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Show 27-2 Once in rehearsal, Miss Doweckie was a tyrant, demanding perfect pitch and exact rhythm from all of us. She told those who could not sing to just mouth the words. She even whipped one boy across the knees with her baton when he would not pay attention. At first we did not mind since we were missing so much regular school, but her temper and the constant repetition of a few songs made us soon tire of the whole thing and long for the day of the celebration to come and go. I longed for it at the same time I dreaded it since Andrew would leave two days later. I lived in a fog of misery. Mother tried to talk me out of my unhappiness but soon gave up. Darby and Emily, who with the start of school had become again my friends although not so close, did not notice since we were so busy at school and since I left immediately after to go to the hospital. They had grown used to my new preoccupation and didn't even comment on it. But they never apologized for the things they had said so there was a coolness always between us. The day before the ceremony, we were released from school an hour early to go home and rest. I really believe it was the teachers who needed the rest, not us. Everyone at the school seemed on edge, the students with excitement, the teachers with anger. I was glad to be away from it all. I thought of going to St. John's to see Andrew but decided not to. I was tired and wanted to forget all that had happened in the past few weeks and all that was to come in the next few days. A small hole in my heart was angry at Andrew, as if he had asked to go away, as if he wanted to leave me. And I did not want him to know I felt this way. It might hurt him. My hurt was hard enough to carry around. The house was empty when I got home. Mother had left a note saying she'd be home around five and asking me to take a magazine across to Grandmother. |
