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Chapter Thirty-Two
The week just flew by and before long Josephine had to go back to Australia. She said goodbye to the girls the night before because she had a very early flight and she didn't want them to be really upset so when Esmerelda woke up that next morning, she knew her Grandmother was gone and just had to lie there for a while, upset, until there was a knock on the door, it was soft so it wasn't her parents who knocked on it like she was deaf and they needed to hit it as hard as they could.
"Come in" Esmerelda said as the door opened and Sybil walked in, her lip quivering.
"I miss Granny!" Sybil said before she started crying. Esmerelda patted the space on her bed and Sybil jumped on it next to her sister.
"So do I, but she had to go home, I am sure we will be able to speak to her soon" Esmerelda told her sister trying to reassure her. Sybil sighed but nodded sadly.
"I hope Ethie is okay" Esmerelda commented, knowing how much the girl adored her grandmother and how upset she properly was.
"I heard her crying as I walked here, but I left her, she hates it when we catch her crying" Sybil told her sister sadly and Esmerelda smiled sadly and stood up.
"Come on, she needs us" Esmerelda said as her and her sister made their way to Ethel's room and walked in without knocking anywise she will tell them to go away.
"Ethie" Esmerelda said touching her back as she found her sister blubbering into her pillow.
"Why does she not just move back here? Does she not love us enough?" Ethel asked. She always took Josephine leaving again as a sign of rejection from her, because her parents had always ignored her.
"Of course she does, but she can't just leave you know that, she has a business there and she can't just throw 200 people out of a job, she misses us too but it is hard for her being here, you know that Ethel" Esmerelda explained, as she did everytime she visited. Ethel was always distraught for days afterwards.
"Come on, we still have the rest of our summer to enjoy, let's make the most of it" Esmerelda told them trying to cheer them up, she didn't have much summer left before she had to go back to school, she didn't want to spend it with everyone crying.
"You're leaving us as well" Ethel said crying more, she took everything so personally and Esmerelda felt her heart break at the hurt tone in Ethel's voice.
"I don't have a choice, I wish everyday that I could go to day school, but you know that Hallows have gone to Cackles for generations and mum and dad would not even listen if I tried to talk to them about it, you know that they say it will bring shame on the family" Esmerelda told Ethel, needing her to know that if she had the choice, she would never leave.
"I don't want to be by myself" Ethel said, looking at her sisters with her head on the pillow.
"You aren't alone, you have Sybie, I need you here to look after her, plus thanks to the present Lily gave me I can talk to you pretty much whenever I want so I will be bugging you so much it will feel almost as if I never left" Esmerelda told her sister, trying to lighten their sad moods.
However, Esmerelda was miserable herself. She had two weeks of summer left before she had to leave again, she wouldn't mind returning to school if she could take Ethel and Sybil with her, she thought of ways, most crazy, that would involve sneaking her sisters into the school, but she knew she couldn't do that forever, someone would find out eventually and then they would all be in trouble, so there was no way around it, she had to leave.
Even though Esmerelda did try to lift their spirits the last two weeks with games and activities and spending time together, there was always something in the background that would not allow them to be as happy as they were the weeks prior, they were all dreading school starting again, and it was constantly on their minds they would be apart from one another. Even more so than last year, it had not really sunk in she had been leaving at the time.
"Mum" Esmerelda said one day after dinner. She had told her sisters to go to her room and wait for her as she had to talk to their mother. She knew it was going to be hopeless but maybe she would listen and realise the heartache she would be going through if she went back to Cackles.
"What is it Esmie? Tell me quickly I am busy" the woman told her daughter as she sorted through some papers.
"About school, maybe it would be good if I still went to Cackles but I day schooled, I mean after all, there are so many distractions at school, sometimes it is very noisy and it makes it hard to concentrate" Esmerelda said, hoping if she said her work was suffering her mum might freak out and homeschool her or something.
"Yet your grades are still perfect, we were not born yesterday Esmerelda" her father said as he appeared behind her and he heard what she said.
"But dad.." Esmerelda went on trying to explain.
"You are going back to Cackles as a boarding student full stop, I don't want to hear anymore about it, now please leave we are very busy" Ursulla told her daughter and Esmerelda hung her head as she climbed the stairs.
"I tried to get them to let me day school but they won't have it" Esmerelda told her sisters as she entered the room. She wanted them to know she had done everything she could to get out of going to school, but she just didn't have the choice.
Before long it was coming down to her last days at home. On the last day, Ethel, who had always had a problem with controlling her temper, stormed away from the table at breakfast when their parents had asked Esmerelda if she was packed.
"Ethel come back here right now!" Triton shouted after her but it was to late. Esmerelda went upstairs and found Ethel having a tantrum and throwing everything in her bedroom of selves and onto the floor.
"Ethel stop!" Esmerelda shouted at her, as she threw a whole row of her books onto the floor.
"NO, I DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO YOU, YOU AREN'T EVEN GOING TO BE HERE!" Ethel shouted in response.
"I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE" Esmerelda shouted, knowing Ethel was hurting but there was nothing she could do, why could she not see that.
"OH JUST GO, I DON'T CARE" Ethel shouted even if she clearly did.
Esmerelda then did something that was then very brave but quite stupid. She walked up to Ethel and took her into a hug, the younger blonde fought her, screaming and fidgeting to get away. Esmerelda moved her face to avoid getting slapped in the face but didn't let go.
"Just go away..." Ethel shouted as her composure started to break and her anger started to fade to be replaced by crying.
"I know Ethie, I will miss you too" Esmerelda told her sister as she hugged her just as Ethel started full on crying before she heard a sob in the doorway and saw Sybil watching them. Esmie extended her other arm to offer it to Sybil and the youngest ran into her arm, crying into her chest.
"I am going to miss you both, I am sorry I have to go" Esmerelda told them as they both cried on her and she allowed herself to cry too.
"Just promise to mirror us every day" Ethel said as she looked at her sister.
"I promise, I will mirror you everyday after lessons" Esmie replied as she looked at both her sisters happily.
They spent the rest of the day hanging out for the last few precious hours they had, watching a film, laughing and joking and enjoying being able to hug each other, but the hours were going fast and before long they were falling asleep, knowing tomorrow they would be apart again.
Esmerelda did not sleep a wink, she had no idea if Ethel and Sybil managed to get any sleep or if like her, they were lying in bed, watching with dread as their room got brighter as day fell upon them.