Remembering Fear

Honey knew that her younger sister was struggling at school. On several occasions, she had tried to tell her parents that they needed to take an interest in Becky's schooling; but they were both so self involved, that her advice was never heard.

She got back home from work on the Monday afternoon to find the house in total silence. She walked into the living room to find Becky sitting looking totally dejected on the sofa.

"What's up love? And where is everyone?" Honey felt the first twinge of unease.

"Mum and dad have decided that they needed a little holiday." Becky murmured in a subdued voice. "They went out this morning and booked a last minute trip to Spain; and they're due to fly out in the next hour or so."

"For how long?" Honey asked in the same flat tone as her sister.

Becky looked up at her with wide blue eyes. "It's one of these golden years' trips, you know for the retired folks. Go and spend the winter in some sunnier climate."

"How long?" The shock left her numb.

"Three months, maybe longer."

Honey dropped down on the sofa next to her little sister. She stared unseeing at the wall across from her, her thoughts in chaos for a moment.

"Of all the rotten... , selfish... , inconsiderate... ," she trailed off as the blind impotent fury engulfed her.

Her sister gave a little sob next to her and Honey turned to hug her.

"Oh love." She murmured consolingly.

"I tried to tell them..." Becky half sobbed.

"Tell them what ducks?"

"I've got this letter from my teacher." She sniffed tearfully as she waved the envelope in front of her big sister.

Honey took it from Becky with a sinking feeling of inevitability.

She tore open the envelope and opened up the hand written piece of paper.

'Mrs and Mr. Bird,

I think that it is imperative that we meet as soon as possible regarding the problems your daughter Rebecca seems to be having in class.

I therefore propose that you meet me here tomorrow (Tuesday 28th September) at four thirty.

Yours most sincerely.

M J Bea.'

It took Honey several minutes to decipher the terrible scrawl across the page.

"Oh dear!" she sighed as it finally made sense to her.

"What does he say?" Becky asked with a kind of doomed 'I already know so please make it a quick death.'

"He wants to meet up with mum and dad tomorrow."

"Well at least that's one humiliation I don't have to live through." Becky half sobbed, half laughed.

Honey gave a sigh of resignation and then stood up. "Come on love," she said grabbing her sister by the hand and pulling her to her feet. "Let's go and get some dinner then we can talk about what's worrying you at school."

"But what's the point? You can't get mum and dad back, so that they can go to that meeting, so why worry over it?"

"Because in the absence of mum and dad," Honey said through gritted teeth. "I'm your legal guardian, so I shall have to meet with your teacher tomorrow and..." She looked at her sister firmly. "I want to go there armed to the teeth with everything that's troubling you so that we can sort it out between us."

Her younger sister looked at her with something like wonder on her face. "Oh Honey! Do you mean it? You'll be the one to take care of me? You'll go and talk to my teacher and CARE about what he tells you?"

Honey gave her fourteen year old sister a big hug as the tears rolled down both of their cheeks. "I care pet," she whispered softly.

Honey finished work early the following afternoon on the pretext of a dentist's appointment. She rushed home at three o'clock and dove straight into the shower, then with a fluffy towel wrapped around her torso she scanned her wardrobe anxiously for something suitable to wear.