Your daughter's been sulking all day. She won't talk to anybody. You'd better go and see her before she bursts.Joanne sighed. She really did not know what to do with Geneva and her sulks. Mummy, didn't you ask Mark what happened to her at school?"I did but he said she was unlike herself today. She wouldn't talk to him at all until they got home. She greeted me, took her lunch and went straight upstairs. I've been trying to get through but she just ignored me," her mother explained."I wonder what's wrong with her now. Geneva is terribly spoilt, you know, mummy." A little girl like her, only nine years old shouldn't be behaving like a temperamental teenager. Said Joanne anxiously. She took her bag and climbed up the stairs.As soon as she heard her mother's voice, Geneva leapt off her bed and flung herself into her mother's arms."Mummy! Welcome! I'm so glad you have come, mummy!" She cried, as if she had not seen Joanne for days."Neva!" What's wrong now? Granny says you have bee
During the evening meal, she was merely picking at her food. This surprised everyone because Geneva normally had a very healthy appetite."Are you ill, Geneva? Joanne asked anxiously.""No, mummy, I was just thinking about my daddy. Why can't he just come and see us,mummy?" Geneva wanted to know.Joanne could not answer. Her lip quivered and she stared helplessly at her daughter.Mrs Kingston reproached Geneva and said, "now Geneva, don't upset your mum. I must not hear you asking her about your daddy anymore.""I wasn't talking to you grand mum. I know if it wasn't for you, my daddy would not have left my mum," retorted Geneva rudely."Geneva! Don't talk to your Grannie like that. Now apologize to her," Joanne said sternly. They all knew Geneva had overheard conversations she was not meant to hear."Anyway, if that father of yours loved you, he wouldn't have kept so silent all these years," Mrs Kings added before Geneva could apologize."How can you say that mummy? Joanne cried." Yo
A slim, elegantly dressed girl with long blonde hair, plaited into a neat bond on the gap of her head, was struggling with a mattress under one arm and a suitcase in the other hand. Suddenly, she missed a step and nearly fell flat on her face. Then a shadow fell across her line of vision, she glanced up to see a tall, handsome young man in front of her, arms outstretched to catch her."Can I help you with that?" He asked her, laughing,pointing to the suitcase."Oh please!" She simply replied.He took the suitcase from her and found that it was quite heavy. Funny how she thought she could manage both this and the mattress, he smoked to himself, with such elegant high heels and a straight skirt too. It wasn't the right type of clothes for weightlifting at all. He was still smiling as they walked out through the gates, silently considering each other. Outside the hostel security gate, the girl pointed to a grey Bentley. A Chauffeur, clad in blue lined French suit, came hurrying to take
Joanne Kingston at twenty-two, was still very young in many ways. The only child of her parents, she was utterly spoilt and nothing was too good for her. Anything she wanted, she got, as far as money could buy it. She had a heart shaped face and those long black lashes that Ross has already noticed could veil her eyes to devastating effect. She was graceful and had a very long blonde hair. She was not as experienced as most girls of her age, though she had always had a fair share of boyfriends. Her life had been such a sheltered one. Even now, she still depended on her mother to make decisions for her.At first sight, people thought her to be prim but on closer acquaintance they became aware that her reserved manner came from the life she had been used to. She was really shy but most friendly and kind person, once you got through the prim facade. She was very generous, generous, in fact, to a fault. She spent so much money on her friends. The only problem with her was that she was a
It was Easter break, Ross had not heard from Joanne for a whole week. She had not visited him as usual and there had been no letter. He had been so accustomed to her loving routines that this silence jolted him badly. He wondered whether Ross had dropped him, or had her parents found out anything and put their foot down? Or was Joanne waiting for him to take the initiative and step into the lion's den of his own free will?Whatever it was, he wanted to take her to the College's Easter dance the next day. He did not know how to get in touch with her. There was no telephone anywhere around his uncle's house, so he could not possibly ring her.Undecided, he waited until around five in the evening and then made up his mind to go and see her. She worked in her father's firm and he knew she would be home by six. He set out for Toronto on his uncle's Power bike, in a do or die mood. He might be doing the wrong thing but anything was better than such uncertainty. All too soon he arrived at J
"The double spare room is for me when I get married and the nursery for my baby". Joanne laughed and they went back downstairs.The maid had brought soft drinks and some delicious snacks to the sitting room. They sat and chatted making arrangements for the dance the next day. Ross could sense a little apprehension behind Joanne's exuberance. He too felt the huge house was dull of half open doors and listening ears. He stayed for some time and then went home, after promising to come for her the next evening. Joanne walked down the drive with him. They kissed for a while where only the statues were watching them. Then Ross put on his crash helment, collected his motorcycle from the security guard then roared away.Joanne waved, then slowly walked back to face the interrogation. Mrs Helen began asking her questions with a disapproving expression. As she heard the replies, the expression grew more intense. When she had finished, there was a painful little silence." I am disappointed in yo
Ross went back to college and Joanne returned to her routine of writing letters and visiting him. As the examination period drew near, she added good luck cards to her schedule and said prayers regularly for his success as well as for their happiness. She was so engrossed in her programme of doing all she could do to help Ross at this hectic time that she hardly noticed the increasing number of young men who come on one pretext or another. She treated them all with kind vague in attention, politely declined dates and forgot about them the next moment."That's not the way." Mr Kings told his wife mildly."I've got to try everything." She insisted. "I thought Ken...""Joanne doesn't notice whether Ken is in the room or not," he commented. "It's a good thing she hasn't realised what you are trying to do. Leave it alone. My dear Helen.""I can't." She protested, near to tears of exasperation.Mrs Kings was still sure that Ross was after the Kings fortunes. One evening, during this period
Joanne had not heard from Ross for the next three weeks, and then it was his twenty sixth birthday. She did not know what to do. She wanted to see him but was afraid of rejection. She confided in her closest friend who is also her cousin. Ema's father was a very wealthy man who dealt with furnitures and she was about to get married to a young barrister whose parents were equally rich."You mean he left you because aunt and uncle said he has to work in their firm and live in your place?" Ema asked, after Joanne had told her the whole story."Yes," Joanne nodded."What's wrong with that?" What has he got to be proud of anyway? Ema wanted to know."It's not like that, I mean..." Joanne began uncertainly."And Joanne, how in earth did you get involved with someone who lives in Sherbrooke? Sherbrooke! The things I hear about that place!" Ema shuddered and continued, "You won't catch me dead there. Do you actually go there, Joanne?""Of course I go. I go to see him and...""You go to Sher