Truly Marooned

1. Arguing, Dozing & Rowing

  Things did not go so well when Ella’s mum died in a car crash when she was seven years old. In the misery at the loss of his beloved wife, her dad joined her by taking an over dose of some pills.

  Whenever Ella tells her story, she receives sympathy from many, but she pushes it away. If there was one thing she did not want, it was sympathy. It made her feel weak; she likes to show she can survive on her own.

  “I know you did and I would do the same, but I can’t,” Pamela apologetically responds. Ella sighs again.

  “Why did you adopt me?” she asks. It was almost a year ago when Ella was adopted, but it has felt like quite a while since she was in the children’s home.

  “It’s not like you didn’t have any say in it. You could have said no,” Pamela responds.

  Ella stands up suddenly and looks down at her plate which no longer has food on it. “You know what?” there is silence due to Pamela’s lack of response. “Sometimes, I wish I did.”

  The look on Pamela’s face when Ella says that spreads the feel of regret around Ella’s stomach. She can barely look at the middle aged woman’s glazed eyes, so she turns away and stomps out the room. Ella then decides she doesn’t want to be in the house at all and she just wants to go to school, even if she will get there fifteen minutes early.

  Luckily, her suitcase is already at school, so she can leave in a hurry with just her red back pack. When she quickly leaves the house, she doesn’t bother shutting the door.

  Ella suddenly stops in the middle of the pavement because she has suddenly remembered something she might have forgotten. She reaches for her neck so she can feel for her golden football necklace. It was something her mum and dad had given her as part of a promise she will be part of the girls’ football team for GB in the Olympics. As much as Pamela told her not to bring it on the trip, Ella insisted on taking it with her. She breathes a sigh of relief when she can feel the smooth flat circular shape below her neck.

  She carries on treading towards her school, but not in any hurry. As she walks, she thinks again about the argument. Ella doesn't need to apologise and neither does Pamela. They argue a lot and whenever they do, the problem seems to be sorted out on its own. All they need is time apart, and then they come together as if nothing has happened. They didn't have to say one word about their argument.

  When she decides that the argument would solve itself, Ella thinks about her trip instead and how much fun it would be with her friend Celia. They would be splashing each other as they kayaked, then they would dry off by sunbathing in the European sun. It was going to be the first time Ella had been outside the country since her parent's died. Because it was so long ago since she needed her passport, she had to get a new one.

  Suddenly, a face Ella hopes she would not think about appears in her visions. It is an orange face with long red hair framing it at the sides. The name of the person who has this face is Tina who has been picking on Ella and Celia since Ella moved into the school a year ago. For some reason, Tina has many friends who laugh and encourage Tina as she spits her cruel words at her victims. What makes Tina so evil is how she smiles as she speaks. All Ella and Celia need to do is avoid Tina which doesn't seem too hard.

  Ella continues walking as she drifts off into her own world. It is her favourite pass time. Whenever Pamela dragged her to an art gallery, Ella would cure her severe boredom by thinking about other things going on in the world or in another world. Sometimes she would find herself getting lost from Pamela going on ahead in excitement to see the artwork.

  To Ella's relief, she reaches the school where there is a large coach in the drive. Many parents are standing with their son or daughter, ready to see them off. Some give their parents a nudge as a way of telling them to go away so they could avoid being embarrassed.