A whole life so lonely
And then you come and ease the pain
She still could not believe. It was happening. She never considered herself as a lucky woman. All her life, since she could remember, passed into the darkness as black like the uniform she wore everyday. But that day, however, was very different. It glittered and lit like the fabric that were wrapped her body.
The last weeks has been the most accelerated she lived. She was accustomed to the same and slow days, but these days were fast like the Mr Talbot´s cars. And she felt dizzy with the rhythm around her. She felt that in the simple step from 1925 to 1926, everything has changed.
"Do you think this is right?" Anna´s voice pulled her from her thoughts.
"What?" She managed to say, looking at the woman holding the tip of a tie. Anna giggled.
"You are lost in your world, and I don´t judge you"
"Sorry." She tried to hide her brush "And is true, I was lost. I can´t believe this"
"Well, Miss Baxter, is happening and this is your wedding dress!" Anna cried with joy.
"Please, call me Phyllis." She smiled "Oh God, I think I´ll die of nerves"
Anna laughed again and invited Phyllis to sit down for fix her hair.
"Were you nervous in your wedding day?" asked Phyllis not so much for curiosity, but to keep her mind occupied on something that was no tremble.
"Not much. I was anxious, wanted to happen soon. But I think I wanted to share my anxious with someone, but I could not. So, I like to be the confident of the brides, I know about the need of company"
"Well, you are a relief, Anna. Why do you say you didn´t have anyone?
"Because I married secretly." In the mirror, Phyllis saw the cheeky smile of Anna "Poor Mr Bates, almost I dragged him to the register office. But it was worth it"
Phyllis gave a liberating laugh. Joseph told for propose marriage to her, he asked for advice to Mr Bates, because the man had experience and confidence. And now, she discovered that Anna did all the work. No doubt he would be very surprised when she tells him that. She dawned on when that would happen, she and Joseph would be husband and wife and her nerves reborn again.
"I didn´t know that, Anna. Sorry for the laugh."
"It´s very funny, don´t worry. Look, when you have time, come to my home and I´ll tell you the complete story. Is an invitation from a married woman, to a future married woman"
Phyllis smiled, and again her mind travelled. Everything changed so quickly for her, and too slow for others like Thomas. He said for some time that something happened between her and Mr Molesley. Everybody knew but nobody said, and she and Joseph didn´t recognize the fact. Then, the events were precipitated: Mr Dawes offered the permanent position as a teacher, and the house, and the possibility of finally leave the service. According to Joseph, the next step was obvious: propose marriage. He had a place to offer to her, his own place to provide a good and respected name. And she accepted, but she accepted too if he hadn´t nothing. Now, Anna was about to leave her job and live with Mr Bates and her son in their little hotel. Phyllis will keep working for Lady Gratham and also for Lady Mary, which was a little more money. She would save it and when she would be ready, she would leave the job for work as a dressmaker. Meanwhile, Joseph would continue teaching to the village´s children, and to the Anna´s children, and to the Daisy´s children, or to their own children...
"Hey, someone here?" she heard Anna giggled again and she looked at her.
"Sorry again"
"I think it is ready. You look beautiful"
They heard blows in the door and saw at Mrs Hughes.
"All right, the brides always go delayed, but Mr Molesley must not wait for a long time or he will had an attack. Oh Miss Baxter, you are beautiful.
The three women laughed and Phyllis felt her brush again in her cheeks.
"I must go with the baby" said Anna "Good luck, Phyllis" she winked and left.
"Are you ready?" asked Mrs Hughes.
"I...I think"
Mrs Hughes smiled and repeated her question.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes, I´m ready" Phyllis felt her tears in the eyes because yes, she was ready for the most important step in her life.
But she stunned when Mrs Hughes took her hands.
"I know we never talk much, or have much contact, but I want you know I´m very happy for you. You deserve someone like Mr Molesley, and he deserves someone like you. And for this, you will have a beautiful and radiant life."
Never someone talked to her like Mrs Hughes, with such sincerity and frank joy, except Joseph, of course. When Mrs Hughes married with Carson, Phyllis felt a little envy, because she hadn´t hope. Now she felt gratitude for this woman, the mother of Downton´s downstairs.
"Thank you. For all." she said, hoping that those words transmit her feelings.
"Now, you must go" Mrs Hughes opened the door and looked in both ways "Nobody, you can leave"
She did, and for the first time, she was not afraid about her future.
One of the things that she liked about Downton was that servants and employers were getting married in the same chapel. Ones were married for the bishop, others for the reverend, but the place was the same, a sacred space where family and friends celebrate the love of two persons.
When she arrived at the chapel´s door, she was more overwhelmed: too many faces, knew and loved faces, looked at her. She forgot everything when she saw who really wanted to see, and she knew that everything was real and not a dream.
"Emmm...hello" he greeted her when she was in front of him. Phyllis giggled, he was nervous as she.
"Hi, perfect man" she replied with a wink and he smile, relaxed.
When the words consecrated to God all the love that was born among them, she whispered "Thank you" but he don´t understood.
He don´t asked about that, until the next day when, in the sunset in the beach, he saw her adorned with the most beautiful smile. She closed her eyes when he asked.
"I don´t understand" she said.
"Yesterday, you said me "Thank you". For what?" he said, stroking her cheek.
"I told you three years ago, in this same beach. I was always afraid of everyone and everything, even myself. But you gave me your strength and taught me to be strong. Even for this, you are a good teacher."
He took her hand, and said nothing more. They stood watching the sun went down, leaving the first day of their life together, a new and true life.