Lessons to Learn

Chapter 3

The morning air was a delight to one's soul. Cora could hear the chirping of the small songbirds that sat in the trees and bushes of the London front gardens. She so loved the start of spring and she could feel it in the light breeze and the way the sun shone on that morning that spring was indeed coming. Even cycling uphill the last part of the street they lived in was somehow easy today. It was still early in the morning and she was riding her bike to school. Her trench coat fluttered around her slender figure and all fatigue she had felt when she had to rise up at an ungodly hour vanished in the gentle sunlight. She was going to school before her first lesson started because she hadn't managed marking all these essays at home. After the laundry debacle last time she had done the laundry on her own this time to guarantee the right turnout. Somehow, the hours to finish her work for school shrank unnoticed every day of the last week. It turned out she had no choice other than to stay more hours at school to finish her tasks. But today, she didn't regret leaving the house early. Her chest felt light and she was sure that when she'd done the grading, her mind would lighten too.

She reached the school and locked her bike. On her way from the bicycle racks to the front door of the school she met her headmistress. She recognised her form in the grey coat immediately.

"Morning, Elsie," Cora greeted. The older woman turned around with a raised brow. She smiled in recognition.

"Hello, Cora! Already here?" Elsie Hughes chanced a brief look at her watch and halted to wait for Cora to catch up.

"Yes, I have some essays left and no clear head at home," she responded with a shrug of her shoulders. They continued the rest of the way together and Elsie reached for the bunch of keys to open the door.

"Well, we all know that well enough," she acknowledged. She stepped to the side and held the door open for her younger colleague.

In mutual understanding they went down the long hallway, approaching their offices. With a smile they said goodbye and unlocked their office doors.

Cora sat down at her desk and retrieved the essays from her bag. She decided a coffee would do her good to start her work. She got up again looking for her mug, she kept in her office. Sybil gave it to her for Christmas years ago. It had a family photo printed on the front and the inscription, For my dear Mama, in Sybil's scrawly handwriting on the back. Cora loved it. It was a bit blurred by now, but that didn't really matter to her. She found the mug on her sideboard and made her way to the teachers' lounge.

It was all deserted, but that was no wonder this early in the morning. Silently, she turned on the coffee machine and checked her coiffure with her hands in the meantime. She pushed some loose curls back into place and tightened every other pin. The only sound was the dropping of the coffee into her mug and the wheezing of the water in the coffee machine. But then there were steps and Cora turned around to see who was coming.

"Charles!"

"Cora, you here? Doesn't your family need you in the morning? I never see you here at sunup," Charles Blake retorted. He gave her one of his grins. Charles hadn't been a colleague of hers as long as Joseph or Elsie, but they knew each other quite well and got along in a superficial manner. Charles was teaching citizenship and PE. He was more the age of her daughters and only worked as teacher for a year or so. But his confident demeanour secured him a good respect from his students.

"No, I'm usually not here at this time, but sometimes we have no choice," she answered and turned back to take her cup of coffee.

"But your husband is most likely missing you, right?" the young man inquired further.

"What makes you say that?" Cora questioned, turning back around. She leaned on the counter, both hands clutching the warm cup. Her eyebrows were raised.

"Well, a man who picks up his wife after every parent-teacher conference or late meeting seems to be quite besotted with his wife," he explained while he discarded his jacket and bag on a chair. Cora didn't like the way he spoke; it came across as condescending. When he sensed Cora's slightly unamused and distancing look, he stammered, "I didn't mean to let it sound ridiculing or anything like that. It was more a statement of admiration."

"Oh?"

"Yes, your marriage seems aspirational and enviable," Charles explained with new found confidence.

"Well, I take it as a compliment then," Cora remarked and rose to leave the lounge. "I shall bow out now." She gave him a last nod, accompanied with a warm smile of hers and headed back to her room.

The grading of the essays went without complication and she was glad about it. After finishing the last essay, she continued with preparing her next lessons. She had some handouts to copy and was pleased about the chance to stretch her legs. She grabbed the paper and left her office. Students were already running down the corridors after the first period. When entering the copy room, she saw that the photocopier was already occupied. So, she leaned in the door frame and waited for her turn.

"Oh, Cora!" her colleague turned around as he noticed her.

"Hey," she replied amiably.

"I hope I'm not keeping you too long. I have quite a few copies to make," Oliver apologized awkwardly. He was a new teacher for geography.

"It's alright," she said while checking her watch. "I think I'm doing it later then. I have to get to my next class," she shrugged her shoulders and was about leave when a question crossed her mind.

"Have you settled in well?" she looked at her newly hired co-worker. Oliver was young and but this wasn't his first position. In his first days at this school, however, he had seemed very nervous. Cora had pity on him. He didn't possess the same self-confidence as Charles. He was still trying to get along with the students.

"Oh, yes. I think got the hang of it by now. And everyone has been most welcoming," he smirked at her. His dark fringes hung down into his forehead and in front his eyes, and Cora was happy to see him so casual, without all the tension that had accompanied him at the beginning.

"That's sounds great. If there is something you need, my door is always open," she spoke before leaving the room, this time for real.

With the workload off her mind, everything seemed so much easier. She enjoyed telling her young students about Greek architecture for the next hours. The lesson went by in no time and she left the classroom with light thoughts after staying behind for a while, talking with two girls of her ninth-grade course. Even if she wasn't their tutor, they sought her reliance for some personal problems. She gladly granted them as much of her time as they needed; in today's mood even more gladly.

Her joyful mood seemed to be contagious. Oliver met her with a grin the next time they passed each other on the hallway. It was recess, and Cora was on her way to the schoolyard to fulfil her supervision. She didn't have time to bring her folder back to the office, so she just tucked it under her arm. Her keys dangled from her index finger. She returned Oliver's smile. A conversation wasn't possible because the masses of students separated them and Cora had to rush to make it to the yard in time.

As she came back to her office not much later, she surveyed the stack of papers discarded on her desk. Among the sheets of paper with the students' texts was a letter. She spotted the small note instantly. Its yellow colour didn't seem familiar to her. Cora picked up the piece of paper and opened the once folded note. She didn't recognize the handwriting.

I'm so happy you agree.
I wanted to say it personally, but I couldn't find the right situation.
Just message me.

Cora narrowed her eyes in confusion. Every line was a riddle to her. No signature, no name. First, she thought it was meant for her. At second thought it came to her mind that it could be a student's letter. At least it had been between the texts she had collected from her ninth-grade art class. It must have been a secret note that hadn't been successfully passed in class. She shrugged her shoulders and folded the note, bending the fold with her nails of thumb and index repeatedly, lost in thoughts. The note was long forgotten already; she planned dinner for the next days and tried to figure out when she had to go to the super market the next time.

It was his weekly meeting with Mr Carson, Rosamund and John. They discussed the matters of the coming week and the turnout of the last week. The meetings had been a dread to him when his colleagues weren't yet the ones he had now and whom he liked very much. Now, these meetings were a nice break in the day and he could lean back most of the time before making his way home.

"So, it's a been a good week so far. What's next?" Robert remarked, while tipping his pen on the edge of the table. He did indeed lean back in his black leather seat, and casted an inquiring look at Mr Carson.

"Well, yes, this week was easy-going, but there is a lot up for next week," Mr Carson replied with a serious expression.

"Oh, and what is that?" Robert asked slightly confused. He looked at Rosamund and John questioningly.

"We have the setup of the new system for our intern computers. It entails a new software for customer services and billings," the bank manager explained with a slow nod towards Robert.

"Of course, how could I forget about that?" Robert sat up straight in his chair now. This meeting didn't seem to be as relaxing as expected.

"It will occupy us for longer, but we can't say how long exactly. We hope that we can work solely with the new system by next month," Mr Carson continued.

"Have the responsibilities already been clarified?" John inquired.

"I think it would be best if we all took a part in it," Rosamund remarked, "After all, we'll all have to work in the new system sooner rather than later." She blew a stray curl out of her face and clicked her painted nails on her mug of black coffee. John and Robert hummed in response, not exactly overjoyed. The prospect of additional working hours didn't amuse any of the colleagues present. However, sharing the workload seemed reasonable. They discussed the necessary meetings and instructions. It all took a little longer than usual but they left the office with a feeling of enlightenment for the new challenge.

Robert departed home when it was already dark outside. He started the car and made his way through the London streets after rush hour. When he parked the car in the driveway on front of their house, he saw all the lighted windows and felt a warm rush of familiarity run through his chest. He was coming home to all his girls and that was one of the greatest feelings, sitting in his turned off car, gazing at his comfortable home, knowing that his dear girls were bustling around inside. He got out and walked up the few steps to the front door. He was greeted by familiar voices even before the door was opened. Sybil was telling some story and Edith interjected some questions every now and then. He entered the warmth of the house and discarded his jacket and shoes, still unnoticed by his family. When he put on his slippers Mary came out of the downstairs bathroom, her gaze fixed on her phone and her thumbs typing some message.

"Hello, dear," Robert greeted and his daughter looked up with a small smile on her lips.

"Hey, Papa," she responded. "How was your day?" she added, her eyes fixed on the screen again.

"Just fine. We're setting up a new system at the local branch. If it works out, what we are expecting, we'll expand it to the other locations," Robert reported. He wouldn't go into detail if he didn't know Mary wanted to know these things. She had always been interested in her Papa's work. Her decision to enrol in social sciences at university had been more an act of rebellion than genuine conviction. Robert gladly shared his latest experiences from work with his eldest daughter. He hadn't bullied her into choosing the direct path to join him at the bank, but he certainly wouldn't object if she came around later.

They entered the living space and were greeted by the babbling and giggling of the two younger Crawleys. Mary only merely raised an eyebrow at them before she turned to her father to respond.

"What kind of new system is it exactly? I mean what progress and advantage does it promise?" They sat down at the table. Cora emerged from the kitchen to greet Robert. While he answered Mary's question, in more precise detail than anyone but Mary would care to know, Cora bent down to press a peck to his cheek. She wiped her hands on her apron before smoothing down his shirt, which had become a little wrinkled during the day. Robert smiled at her without pausing his talk.

"We hope for more compatibility with newly developed tools and demands, apart from the gained efficiency of course," he said. Mary nodded in understanding and Cora retreated to kitchen.

"And who chose which system to use?" Mary inquired.

"Mr Carson has done the research and the commission of the chosen company," Robert answered.

"I see. Well, tell me how it's going," she stated before shooting an annoyed look at Edith whispering on the sofa nearby. Edith sat next to Sybil and painted her sister's nails a pale green shade.

"Oh, do you even have time to be bothered with Papa's work?" the blonde girl remarked with an innocent expression.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mary questioned.

"You seem very busy. Much to busy to care about anything but snogging some tanned beau," Edith retorted without looking up from Sybil's nails.

"Edith!" Sybil whispered giggling.

"Mary?" Robert inquired in a low voice, his eyes piercing through Mary's.

"Oh, don't mind Edith, Papa. None of us does," she brushed away the question with rolling eyes, but her fury was palpable; at least for people who knew her well.

Robert was confused by the quarrel of his daughters, but he decided it would be wisest to stay out of their feud.

Mary was glad that Papa didn't dig deeper after Edith's nasty comment. It was none of her business and it was definitely nothing she was authorised to spread.

The "tanned beau" she had spoken of wasn't actually a fabrication of Edith's imagination. He was real and was called Kemal. Kemal Pamuk. But Mary hadn't been snogging him. Edith had probably seen them when he had brought her home a few days earlier. She had kissed him goodbye after a delightful night together. But that was all. A one-night stand, if one wanted to call it that. They had been clear about that in advance. Edith didn't need to play the whole thing up. She had no idea what it was about.

Mary had met Kemal at a party of Evelyn's. She had to admit she had found him attractive the moment she laid eyes on him. He really was a good-looking man and she had enjoyed flirting with him. With the kiss that followed that night, however, she hadn't reckoned. She had rebuked him gently, but had been confused afterwards. Of course, she had flirted and dated before; nothing really serious, but she wasn't without experience. Kemal, though, was brisker and more forward than she was used to. And somehow it was thrilling. She didn't consider dating him, no. He wasn't the type for that and she didn't see anything coming from that. But as he kept wooing her at further parties they both attended, and suggested they explore more together, she thought it was a reasonable way to go.

Kemal was a generous and wealthy fellow and he had carried her off into a noble hotel room. They had made the most of the night; he had ordered champagne and had spoiled her and had opened her eyes in a most breath-taking way.

But Edith hadn't had to know any of that. And it was a one-time story, so there was no use to mention it any further.

Edith was now helping Mama with setting the table while Sybil waved her hands vigorously to dry her nail polish, uttering apologies for not being able to help. Mary was glad when Papa picked up the topic of the bank's innovation again. She tried to understand how the former system worked exactly, but her eyes followed her mother, who briskly left the room after discarding the apron on the kitchen counter and thanking Edith and Sybil for taking care of the rest. When Mama returned not much later, Mary noticed the change in dress. She was wearing a skirt that was shorter than she usually wore when she left the house. It accentuated her curvy hips nicely. The new blouse was figure-hugging and showed a lot skin from her cleavage. Mary had to admit that her mother was a very good-looking woman and her outfit was flattering. Mary, however, seemed to be the only one who noticed. Sybil had damaged her nail polish and was watching Edith who was trying to fix it. Papa was absorbed in his narrative.

As everyone started eating, Sybil started some jolly and lively chats and engaged everyone. Papa, though, mostly sat there with an absent look on his face. Mary was sure that he was brooding about work.

Shortly before dinner was over, her eyes wandered to Mama. She had put on a cardigan in the meantime and had it tucked tightly around her small figure. Her neckline was covered and her eyes were fixed on the mashed potatoes on her plate. She didn't seem downcast, but the former gleam in her eyes had vanished.

A/N: First of all, sorry for the small amount of Cobert interaction in this chapter. It was kind of a filling chapter to introduce relevant circumstances. I hope you liked it nevertheless :)
What do you think of including Mary this way? Who would you like to see more of? Let me know what you think! Thank you for your dear support!