Moving On

Chapter 4

Mr. O'Sullivan continued doing his crossword while he asked about school and where I lived.

"Do you have any brothers and sisters Maisie?" he asked. I froze, this happens a lot when I talk to people who don't know about Elaine.
"Yeah, I've got one sister, she died last year." I had to say something, I had to answers his question.
"Oh I'm so sorry Maisie, that's the way life goes isn't it. Cancer was it?"
"No." I snapped, "She went missing and we found her body last month. We only had her funeral three weeks ago."
Mr. O'Sullivan just nodded at me and went back to his crossword. "I have to go Mr. O'Sullivan, I have homework and all to do."
"Ah yes Maisie I know. You'll be back next week won't you?" he asked with a pleading look in his eyes. I suddenly felt really sorry for this man who had no one in his life.
"Yeah, I'll see you next week." I said with a smile.

As I walked home I wondered what would life be like if I didn't have anyone. I missed Elaine every day but I still had my parents, poor Mr. O'Sullivan had no one. I knew that no matter what I'd keep visiting him every Saturday.

When I got home Mam and Dad were asleep on the sofa with the T.V on. I put a blanket over them and went to check my emails, just one from my cousin Kitty in New York. "Mam," I shouted "Kitty's after inviting me to stay with her".
"What" I heard Mam shout back.
"Kitty's invited me over to stay, can I go" I said as I walked into the kitchen.
"Well we'll see," Mam said as I walked into the kitchen. "It's dangerous out there Maisie, Elaine was taken from us so quickly and we don't know why."
"Yeah, it's so difficult to think that the same could happen to you and we'd have no children." Dad told me in a low voice.
I nodded, I understood where they were coming from but I wanted to live my life. I couldn't do that in the shadow of Elaine's disappearance.

I let it go though, I wouldn't annoy them tonight. Not when they were showing some signs of affection towards each other. The first sign of their love that I'd seen since Elaine's disappearance. I left the house and went towards the cliffs.