The Elle Word

Sitting in the coffee shop on campus, Elle reflects on everything that has happened to change her life. Stirring the cream in her coffee, she drifts away with piercing thoughts of how she arrived to this place in her life...

“Hurry up! I need to get in there,” shouts Bridget, knocking on the door without cease to get in the bathroom.

“I’m going to be late for work,” she astonished, pleading to her younger sister that has no regard for time.

“Alright, Alright," she shouts back.

Elle finally relinquishes the bathroom. Bridget immediately brushed swiftly pass her sister into the bathroom and slams the door in aggravation and frustration. Minutes later, Bridget grabs her coffee, keys and her bag wishing her sister a good day, storms out of the house, races to get in the car to speed off into a cloud of smoke.

Elle is preparing for class when she gets a phone call about an accident. A representative from a hospital retrieved her phone number from her sister’s belongings to reach a friend or relative. Bridget was in a car crash. Elle rushed to the hospital. She kept repeating to herself that her sister will be okay. Her heart is pounding running to a nurse’s station.

“Please, I’m looking for my sister. She’s been in an accident!”

The nurse calmly asked her for a name. She turns to look it up on the computer and tells Elle a room number. She is so nervous with every step seeming to make the hall longer as she looks at each room number trying desperately to find Bridget. She’s walking so fast; she can’t help but pass right on by it. She realizes that she has walked too far, turns around and now she can’t go in because the crash team has entered her sister’s room. There were buzzers going off like crazy. The nurse rushed to her and guides her to the family room and instructs Elle to wait there. She gently reassures her that she will update her on Bridget’s condition as soon as she can. She rests her hand softly on Elle’s shoulder.

“Bridget has sustained serious injuries. We are going to do all we can for her," says the nurse in a calm and soothing voice.

Elle sat down in a cold chair and wrapped her arms around her body rocking back and forth waiting patiently for someone to tell her something.

Bridget and Elle lost their mother some years ago. Bridget had already graduated from high school and was attending college, but Elle was a young girl when she died. She didn’t know their father and Bridget never wanted to talk about him.

Bridget was always the responsible one that made sure everything ran smoothly in the household. Elle was the playful, flighty one. She didn’t quite know what she wanted to do with her life. They moved in with their aunt after their mother passed. The plan was to live with her until Bridget graduated from college, but the stay was some years longer. When Elle graduated from high school, Bridget was promoted to a buyer at the retail store she worked. She believed now was the time to get their own space. Bridget bought them a nice quaint house that was perfect for the two of them. She always took full responsibility of her sister Elle and the two did very well together.

Elle loved her sister so much and could not imagine life without her. She remembers how Bridget would try to teach her about budgets, bills, and shopping. None of which she paid any attention. Her thoughts are racing of how Bridget tried so hard to get her to finally declare a major in her college studies, which she still hasn’t.

Elle rocks and rocks. She vowed she would start listening today to her sister and stop taking her for granted.

The waiting is tormenting her. Elle decides she can’t take the wait any longer. She jumps up and runs towards the hall where a doctor meets her head on.

“Are you family of Bridget Knox?”

“I am,” Elle responds with a tremble.

“I’m very sorry. We did all we could. We were unable to save her. I’m very sorry for your loss.”

Elle goes limp dropping to her knees in disbelief.

The nurse comes to her aid.

“Is there anyone I can call for you?”

Elle takes several moments before she utters,

“No.”

She pulls away and walks towards her sister’s room.

“I want to see her,” she manages to spit out between wales of weeping.

The nurse helps her to the room. Elle lays eyes on Bridget and all the life zipped right out of her body. She dropped like a feather as she fell over the bed where her sister laid. After a few moments, two nurses came to assist and comfort her. Elle collected herself enough to give needed information for the next phase in her sister’s demise.

The body was moved to the morgue.

Now Elle needs to make some final arrangements; she leaves the hospital with no direction. When she gets to the car, she calls her Aunt Sara, her father’s sister that took them in when their mother passed. She wasn’t a warm person. Sara had a frigid analysis of life. One of the reasons Bridget wanted to move so they would have a fresh start.

“Auntie, this is Elle.”

“What do you want? Haven’t heard from you since you moved. What do I owe this call?”

“Auntie! Bridget is gone!”

“What do you mean? She left you? She moved out? What?”

“She’s dead Auntie!"

Elle is screaming and crying.

“My God child, what on earth are you saying? Where are you? Come to me now! Stop crying and come to my house now!"

Elle responds, “Okay” and hangs up the phone.

Pulling up in the driveway, Sara is already waiting on the doorstep. She can hardly wait for Elle to get out of the car before she blurts out…

“I know I didn’t hear you right! Please tell me I didn’t!!”

Elle attempts to walk up the driveway and collapsed with tears streaming down her face.

Sara pulls her up trying to maintain her own tears and they both struggle as they go in the house.

Sara does all she can to hide how this news is ripping her heart.

"What happened,” she asked as she fills a kettle with water for tea.

She has her back turned from Elle rapidly wiping the tears one by one. She discreetly grabs the tail of her blouse to give a big wipe to her face hoping this will slow down her eye water. She turns around and makes eye contact with Elle and they both released more tears.

“She was in a car accident on her way to work. This is all my fault,” Elle gently reveals.

“What are you talking about? Were you driving?”

“No Auntie, I wasn’t driving.”

“Then tell me. How was it your fault?”

Elle took a deep breath and told her how the morning started and how she made Bridget late for work.

“If I had not been so selfish, Bridget would still be here,” gushed out Elle.

Sara grabs her hands.

“Elle look at me! This is not your fault. Don’t do this to yourself. Bridget loved you so much. What you must do now is… do what she wanted… finish your education and live your life. You know that’s what Bridget wanted. I’m here for you.”

Elle sniffs to hold back a few tears to say…

“I always thought you didn’t want us.”

The aunt pulls away and pours two cups of tea. She didn’t respond to that. She shifts the conversation.

"You will stay here tonight. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be alone right now.”

Elle doesn’t answer right away. She ponders about why Aunt Sara doesn’t open up to anyone. Nevertheless, she didn’t want to be alone, so she graciously accepts her invitation.

“I need to go home and get a few things.”

“Okay, would you like me to come with you,” offered Sara.

Not knowing what to make of Aunt Sara…

“Yes, I would like that.”

Elle enters the house with so much anxiety. Sara is right by her side. Elle drops her purse and keys to the floor taking a slow sweeping gaze around the house. She is in a state of shock trying to process this unforeseen tragedy.

Sara goes to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee while Elle gathers some things. Sara is noticing how difficult this is for her.

“Sweetie take your time. I’ll make some coffee.”

Elle goes upstairs. She slightly passed Bridget’s bedroom door before she backtracks to go in the room. The wells of her eyelids are full as she resists a ready to flow pool of tears. She sits on the bed and lays back. She looks up noticing something somewhat blocking the air duct vent. Elle stares motionless at the vent wondering what it could be. She rises to get a step ladder from Bridget’s closet. Without hesitation, she peeps inside the vent and notices a notebook. She pulls on the cover of the vent and it doesn’t open. She immediately steps down to grab a screwdriver from a desk drawer. She sees a folder with her name on it.

She opened it and found a life insurance policy of $20,000 and the deed to their home naming her the beneficiary. She took a moment sitting there at the desk to remember the sacrifice Bridget made for her. Her sister dedicated her life to provide for her.

Elle often wondered why Bridget never dated. It was as if she devoted her life to making her happy.

“Are you ok up there,” shouts Sara.

This jolts Elle back to the present time.

“Yes Auntie, I’m fine. I will be down in a moment.”

She had almost forgotten the screwdriver in her hand. She climbed back up to remove the vent door. She pulled out a small black notebook. She climbs down to rest on the foot of the bed. She opens the notebook. It’s Bridget’s journal.

She reads a few entries before she is interrupted by Sara coming up the stairs. Sara is standing in the doorway. Elle looks at her in dismay.

“What’s wrong? Why are you looking this way?” asks Sara.

Elle reads out loud a certain entry that was written several years ago...

“I don’t want to give up my child. Mom says it’s the best thing for me and my baby. This is so hard for me to do, but I know this is the best decision.”

Sara looks at her but doesn’t seem to be surprised of what Elle is reading. It was like she wasn’t hearing it for the first time. She had an unvexed look and was very composed.

“Aunt Sara, did you know about this? Did you know Bridget had a baby? Did you know she gave up a baby?”

“Yes, I did,” she hesitantly responded.

Elle drops the notebook and it slid to the floor.

“What do you know about this?” asked Elle.

Sara sits beside her on the bed.

“Bridget was really young when she became pregnant. She was involved with a much older man despite being forbidden to see this man; She found a way. He ran out on her at the very mention of the news of her pregnancy. Left without a trace. Times were hard then especially for a young single pregnant girl. But then she decided to…."

Elle interrupted…

“Auntie, we have to find Bridget’s child. I want to find her. She’s a part of Bridget.”

Sara drops her head. She turns towards Elle with tears rolling down her face.

“Elle,” she says softly…

“That child is you.”