Destined for Diamonds
Skeletons in the closet
"Nigel?"
There was a pause and then the sound of a small bell could be heard. Soon enough Nigel could be found making his way towards the source of the agitating sound. Whether his intentions were to hush this annoying noise or to obey orders were oblivious to the people who knew him.
It was 1987 and Cherry was 8 years of age. Her black hair not quite reaching her shoulders and her young blue eyes had not been disturbed by images she was yet to see. She was sitting on her rocking horse hoping it would turn into a real one. She imagined she was a cowgirl, riding across the dessert sands on her stallion. She yelped as she fell off the wooden horse thus breaking herself from her day dream. Too much imagination, that was her problem. She often got too lost in her own world.
"Ahh Nigel" sighed the voice.
Cherry looked up from where she was sprawled. It was her mother speaking. To the butler it seemed.
"Yes maam?"
Always so polite, was that Nigel, Cherry thought. No matter how much her mother barked orders at her he never seemed to bat an eye lid.
"Nigel, I was wondering if you could help me perhaps?"
"Of course"
Maybe it was impolite to evesdrop? Cherry would never imagine her mother listening to herself and her nanny talking. Cherry often talked to the nanny. More than her own mother it seemed. But now Cherry was a spy on a top secret mission to go into her mothers room undetected.
"Is it outside?"
Footsteps came close to the door. Cherry swivelled and leant against the wall. Nigel peered his withering head out and failed to notice Cherry. He returned to the room and shut the door. Cherry breathed out. Now how am I meant to go in? she thought. No matter, theres another way. She made her way to the en suite and then to the door that was carefully left ajar. The back of her mothers head was clearly visable. She was sitting at her dresser with a long black pipe with a cigarette sticking out the end. She took a long drag on it and sighed.
"I'm so sick Nigel. I'm so tired Nigel." She moaned.
Cherry couldn't see Nigel but she pictured him nodding.
"Oh but it is my fault entirely!" Mrs LaFlur exclaimed. "Entirely. Yes, yes, I must take the blame for my own misery."
Cherry leaned through the door and peered in to see nigel standing ajacent to her with his eyes fixed intently on her mother. His head was slowly moving up and down.
"Nigel! Good gracious, I cannot take it anymore!"
Cherry began to wonder what was troubling her mother. She was wearing a frown and had a pleading look in her eyes.
"Whenever I look at it, Nigel, It reminds me of him. I must get rid of it!"
"But surely maam...?"
"I know, I know," She took another long drag, "I am such a wicked person. But I cannot be blamed for wanting a little happiness, can i? Isn't everyone intitled to their share?"
"Yes maam but-"
"Then how am I to proceed?"
"I'll make a tea for you maam."
Cherry spotted her chance and crawled into the room and snuck under the magnificent double bed that her mother dreamed in. She had plenty of room under and could just make out Nigel and her mother's legs.
"Thanks darling. But in all sincerity, I can not find a single way...There is only one option!"
"Maam, Are you implying that...?"
"Yes Nigel. I want it dead."
Nigel gasped. Cherry was intrigued to find out what it was that she wanted dead. Maybe Cherry could assist in the battle. Now she imagined she was a warrior fighting a fierce dragon.
"I strongly advise against it maam." Nigel began.
"Ohh I know Nigel. Youre very fond of it, I hear. But I hate him so much and it remind me of him so much. It is a constant reminder of what we created."
"Surely You must feel something towards-"
"I dont. God knows I've tried!"
"But doesn't murdering her seem a little inhumain?"
Cherry drew in breath. They were talking about a female.
"If I brought her into this world, why can't I take her away?"
Cherry gasped. Her own mother wanted to kill her. She felt a shudder go through her body and any affection and love she felt for her mother had suddenly dissapeared.
"Nigel...?" Her mother said in a sudden change of voice. "What was that?"
Cherry watched as Nigel's feet grew closer. Cherry froze as he bent over and stared straight into her face. Cherry gulped as he raised his eyebrows and then strangely winked.
"No maam, Nothing's here." He said as he stood straight up again.
"Oh well this discussion is over. I feel slightly on edge now. I shall go find that ditzy maid of mine." and with that she strode out the room.
Nigel stood for a while and then he spoke in a hushed voice. "One should not venture into their mothers bedroom."
Cherry stayed completely still. Paralysed by shock and fear. She felt so alone and unloved. A tear fell softly down her face. She watched as he turned on his heel and strode out the door. Even though she knew it was safe to leave, she stayed underneath the bed, bawling and screaming until there was no energy left in her tiny body.
There was a pause and then the sound of a small bell could be heard. Soon enough Nigel could be found making his way towards the source of the agitating sound. Whether his intentions were to hush this annoying noise or to obey orders were oblivious to the people who knew him.
It was 1987 and Cherry was 8 years of age. Her black hair not quite reaching her shoulders and her young blue eyes had not been disturbed by images she was yet to see. She was sitting on her rocking horse hoping it would turn into a real one. She imagined she was a cowgirl, riding across the dessert sands on her stallion. She yelped as she fell off the wooden horse thus breaking herself from her day dream. Too much imagination, that was her problem. She often got too lost in her own world.
"Ahh Nigel" sighed the voice.
Cherry looked up from where she was sprawled. It was her mother speaking. To the butler it seemed.
"Yes maam?"
Always so polite, was that Nigel, Cherry thought. No matter how much her mother barked orders at her he never seemed to bat an eye lid.
"Nigel, I was wondering if you could help me perhaps?"
"Of course"
Maybe it was impolite to evesdrop? Cherry would never imagine her mother listening to herself and her nanny talking. Cherry often talked to the nanny. More than her own mother it seemed. But now Cherry was a spy on a top secret mission to go into her mothers room undetected.
"Is it outside?"
Footsteps came close to the door. Cherry swivelled and leant against the wall. Nigel peered his withering head out and failed to notice Cherry. He returned to the room and shut the door. Cherry breathed out. Now how am I meant to go in? she thought. No matter, theres another way. She made her way to the en suite and then to the door that was carefully left ajar. The back of her mothers head was clearly visable. She was sitting at her dresser with a long black pipe with a cigarette sticking out the end. She took a long drag on it and sighed.
"I'm so sick Nigel. I'm so tired Nigel." She moaned.
Cherry couldn't see Nigel but she pictured him nodding.
"Oh but it is my fault entirely!" Mrs LaFlur exclaimed. "Entirely. Yes, yes, I must take the blame for my own misery."
Cherry leaned through the door and peered in to see nigel standing ajacent to her with his eyes fixed intently on her mother. His head was slowly moving up and down.
"Nigel! Good gracious, I cannot take it anymore!"
Cherry began to wonder what was troubling her mother. She was wearing a frown and had a pleading look in her eyes.
"Whenever I look at it, Nigel, It reminds me of him. I must get rid of it!"
"But surely maam...?"
"I know, I know," She took another long drag, "I am such a wicked person. But I cannot be blamed for wanting a little happiness, can i? Isn't everyone intitled to their share?"
"Yes maam but-"
"Then how am I to proceed?"
"I'll make a tea for you maam."
Cherry spotted her chance and crawled into the room and snuck under the magnificent double bed that her mother dreamed in. She had plenty of room under and could just make out Nigel and her mother's legs.
"Thanks darling. But in all sincerity, I can not find a single way...There is only one option!"
"Maam, Are you implying that...?"
"Yes Nigel. I want it dead."
Nigel gasped. Cherry was intrigued to find out what it was that she wanted dead. Maybe Cherry could assist in the battle. Now she imagined she was a warrior fighting a fierce dragon.
"I strongly advise against it maam." Nigel began.
"Ohh I know Nigel. Youre very fond of it, I hear. But I hate him so much and it remind me of him so much. It is a constant reminder of what we created."
"Surely You must feel something towards-"
"I dont. God knows I've tried!"
"But doesn't murdering her seem a little inhumain?"
Cherry drew in breath. They were talking about a female.
"If I brought her into this world, why can't I take her away?"
Cherry gasped. Her own mother wanted to kill her. She felt a shudder go through her body and any affection and love she felt for her mother had suddenly dissapeared.
"Nigel...?" Her mother said in a sudden change of voice. "What was that?"
Cherry watched as Nigel's feet grew closer. Cherry froze as he bent over and stared straight into her face. Cherry gulped as he raised his eyebrows and then strangely winked.
"No maam, Nothing's here." He said as he stood straight up again.
"Oh well this discussion is over. I feel slightly on edge now. I shall go find that ditzy maid of mine." and with that she strode out the room.
Nigel stood for a while and then he spoke in a hushed voice. "One should not venture into their mothers bedroom."
Cherry stayed completely still. Paralysed by shock and fear. She felt so alone and unloved. A tear fell softly down her face. She watched as he turned on his heel and strode out the door. Even though she knew it was safe to leave, she stayed underneath the bed, bawling and screaming until there was no energy left in her tiny body.