The Window

      The house was dim. The breeze from the open door stirred up some dust. The antechamber was lifeless, with one exception. An elderly blue Aisha stood at the foot of the grand staircase. She wore an elegant grey dress, and her face was thin and worn. Her stern eyes met those of Sayda's. "Sayda," she said.

      "Mother." She was exactly the way Sayda had left her, so long ago. Standing at the foot of the stairs, gazing at her only child with stern eyes. It broke Sayda's heart to see that nothing had changed.

      "The house is yours now." Her mother's eyes continued to pierce Sayda. Was this all that she had to say? Was this all the welcome she was to expect?

      Sayda tore her eyes from her mother and began to survey the rest of the house. Indeed, it was exactly the way she had left it. It was as if Sayda had never even been gone. She stepped into the parlor. The grand piano rested under a layer of dust. The fireplace huddled cold and empty in the corner. Then, Sayda looked across the room. There, was a tall arched window that looked out onto the bay. Beneath it was a cushioned seat, just perfect for gazing out the window...

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      Five-year-old Sayda trudged wearily up the stone steps to the elegant wooden door. She had just spent a busy day relaxing in the golden hills, and the late summer heat had made her exhausted. She lazily braided some daisies into her tousled blue hair. With a sigh of relief, she opened the door and walked into the house. There was no one in sight, and Sayda didn't even bother to close the heavy door behind her as she stepped inside. The cool house provided a welcome relief. Carefully tying the last daisy into her hair, the blue Aisha stepped into the parlor. This was her favorite room in the entire house. She ran her fingers along the keys of the great grand piano, letting the sweet notes echo through the room. Then, she lit the fireplace, even though it was still quite warm in the house. Sayda liked to hear the homely crackling of the wood burning as she rested in the parlor.

      Then, Sayda made her way across the room. There, was a tall arched window that looked out onto the bay. Beneath it was a cushioned seat, just perfect for gazing out the window. Sayda pulled herself up onto the seat, and by standing up on it, she was just able to get her chin above the windowsill. Even though it was not tailored to her size, Sayda loved this window more than anything in the whole house. It provided the most pleasant view of the countryside, and Sayda did not spend a day without gazing through it. With small fingers, she reached up and undid the latch. Then, with some difficulty, she pushed open the window, smiling as the warm breeze whispered through it. From this prospect, Sayda could see the rolling hills covered in the blooming daisies. The long grass swayed in the gentle wind. Above, a few wispy clouds made their way across the blue sky.

      Sayda looked down towards the bay. In the distance, she could see the busy coastal town with all of its houses and shops and taverns. She could see the bustling docks, where Neopets were hard at work in the summer heat. Then, she could see the glistening bay, beautiful and blue.

      Indeed, this was Sayda's favorite spot in the entire house.

      As she began to daydream, something in the distance caught Sayda's eye. The bright sun obscured it, but her heart began to beat faster when she finally realized what it was: a sail. Standing on her tiptoes, Sayda squinted into the bay. Yes, a ship was just sailing into the bay, and it was a large ship at that. She tried to make out the symbol on the sail, but the sun shining on it made the white sail to bright to read.

      SLAM! Sayda jumped and turned around. There, in the antechamber, was her mother, who had just slammed the door shut. "Sayda, dear, how many times must I tell you not to leave the door open?"

      "Sorry," said Sayda, "I forgot. But did you see-"

      "And why is the window open?" her mother continued. "And the fire burning? Sayda, you're really being very irresponsible."

      Sayda rolled her eyes.

      "But we can forget about that for today, because I have some wonderful news for you."

      Sayda gasped. "Did you see the ship too? Is it-"

      "I've decided to hire a tutor for you," her mother said. Sayda's heart sank. "He should arrive any minute. You'll be moving in with him to continue your education. Then, once you have completed your studies, you may return home. The house will be yours, then."

      Sayda felt her stomach turn. "You mean... You're making me move away?"

      "It will only be for a few years," her mother said nonchalantly. "Besides, all you do here is waste your time. Now you finally have the opportunity to do something with yourself."

      Sayda could not believe her ears. But then she remembered the ship in the harbor and tried one last time to get through to her mother. "Did you see the ship in the bay?" she asked. "I think it might be the army coming back! Perhaps Father-"

      A sudden knock at the door interrupted her. Sayda's mother gasped. "Your tutor is here! Make sure you look presentable! We don't want to make a bad first impression." Sayda's mother pulled the daisies out of her hair and tossed them into the fireplace. Sayda watched them sizzle and shrivel away. Her mother quickly smoothed her dress and then ran to open the door.

      Sayda heard her mother talking with the tutor in the antechamber, and then her mother yelled, "Sayda! Come here! It's time for you to go."

      Before she knew what was happening, the young Aisha was holding a suitcase in each hand and looking back as she followed the tutor out the door. Her mother was standing at the foot of the grand staircase, gazing at her daughter with stern eyes. Sayda tried to catch one last glimpse of the window in the parlor, but it was too late. She had already stepped out the door.

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      Sayda gazed out the window into the gray sky. The bay was quiet and empty, with only a few ships docked in the harbor. The cold air beat against the closed glass. The Aisha turned around to address her mother, who had followed her into the room. "Do you remember when I left?" she asked. Her mother closed her eyes and nodded. "Just before the tutor came, I saw a ship-"

      "Yes," whispered her mother. "It was the army returning home."

      "And..." Sayda felt a lump in her throat. "What about..."

      "Your father wasn't on the ship. No one knows what happened to him."

      Sayda sighed. After so many years of waiting, this was the answer that she had to receive. And yet, she had known it. She had always known it, ever since she had walked through the door, leaving her home behind so many years ago. She gazed out the window again, but it simply was not the same. That window could never again give her the pleasure and the hope of the days of her youth. Those days were gone forever, and now, so was her heart.

The End