Moonlight Musings

Jem Blythe laid down his book and rubbed his tired eyes vigorously. He didn't know the time but he felt he had been in the garret for hours, studying for his entrance exam into Queen's Academy. The sounds of gay young spirits floating up from Rainbow Valley had long since gone, and the majesty of the full moon had risen to full splendor in the inky sky. It's luminescent light filled Jem's own "fortress of solitude," evoking an atmosphere conducive to the kind of reflecting that one rarely felt comfortable doing in the light of the day. It wove its spell over Jem's tired mind and he found his thoughts drifting to a certain golden haired creature, with ruddy cheeks, sparkling eyes, and a rosy mouth that was more often than not fixed with a merry smile. Faith Meredith had been occupying Jem's private thoughts more and more frequently in the course of the past few months, ever since the realization had dawned on him that as soon as he left for Queen's their charmed circle would be broken and Faith would no longer be a part of his everyday existence. He was great chums with all of the Merediths of course, and he would miss his brothers and sisters terribly, not to mention Mother and Dad, and Susan. But somehow, the thought of leaving Faith resulted in a queer ache in his heart that was quite different from the other pain. Jem was not quite sure how to interpret his feelings when it came to Faith. He knew he felt differently about her than he did about Una or Mary Vance, neither of them could make his heart skip a beat with only a sidelong glance. But for goodness sake! He was only thirteen and she, eleven. Jem groaned and laid his head down on cool, smooth surface of the table, his naturally sensible nature grappling with the complete irrationality elicited by first love. He head argued that he was much too young to be in love and yet his heart was telling him that he and Faith belonged together, just as Mother and Dad belonged together. Hadn't Dad told him that from the first moment he had seen her, he knew that his heart belonged to Mother? And after all, his parents had been just about his and Faith's ages when they had met. But no, it would never do to confess to Faith that he had been hiding a secret love for her. The news would probably frighten her half to death and ruin their jolly friendship. It had taken years for Dad to confess his feelings to Mother, but then again, Jem thought smilingly to himself, Mother and Dad hadn't been the best of chums either. Nevertheless, he and Faith were very good chums and he wanted to keep it that way. No, he would not tell her, he would keep it a carefully guarded secret, hidden deep in his boyish heart, and only when the time was right, would Faith know that Jem Blythe was, and would be, completely devoted to her until the day he died. With his mind resolutely made up, Jem yawned, stretched and headed downstairs for a well deserved good night's sleep and a foray into the uninhibited world of his dreams.