The seagulls’ screeching woke me very early the next morning. I opened my eyes and stretched remembering what I had to do. I tiptoed to the bedroom door and opened it. It clicked open. There was silence. Aunty M was still in her room. Biggles was still in his bed downstairs.
I crept down the stairs and turned into the study off the hall. I found the phone book and flicked through to the ‘Rs’. I ran my finger down the pages until I landed on ‘Rhodes.’ There were only four names. There, to my absolute relief was;
Rhodes A. Willow tree House, Willow Tree Lane, Tarlton.
I scribbled the address and phone number down on one of Aunty M’s ‘post it’ notes. I knew where they lived. Tarlton was only a small place and the lane they lived on was further down the coast road on the right. I had passed the end of their lane when Sam and I went to the sailing club. I remembered thinking at the time what a lovely name for a road. A thought struck me that it was possible I had already seen them at the shops or on the beach. I marched out of the room and set off back upstairs. Behind me, I heard a noise: click, click, click, whoosh. I slowly turned around and to my horror; there was Biggles and Aunty M standing at the foot of the stairs.
“You’re up early Flo. Everything alright?”
“Yes, fine,” I stuttered feeling my face flush bright red.
I couldn’t think of an excuse so I turned back and continued back up the stairs, hoping Aunty M wouldn’t ask me what I had been doing.
I quickly opened the dressing table drawer where I’d seen some writing paper and envelopes. I put the address and the date at the top and started to write. I wanted to get the letter written and posted straight away.
My pen hovered over the page and I wrote; “My name is Florence and I am your granddaughter. I have only just found out about you and I would very much like to meet you. My mobile number is 07986 243562. If you would like to meet me, could you please call me on this number and I will come to visit you. I am staying with my godmother in Tarlton until the 24th October.”
I ended the letter with best wishes Florence Masters. I decided not to put a kiss because I didn’t know them yet. I found a stamp in my purse. I bought six stamps at the post office because mum had told me to, just in case I wrote to granny or my friend Eloise. She didn’t want me pestering Aunty M.
After breakfast we bought some flowers in the mini mart and walked to the little graveyard in the grounds of St Luke’s church.
“Seems so strange seeing where my sister is buried. If only she was still here.”
“How many times I have said that Florence? It would have been easier for you and your mum if there had been the two of you to care for and she would have found losing Simon a little easier somehow. It’s all so sad.”
“You could be right, Aunty M. And there’s dad, I mean Philip.”
“Philip? You mean your dad?” asked Aunty M.
“No Philip; he’s not my real dad after all.”
“Florence, he’s been your dad and he’s been wonderful to you and your mum.”
“I know Aunty M but he’s not my real, dad is he?”
“No, but he married mum when you were only about a year old and he has loved you and cared for you just like your real dad would have done. Mum was very lucky when she met him. We are all so very fond of him and he loves you very much. You only have to watch him with you to see that.”
“Yes I know but I’m feeling very muddled up Aunty M. Everything is different now.”
“You know what happened to you and mum but nothing has changed really. You’ll be fine and so will mum and Philip. You’ve just grown up a bit, well a big bit.”
Aunty M walked away towards the entrance gate. I bent down and place the bunch of flowers in the little container. I stood up and looked at the headstone. It said, “Roma Masters 1996”.
“Our Little Angel fell asleep when she was just six months old.
Rest in Peace Little One.”
If only you all knew, I thought. Their ‘Little One’ could not ‘rest in peace’ until they all met and forgave each other for what happened years before. I really was growing up quickly. I was learning how grown ups could let you down. Feeling desperate, I ran down the path to join Aunty M.