Wildflowers | S.Jy

| 29 |

With the hours ticking slowly towards noon I had slowly started to lose my patience. Jake's train would first be departing at dinner time and he would've spent the whole day packing down his things. However, noon was the limit for me. I could no longer get my day to pass.

After noon tea I had made a bad excuse to escape as fast as possible, leaving Mira to help grandma clear the table. Meanwhile, I quickly rushed to grab my lace gloves, that only felt right to wear in case I had to talk with mrs. Lee. 

I dought I ever walked as fast down the hill as I did today. It went faster than ever and I had almost set into a run, but if anyone had seen me running down the hill like that it might've just made it back to grandma. And if there was something my grandma really despised then it was being unladylike. Running down a hill surely must go under the category of unladelike activities.

My knocks on the white painted door at the Lee's house seemed to echo out more than ever in the forest behind me. A few quick footsteps echoed on the other side of the door before mrs. Lee opened the door and looked at me with surprise. Blinking a few times before her eyebrows seemed to furrow a bit.

"I'm terribly sorry mrs. Lee, but I was simply too impatient to wait any longer," I excused and folded my hands in front of me on my skirt.

"Oh... I'm the one that's sorry miss Millie," mrs. Lee got a sympathetic smile on her face, "Jake did say you had wanted to accompany him to the train station."

"Of course," I hummed with a small nod.

"Well... last night he got a letter, from his mom," mrs. Lee straightened her back slightly and raised up her chin, "it seems Jake found it urgent and took the first train home this morning."

"He... went home?" I questioned hesitantly and mrs. Lee nodded, "without saying goodbye?"

"He intended to go say goodbye to you this morning, but apparently your curtains were still drawn when he went to see you," mrs. Lee excused as I let my eyes fall to look down towards the hem of my skirt, "he did however write you a letter. Spent all night on it. Hold on sweetheart, I'll go get it for you."

I nodded and cleared my throat as mrs. Lee disappeared behind her front door. While I stood alone outside the front of the house I took some time to try and get some deep breaths of fresh air down in my lungs. Something about Jake just going without saying goodbye had me feeling nauseous. Maybe I had never really imagined him leaving, despite knowing he had to. After all, so many kids and young people had left the fields in the years. Jake just seemed like a person that would never depart from Ailea.

"Here you go," mrs. Lee put on her warmest smile for me as she extended a envelope towards me. On the front of it neatly curled letters spelled out my name, "go home and read it. Maybe it'll make you feel better. You look a bit pale."

"Of course," I nodded and grabbed the letter with both my hands, staring down at my own name, "thank you, mrs. Lee."

"I'll have you know miss Millie..." mrs. Lee trailed off once I had done gestures to get going back home, I had, however, stopped in my steps and turned to look at her, "I don't know what the letter says... but I would be more than welcoming to you if you were to join the family."

"Thank you mrs. Lee," I gave her a small nod before grabbing enough consiousness and walking back home.

The hill had never seemed longer and more mountain-like than it did in that moment. I might've almost lost my breath once I reached the top of the hill, standing outside the front porch while staring down the gravel road Jake would've taken to get to the train station. Something about him leaving just like that still seemed unbelieveable. However, I know the letter in my hands might've kept the answer to why he had left so suddenly.

I swiftly entered the house and ignored anyone speaking to me. My goal was to get up in the library, sit in my nice chair, and eventually gather enough courage to read the letter. It had taken me quite some time to gather my courage. I had paced the library at least seven times, and gone to lock and unlock the door another three. I did not want to get interrupted.

Once I had finally decided to just open the letter and get going with the reading I had stood with the envelope in hand. Shaking on my hands as I kept on doubting whether or not I wanted to read it. Had I not felt sick down by mrs. Lee I surely was feeling it now. 

I had no choice. I turned the envelope around and carefully riped it open. Pulling out a neatly folded letter with just as curly and neat handwriting as the one on the outside of the envelope.