I’m surprised to find the school in darkness when I arrive just before 7.30. I’m not sure why, but I thought there would be other parents waiting to see Isabel but apparently not. Maybe they’ve all left already and I’m the last one to show. The poor woman must have waited for me and is desperate to get home.
Picking up my pace, I walk the empty corridors towards Jack’s classroom and shiver as the air conditioning blasts out above my head. The whole place feels eerie and lifeless, unlike it does for most of the day when the sheer energy of the pupils could probably power the whole school for a month if it could be harnessed.
The door to the classroom is open and I’m relieved to see the light is on. Poking my head around the door, I see Isabel hunched in her seat marking the students’ work, and I cough nervously.
She looks up, and I smile apologetically. “I’m sorry, have I kept you waiting?”
She smiles sweetly and beckons me inside. “No, not at all. Please come in and take a seat.”
She laughs as I approach. “This almost feels like my second home. I spend more time here than I do in the flat I rented nearby.”
I look at her with curiosity. “It must be lonely living on your own.”
She looks a little startled, and I shake my head apologetically. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”
Smiling sadly, she scrapes back her chair and looks at me as if wondering whether to say something, and then she sighs. “To be honest, it is quite lonely. Having moved away from all my family and friends, I never really understood how that would make me feel.”
“What made you move away?”
Her eyes look sad and she says bitterly, “I never really had a choice. I needed to move to make a fresh start. You know, too many memories to deal with. This job came up and here I am.”
She appears to shake herself and then glances down at the notebook on her desk and smiles.
“Anyway, you didn’t come here to listen to my problems. You’re probably wondering why I summoned you.”
She smiles warmly. “Nothing to worry about. I just wanted to meet the parents as they say and thought this would be a good opportunity. I’ve met the students obviously and I’m curious about their home life. I always find it can reflect in their behaviour at school and so thought I’d do some digging to see if there was anything I needed to know. It’s why I asked for the fathers to come too. I can tell a lot when I see the parents together. You know, pick up on things that may make sense of their child’s behaviour at school.”
I feel a little nervous as I wonder what she’s picked up from Jack’s behaviour and almost as if she senses my discomfort, she laughs. “However, Jack appears a happy, well-rounded child and I can tell he has a happy home life. I would just like to get to know you a little. Find out if there is anything you think I should know, that sort of thing.”
I relax a little and smile warmly. “I’m not sure if I have anything to enlighten you. Jack’s an only child and so can be a little spoilt as a result. My husband works as an accountant for a large insurance company in town and I work in the HR department of Driscoll’s department store. We like to make sure that one of us is home with Jack and if not, Tina minds him, you know, Harry’s mother. They only live two doors away and we share the pickup and drop off from schools and clubs. It works well and suits everyone.”
Isabel smiles. “Yes, it’s good to have a secure network in place.”
She looks at her watch and smiles sweetly. “You know, I don’t know about you, but I could use a drink right about now. If you have the time, would you like to grab one with me at the local pub?”
She must see the surprise on my face because she blushes and says awkwardly, “That is, if you want to, of course.”
There’s a yearning in her eyes that can’t be ignored, so I nod. “Of course, that sounds like a good idea.”
I wait while she turns off the lights and locks the classroom door and I follow her out to the staff carpark. She leads me over to a large 4x4 and as she flicks the locks to open the door she says airily, “Why don’t I drive and then I can drop you back here afterwards to pick up your car. It’s only around the corner, in fact, we could probably walk but as there’s rain in the air I thought it better to drive.”
“Great, thank you,” I say gratefully as I climb in beside her and push away any doubts. The poor woman is obviously lonely, so the least I can do is spare her an hour or so of my company. After all, she is going home to an empty flat.
By the time we grab our drinks and find a table, I find myself warming to Isabel. She is quick witted and funny and any reservations I had appear to have evaporated as she has me in stitches with yet another tale from the classroom.
As we sip our drinks by the fire, she says innocently, “So, tell me about your husband… Tom, isn’t it?”
I smile. “Yes, Tom and I have been married for ten years now. To be honest, I’m not sure where that time went.”
She smiles. “You must be doing something right to still be married. What do they say, after seven years they get the itch and most marriages break up?”
Laughing, I take another sip of my drink. “Yes, don’t get me wrong, we’ve had our moments. There was a time I thought we would also be one of those statistics but things turned around for us and now we’ve never been happier.”
She sighs wistfully. “You’re so lucky. I wish things had worked out differently for me.”
I’m not sure whether I should ask but the curiosity gets the better of me and I say gently, “What happened to bring you here, Isabel?”
I watch as she runs her finger around the rim of her glass and a shadow passes across her face. She raises her eyes and I see so much pain in her expression it makes me hold my breath. “My fiancé died.”
I make to speak, but she cuts me off. “It’s ok, you don’t have to say anything. It wasn’t that long ago, and it’s still raw.”
Reaching out, I touch her arm lightly and say softly, “What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?”
She smiles shakily. “I wish it wasn’t the case, but he committed suicide.”
I stare at her in horror as she takes a huge gulp of her wine. “It was horrible, Karen. The first I knew was when the police called. It had happened a few days previously, and they’d taken that long to trace me because we didn’t live together and weren’t yet married. My whole life disappeared with Eddie that night. All the plans we had for the future, all the wedding preparations and everything we were working towards, drowned in that lake with him.”
I’m not sure what to say because words seem meaningless in this situation, so all I say is, “I’m so sorry.”
She nods. “Thank you, it’s still quite raw but I’m getting there.”
Then she sighs heavily. “You know, I wanted what you have, Karen. I wanted the husband, house, family and life that two people share as they work as a team. I’m happy you found your way back because loneliness is a terrible thing. It was one thing losing Eddie, but the most difficult thing is carrying on. Sometimes I feel as if a part of me died with him that night, it was the part that gave my life meaning.”
As the fire crackles beside us, it illuminates the face of a woman shrouded in grief. I sometimes wonder what my life would be like now if Tom hadn’t been mugged. Would I be this woman sitting in front of me? Searching for closure and a means to carry on.
Impulsively, I take her hand and squeeze it, saying softly, “Listen, I know things are hard for you and nothing I can say or do will change that. However, at least let me offer you something I can give you, friendship. Don’t be on your own in a strange place, sitting in an empty classroom of an evening marking schoolwork. Why don’t you come over to ours on Saturday afternoon? We’re having a get together for Tom’s birthday. It’s quite informal and there will be lots of people turning up, lots of them on their own. Maybe you will find a few friends among them.”
She looks at me so gratefully I know I’ve done the right thing. “Are you sure, Karen? I mean, will Tom mind?” Laughing, I settle back and take another sip of my drink. “No, Tom won’t mind in the slightest. He’s a decent guy who loves to socialise. One more won’t hurt and you do need to meet all the parents, after all.”
She raises her glass and says with gratitude. “Then thank you, I accept your kind invitation. I’ll get the address from the school records, what time should I be there?”
“Make it 2.30 and expect to stay late. Tom’s birthday never ends before midnight so expect a packed evening.”
She smiles happily and I feel warm inside. Yes, this was the right thing to do. Isabel needs some friends right now and I am happy to become one of them.