Chapter 72: RICHARD
In all my meetings with the aged Dame, I haven’t seen her show even a glimmer of weakness. But now, it seems she was close to tears.
"Are you alright, Madame Dame?" I found myself asking.
"I didn’t think she would be taken away from me, I... I... just can’t believe she’s gone" and this time, the tears dropped, clear drops unevenly cascading her slightly wrinkled face.
With the color of her eyes, it seemed like her pupils were squeezed to render such streaks.
If I was nonplussed by her statement on the roses, now I was totally at sixes and sevens. I had no idea what she was talking about, or whom she was referring to.
Or...
Could it be that the aged Dame was already experiencing the senility of old age? Was she that old that her mind was deteriorating already?
I hated such sights, it did something to my heart. I had made mention of being a tad bit more emotional than most, but seeing someone in tears, that was like the highlight.
It usually took a lot more to hide it. A mountain of piles to layer the feeling that wrecked at me when I see someone in tears.
I thought I was getting good at it, at least yesterday morning I had done a wonderful job with Chad, but watching Madame Dame, one of the toughest women I know, shed tears, not just tears.
Her entire demeanor spoke of hurt, her right hand was at her chest, as if it could lessen the pain of her heart. Her rugous face was tightly squeezed that her eyes appeared shut while she cried like a babe abandoned by the mother... without the wailing part of course.
At that moment, she reminded me of my nana, Diane. And how she had cried when she came to the hospital after my birthday spectacle.