Chapter 5

                                    

                                          
The muffled sound of Julia's voice alerting her husband that his runaway daughter was there arrived to the latter's ears, paralyzing her with dread. Constable Sanders gently urged Catherine forward. Just as the frightened girl was about to open the door, it flew open, revealing the harsh, reddened face of her father.
                          
"Thank you, Constable Sanders." said Tom. "We shall take care of the rest" Catherine gulped at the sentence, knowing all too well its hidden meaning. The Constable gave a brief bow, turned around and went away.
                          
Now that they were alone, Catherine feared the worst. Would he hit her? Lecture her? Or worse, simply look at her with eyes sparkling with deception? Since she had left, her father's reaction worried her, but she hadn't taken the time to think about it thoroughly.
                          
Nothing could have prepared her for what followed. Instead of shouting or spanking, a tear rolled down his cheek as he hugged his daughter. Caught off guard, she didn't respond. He let go and returned inside the house without another word. Like a statue, surprise froze her in place. A drop of water splattered on her forehead, taking her out of her torpor with a jolt. Rain bounced on Catherine as she hurried towards the heat and safety of her house.
                          
Her feet barely inside, her waist was captured in the thin but strong arms of her mother. "Catherine! If you knew how worried we were!" Julia freed a hand and wiped her eyes moist with tears. "Go, now, we prepared a nice hot bath for you." Despite the affection her parents had given her, Catherine felt alone in the world.
                          
Once clean and changed, Catherine hunted for her father. She wanted the answer to her question, and wouldn't wait another day. She toured the house, finally finding him in the shade of the big oak, pipe in hand. Julia didn't accept any pipe inside, so he found himself obliged to smoke outside.
                          
"Why don't you want me to go to school?" She asked, sharply.
                          
"I have told you, Catherine. In my view, girls should not go to school, end of story."
                          
"But why? Because we are inferior to men, aren't we?" Said Catherine indignantly, won over by a surge of anger. In front of her speechless father, she turned her heels. "That's exactly what I thought."
                          
Days passed, and soon John, Adam and Lily talked about school. 17 year old John would begin his last year. At 10 years old, Adam would enter 5th grade. In 4 years, when he would start 9th grade, he would possess the chance of attending high school. As for Lily, who would start 2nd grade, she had 7 additional years of education. Not wanting to hear her siblings talk about school all day, Catherine preferred reading her novels in the cover or the woods. She got rid of her chores in the morning, and fled, as soon as lunch was over, to the clearing where she had spent the night. When evening arrived, we could see her go back home. Her mother obliged her to come back for the evening meal. Even without this obligation, the absence of reading light would have forced Catherine's return.
                          
On the eve of the first day of school, an idea hit Catherine. An idea which, if she found a volunteer, would be crazy enough that if just might work. An idea that would allow her to go to high school. A smile stuck on her lips, she knocked at the door beside hers.
                          
"What?" Resounded Adam's little voice.
                          
"Is John there?"
                          
"No." Adam, king of monosyllables,
                          
"OK, thanks." Sighed Catherine. Probably out with his girlfriend, she thought. The rain splattering in waterfalls on the window stopped her from going outside. She closed the door to her room and stayed there until John's return.
                          
As usual, John crashed on the couch when he came back. Ready to put her plan in action, Catherine took her courage in both hands "J-John? I w-would have a f-favor to a-as-ask.