A Search For Ida

Chapter 3

Mr. Hues was already blabing incessantly when Ida walked in homebase. Cecelia hadn't made it to class yet so Ida quickly took the seat all the way in the back. Cecelia couldn't resist taking a front seat if there was one available, seeing as she is one of the most popular girls here. Not to mention she's a huge suck up.

Ida decided to actually listen to what ever Mr. Hues was rambling about. He told everyone to push their seats towards the front of the classroom. Oh great, now he's actually trying to say something improtant. Cecelia walked into the room looking rather glum. When she saw Ida her eyes were filled with anger and tears. "Glad you could finally make it Cecelia. Please take a seat and listen." Mr. Hues said.

"The school board and all of the teachers including me have been discussing what we could do for this years class trip. Since we have been learing about charities and third world countries, we are going to be participating in a charity event for Habitat for Humanity. We will be traveling to a small island called Windermere Island in the Bahamas!

"We are going to be constructing houses for the homeless and we will try to make them as welcome as possible during the process. Okay, class?" Everyone was mumbling exciting whispers as they were already planning to go shopping for new 'beach clothes'. "Now we aren't here to lounge around or spend time at the beach, granted there will be about an hour or so of free time every day and you may spend it as you please. I'm going to pass out these permission slips and they are due next Friday and if I don't have them back before then, then you will be stuck here at school." Mr. Hues smirked as he was saying his last sentence.

Well maybe a good distraction would be nice for Ida and relieve a little stress. After all it's not like her mom is in any position to try to start being a real parent now and worry about her safety. She'll have to say yes. It's the absolute least she could do.

Mr. Hues passed out the papers and at the very bottom of the page there was a release of liability agreement where both the parent/gaurdian and student had to sign. That meaning that anything that may happen or take place regarding you during the trip is not the school's nor the Habitat for Humanity's responsibility and you are a liability to yourself only. 

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There's no quesion that Cecelia was going on the trip. Her parents would try to be rid of her any way  possible it seemed. At least not before the divorce. Her mom had left her father after it happened and never looked back. Her dad had gone into a sort of depression. After mom left he just quit talking and going out. Cecelia had to do all of the shopping and get all of the necessities now. Her father worked at home anyway so he didn't have to leave otherwise. He was so desolate all the time!

Her father mainly stays in what used to be mom's office and their, or his room. He would be in their all day maybe thinking about her mom, maybe thinking about ways to kill himself. She never really knew according to his indifference in expression. She didn't feel like she could even call him dad anymore... he wasn't her dad anymore, just a shell of who her father used to be. When she could pry him out of those rooms to get him to the dinner table he wouldn't say a word. He just stared at his food or staring at the door. Cecelia thinks that he secretly wishes and hopes that maybe if he stares at the door and her picture long enough, maybe she'll come back, maybe mom would come back.

Cecelia didn't really feel like taking that ten minute awkward ride on the bus with Ida today so she decided to walk home. It would take just about as long seeing as the bus has to go all around the neighborhood before stopping by their street. She walked up to her house and got the key out of the fake rock that her father thought might fool people. 

As she walked into the house she called for her dad. No answer, as usual. She walked upstairs to her father's room and walked in. His bed lay empty with his dirty sheets and comforter still in a bundle. She ambled downstairs and walked past the kitchen and living room until she reached mom's office. It was uninhabited as well. Cecelia went into a panic. She darted through the house and searched every room. He wasn't their!

Then she saw that the back door was cracked. Oh dear God! Please, no! She ran out onto their back deck and their her father was, face down in the pool, motionless.

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Cecelia wasn't on the bus when Ida got off. She must have walked home. Probably because Ida was on the bus. Oh well the less she has to see her, the better. The bus dropped her off at her house and went around the cul de sac and she walked up to her door. She pulled the key out of her backpack and walked straight in to find her mother in the kitchen cooking. That was a very odd sight considering the fact that her mother hasn't cooked since it happened. Ida just sighed and walked over to the counter and pulled the permission slip out of her bag and slid it across the counter and walked out. She didn't give an explanation and she didn't wait fo her mother to ask. She could figure it out on her own.

She trotted up the stairs and went to her room. She slung her backpack across the room and plopped down on her bed. She pulled out her phone.

Message from Cece, her phone relayed yet again. What could she want? Sheesh! She opened the message. 

"Ida listen I know that I'm probably the last person that you want to see or talk to right now but this is an emergency. PLEASE don't delete this! I need you to come over and help. Something terrible has happened! I need you now, at least for now..."