Hello Everyone! I just finished chapters two and three. I'm posting both of them today for your enjoyment!
Happy Reading!
J
Pocahontas awoke to the sun, it hurt. The sun glared through the window, her eye was already swollen, now it burned from the sun.
"Mommy?" Pocahontas looked down, and there was Niani. The little girl barely reached Pocahontas' knees. Her long black hair running wildly around her head.
"Hello, Niani. Let me brush your hair, little one." Pocahontas tried to be cheerful, but it was hard.
"Mommy, your eye..."
"Come here, little one." Pocahontas quietly hummed a song her father used to sing to her when she was little.
Pocahontas suddenly stopped. How would she tell Niani? Would the little girl understand? Last night she had not even thought about how she would tell Niani that they were leaving without John.
She had to tell her now, while they were alone.
"Niani, I have to tell you something. Something that must stay between us. Our secret." Pocahontas took a deep breath, trying to piece together the words. How do you explain to a five year old something so complex?
Niani stared up at her mother, something was going on.
Pocahontas continued.
"Niani, your father and I aren't getting along very well-"
"He hurts you mommy."
"Yes, he does. Niani, mommy is not happy. Mommy wants us to go back to the tribe, with your grandfather. I know it might be hard, but I promise it will be worth it. What do you think?" Pocahontas paused, waiting for an answer.
"Can we leave today?" Niani exclaimed excitedely. She loved being in the tribe. There they could just wear their moccassin dresses. Niani also really missed her grandpa.
Pocahontas was a little shocked to say the least. She had not thought that Niani would take to the plan so easily, we were after all, talking about her father.
"Mommy, I don't want you to cry anymore, and I don't want daddy to hurt you anymore."
Pocahontas sighed with relief, how lucky she was to have such an understanding child.
"One more thing: DO NOT TELL YOUR FATHER. I don't want you or I to get hurt, trying to get away. It'll take a lot of work to get out of here without him knowing, but I'm going to try my best."
The two shared a pinky promise. That's when footsteps could be heard coming down the hall.
John walked in, he was dressed in his usual brown trousers and white shirt.
"Hello, Elizabeth."
"Daddy, I like Niani better." The little girl said bluntly. Elizabeth was her English name,but she didn't like it. It made her feel like an old lady.
"Your name is Elizabeth, when we're here young lady. I can't have you being called by your savage 're already too much of a savage as it is!"
"Excuse me?" Pocahontas was enraged, and John caught his mistake.
"I didn't mean to-"
"But you did! Niani, go downstairs please." Pocahontas ushered Niani out of the room with a slight push. She had a feeling that this was going to get ugly.
"Rebecca, please, I didn't mean to-"
"My name is Pocahontas! You did mean it John... You mean it every time. Did I ever mean anything to you? Was I always just a savage in your eyes? And now you dare call our daughter a savage?"
Pocahontas headed toward the door, John grabbed her tightly around the arm.
"Pocahontas, wait."
"No! Do you know what a savage is John?" Pocahontas was overflowing with anger, John couldn't remember a time when she had been so angry.
"Pocahontas..."
"A savage is someone who has no heart, someone-" John snapped. He was an Englishman, a member of the supreme race. Pocahontas was saying he was a savage. In a flash the two were involved in a violent struggle. He had his strong hands around her neck, Pocahontas fought by using her arms to punch him in his stomach. Finally free, she started to walk toward the stand. John felt a rage running through him, a rage he never knew existed. In one swift motion, he slapped Pocahontas across her back. The impact sent her once more to the ground, knocking over the water stand, and breaking the glass bowl.
Downstairs, Niani heard the glass break, and there was a big bang. She hoped her mother was alright. Niani felt the rumble of the old wood stairs, as her father came down each one. Click, clack. The foot steps stopped, and a door was opening. Her dad had just simply walked out without a word.
Once she heard the big door lock in place, Niani rushed up the stairs. This was a bad one. When she made the left turn to the bedroom she and her mother shared, the door was slightly ajar, and glass fragments were all over the place.
Tears ran down Pocahontas' face. Glass had cut her good eye, now it was bleeding. When she looked up, she saw Niani, standing in the doorway.
"Mommy-"
"Go downstairs Niani, there's too much glass on the floor, I don't want you to get hurt." Pocahontas didn't have much strength.
Her hands, eye, and forhead were cut with glass, and it was painful.
Pocahontas quietly cleaned up the shards of broken glass, but the room was never clean. For five minutes she knelt down looking down at the floor, not realizing that no matter how much she cleaned, the blood would not stop dripping unless she made it stop herself.
She grabbed a rag and pressed it to each wound, one at a time. The pressure made the pain worse, but stopped the bleeding.
John didn't know it, but he had just helped make Pocahontas' mission easier. She could barely recognize herself when she looked into the mirror, and with the spirits will, no one else would recognize her either.
With hope in her heart, Pocahontas changed clothes. She washed off all the blood and tidied the room.
Today was part one of her mission. Reaching into the stash of money she had, she hoped it was enough to buy tickets for a ship to Jamestown.
"Niani, are you alright?"
"Mom, you don't look anything like your self." Niani felt a tear slip down her eye.
"Niani, don't cry. I promise, we'll get out of here as soon as we can. Pinky promise."
Pocahontas sent Niani to Mrs. Jenkins house. It was just after noon when the mission started.
Wearing a plane dress, Pocahontas walked out into the streets of London. Her long beautiful hair up, it almost looked like a man's hair cut.
Many people gave her stares, as their eyes saw the bruises, old and new. Pocahontas hoped with all her heart that this would work, she didn't know any other way to get away from Rolfe.
Soon she had made it to the ticket office. This was it.
"Hello."
Ralph looked at the woman in front of him. She looked tired and battered.
"Madam, are you alright? What can I do for you today?"
Pocahontas took a deep breath.
"Do you have any ships heading to Jamestown?"
"Yes, in matter of fact, we have one leaving tomorrow at dawn. Would you like to purchase a ticket?"
"Two of them. One of them for my daughter. Is five euros enough?"
"Yes, madam! That's the perfect amount. I just need to ask you a few questions, for the ticket registration."
Please don't ruin it. Please go smoothly. I'm so close.
"Name?"
Pocahontas had one second to decide if she should give her real names or not.
"Pocahontas."
"Reason for visiting Jamestown?"
Pocahontas didn't know what to do, what could she say.
"Ma'm, I know who you are. I know you need to get away before he kills you."
"You won't tell anyone?" Pocahontas' heart was now beating faster than ever before. Was this really happening? Was this gentleman really going against all of England to help her? Oh bless the spirits!
"Not a soul. Here are your tickets. Be here before dawn, so you can board early. You'll be in the cabin adjacent to the captains. Will your daughter need her own bed?"
"No... Thank you so much..." Tears rolled down Pocahontas' cheek for what seemeed the milllionth time that day, but this time it was tears of joy.
"Go rest, you look real awful, Madam.
Even though her head throbbed, Pocahontas felt happy. Happier than she had ever been in the last six years. They were going home.
When Pocahontas came to the boarding house, she busily ran around, getting ready for tomorrow. She grabbed the traditional dresses she and Niani would wear when they reached Jamestown, and threw them into a duffel, she got Niani's favorite blanket and pillow.
There was a knock at the door. For a minute, it sent a shiver down her spine. Pocahontas didn't know why. Maybe she was just too excited.
The afternoon breeze blew through the door as it was opened. There at the door stood Ralph, the kind man who was helping her escape.
"Pocahontas, John Rolfe wanted me to notify you that he will be leaving immediately for an emergency mission to said go to Mrs. Jenkins if you need anything."
"I can get away without so much stress!"
"You sure can Madam, are you ready? I'll come pick you up early tomorrow morning, before sunrise. Just to protect you, I said your name was Taylor on the registration. Rolfe surely would have seen the ledger while he purchased his ticket."
Pocahontas shivered just thinking about what almost happened. If John had seen her name on the ticket ledger, he surely would have found out about the plan to leave, and confronted her. She would have never been able to get out.
Pocahontas felt so much for the man in front of her. He was helping her escape from the hell she was living.
"I don't know how I could ever repay you for all you're doing."
"You don't have to repay anything Pocahontas, I just want you safe. Did you really think you were fooling us by wearing makeup over the bruises? We just didn't have any power to help you."
Ralph then walked off. Leaving Pocahontas reeling. She was going home. Niani, would be safe. She would be safe.
Suddenly, Pocahontas was weighted down. She was so tired. There were only ten steps, but it felt like she was trying to climb a mountain.
Finally, she reached the top. Collapsing into the bed, Pocahontas felt the wight of the world leave her shoulders. She readily entered the darkness.