I had gone to visit Seychelles. When I had gotten to her home, she had seemed happy and was excited about my visit, but as the day progressed, she seemed to have gotten...a little sour, even angry. I could not understand it at all. I had started to suspect that it was that frog's fault, he must have had something to do with it! Even though he hadn't been there since three weeks ago and wouldn't be going until sometime after I had left. That was how it worked between us, one of us went to visit Seychelles when the other was somewhere else. Less property damage you know. By the end of the day, when we were strolling on the beach, she seemed to be in the most foul mood.
The day, as I have stated, started well enough. In the morning, she met me at the small airport that I had arrived at, after visiting Maldives, another former colony. She was wearing a new white dress, one France most likely bought her, and her usual red ribbons. Whether they were a pair I had bought, or France had bought, or they were a gift from someone else, or she had bought herself, I hadn't a clue. The Girl had dozens and dozens of ribbons at her house and she always wore her hair in pigtails with them. She was also wearing a pair of white sandals strapped to her feet. She had remarked once that flip-flops were just too troublesome. The white of her outfit had contrasted beautifully against her darker, tanned skin. There was a light sweat on her brow, which was normal, seeing how she was a tropical island nation, but she had a smile on her face, happy to see me. She ran up to hug me, nearly making me drop my suitcases. I set one down and patted her head, saying hello. She helped me carry my bags, even though I insisted I needed no help, out to a waiting car that had an old, native man sitting in the driver's seat. I knew him, somewhat. I have never found out his name, himself insisting I call him Grandfather. It was funny, when I thought about it. Even though I was thousands of years older than him, I still called him Grandfather.
The ride over to her house was pleasant. We talked a little, me asking how she's getting on and how was island life and herself talking in long stride about the small questions. We soon arrived at her home, and this time I was able to convince her to just let me carry my bags to the guest room.I was a little tired from the plane ride, even though it hadn't been that long, so allowed myself time to have a small nap, and Seychelles agreed and went out to talk to Grandfather. After my nap, I awoke to find it was eleven. Might as well get out and enjoy the island. I found Seychelles reading a book, but when she saw me, she put it down. I suggested we take a walk and then maybe get something to eat. She just smiled and said okay. She seemed a little tuckered out too, but we just head on. It had gotten hotter and I regretted at having decided to wear dress pants and a dress shirt, with a tie no doubt. But, I found wearing anything else made me feel uncomfortable and embarrassed, having messy clothes just did not suit me. I rolled up my sleeves, hoping to help relieve the heat. We talked little, which was how I liked it.
Seychelles still looked quite happy at that time, so I could not tell that something had put her out of it. After our walk, I chose a restaurant to eat at, one we ate at every time I came here and we didn't eat at her home. It served some of my home country's food as well as native food, so it was the best of both worlds. Seychelles ended up ordering some kind of fish and water and I ordered fish and chips along with water also. It was just too hot to order tea. For a bit, it was quiet, but then Seychelles asked how it was back in London and how were the other colonies I had visited. I didn't go into much detail and went straight to the point. She remarked that maybe she should visit Maldives sometime and maybe India. I said nothing else.
After I paid for the food and we had left, it was already one thirty. Seychelles remarked that a visit to the beach would be nice, but I decided beating the heat in some of the local shops would be better. They always had interesting little things in those tourists shops, and I usually brought Northern Ireland back a present when I went on trips. Might as well get her something here. I ended up buying her a small snow globe with a little island girl on a beach with the name Seychelles written in the sand. I showed Seychelles herself and she remarked that it was cute. We went into a number of shops. I mostly looked at things while Seychelles talked to the locals, all of them knowing her and the older ones knowing about her "condition". At some point she bought me a pair of shorts and a Hawaiian type shirt, saying my clothes were too stuffy for the three day visit.
By the time we arrived back at her home, it was five thirty. Grandfather had made a large amount of food. Seychelles had once remarked that he had once had a large family, but they had moved away and his wife, who I had met a few times, passed away some years ago, so he was all alone, besides Seychelles herself. Though it had been a nice gesture, I declined the food, the spices from the dish already making my eyes water. I just read a book while Seychelles and Grandfather ate their food. When they were done, there was still plenty left over, but Grandfather remarked that they could just have some for tomorrow. He put the rest in a fridge and then went to sleep. He was an old man and was always going to bed early, so this was the norm.
After he went to bed, Seychelles turned to speak with me. "You know, there's a party going on in the village tonight. I was wondering if you wanted to go." I answered almost immediately. "Not particularly. I'm not very much the partying type. I think just a quiet walk on the beach would be fine for tonight." Seychelles had sighed and said all right. We had arrived there just as the sun was setting. It was a beautiful sight and I just stood and looked at it for a moment. Even though it was stunning, it made me long for the sunsets I could see in the English country side. Seychelles seemed impatient with me while I stood, looking at the sun set and grabbed my hand, pulling me into a walk. I was started bu also embarrassed at the contact. You may not know it, but I'm very against people having any kind of physical contact with me, at all. I quickly snatch my hand from her grasp and continued to walk.
She walked by my side, in her sour state from the beginning of this story. It was becoming quite aggravating, she was acting like a child. Suddenly, she latched herself onto my arm and stuck there like a leech. Though I tried stopping, she pushed forward with determination, and not letting go. It was becoming very frustrating now. "Seychelles, what has come over you?" I demanded, stopping and not letting her move forward. She sighed and relented, turning around to face me as she let go of my arm. "Why don't you act like you were once my caretaker. You made this trip to see me and do thing with me, fun things like swimming and going to parties, but all we've done is do things you like. This trip was suppose to be about me! You don't even act like you're my father! You almost act like an uninterested boyfriend!"
Tears were pooling around her eyes as she let all her pent up anger out. I was...well, shocked. I opened my mouth to say something, but then closed it again. Had I really acted like that, doing what I wanted to do and not paying attention to her? She started talking again. "I have tried the whole day you were here to open up to me, and we barely converse. You ask how island life has been, but you don't ask anything personal. You didn't ask what book I had been reading when you woke up, you didn't ask how I was getting along on with piano and voice lessons, even though you were the one who suggested them, and to be honest, Arthur, it was really rude when you refused to eat Grandfather's food, even though he had spent so much time on it because the spice were too much for you and it seems you can't eat anything besides your own food. Whenever I went to visit you in England, I always ate your food, even those nasty scones. You don't even call me by my real name, Arthur." A single tear went down her cheek. I could feel my heart aching at the realization of how badly I had treated her and ho it had affected her. She felt unloved by me, and I felt quite the opposite. I felt like a parent towards her, a big brother, but she hadn't received that message. "And I don't mean you have to call me Angelique, I know how much you hate the French, and France personally, but you could at least call me Angelica. I always call you Arthur, but you, you just call me Seychelles."
It was by this time I saw how much I had wronged her, and I felt terrible. I was rooted to the spot for a moment, but then put a gentile arm around her and pulled her forward into a light hug, as an apology. She became stiff and, wiping any stray tears away, looked up at me. "I'm sorry, Angelica, truly sorry. I didn't...I didn't know how upset I have been making you. Believe me, that is not how a gentleman acts. I acted rudely. I promise, I'll make it up to you. Whatever you want, we'll do it tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, before I leave to fly back to England." For a moment, Seychelles, I mean Angelica, just looked at me and then she smiled, reminding me of how cheerful she had been this morning. She jumped and wrapped her arms around my neck. "Really? Oh, merci! I mean, thank you Arthur, thank you!" Letting go of me, she got a shy smile on her face, her eyes looking at the ground. "Do you think, we could, you know, still go to that party? I mean, it's probably hardly begun, we'd still be early." She looked up at me with those big brown eyes that reminded me of a certain blue eyed child I once knew, another pair of eyes I could never say no to. I smiled warmly and nodded. She jumped up in excitement, with another string of thank you's and merci's. "But, we must go back to your house first." She gave me a questioning eye. "Why?" she asked. I smiled. "Because, I need to change into those clothes that you bought me today. I don't think I could dance very well at this party with the clothes I have on now. They're too stiff, don't you think?" Angelica smiled and chuckled. "I do believe you're right, Arthur." She grabbed hold of my hand and I held onto hers as we started back to her home. "You know, I think instead of the snow globe, you should get little Fiona a nice sun dress. I know the best store for them, their dresses are beautiful!" I smile and listen to the rest of Angela's ramblings.
It was because of Angela that I remembered why I even bothered visiting my former charges. I had not been very good at raising them when I was an empire. To be blunt, many of them have said I was a horrible father. I visited them now to try to make up for that, even the ones like India and South Africa, who really grew up before I came. Though at times the relationship between the colonies and myself can be strained, it worked. It worked.