The Statues In The Garden

2.Familiar Face

"Yes," Maria whispered. Thalia's back straightened upon discovering the noises were not in her imagination. "We should prepare ourselves in case this person approaches us" Maria stated quietly.
"Yes, we should," Thalia remarked faintly.
Thalia adjusted the delicate flowers that dotted her chignon bun and pinched her robe's butterfly sleeves outwards using her left hand. She then placed the stone butterfly she held in her right palm onto her right index finger and held it outwards, so it pointed west. Thalia then wrapped her left arm around her waist as if she were hugging herself and stood perfectly still.
Maria distributed the weight of the stone bouquet she held in both arms to her left arm. Her left hand wrapped itself tightly around the bouquet's stem while her right hand tucked a lock of hair behind her right ear. Maria then uncreased her dress's tulip sleeves so they were perfectly smooth. Then she crossed her arms loosely below her ribs and placed the bouquet in the cradle of her arms. Fearing the bouquet might fall Maria pushed her arms upwards towards her ample bosom.
While Maria balanced the bouquet in her arms, the source of footsteps became known. It was a young woman clad in a black maid uniform.
The young woman marched across the path towards Maria. The young woman gripped a burlap sack full of gardening tools in her right hand. When the young woman was close enough to see the details of Maria's face, she raised her left hand above her head and waved it.
While the woman waved her hand, she cried out," Hello Maria! Hello Thalia!"
Almost in unison, Thalia and Maria exclaimed," Hello Sybil!'' Sybil approached the statues and set the burlap sack down by the rose bushes. When the burlap sack impacted the ground, it released a cloud of dust so large that it looked as if an explosion had occurred in the garden. Sybil squinted her eyes and coughed as the cloud surrounded her. After a few long seconds, the dust settled on the ground and on Sybil. Sybil was completely covered in dust, brown streaks of it adorned everything; her apron, her dress, her face, and even the little mob cap that sat atop her head. Sybil's cough turned into a soft chuckle.
"I didn't think this would happen. I come here to clean the garden and instead I make a mess" Sybil announced through soft laughter.
"Yes, it's quite ironic." Maria declared with a strained smile.
"What mess?" Thalia asked.
Maria replied to Thalia's question rather dryly," You know the one Sybil created when she came here to clean up the garden and instead created an explosion of dust. Just turn around and look at it yourself." Thalia did as she was told and turned around to see what happened to the garden. She looked at the giant mess of dust briefly and then shifted her gaze towards the sack of tools. Thalia narrowed her eyes.
"Is that what I think it is? That's Mr. Crawford's old tool sack!" Thalia blurted out. She began to laugh heartily. "No wonder there's so much dust everywhere. That thing is ancient, why would you use it?"
"Well, I've lost my tool sack and that was the only other tools I could use were those." Sybil replied.
"Well, did you ask the head housemaid about it?" Thalia inquired.
"I did, and she told me the tools must've have been lost, when the tool shed was reorganized while I was on holiday, she also told me to use the old tools instead." Sybil's answered.
"If the head housemaid couldn't help you find your tools we will!" Thalia declared. Maria rolled her eyes. She was not in the mood to go hunting for a sack of tools, much less Sybil's sack of tools.
Thalia noticed Maria roll her eyes and elbowed her in the ribs while saying: "Right Maria." All Maria could do was nod and smile.