Chapter 2

Matthew is Surprised

Matthew Cuthbert loved his truck.

It was his most prized possession. It had been a gift from his father. And it was old. Very old.

Mr. John Cuthbert was a professor, so he didn't ever work on the farm. But Matthew did, and he loved it. He dropped out of high school when he was 15. He had always hated school. He didn't like to speak in class and found that arithmetic was not one of his strong points. He liked the reading alright, but would get to nervous that a teacher would ask him to read aloud. And he couldn't focus on his work. And though it pained his father, Mr. John Cuthbert agreed that school may not be the best place for his eldest son. So Matthew began work on the farm. At first he was just like one of the hired hands. But it was soon evident that Matthew took very quickly to cultivating the earth. And he began to be in charge of certain jobs. He started to rotate the fields. And even began to use crops like Peanuts and Soybeans, because they were not nearly as harsh on the soil as corn. He would order things and pick them up. It was nice for Matthew because he would just have to send in a paper through the mail. No talking required. It became clear that Matthew needed a truck to pick these items up. So his father bought him a 1957 GMC farming truck. It was dark green and slightly used. But Matthew loved it.

He was driving to pick up his nephew. He had never met him, so he was very nervous. But at least his nephew was a boy and not a girl. Matthew was terrified of anything female. Well except for Marilla and Ms. Rachel.

It was April 6th and he needed to plant his crops in his last field in soon. He would much rather be doing that, then meet an unknown child and have to sit with him for twenty minutes. He was supposed to pick up the kid at 3:00, since that was when the train arrived. But Matthew had dawdled, and hadn't even left until 3:10. Now it was 3:33 as he pulled into the station's parking lot. Seeing as how the closet train stop in Beecher was twenty minutes away.

Matthew walked up to the station. It was bizarre seeing a station like this. It was shiny and newly built. Before it had just been a stop. A cement slab where the train would stop. But now there was a building. And it seemed like a waste of taxes. Though a lot things that were being done seemed like a waste of tax money to Matthew. Not that he would say that to anyone. Not because he didn't believe it, but because he didn't like arguments.

Matthew climbed up the cement steps that led to the train stop. It was hard on his knees, seeing as how they were steep. But he made his way up just fine. He finally got to the top and looked around. There was a black boy sitting on one of the benches with his headphones on. A white woman with dyed hair reading a magazine and tapping her acrylic nail against the bench. And a girl with fiery red hair tied into two braids standing right in front of Matthew staring at him.

This girl with the red hair made Matthew feel uneasy. She seemed nervous. And Matthew always had empathetic nerves for people. She was clearly waiting for someone as she had an old backpack filled so much it was about to burst. Though that wasn't too impressive since it was a rather tiny bag. She wore an over sized flannel shirt, a beat up pair of jeans with a huge hole in the knee, and a worn out pair of sneakers.

Matthew walked passed the girl and looked down to see if there were anymore people. He didn't see anyone else. Matthew kept scanning the platform. But there was no one else.

"Um, excuse me. Are you Matthew Cuthbert?" asked the red head.

Matthew looked astonished that this wisp of a girl knew who he was. He nodded.

"Oh thank God! I thought you'd never show up. The nun said she couldn't wait any longer and just to wait for you. She said that I should be fine, that she had informed the man downstairs that he should stop anyone who tried to take me and ask them for I.D. I decided that if you didn't show up. I would just ride the trains. Like a hobo. I read a book once about a girl who jumped trains. And I figured that would be a fun way to live your life. I'm Anne by the way. I almost forgot to tell you my name! Isn't that funny. I already knew your's so it didn't seem important to tell you mine."

Matthew gave the girl a shy smile. Matthew had never met a girl who wasn't afraid of him. Whenever he went to church or to drop something off at the school for Marilla, the little girls ran away. It was almost as though they were afraid he might gobble them up for dinner. But this one chatted on and on as if she hadn't a thing to worry about with him. What Matthew couldn't figure out was what a girl was doing here. He thought it was a boy. Maybe he just misheard what Marilla said.

"I'm sorry I was late," he said leaning down to pick up her bag.

"Oh no! Don't do that! I've got to hold it just the right way or the zipper flies open. It's a pretty old bag."

"Well alright then. The truck's this way."

They started on their way. Matthew showed his license to the guard. And they continued on their way to the truck. All the while Anne chatted on.

"Is the house very far? The nun said it was 35 minutes away. I've never been to the country. The nun said that the city air must be what kept me talking so. That I couldn't keep the smog in my lungs so I had to talk it out. And that the country air might make my tongue lie flat in my mouth. I've always talked. The lady who had me before I found out about you and Aunt Marilla, said that I could talk a beak off a bird. She had about 6 other kids with her. I didn't stay too long with her. Only about two weeks. That was the shortest time. I don't stay in one place for too long. It'll be nice to have a place to call home. The nun said it had a name. What is it? She didn't say."

"Well, folks call it Green Gables," said Matthew as he started the trucks engine.

"Oh! I love it when people name homes. President Jefferson named his house. So did President Washington. I guess most people don't have large houses though and that's why they don't name them. But I think I would always name my house. And Green Gables is such a pretty name. Did you name it that?"

"My great grandfather did," replied Matthew proudly.

"So he would be my great great grandfather. Isn't it funny that we're related and we never even knew one another ever. I sometimes imagine that I'm actually related to like the Queen of England. I might be. After all I didn't know about you before! And you didn't know about me! OOHH what's that?"

They were passing through the Orchard. Anne's reaction was understandable. Everyone loved to pass through the Orchard especially in the spring when all the flowers were in bloom.

"Well, now, this here is the Orchard," replied Matthew. It had been a relatively newer addition to the family farm. Ariel Cuthbert had always loved the Orchard and so when the owners wanted to sell it, John Cuthbert bought it for her. "It's part of the family farm."

"OH that name won't do at all! Won't you let me name it proper?"

"Well, now, I suppose that's all right."

"The White Way of Delight. That's what it should be called! Do you think we might put a sign there? I have always wanted to name things. It had been my dream since I was small. It would make me so happy to name a real life place!"

"I think that's a very fitting name," replied Matthew.

Anne continued to chatter so. Much to the surprise of Matthew, he found he rather liked listening to her prattle. So when she asked if it was alright that she talk on so, he said that he didn't mind in the slightest. The car ride was pleasant for both. Matthew happy to not have to fill up the silence with his voice, except for the occasional short sentence. And Anne getting to talk her self silly. She talked about how she imagined new things.

"Like this shirt," she started. "I hated it when I first saw it. But then I imagined that it was a flow-y top that I saw on a lady once in Chicago. And then I didn't mind it so much. I love to imagine things. It helps too. I never have to be scared or sad when I have my imagination. It makes the bad stuff not so bad."

They passed many beautiful things that made Anne sigh with delight. She renamed many things. Like the Blythe house and Main Road. But Matthew's favorite new name was for Barry's Pond which was now dubbed, The Lake of Shining Waters. Finally they arrived in the town square, not 2 minutes away from Green Gables.

"Now if you look right over there. That's Green Gables."

"Oh, Uncle Matthew!" The two had decided that she might call him that. Matthew found he rather enjoyed it.

"I couldn't even imagine something better!"