World's Apart

Fools Gold

Almost a month had passed since the phone call. Time seemed to have passed by at an agonisingly slow pace. For the first few days Ali shut herself in her room. Her mother and sister would try to coax her out, whether it was for a walk, to visit town or attend church. 

"A walk will do you some good," her mother had said one afternoon.

Ali had declined all of her offers. When it was time for dinner Ali joined them at the table but she barely touched her food, only stomaching a few mouthfuls. The conversation was strained and awkward and eventually Ali excused herself and returned to the confines of her room.

Her room was the safer option. Hidden. She was away from the prying eyes of neighbours and the gossip of the women in the village. Word had gotten out of course. 

"A terrible thing for her," Ali had over heard one woman in the convenience store say.

"That's men for you though Eileen, she should have seen it coming a mile off," Her friend had replied to her.

Whispers floated around town. About how it must have been going on for a while and that Ali was a fool to have not seen it coming, Jack was a handsome man after all. Others were kinder and almost everybody offered their sympathies. The pity in people's eyes angered Ali and one afternoon she found herself embroiled in a fit of rage, screaming to the open fields at the back of her house.

"Has she gone mad?" Katie had asked their mother.

"No love, she's hurting," Mrs Dawes replied as she watched from the kitchen window as Ali screamed.

When they had found out, Ali's mother and Katie wept for her. They too were heartbroken knowing what Jack had done and what it had done to Ali. Mrs Dawes telephoned Jack's mother immediately but there was no answer. Nobody had seen Mr or Mrs Collins in several weeks and truth be told, Ali was glad for it. She couldn't bare to look into Mrs Collins' eyes and tell her how her son had destroyed any ounce of happiness and love she had ever felt for him.

Jack telephoned every day. Her mother or sister would always answer and always Ali would decline to speak with him. A letter had arrived a few days after the initial phone call. Katie brought it to Ali in her room. As soon as she saw the familiar scrawl of Jack's handwriting she snatched the letter from Katie and tore it into a scatter of tiny pieces.

"You didn't even read it," Katie had said, eye wide and shocked.

"What could he possibly say that will make me feel any better?" Ali replied flatly.

More letters arrived over the weeks but eventually Katie stopped bringing them to Ali and Ali never asked to see them.

Eventually the anger and sadness burning within Ali subsided and was replaced with emptiness and despair. Emily had started working at the local hospital in Weymouth as a nurse and Katie was undertaking her nurse training to one day do the same. Her mother had thrown herself into volunteer work at the church and James had left for London a week after New Years Day. Ali was left in the house alone, with nothing but agonising loneliness taunting her.

James had wanted to delay his trip and stay back to help Ali through her struggles but she had told him to leave. 

"I'll be miserable whether you're here or not. You should go," Ali had told him as he stood at the front door of her house.

"Promise me you'll come see me once you're cheered up," He asked placing his fedora hat back onto his head.

"I promise I will. I'll see you soon James," Ali forced a smile.

James tips his hat towards Ali "Soon. Goodbye Miss Ali," and with that he reached up and planted a delicate kiss on Ali's cheek before making his way down the garden path.

Ali slammed the lid to her trunk shut. 

"Do you have everything you need?" Katie asked scanning the room.

Ali hums "I think so. I can always come back in a few weeks and pick up anything I've forgotten," 

"Are you sure you're making the right decision?" Katie asks as she sits on the edge of Ali's bed.

Ali potters around the room gathering up the last of her belongings and placing them into her large brown leather carry case. Ali sighs and turns towards Katie who is watching her sadly.

"There's nothing left for me here little sister," Ali smiles sadly.

Katie stands from the bed and wraps her arms around Ali. "I'm going to miss you Ali," Katie mumbles into the navy blue wool of Ali's long coat.

Ali wraps her arms around Katie "I'll miss you too. So much," 

The two sisters embrace before Ali steps back and smiles. Katie wipes at her eyes and chuckles once at her expense. Ali unhooks her woollen beret from the back of her door and pulls it onto her head. Her hair is pinned short at her shoulders. 

"I'll take your trunk down," Katie says before exiting the room, pulling the large trunk with her.

Ali glances around her room. It was somewhat emptier now. All of her clothes were packed and her photos were wrapped and stored away safely. She felt like a stranger here now. Turning, she caught her reflection in the vanity table mirror. The ring on her finger glinted in the mirror and she sighed, she still hadn't managed to take it off yet.

She brought her hand up and admired the ring on her fourth finger. It really was a thing of beauty. Ali touched at the ring before wrapping her fingers around it and sliding it off. She clasped the ring between two fingers and stared at it for a few moments before clearing her throat and setting the ring down onto the vanity table.

She leaned down and gathered up the brown carry case before leaving behind the empty room.

"Your trunk is already in the car," Katie announced as Ali came down the stairs.

"Thank you," Ali smiled back.

"Oh my girl, what am I going to do without you?" Mrs Dawes wraps her daughter into a tight motherly hug.

"I'll be home before you know it mother," Ali smiles as she kisses her mother's cheek.

"I love you Ali, we both do," Mrs Dawes smiles taking hold of Katie's hand.

"I know you do and I love you both too," 

Ali reaches down and picks up her brown carry case from the floor. 

At that moment the telephone rings. Everyone's eyes darted to the phone. Katie answered reluctantly before looking towards Ali.

"It's for you," Katie says forlorn. 

Ali's eyes glance to the waiting car outside then back to Katie. Ali shakes her head once.

"She's not here right now," Katie says down the phone before hanging up.

Ali's heart aches as she hears the phone click down. How she longed to hear his voice, but she couldn't think about that right now. She didn't know how to feel anymore. All she knew was that she needed to get away and needed to forget about Jack Collins and all of the pain he had caused her.

Ali adjusts her coat and hat once more before getting ready to step out into the rain. 

"I love you both," she blows a kiss to her mother and sister before she hurries through the rain towards the waiting car.

The driver takes her bag and sets it in the boot. Ali slides into the back seat of the car and pulls the door shut. She waves to her family at the doorway until they are long out of sight.

"Where to Miss?" The driver asks kindly.

"The train station please."