Waiting For William

• Chelsea Paleologos, Grade 5, Kambala School for Girls -
• Short Story
• 2021

Excellence Award in the 'The Write Note 2021' competition

The verandah seems regretful. An abandoned ray of light descends from above, glows through the open window, to pause on the shrivelled pot plants. A seagull alights on the ledge, screeches momentarily, then flaps on. The pot plants shiver ominously as the seagull disappears into the outside world. Anna craves? ?this time - time to reminisce. She is accustomed to the confining silence which is unbroken like a firm padlock. Her aroma mingles with the morning air. Desperately she scans the solitary ‘Missing Peoples’ newspaper clipping; dejected, crumpled and worn out. A ray of light illuminates its loneliness in a sinister strained pattern. She hears the blood-curdling screech again, but finds no trace of the seagull. Nothing. Like her son, William, it has disappeared.
Whereas their dog, Lucky, was once the most loved and ecstatic, he is now lonely and longing - as is Anna’s heart. There she slumps, smothered in William’s treasured red blanket - alone…weary…aged and anguished. Every day she heaves on her ragged, barely washed, battered but flamboyant, floral dress. Starched and creased - as is the smile on her face. She is cynical yet optimistic, forlorn yet hopeful, confident yet doubtful. Her eyes reflect her suffering. Her old isolated soul crosses herself again.
But she is wearing a mask, something she hides behind.
Under her frock, she wears a gnarled cloak of persistence, hope and clinging. Like a prisoner, freedom cowers in her soul. Her world is over. No one understands her. No one shares her grief. In a rural of rebellion, she shouts aloud, “No more suffering! No more suffering!’’ her ear-piercing words are repeated over and over. “No more suffering!’’
A lone tear meanders down the side of her cheek, to land at the edge of her mouth. It tastes stale, like the reality of her missing son. Adamantly, she strides to the staircase. This is it. It is time to stop this agony.
For the first time in a decade, she enters William’s room. Lovingly, she places the torn clipping onto his crumpled mattress. A heavy coat of dust is draped over the room. Memories repeat in her head. Handing the photo to the police. William’s innocent face flashing in the news.
All this time, she has been grasping at the idea of finding William. She has lost herself in her sea of sorrow for too long. It’s time to say goodbye forever. She opens her clenched fist, revealing a handful of pills.
As she reaches for the first pill, a ring penetrates the mournful silence.
She waits for the ringing to subside. To no avail, she scurries to the phone and picks it up hesitantly as an exuberant police officer announces “We have some good news, Anna. There is a young man with us at the police station that fits William’s description...”