Disclaimer: see first chapter.
Thank you so much to my reviewers. I hope you like this next part.
Chapter 2: Peeling the first layer.
"Go on Miss Hardbroom." Imogen knew that Constance wanted to talk but she would still need a bit of encouragement. She wasn't the type of person to reveal all her problems just because it was raining.
"If I'm going to tell you my life story, then perhaps you should call me Constance."
"That's something I never thought I'd hear you say, not to me anyway. Well Constance can we please go inside before I die of hypothermia? Either that or we are going to have to go for a run to keep warm."
Constance didn't have to think hard to make that decision.
Once they were inside and dry, they continued their conversation in Constance's room. Constance sat on her bed in quiet contemplation. She was struggling to find the words after a lifetime of silence.
"Just take a deep breath and plunge into the deep end."
"Must you always use sports related metaphors?" Imogen noticed that Constance's tone was not as scathing as normal. Without hesitation this time, Constance continued.
"Did you know I spent the summer with my sisters?"
"I didn't even know you had sisters. You never talk about them."
"I don't talk about them because our lives are just too complicated to explain. I have two sisters, Celestia and Carrabelle. It's just been the three of us since our parents died. I was 14, Tia was 16 and Carra was 12.
At this point Constance paused. Did she really want to tell Imogen everything? No, she didn't but she needed to.
"I didn't realise, I'm so sorry."
"The circumstances of their deaths and the years of problems before that made life difficult for Tia and I but to this day Carrabelle doesn't understand. I will come to that later though. Tia and I developed our own coping strategies, which were not always constructive. I have had to battle extremely hard to overcome my addictions but even now I still relapse. We have no other relatives, so we were sent to Heckitty Broomhead's academy. We thought that getting away from home would make things better but it didn't. I know I am strict but I only act in the best interests of the girls, Broomhead is just pure evil. At least being there kept us together. You may think that I am the Ice Queen; don't give me that oh so innocent face Imogen, I know you do, yet I love my sisters very much. I have always been close to them because we've been through so much together."
"What do your sisters do?"
"Tia is also a teacher. She lives and works at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Carra doesn't have a job because she can't cope with the tasks that most of us can. She needs to be taken care of all the time. She still lives at Hardbroom Manor with her carer and her daughter. Tia and I go back in the holidays and on any weekends that we can to look after her."
"So is Carrabelle married?"
"No she isn't emotionally mature enough for that and neither Tia or I trust men, so we are all single."
"Sorry I just assumed that she would be involved with someone because you said she had a daughter."
"Yes, she does. Lily is a wonderful little girl but the circumstances of her conception were not desirable. The way Carra is makes her extremely vulnerable. One day her old carer, who we fired immediately, left Carra alone in the house and she was raped by a stalker that had been watching the house waiting for an opportunity. She should never have been left alone, she can't cope by herself."
Imogen saw a mixture of guilt and anger on Constance's face. Surely she can't believe that it was her fault? Imogen decided that Constance didn't need to hear that it wasn't her fault because that guilt could only be erased by Constance herself. Sadly Imogen realised that this was not going to happen because there would always be this nagging voice at the back of Constance's mind, telling her that she could have prevented it. She should have been there.
"That is so awful. I'm glad to hear that you fired her. How old is the little girl?"
"She is 4 years old. She is a little sweetheart but of course she doesn't understand why her mummy can't take care of her like other mothers take care of their children."
"That is such a shame."
"It isn't all bad. Carra may not understand what it means to be a mother but she does love Lily greatly. We all do. Tia and I go home as often as we can to see her, take her on trips and make her hot chocolate, things like that. She loves it when we are there because we treat her like the special little angel that she is."
"I never knew that you had such a caring and compassionate side. You rarely show it at school."
"There are only so many people that you can look after and worry about. My mind is always focussed on arrangements and the needs of Lily and Carra."
"Who looked after Carra when your parents died? I mean you were so young."
"Some things in life make you grow up very quickly. Tia and I were already much older than our years. We had been taking care of Carra for many years by the time they died."
"I can see that all those years of concern for your sister have really taken their toll on you. You have incredible strength to have been able to cope for so long. May I ask why it is that you have been so exhausted lately?"
"You may and I will answer that in good time. This conversation has been extremely draining on me. Talking about things makes them seem all the more real. I believed that if I separated my home life from my work life, then I could bury myself in my work and I would cope much better. That is not the case. I have come to realise that you can't run from the past. It won't disappear just because you pretend it didn't happen. It is a relief to finally share this with someone Imogen; I would like to continue to confront the less desirable aspects of my life with you some other day."
"Of course, I am here whenever you need me. Would you like me to leave you alone now?"
"No, please, I am enjoying your company. Everyone at Cackle's is so consumed by the image they have of me that they never take the time to have a real conversation with me. You spend so much time arguing with me over school matters that you assume I am incapable of discussing anything other than the school. So, let's talk about something happier. Let me prove to you that I am more than the judgments you have made about me. Tell me about your life and family."
And so the colleagues began a conversation about happy memories, such as the time Imogen went camping with her brothers and the hours that Constance enjoyed on the beach with her daddy; just the two of them. Mrs Tapioca brought them some food, which Imogen was delighted to see that Constance actually ate. By the end of the evening the two were no longer colleagues; they were friends. They talked about the school and the girls. Imogen was more than surprised to learn that Constance didn't actually dislike Mildred Hubble, although she did find her mildly annoying.
They talked late into the night, laughing more then either of them had in a very long time.
"Well, I suppose I had better get to bed now. Night Constance."
"Goodnight Imogen. See you tomorrow and thank you for today."
"Of course, I'm glad that we have learnt more about each other. I have to ask, why did you open up to me and not Amelia?"
"Because you realised that I needed someone when I didn't even know it."
Imogen smiled because for the first time since she had known Miss Hardbroom, she discovered that there was more to her than just her façade. The woman underneath, Constance, needed to be cared about as much as anyone else, yet from what Imogen had understood today, she had been too busy caring about everyone else. Constance returned Imogen's smile, realising for the first time since the summer that she was not alone.
After parting, both teachers fell asleep almost immediately; exhausted but somehow refreshed. Part of Constance's burden had been lifted, she now felt freer than she ever had. Imogen had also been liberated because she had helped a former colleague, and new friend, to feel more than just pain.
About two o'clock that morning, Constance was once again tormented by flashes of memories. She was a girl again and she was afraid. As the nightmare ended with the face that would forever haunt her; she awoke. Constance was more frightened than she would ever admit; even to herself. Just as she was on the verge of tears she remembered that there was one person that wanted to know about her scars.
What Constance didn't know was that at that very same moment; Imogen Drill sat bolt upright. She didn't know what had made her awake so suddenly, she only knew that something certainly was not right. Someone was suffering and Imogen had a fairly good idea who it was.