Eden Forest (Part one of the Saskia Trilogy) (11 page)

Chapter Six

Ireland ~ Present Day

(Sarajane)

T
he next day at work we sit around mostly and have girl

chats. At eleven o’clock, Christine joins me for a coffee

in our small canteen.

“Has she said anything to you?” I ask her.

“No, she just seems happy. Best to leave it alone.”

I sit down on one of the stools. “You’re right. I just worry

for her.” Christine pours out two mugs of coffee and hands me

mine. “Thanks.”

“Yeah, I know, me too, but she is big enough to make her

own decisions.”

Susan enters the already crammed canteen. “Talking about

me?” she asks, but there is a smile on her face.

“No, we’re not. Oh, I brought in that dress you asked me for.

Let me grab it.” I leave and rummage under the counter for the

bag. A few minutes later, Susan comes out, handing me my phone.

“It’s been ringing and guess who it is?” she says with a smile.

I take the phone from her. Two missed calls from Josh.

“Susan, we’re just friends.”

She gives me an innocent look. “Of course you are.” She goes

back to the canteen, winking at me before closing the door.

I roll my eyes and call Josh back. “Hey, sorry I missed your

calls. I was busy.”

“No worries. I was going to meet you for lunch, if you want?”

“Yeah, one o’clock, meet me at Bites,” I say.

“Okay, see you then.”

When I go back inside the canteen, two sets of smiling eyes

look up at me. I finish my coffee as they giggle. “You act like

you guys are five,” I say playfully before I finish off stocking the

history section.

Bites is my favorite place to have lunch. Well, to be honest,

there isn’t much of a choice. It’s Bites or Tracey’s and there’s

more grease in her hair than on the pans.

I spot Josh at a back booth. He’s in his work clothes, ripped

jeans and heavy brown boots. He works in the wood mill not

far outside town. I slide in opposite him.

When he sees me, he raises an eyebrow. “Hey how’s work?”

“The usual. You know, two five-year-olds working with me.”

Josh looks confused and I laugh. “Never mind.” I pick up the

menu and glance through it, even though I already know what

I’m going to order.

Rachel arrives then to take our order. “Hey, Sarajane, what

can I get you?”

“Hey, Rachel. Could I get bolognaise and a glass of coke?”

Josh orders a burger and chips with a large glass of milk.

“Have you heard from Linda since?” Josh asks once Rachel has left to get our food.

“No, it’s been two days and nothing. But maybe it was all

a trick. I wasn’t feeling well and you know Linda is weird

anyway.”

Josh gives me a little smile. In other words, he’s not convinced.

I think I’m trying to convince myself, because if I let my mind

believe what I thought I saw is real, then what else was possible?

And that’s a scary thought.

Our food arrives and it smells lovely. I dig into my bolognaise,

my favourite dinner of all time. It isn’t a meal you would have

for a first date, but Josh is used to me getting it all over my

mouth.

“So I got two tickets to the ball,” Josh says while taking a

large bite out of his burger.

I roll my eyes. “Why do you even go? You hate to dance.”

He smiles slightly. “The things I do for you.”

I laugh at his boyish grin. I’ve gone to the ball with him every

year for the last three, but it doesn’t feel right now that Mum is

missing. Nothing feels right, no matter how hard I try to get on

with things for Dad and Jessica’s sake.

Josh speaks as if he’s read my mind. “I know you don’t want

to go anywhere with your mum… you know, but I think it

would be good for you.”

“Can I think about it?” The brightness leaves his brown eyes.

I know he’s disappointed, but he tries to hide it by gobbling

down a few chips

“Yes, but it’s tomorrow night.”

I nearly choke on my bolognaise. Oh God, he’s right. It is

that close.

Josh gives me a little smile. “I wanted to give you the tickets

the other night, but it didn’t feel like the right time. You know,

with Linda and…” He trails off.

A feeling of guilt rises in my stomach. I know the tickets

aren’t cheap.

“All right, count me in.” His whole face lights up, his brown

eyes sparkling.

Going through the list in my head of things I need to do for

the ball distracts me while I finish my food. When I look at my

phone, I realise the time. “Christ, I’m late!” I grab my bag, but

Josh makes it to the counter before me and pays for the food.

“Thanks.”

“No worries. So I will see you tomorrow night, say seven

thirty?” Josh says with excitement in his voice.

“Yeah, see you then.”

I cross the road and head back to work. “Sorry, I’m late.”

Christine peeps her head out from under the counter. “Hey,

it’s grand. Susan went for hers ten minutes ago. I think she’s

meeting Max.”

I say nothing about that. “Could I finish up around three

tomorrow?”

She gives me a smile. “Sure, what are you up to?” Christine

is my sort of boss. Her mother owns the shop, but she’s in her late

eighties and isn’t able anymore. She hasn’t handed the shop over

to Christine yet, but lets her run it. The woman just couldn’t

let go.

“Josh is taking me to the ball.” I raise my hand before she

can say anything. “As a friend.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything, only that Susan is going with

Max too.”

“Oh, well, we’ll just have to get along.”

Christine looks skeptical. Honestly, I don’t feel too optimistic

myself.

When I arrive home, I change into something more

comfortable for shopping. “Jessica, Jessica?”

She pops her head in my bedroom door. “Yes?”

“Will you come dress shopping with me?”

Her eyes light up. “Yes. Where are you going?” She sits down

on my bed as I tie up my hair.

“Josh is taking me to the ball and it’s tomorrow night.”

“You’re going to marry Josh.”

I look at her through the mirror and laugh. “He’s my friend,

Jessica.” I turn around. “Boys and girls can be friends.”

Parking on the main street is easy as there are no cars around.

Jessica and I enter the Red Ribbon dress shop. It’s the only shop

that sells ball gowns in town, and it is still open. The owner

must have been aware there would be last minute shoppers. The

bell rings overhead as we make our way inside. A glamorous

woman in her late sixties, with short blond hair, approaches us.

“Hello, can I help you and your friend with anything?” she

asks.

“She’s my sister and it’s just me looking for a gown.” I can

see why she wouldn’t think we were sisters. Jessica has dead

straight, jet-black hair and green eyes, and she is very petite. My

five foot seven inches is tall compared to her five foot three. My

hair is curly and my eyes are a grey, unlike both my father and

mother. So basically, we look totally different.

“Okay, any colour or style in particular?” the lady asks. I

give her an apologetic smile and shrug. “That’s okay, dear. With

your figure, you will look beautiful in any dress.” She ushers

me forward and starts picking up several dresses. “The fitting

rooms are to the back.” She hands me the pile of dresses, which

I have to push down with my chin in order to make it to the

fitting rooms without falling over. I look at Jessica as I pass her

and mouth HELP!!! She starts laughing.

The first dress is red in a boob-tube style that goes out in a

poof from the waist down. When I come out of the fitting room,

Jessica is lounging on a black leather sofa. There are mirrors

around me and I can see myself from every angle, which is not

good, as I look like a big red cake. Jessica starts laughing and

can’t stop. The owner gives her a sharp look that shuts her up

quickly.

I walk straight back into the fitting room and try on four

more dresses. They are nice, but none of them really stand out.

The last dress is black, which is my favourite colour. I slip it

on over my head and tug it down, adjusting it until it falls to

the ground. The material is heavy and tight against my upper

body, showing off every curve. Then it swirls just at the thigh

and flows to the ground. It is stunning. I walk out of the fitting

room, and Jessica sits up straight.

“Sarajane, it’s amazing.”

I smile. “I think so too.”

The owner comes over with black high heels with a simple de

Monte design on the front of them. I slip my feet in. “Now you

look perfect, dear” she says.

I pay for the gown and shoes, three hundred euro for all, but

I have to say it’s worth every penny. I take Jessica out for food

afterwards to thank her for helping me. It’s after eleven o’clock

by the time we arrive home, and Dad is in bed already.

The next day at work goes by quickly, as Susan and I

talk about our dresses for the ball. Christine listens

enthusiastically, but I feel sorry for her. “Are you sure you

won’t come with us?”

Christine gives me a look. “Really, I prefer some wine and a

good romance novel. Not looking at all the couples hanging all

over each other.”

“Well, if you change your mind, you have my number.”

Christine gives me a hug. “Thanks.”

When three o’clock comes, I get my bag and jacket from the

back and say good-bye to Christine and Susan. Susan is staying

on until four so at least Christine only has an hour and a half

without us.

I drive home and start getting ready. First thing, I jump in

the shower and take my time with my hair, especially making

sure I condition it really well. Once I’m dried, I slip into my

nightgown and head downstairs to blow-dry my hair only

slightly, just to take the heaviness out of it. After that, I go back

upstairs and put on my dress and shoes. I check the time on

my phone. Still an hour left. So I take great care applying my

makeup, foundation, some simple lip-gloss and tint of a blusher

along my cheeks, eyeliner and finally, mascara. Done. I check

myself in my full-length mirror attached to my bedroom door.

I look beautiful.

Leaving the mirror, I go downstairs to the sitting room,

where Jessica and Dad are waiting on me. Walking in, I give

them a twirl, causing the bottom of my dress to spread out.

“You look like a princess,” Jessica says while rising off the

couch to come over and inspect me further.

My dad smiles, but it is a sad smile. He is thinking of Mum.

“You are beautiful, darling.” He lands a gentle kiss on my

forehead. Tears prickle my eyes. Mum should be here.

The doorbell rings and Dad volunteers to get it, anything to

distract him from this sad moment. I clear my throat to pull