. Having to leave, everything behind and start over again. It was something, I could relate to.
" I get it. It's not easy but if they are not happy. There is no point in prolonging the agony. You have me, and David. We are here for you, whenever." I tried my best to comfort her but it wasn't where I shined judging by the deepening frown on Laira's forehead.
" Happiness is relative, Lily. It is not always about what we want but more about what we need. There is a indistinguishable difference, that many cannot make." As much as it was true, it was depressing to have such an oversimplified view. Her realistic view painted a rather grey picture.
" To be frank," Laira interrupted my musings " I'm more upset that David had been hiding it from me all along," Kudos to the man, I thought. Keeping a secret wasn't easy. I should know. I had more than one. And the number of times I had itched to just spit it out was countless. Laira's dour mood wasn't going to dissipate any time soon.
Clearing my throat, I shuffled in the seat and locked eyes with her " Esteemed ladies and gentlemen" I paused trying to stifle a smile at the glare in Laira's eyes" Finally after many decades of research, scientists have reached an irrevocable conclusion. Being realistic indeed kills the will to live," I finished my announcement with a grin when Laira looked at me a little confused. I tried my best to sound as pompous and as comical as possible but I had failed. Aye! The sun was shining but not where we were.
" It wasn't his responsibility to tell you. They are adults." I countered, shifting back to a more serious tone. Taking sides was a bad idea.
" You're supposed to be on my side," She retorted, annoyed. At me no less.
" I'm on your side," The pitch in my voice went higher than I had intended, making her even more annoyed.
" You suck," Laira pouted and turned in her seat " Drive, " She grumbled and shuffled in her seat looking ahead. Maybe the joke that I had made, didn't have the desired effect.
" I'm sorry, " I whispered and turned the engine on " Can we just enjoy the day and forget for a moment that David betrayed your trust and everything else? What do you say?" I added smiling, poking her with my finger. I had no idea what to do. My inability to deal with delicate situations was verging disastrous.
" Come on. One killjoy is enough. Two, it's just a sad party," I jokingly poked at her some more, trying to snap her out of the mood.
" Stop it," She swatted my hand away, still very much upset. I wasn't giving up. I had to snap her out of that mood.
" You'll be at the academy for most of the year, so you won't be at home much anyway," I put the car in drive and slipped into Morston traffic, " And if you like, you can stay with me in the summer," I offered, even though, I had no idea where I would be in a year. I had zero plans made past the interview stage.
" Thank you but, I will be fine. I have a year to figure that out. I can always stay at the academy with David. He hasn't been home for quite some time, now. He practically lives there," Laira's mood lightened up, at the prospect. I was looking forward to the begging of a new stage of my life. It was something, I hadn't had the chance to experience.
" Well, just so you know the offer is there if you change your mind." I paused when we reached the town centre. In the long run, even if David and I wouldn't be friends anymore. I didn't want to lose Laira as well.
" Have you had breakfast?" I parked the car in the usual spot. It was still early but there were quite a few people out and about. Morston was a coastal beautiful town with many things to offer. The luxurious baroque buildings, that withstood the test of time and weathered the elements were a marvel.
" Yes. I was thinking, maybe we could do a bit of window shopping. And then maybe some actual shopping. Then go to the beach. There is a concert. A few bands are playing. Unfortunately, none are famous but music is still music. We could go see that. We could sunbathe and listen to some rock." Her excitement was contagious and by the time she finished telling me about our itinerary. I was properly hyped up about our day.
" Sounds like an excellent plan," I didn't wait any longer and jumped out of the car. I was ready to have some fun after a week filled with nothing but misery.