Wonderful | wicked | book 2/3

Elphie

Our mother?
"Albert this is crazy!" I cry out frantically, looking towards my sister, she looks spellbound, I know how much this would mean to her if it would work.
"Crazy? Yes. Untrue? No." Albert says gesturing towards the page he's book marked in the Grimmere.
He's right, it says it will allow us to speak to a member of the deceased as long as the reader (myself) remains focused.
If it's going to make Nessa happy, then I'm undoubtedly focused.
"Nessa, do you want to try this?" I ask, making sure she's alright with it, I won't even dare to finish reading the page if she's even slightly unsure.
"Yes." She reply's, breathing deeply, "what do we need?"
"A candle." I answer, scanning the page "nothing more."
Nessa nods and disappears into her office, I hear her muttering under her breath and rummaging through draws.

A short while late she returns, a thick, white candle placed on a saucer on her lap.
I continue to read.
"If preformed correctly, the candles flame shall glow white, speak the name of whom you wish to contact and you shall see them." I mutter, Nessa hands me the candle.
Albert sits beside me on the sofa.
"We should do it tomorrow," Nessa says hastily "I don't want Harley to walk in on it."
I understand her reasoning, it would be quite unexplainable.
"So around four in the afternoon?"
Nessa nods, Albert smiles to himself, I think he finally feels as though he's helping Nessa.
Albert sighs deeply and leans back against the sofa.
Nessa places the candle down on a table nearby and
Wrings her hands together anxiously awaiting for the hours to go past.

They do and there's a knock at the office door.
Nessa seems startled.
"It's Harley, it's just Harley" she says suddenly, she's can't tell if she's trying to reassure herself or us.
"She has a key, you stay here." Nessa says forcefully.
I take no notice and follow Nessa out into her office, she doesn't complain.
The door slides open, Harley etches her way inside and sets her satchel down on top  of Nessas desk.
"Oh!" She exclaims suddenly "miss Elphaba, how wonderful to see you."
Nessa smiles awkwardly, but follows Harley into her room anyway.
I decide to wait in the office, until Nessa is in bed, I know she hates an audience watching her be put to bed.
I hear muffled talking from Nessas room.
I toy with going in or not, scared that I'll make a mistake and heavily irritate Nessa.

I wait a few more minutes then decide to just go in.
I enter the bedroom, Nessa is lying flat in bed as usual amd Harley is sat in an arm chair facing her.
Awkwardly enough there's no where to me to sit.
I share a strained smile with Harley then turn back to my sister.
I think six o'clock is fat to early in the evening for Nessa to be put to bed but I'm not ready to start a fight.
"Nessa was just explaining how glad she is that your off your crutches." Harley murmurs.
"I see." I say, in a regrettably unfriendly tone. "How is..." my words fall out of my brain.
I'm so used to asking people how was Nessa that it completely slips my mind that she's in the room, on her bed, completely silent, but listening.
"Oh," Harley says suddenly turning to look at Nessa "she's asleep."
I turn to look as well and as true as ever, Nessa is asleep.
We both creep out of the room and wait in the Office for a while, whilst I silently pray that she doesn't see Albert in the lounge.
"How long do you usually stay for after she falls asleep?" I ask curiously, Harley looks confused.
"She doesn't usually when I'm here, I would stay for a bit, but since your here I've nothing to worry about." Harley says politely.
She picks up her brown leathery bag and throws it over I've shoulder, she makes for the door.
Waving goodbye and closing it behind her.

I breath a sigh of relief and go back into the lounge with Albert, he smiles when he sees me but looks puzzled.
"Who's Harley?"
We both chuckle at his uncertain impression.
"Well," I begin, lowering my voice "she's supposed to be Nessas assistant but she only comes twice a day to take Nessa in and out of bed."
Albert looks almost angry, but concerned at the same time.
He drums his fingers on the side of his leg.
"She's a strange one isn't she?" He asks carefully.
I glance around the room, terrified that's my sister is actually awake and feigning slumber.
"Albert" I whisper, glancing towards the open doors. "I hope this works."

This room is lovely, not something I ever thought I'd say about a place that Madame Morrible used to own, but I now associated it with my sister so I don't hate it as much.
But I do worry, even with the doorstops and Harley and the job.
This place must get so lonely for a disabled person.
"Did she suffer?" Albert asks suddenly, I shake from my thoughts.
"Who? Nessa?" I ask blindly, unsure if there was more to the question that I just didn't hear.
"Your mother, did she suffer in birth?"
I have to look away, before I start to cry, I don't want Albert to see me cry, not when I'm talking about her.
"She had terrible morning sickness, towards the end she rarely got out of bed, she cried a lot and prayed." I stop suddenly.
She prayed to Albert, the 'wonderful wizard' to fix everything.
"She died in her sleep." I finish, clenching my fists and begging myself not to succumb to the tears.
I close my eyes and think about other things, the first time I made Nessa laugh.
The first time Nessa got in her wheelchair, how she squealed with delight and excitement.
It's a funny thing, when your happy place is a person.