Caroline opened the letter and breezed past the formalities. There was no time to read the compliments from the Major General to the Captain’s wife, she only wanted information which was hard to get even for a Captain’s wife.
She dreaded these letters which conveyed terror to the wives of soldiers.
She sighed with relief as she read of how her husband was deep in enemy territory and couldn’t get any word out.
“One of the hurdles of being in the special forces,” she thought, Mary gets a handwritten note from her husband once in two weeks.
Caroline cherished such gestures, she knew Ben could do the same for her if he had the time, “but he was busy being a captain” she thought as she twisted her lips, “Captain Bennett” she murmured under her breath.
“Mummy!!” Allison called with that sharp voice of hers, she was cradling another drawing that was hastily crayoned with green and black to mimic the army camouflage.
“This is daddy” Allison started to illustrate pointing at the vague caricature with the green and black colors, “and this is me” she added before Caroline could compliment her as she always does, Caroline strained her eyes a bit before adding “Allison your hair is rather too long don’t you think?”
“That’s because I am a princess” Allison added swiveling the thick shrub of her hair behind her ears. She does that often now, Caroline noticed, “maybe it was because of the closeness with her and Daphne” she thought as she watched her daughter grow into the same character as her younger sister.
Daphne always wanted to be more than her sister in every aspect, she started a fierce competition with her sister unknown to Caroline.
Daphne wanted a dress prettier than her sister’s, she befriended her sister’s friend and attended parties above her age grade.
Her most treasured possession was her curly blond hair, which she made sure to comb before and after going outside.
Daphne never allowed anyone to muse her hair even their mother, she’d glare at her saying “I’m not a kid any more mum”.
“I’m not a kid anymore mum,” Allison said as Caroline tried to help pull back the left side of her hair.
Caroline smiled, it was the first since she awoke with sweat on her pillows. The summer felt hotter this year but the night was a little bit cool yet she soaked her pillows with sweat.
Caroline’s face quickly returned to normal at the sound of the knock on the door. She rose swiftly to get it, she has been very nimble lately, moving fast in the garden from one plant to another, at the mall she was quick with her coordination and less clumsy than before.
It was Mrs. Hopkins at the door, she could tell from the silhouette of her turban, only Mrs. Hopkins ties her head like that ever since she found a new religion.
“Good morning Sarah,” Caroline said, even as her mind began to race as to why Mrs. Hopkins’ face was so dull that morning, as her husband worked in communications, all the women in the barracks depended on her for the latest news of the war as the Major General was widowed.
“Good morning Mrs. Bennett,” Mrs. Hopkins said as she smiled or she thought she did, she always preferred using the last name as customary in the army. One won’t fault the former army nurse, her love story was so different from her face this morning.
The arrival of Allison who was crawling unnoticed after her mother made the reason for her visit linger a little longer.
“Allison! Is that you?” Mrs. Hopkins asked, even as the murky green color of Allison’s eyes shone from the striped rays of the sun that spilled from the hinge of the door.
“Good morning Mrs. Hopkins,” Allison said, her voice clear as that of the bird of paradise that sings while hopping surreptitiously from one branch to another.
She was still cradling her drawing and Mrs. Hopkins noted the green and black colors that she used to depict the army uniforms.
Allison noticed Mrs. Hopkins straining her eyes to see the drawing and quickly offered her usual explanations to which Mrs. Hopkins nodded in approval before being invited to sit by Caroline.
“I fear I come with grave news” Mrs. Hopkins started, Caroline’s heart skipped and tripped.
“You do remember Sargent O’Connor, the one with a flat nose. That was the only difference between the two O’Connor’s.
“Yes, his wife Rose is our choir mistress” Caroline added, feeling more tensed, she and Rose were closer than Mrs. Hopkins even.
“Well her husband is missing in action” Mrs. Hopkins dropped the bombshell, she felt tired of telling news that some women find awry.
“Oh dear lord,” Caroline said, she shook her head in that slow motion like the Barney-style doll in her husband's car.
“I should go visit her” she added.
“I’m heading back there myself,” Mrs. Hopkins said, she looked more likely to add to the tears in Rose’s eyes than to placate them.
The duo got there that morning, the sun had turned up its light from the dull yellow and was now almost white.
“Caroline” Rose said as she saw her enter the house which was filled with women of note. She looked over everyone as though her savior just stepped in.
Caroline quickly squeezed past the women, muttering greetings under her breath as she reached out and held Rose’s hands.
“He’s just missing Rose,” she said, not wanting to blink for the fear of losing a teardrop which could worsen her friend’s feelings.
Rose’s hair which was usually packed into a bun looked longer now as they spread across her shoulders. Caroline couldn’t help but notice that she looked older with the sac that hung under her eyes.
She had to beg Rose to take her bath which took several minutes as she was tired. Caroline helped her brush and pack her hair before returning to the sitting room.
As they entered the room, everyone was quiet, there was a Private in the sitting room, he sat on the single sofa and stood up as soon as he saw Rose.
“A message for you ma’am,” He said, stretching a brown envelope to Rose.
A smile formed on Rose’s face as she saw the address's date and handwriting.
It was her Derek, no one could write so curly as her Derek. She quickly excused herself from the sitting room muttering a thank you to the Private who nodded and went for the door.
“He’s alive Cally,” Rose said, she wiped a droplet of tear that was screaming down her cheek with the back of her palm.
“He was cut off from his platoon for a week, but he made it to base camp” she added, Caroline rubbed her back and they embraced for what seemed like an eternity before heading back to the sitting room to covey the immaculate news.