Miss Zifa's Private Lessons

Queenie felt her heart surge when she saw the tall silhouette of Miss Zifa against the frosted glass of her door. She arranged her books neatly on the table, laid her pens precisely next to them, folded her arms and allowed her legs a little bit of swing over the distant floor. Miss Zifa's private lessons made her feel special.

    Queenie's mum opened the door, peered through the crack and then undid the security chain, allowing it to swing open all the way. Miss Zifa stepped inside, perhaps looking a little uncomfortable, and Queenie's mum handed her a couple of notes.

    "Good evening Queenie."

    "Good evening Miss Zifa. I did my homework."

    "Good girl." Miss Zifa and Queenie's Mum exchanged an absence of looks. "I see you have your books all laid out."

    "Yes." Queenie's heart swelled with pride and imagined that heaven smiled on her. Queenie saw tall men with hats through the glass and a shorter figure, who she hoped was her friend who told her secrets.

    Queenie's Mum pushed the door too but it didn't close. The tall men pushed it back open and Queenie's Mum started to scream, over and over.

    "Queenie!"   

    "Hello Queenie." Her friend sat down by the table and looked down at her exercise books. Miss Zifa had started to cry, she noticed, not loudly like her Mum, but very gently and her hands were clenched so tightly that her palms were bleeding. Her friend opened the exercise book. "What are these, Queenie."

    "Sums." Queenie beamed, but not so brightly as before, because she was confused about her Mum and Miss Zifa.

    "And who told you about sums, Queenie."

    "Miss Zifa."

    "Why did she do that?"

    "Because Mummy wanted me to learn proper sums."

    "Proper sums. What did she mean by that." Queenie shrugged, eyes wider now. "Well then, what's this circle here for? Do you remember what I told you about this symbol, Queenie."

    "Is this part of my lesson?"

    "This is the start of some very special private lessons, just for you Queenie."

    "You said it was made up by evil people from far away to trick us away from what God wants."

    "Very good-"

    "But-"

    "Hmm?"

    Queenie hugged her shoulders up and her head down in between them, smiling her most winning smile.

    "Its only a zero, silly."

    "Take them away."

Comments

[Roy]

Not sure about this para.

"Yes." Queenie's heart swelled with pride and imagined that heaven smiled on her. Queenie saw tall men with hats through the glass and a shorter figure, who she hoped was her friend who told her secrets.

or the 'too' below

Queenie's Mum pushed the door too but it didn't close. The tall men pushed it back open and Queenie's Mum started to scream, over and over.

and if we are in Queenies POV then 'Queenie's Mum' throughout is suspect.

a nice succinct ending.

[Icarus]

Thanks Roy, good point.