Estella and Pip

I sat thinking about Estella all day after hearing of her hardships and struggles with Drummle. I wanted to show her how someone who truly loved her could act towards her. From the start, I knew Drummle never loved her. He was always a wicked man in my eyes. As I sat in the living room with Joe and Biddy, I wondered how I could profess my love to Estella. After hearing that Miss Havisham died and left her and Matthew Pocket everything, I deduced she would die a lonely person like her adoptive mother. She would never go outside, for what reason did she have to? She would conceal herself in her house and pace the floors, dreaming of the day she would die so she could end her misery. Sitting by the fire by herself every night, eating off the same table that rats and bugs once paraded themselves across, wearing Miss Havisham's clothes after hers became old and ruined. I couldn't stand the thought of this anymore. I had to see Estella.

I walked as quickly as I could to Miss Havisham's house. I couldn't stand the thought of Estella dying alone without a care or a friend in the world. As I got to the gate, I noticed a man outside with a rifle. I was relieved that it wasn't Orlick again, but after the "incident", I deduced he wouldn't be back any time soon.

"Stop; who are you?" he asked to me.

"I am Pip, here to see Estella."

"The lady never mentioned of your coming. Unless you shall want to stand here and wait for my return, I must go find her before you can come in."

"I don't have time to wait for you, sir."

"Well, if you want to get through this gate, you shall have to."

As I reluctantly shook my head yes, he silently turned away. As he walked into the house, I quickly hopped the fence and ran in behind him. I walked slowly, for he was right in front of me. I stepped as he stepped and barely breathed at all. As he called for Estella, she made no answer.

Please Estella, answer him. Answer him so that I am sure of your presence.

"I am here," she replied softly.

As I heard her soft beautiful voice, I took in a sigh of relief.

"Miss Estella, you have a caller; shall I let him in?"

I stepped out from behind him as he asked so that she could see me. She smiled meekly and answered, "I think he found his way in already."

As the man turned around, I passed him and went to Estella.

"Miss, would you like me to escort him off the premise?"

"No, please leave him."

As he turned away, he closed the door. I noticed the room got silent and dark. The light had stopped shining in, and the windows were full of dust and dirt. Estella turned her head from me and began to walked away before I cried out, "Please Estella, understand me. After all that Drummle has done to you, don't you think you deserve better?"

She turned slightly with tears building up in her eyes.

"I told you I loved you a long time ago Estella. I have loved you since the day I met you. Please, if you had only listened to me before you ran off to marry that fool Drummle, you could have been a happy woman now, instead of a miserable one."

As the tears ran down her face, she put her arms around me softly. I embraced her gently and kept speaking.

"Estella, I know that you are pained right now. You have suffered much, but Drummle is gone now, and you can start over. Start a life with me, Estella. I love you. I will always love you. You won't know what true love is until you spend just one day with me."

Before I could finish my sentence, she kissed me as I had always dreamed she would. As she let go, she whispered, "I have dreamed about you, Pip. I was only trying to make you jealous through my marriage, but after everything was said and done, I realized I had made a horrible mistake. I left you alone for all these years of tormenting you. I broke your heart, and you still stand here before me today to tell me that you love me. I was never shown love before, so I am unfamiliar with this emotion that I am receiving now, but something tells me that you are the one for me. I have loved you ever since Drummle started beating me, Pip. I wished to run away from him during the night, but I never made it. He would always find me and beat me more. He was an evil man, Pip. And I know that you could never do that to me. I..."

She paused and I looked into her eyes as she looked into mine.

"I love you, Pip."

I felt her hand going across the back of my neck and, she kissed me again. I let go of her and just hugged her for a few moments, trying to take everything in.

"Oh, Estella, I have dreamed of this day."

"Pip, never leave me."

"Estella, I always wished you would say this to me."

As I knew the time was right, I got on one knee. She smiled and began to cry as she realized what I was doing. I took her hand in mine and wiped her tears away gently.

"Estella, all the days of my life, you have me in your heart. I have dreamed that you would be mind from when we were children. I can't leave you again, Estella. I love you. Estella, will you marry me?"

As I slipped a ring onto her finger, she silently replied yes. As she embraced me again, I remembered that Joe had been the one who put the ring in my pocket. I guess this was his way of saying, "I have missed you Pip and I wish you the best of your life."

Thank you, Joe.