Anne with an E The Next Chapter

A Devastating Truth

Anne's heart sank immediately. The telegram came from Mrs. Lynde and Anne fell silent as she read it.

"What is it Anne?"

Diana waited patiently but Anne simply stared ahead with no response. She gently took the telegram from her hand and read it.

...Start "Anne, Matthew is gravely ill. He does not have much time. May not make it through night. Come home immediately" Stop.....

The moments that rolled by following this were a blur. Anne sat on the side of her bed, unable to move. Diana asked Jane and Josie to please pack Anne's things while she made arrangements with the head mistress for a driver and 2 train tickets to Avonlea. They would take the evening train home. Anne wept silently, unable to contain the swelling emotions in her heart. How could a day change so from tremendous joy to a horrific nightmare. With haste, Anne and Diana picked up their things and Diana said she would make arrangements to return to town to get the rest, as school was coming to an end and the college would be making space for new fall students. Anne cried the entire way to the train station while Diana tried to keep things together by asking for baggage support and help getting Anne settled.

She could not speak or eat, but did resign herself to accepting a cup of tea as she thought how Matthew always said a cup of tea could fix just about anything. The dark whole that lived inside of Anne had slowly been patched up, but now she could feel it opening again. Feelings of loss and pain, abandonment and and despair began to creep in, creating an incredible void and a sense of panic was taking over her. Diana held her hand firmly but she felt nothing. Just a numb...nothingness.

Matthew was dying? She could lose him and not feel him near again or ever tell him she cherished him. How he had been the first person to ever show her love and compassion and who continued to love her despite her mistakes and her burdens. She worried she would never again see him at the table or having his tea in the parlor and falling asleep on the sofa. The tears burned and she found herself wishing she could go back to this morning. Wishing she had not been worrying about Gilbert's feelings, and worrying about herself.

As they pulled into the station, Diana's father retrieved them swiftly, offering a few kind words to Anne who seemed to be lost in thought. She didn't answer but moved along, tears continuing to fall silently. When they reached Green Gables, Anne looked at the house in its dimly lit state. The sun was almost down now and the spring rain cast a dark and desperate shadow over the usually cheery home. Anne jumped out of the carriage and retrieved her things. She didn't even say thank you to Mr. Barry, which was quite unlike her and she didn't hear Diana tell her father she would stay the night with Anne and Marilla.

Inside the house, Anne could hear Marilla crying softly in the parlor. She suddenly felt herself move from desperately devastated to courageous, moving outside of herself to help her beloved Marilla. She took action and want to comfort Marilla. She kept repeating, "I know, I'm here now, I'm here with you".

When Marilla seemed a bit calmer, Anne excused herself to make her way up to see Matthew but a tired looking Mrs. Lynde walked in and stopped her by the stairs. She told her that the Smiths has come for Matthew and loaded him into their large closed buggy "God bless them". They had taken him to Charlottetown to be treated by Doctor Ward who would monitor him in his clinic. He'd suffered a terrible heart failure and needed a serious intervention to potentially make it.

Anne cried out "but you told me to come home... I could have been with him!"

"I know dear, but by the time I'd sent the telegram things changed. We thought Matthew was dying he barely had a pulse. The Smith brothers thought he might have a chance. We could not risk it" said Mrs. Lynde.

"I'll go back now then. Diana let's go fetch your father" Anne said urgently.

"No dear. Marilla has had a dreadful ordeal. She needs you here to look after the house and property. Your duty is here now. Matthew, I'm afraid will not likely survive the night. If that happens she'll need you for support".

Anne let this sink in and dropped herself into a nearby chair. She had to accept the reality. Mrs. Lynde could be harsh but her message was always clear, for sure and certain.

Before she left, Mrs. Lynde said "The supper is on the stove but I couldn't get either of them to eat". She was tired and needed to rest. She gave Anne a hug and said she'd be back to see them tomorrow.

Before she left, Diana opened the door to the porch. "Mrs. Lynde, you said you couldn't get either of them to eat... who did you mean?"

"Marilla and Jerry...oh he's taking this something awful. He was with Matthew this morning when it happened. He's up in his room now. I reckon he hasn't moved since 3 o'clock. I'll send for his mother tomorrow. Good night dear".

And with that she was off down the lane and headed back home. Diana felt her heart sink. She had forgotten entirely that Jerry lived at the Cuthbert's now. She was feeling a bit uncomfortable being there now and let her eyes scan the stairs to the upper floor. The house was eerily quiet and she wondered what he must be feeling right now.

After some time, Anne ushered Marilla up to bed, telling her she needed her rest as a bad headache was starting to set in. When she returned to the kitchen, she squeezed Diana and said "Thank you for getting me here today...you can go home if you want to be with your family".

"You  are my family" Diana professed  "I'm where I need to be".  Anne squeezed her friend's hands and made her way to the sink full of dishes and began to work while staring out the window to the barn.

It was funny, but in the darkness, she could almost make out Matthew from there, doing his evening chores and closing up the stable. She suddenly noticed a small movement of light, a lantern's glow moving in the dark. Then she realized it was a person closing the barn door as Matthew would have. She stopped washing, and with wet hands, brushed the strands of hair from her tired swollen eyes. The light was coming closer to the house...a dark head, a white shirt, the brown suspenders...

"Gilbert???"