Balmoral Hall School - Optima Anni Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

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18 wore off. They began to wonder if free- dom was really worth this great risk. How- ever when they thought of the hunger and pain of their past life, they waited patiently . . . for freedom. Tom came faithfully every week with food and water. Although once a poor serf like them, he was one of the few who had escaped as they were trying to and now Tom was a prosperous tradesman. The months dragged slowly by and fin- ally there remained only two days until they would be free. Father, Tom didn't come last week and we haven't much water left. An' well I know itg we'1l just have to manage on what we've got. jeanette woke up in the middle of the next night and heard her mother moaning in her sleep. Her father sat up. Seeing that Ieanette was awake, he sadly said, This lack of water is especially hard on your mother. lt won't be long before she'll have to have water. I knows it, whispered Ieanette thoughtfully, as she tried to snuggle into the cold hay. Her mind was already forming a plan. She could not bear seeing her mother suffer in this way and so she decided that the next day at dusk she would slip out to the town well and fetch water. lt would not be difficult as no one would pay attention to a small child. The next day she and her father began to feel the lack of water but her mother was feverish and getting worse. jeanette waited until the darkness gave her safety and pro- tection. Taking an old jug she had found, As she crept along the narrow street, every step she took seemed to be loud enough to alarm the whole town. Every shadow seemed to be moving, and then she saw one that really was! She pressed her- self against the nearest wall. A flood of re- lief passed through her as a scrawny, black cat stalked by, followed by his grotesque shadow. Finally jeanette cautiously approached the well. As the cool water slid down her hot, dry throat, she felt proud of her cour- age in going to the well. Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by loud footsteps. She hurriedly filled the jug and started back. As Ieanette struggled along, the icy water splashed from the jug and trickled down her bare legs. Nearing the street where the stable was, a harsh voice broke the silence of the night. Hey, you there! Stop! I say, stop! Ieanette, pounding heart and trembling legs, turned the corner and saw the stable ahead. HI must keep on! I must keep on! she repeated wildly to herself. Stumbling through the stable door, she heard the footsteps no more. Her anxious parents helped her into the loft. Hleanette, where in 'eaven's name you been? Water, I got water . . . and she sank into her fathers arms. The family sat joyously around the win- rose 'ave dow sipping the Cool water. The sun slowly bringing a new day, a new life, and a new freedom. DENISE ROULSTON-Grade IX A Queer Customer Mr. Whittle, the hardware store's man- ager, lounged in his old, wooden desk. He was just dozing off when the bells over the doorstep jingled. Waking up with a start and silently cursing the person who had in- terfered with his sleep, Mr. Whittle crossed the room. A ragged hat was perched on his head and an ancient weatherbeaten face peered out from underneath. His small glar- ing eyes certainly did not expect the sight they saw! A voice called out, Wait a minute for me, Perkins, and a tall, middle aged wo- man entered the unclean, but reasonably tidy shop. In Mr. Whitt1e's eyes she was not a woman, but some divine personage! Her hair was a fiery black, perfectly straight and fell down loosely to her shoulders. Her eyes looked tired but at one glance one could see that she was the type who did not stand any nonsense. A straight Roman nose gave her a Uqueenly expression, as Mr. Whittle later put it. Her mink coat was draped over her shoulders and her dress sparkled with false diamonds and pearls. Mr. Whittle immediately straightened up, tucked in his tie and asked if he could assist her in any possible Way. She gazed at him without answering and walked slowly around the small shop. She inspected every detail carefully, the guns, knives, pots and pans and even his treasured toaster. Then as abruptly as she came in, she sauntered out! Mr. Whittle gazed at her retreating figure for some time. What a queer person she was! O11 well! He could not be bothered.

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17 seconds later, it was the lamp again. for days until Groon's tortures lasted he gradually began to waste away with lack of food and sleep. Once he staggered from his apartment a month later, to buy a meal. Out of another door at the same time came Elias Iohns and Groon fainted on the stair. One night, the footsteps were louder than they had ever been. All of a sudden the door burst open and the room became unbearably hot. A flaming chariot driven by Elias and drawn by two fiends rumbled in. Stopping the chariot, Elias chanted in a monotone, You have been weighed on the Scales of Truth and are found wanting! Your sentence - Eternity in deepest Hell! O ye spirits, give me mercyg give me mercy, I beg of you! shrieked Groon, gro- velling at Elias's feet. Nay! No mercy! cried Elias, and with that he threw Groon into the chariot and whisked him away. In the morning, the maid came to Groon's suite to change the sheets. She knocked, but hearing no answer, entered and perceived the occupant lying on the floor, hideously contorted. She called for help and up to the suite rushed a doctor and the local detective, Sergeant Everest Mar- ney. The doctor examined the body and stated that the man had perished from hunger. Sergeant Everest Marney searched the suite for means of identifying the dead body. Finally he opened a drawer, and asked, Now why the devil would a man die of starvation when he's got a fortune like this in the room? BEVERLY KNIGHT-Grade VII VVinter's Icy Fingers They begin as little diamonds, Twinkling in the snowg The sunshine melts the snowflakes, And the fingers start to grow. Soon Winters icy fingers, VVith sword-like points so sharp. Grow thick, and strong, and frightning, As they glitter in the dark. These frozen silver swords, Hang in a jagged row On the edges of the eaves-troughs, Pointing to earth below. ANNE GARDNER-Grade VII Boastful Ghosts We will watch the ghosts come out tonight With silvery eyes and dressed in white: They will hide behind the evergreen trees, Those ghosts with silvery eyes that see The moonlight on a far away hill, The air that has a sudden chill, The creatures of the woodland space That peer about from face to face. But those brave ghosts will give a shiver When they see the raging river. I know those ghosts: they are all the same- They only play a foolish game, Those boastful ghosts! CONSTANCE VINCENT-Grade VII For The Sake Of Freedom Three silhouetted figures crept steathily away from the small English manor. As they turned for their last look at the group of dirty cottages and the manor house on the hill, the man sighed. 'AI could na more stand that life than I could . . . Soldiers! They know we've left. Quick, into the bushes The man and his wife and child threw themselves to the ground. Several minutes later, the soldiers' footsteps died away. They've gone now! That was a narrow one, wasn't it, Father? queried the scrawny girl. 'ilndeed t'was! Come on, 'urry it up. We 'aven't much time. As they hurried along, scattered thoughts raced through the man's head. Meet Tom 'alf a mile from the town. I-Ie'll take us to our hiding place. Bring us food once a week. Hide there for an 'ole year. But we're free, free, in an 'ole year. Why I heard the ol' Marquis say so 'im- self. I'Ie says, 'hide in a free town for an 'ole year and your free for the rest o' your life'. Aloud he exclaimed, Ower yonder's Tom's lantern! 'Urry up now! An hour later Tom left the family as comfortable as possible in the loft of a de- serted stable. The loft was full of rotten hay which served as beds for the family. A missing board was the only window and even this had to be avoided during the day for fear of being seen. For the months that followed the family spent idle hours in the stable, but they never left it. For the first months doing no work was a novelty, but this pleasure gradually 111

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19 Settling himself in his chair, he once aga'n dozed off and finally was sound asleep and snoring. All the day's happenings were lost in his dreams. CAROLYN RICHARDSON-Grade VII Until The Next Time Tying my shoelace, I stared wistfully at my empty bed where any person in his right mind should be at four-thirty in the morn- ing. Trudi looked up and laughed when I sighed. Perhaps you regret now that you want- ed to see sunrise from one of our beautiful mountains? asked one of my room mates. No, if you've seen it hundreds of times and still think it's worth the effort of getting up, it must really be something! I replied, yawning over the last few words. I still think the sunset would have been just as nice, and we wouldn't have to get up at this unearthly jhourf' argued julie lean ing on the window sill and watching the road. Here comes someone, she finally an- nounced, A'Perhaps it's Franz. Trudi con'- firmed her guess and the three of us trooped down on to the porch. Franz smiled at us as if he knew what we were suffering to see Apollo start his journey across the sky. It is not necessary to go too high on the mountain, he explained. If we go to the end of the path, that is quite far enough. And please keep in a group, it is not diffi- cut to get lost with all the twists and turns. 'Lrudi glanced meaningfully at me and I knew she was remembering the time that I had wandered off and got lost when we were visiting Rome. When we arrived at the end of the path, we were thankful we did not have to go to the top. We all sank down to the ground, except for Franz who unbuckled his knap- sack and pulled out some sandwiches, to our great delight. A'What is that awful smell? I suddenly asked, looking around and, realized to my horror, that it was the sandwiches, Do you not care for Gorgonzola cheese? asked Trudi, biting her sandwich. Following her example, I tried mine, but de- cided that I would rather go hungry. How- ever, Franz was quite determined that no one should do so and pulled out a peanut butter sandwich that I received with much more enthusiasm. Look, he said suddenly, and we all obeyed. The dreary grey sky turned to a lovely blue and the snow-covered mountain tops began to sparkle like diamonds. The yellow and red flames of Apollo's chariot appeared above the horizon and spread their light over the valley below. We sat there spellbound until Apollo was well on his way. It was just gorgeous! exclaimed julie, again attacking her half-eaten sandwich. A'Too beautiful for words, I whispered. Franz nodded and then said, The sun- set - it is beautiful too. After supper, I suggested that we go to see the sunset. All we needed to do was follow the path. Trudi did not agree though: it was too dangerous, she had said. However. julie and I paid her no heed, but as she might worry, we did not tell her. Half way along the path, there was a division and we were not sure which path to take. Trusting to luck, we decided upon the left fork, It was very easy to follow in daylight, but as dark shadows covered the sky, we began to worry. I'm beginning to wish we had a guide even though that would finish our allow- ance, whimpered julie. A'It is getting awfully dark. Maybe we'd better start back, I suggested, It's too late to see it now. Turn on the flashlight. Flashlight? she repeated, 'AI thought you had brought it. I groaned. Well we haven't any time to waste: we'll have to try and get back before dark. We hurried along the wind- ing path as the dark night set upon us. I could barely see three feet in front of me when I tripped in a rut on a narrow stretch of path, I screamed as I slid down the rough, slanted rock which came to an abrupt end thirty feet below me. I grasped and clawed at the rock and the next moment I was hanging onto a branch which had squeezed its way through a small crevice in the rock. 'AHelp! julie! I shouted, although I do not know whyg there was nothing she could do. I hung there not daring to look down as I slowly began to lose my grip. Instead of thinking about falling, I wondered what julie was doing. Hold on! yelled a voice that was cer- tainly not julie's as I looked up into the glare of a flashlight. We're coming. I summoned my last bit of strength to hold on just a little longer. Suddenly I heard a