Return

Автор: Anastasia

"I was talking about the holidays," she said, all joy gone from her face. AJ stood up: "Rachel, I’m sorry, I was so deep in reading that I didn’t hear you talking."

No matter how brusque she sometimes was, she seemed to feel whatever was wrong and I knew she never meant to hurt us.

Then AJ turned to me: "Pete, didn’t you want to go fishing to Miami?"

I looked at Rachel, at a loss for words. I knew AJ wanted to go to the Bermudas and knew that I wouldn’t do it. Her life and the lives of my family were too precious to me to lose them. I’m sorry, AJ, I thought, this time you wouldn’t get what you want.

"No, kiddy," I said, "Rachel proposed Hawaii and I think it sounds great."

There was a pause while Rachel and me watched AJ’s reaction, fearing the worst.

But she shrugged and smiled: "Why not? It’s said to be a great place. Thanks for the breakfast, I’m late for school."

I admired her self-composure but was a bit troubled because it was unusual for a child of her age.

Meanwhile AJ slightly kissed Linnet’s head: "See you later, sweetie."

My daughter smiled contentedly and waved her hand at AJ.

After Anne Julia was gone, Rachel said: "No matter how she behaves while we are around, she seems to be genuinely fond of AJ."

"Yes," I agreed, "that’s what she is, no one seems to understand her to the end."

"She looks with every day more like Lindsay," Rachel added.

I didn’t answer and hoped that Rachel didn’t notice the look of pain entering my face.

AJ came home from school and immediately threw her books into the corner. Then she closed the door and stayed in her room without coming out. As Rachel called me I couldn’t believe it at first but when I came home from O.S.I.R, there was still no answer from behind the closed door.

"AJ," I called, "please come out. Or at least open it so I could come in." Finally I heard the lock and she stood in the doorway, looking at me: "Something’s wrong Peter?"

"Yes," I said firmly, "what happened at school so you spent the day locked in your room?"

"The usual," the girl shrugged, "the teacher called me a liar cause I said my parents are gone. She told me you’re my Dad and Rachel’s my mother and I just pretend I haven’t got parents so that she would feel sorry for me."

"And you?" I asked, thinking that it was time to talk firmly to Miss Jenks. "I didn’t reply, just stayed to the end of the lessons and came home. But I didn’t talk to anyone, I didn’t want to," her gray eyes looked at me accusingly.

And as it happened so often with AJ, I was at a loss for words.

Next morning my first stop was at AJ’s school. Miss Jenks, AJ’s teacher, smiled as she saw me approaching.

"Mr. Axon," she started, "I’m glad you came, I think you should talk to your daughter about her strange fantasies."

"These are no fantasies," I said firmly, "and I remember talking to you about it."

"But I thought you were kidding!" defended Ms Jenks.

"I wasn’t. I told you that Anne Julia’s parents were lost at sea and she still mourns them. And your stupid remarks that she’s a liar makes her deeply unhappy, don’t you see that? This child had to grow up without her mother and father. No matter how hard I try, I can’t replace them and it’s your task to make her feel happy. Not humiliate with talks about something you don’t know or don’t want to know."

Ms. Jenks was silent for a while and when she continued, her voice and the whole manner was apologizing: "Mr. Axon, I’m really sorry. You’re right, I’d have listened better. AJ is a very bright student, you know, she can beat everyone in the class without any visible effort but she’s also a rather complicated girl or I’d rather say, a small grown – up. She doesn’t play with other kids and she skips drawing lessons."

"What?" I asked, surprised, "she skips drawing lessons?"

"Yes," Ms. Jenks nodded, "but I’ve seen her sitting on the bank, sketching something in a small book and believe me, she’s quite a talent. She draws very well but she never shows it."

I became thoughtful: it was strange, usually Anne Julia liked flattery, especially when everyone kept on talking how gifted she was and how well she could do things so keeping her – as Ms. Jenks said – excellent drawing a secret wasn’t typical for her. I had to talk to AJ as soon as possible.

"Thank you very much for you time, Ms. Jenks," I said, "and I’m sorry if I was a bit rude but I’m just worried about AJ."

"It’s all right," the teacher replied," I can understand your feelings."

But as I turned to go she suddenly asked: "Mr. Axon, did she spend her childhood on a beach?"

"No," I shook my head, "she lived in this city all her life except for her babyhood."

"Well, I asked because she usually draws ocean," explained the woman," and she’s quite good at it."

I knew where to find AJ: she was in her favorite spot in the garden and as I approached, I saw her holding a sketch – book.

I thought she didn’t see me and was quite surprised when she said: "Hi, Pete, no need to hide, I won’t bite."

I sat down next to her: "You heard me?"

"I knew you’d come," she looked up at me, "thanks for the attempt to tame the dragon."

"You mean the teacher?" I asked, wondering who could have told AJ about our talk.

"Yes, she behaves in a different way now. At least no more accuses," AJ added.

"You don’t like her?" I pried.

The girl shrugged: "I don’t like a lot of people, there’re only few I like so it’s not surprising."

"Lindsay was different," I said thoughtfully, noticing how attentive now was AJ," she always believed people were good and saw only their good sides."

"But how can you believe in it when your own parents left you?" followed the answer.

"They didn’t do it on purpose," I replied hastily.

"I know, I’m not a little girl but sometimes I wish I were sure they’re dead, you know. I wish I could see their grave. Something that can tell me they really existed and weren’t just a product of my imagination," AJ exclaimed and I thought I saw tears in her eyes.

It was hard to say because AJ never cried. Not that I could remember. "They weren’t," I said gently," I can see you know that. Just have a bit more faith in people, right? You will never learn what this world is if you keep on living in your shell, hating everyone. Just try, I’ll always be there to help you."

As I stood up and left the bank I saw AJ cover her face with her hands.

It would be wrong to say that our conversation had a long – lasting effect on AJ, but I think it changed things a lot. AJ became more cheerful: she wasn’t the way she used to be but the fact that the teacher left her alone and the students admired her skills made her feel better and it had a healing effect on her heart.

Meanwhile I was busy investigating the disappearance of Sunray and Connor. I was Anton’s right hand now and from time to time he told that one day when he’s "too old", I’ll be the one to take over the job, because through the many years in O.S.I.R. I knew the Office better than anyone else. I investigate, using a team but I thought of it as of a private matter and so my investigation was private. And the more I dug, the less I liked the case. Elsinger was always a threat, as long as I remembered him. Now I was quite sure that it was his fault, he deliberately sent Lindsay and Connor to the Bermuda Triangle, so that they died and not only them: he sent there a boat with four people, all not knowing what was lurking in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. But Elsinger disappeared, nobody could find him. Well, nobody could but that didn’t mean I couldn’t. I wanted to make sure he paid for what he’d done. Even his death wouldn’t bring Connor and Sunray back of course, but I wanted some justice. At least some justice in honor of the fearless investigators. They deserved it. And I wanted to do it for the sake of AJ. I couldn’t watch how she was destroying herself any more, it had to be a way to make her stop mourning. And for that I needed Elsinger.

Возврат к списку