When I can walk.

Chapter 9: Wheelchair.

When we arrived to Montressor we went directy to the Doctor's house, because the Hawkins family hadn't one, and Sarah had stayed till then there.

'Oh, home, sweet home.' Delbert said happy while entering in the house. 'Come, come, there's place for everyone.' And as a children's song, there came the mother, the son, the girl, the captain, the robot and the morph.

Then was when the doctor saw us.

'Jim, may I help you? I'm not very strong, but…' he said quiet worried.

'No, no, don't worry. She's not that heavy.' He said while grinning. 'Wanna go to the living room?' he asked me.

I didn't say anything. I didn't know what to say, or what to do…

Everyone went to the living room and we sat on chairs and sofas. Sarah brought us some cookies and tea to be more comfortable.

'Weeeell, tell me about the trip, guys.' She asked very intrigued.

'Oh, mum, we found the planet, and the treasure!' Jim said super excited. He stood up and came near to his mother. 'Well I only managed to get this. Do you think it's enough to build again the inn?' he gave her the coins and jewels that Silver had gave him earlier, and his mother hugged him.

'Of, course, honey, but that's not the most important, now.'

'How nice are the reunions between family.' B.E.N. said with a stupid voice. But everyone laughed at the comment.

Then the conversation returned to the trip and I heard the tormented voice of the captain while they were talking about the pirates and how they had had the opportunity to get into the ship.

I looked down… I felt as I didn't belong there… I was too different. I had had a completely different life and I wasn't easygoing by nature. They were happy, satisficing the company of the others, smiling, and, oh, how would I have liked to share their smiles… I could see all the happiness, decision and bravery in Jim's eyes… I had never seen them before as now. Because, I realized, he had discovered what he was meant for, a thing that I didn't do yet.

I had the purpose to create a new life, but, how to do it? For Jim, the key was the trip to Treasure Planet, but that was never on my list of things to do… and, to walk again? What kind of purpose was that? I was also afraid that, if I could make my life far from here, then maybe, I would not be able to see Jim again. And that backed me away form keep going, to achieve some goal. I know that I can't stay as I am now, that I have to live my own life, to walk by myself. I knew that while I couldn't stand on my feet, I would be dependable on them, and they would take care of me, and I needn't to say goodbye. But I would be a burden, and I didn't want that. But then, what? In the moment when I can walk, then I'll have to say goodbye? Leave the place and don't see them ever again? It was tormenting me.

Well, no one promised me a happy life.

After a while they began to prepare supper. I was left alone again. Everyone wanted to help in the kitchen. Captain wanted to help Sarah, the Doctor wanted to make a good image in front of the captain, so he was there, also, Jim wanted to be with his mother, and the robot seemed to like the kitchen. And well, Morph was happy everywhere were was Jim.

Maybe I could help them, but, I thought that there was too much people in there, and that, if I wanted to go there, someone had to carry me, and for that, they would say: 'no, dear, rest.'

Yes, but one resting feels lonely. And I don't know why I'm thinking about this, because all of my life has been quiet lonely, and full of lies. People pretending to love when it was all a trick. But looking at them, they're good people, they emanate sincerity and kindness… Aagh! I can't understand how the robot and Morph have won the trust before me!

The one being stupid was me because I hadn't done anything to win it. I had spent the time quiet and observing. It was blame for me, yes. But it made me to get angry and I frowned.

'Hey! What's up! Don't you like the soup?' Jim asked by the window of the kitchen.

I didn't noticed him there.

'I like it' I answered softly.

He came where I was and put a hand on the sofa where I was sitting.

'Then, what is it?'

'Bah, as it matters.' I answered a bit angered and turned my sight to the left.

'What's now? Tell me, I care.' He said too funny, so I didn't trust him.

'Don't wanna.'

He kneeled in front of me and nipped at my nose. I looked at him shocked. He laughed.

'I let you come over here, and you…'

'Hey, this is not your home.' I reproached him. He sighed.

'Ok, now I know what you need?' W-what was he talking about? I looked at him confused, still frowning. He smiled at me and turned to look at the kitchen. 'Morph!' he shouted. 'Morph! Come here!'

Oh my… I buried my face in my hands. I didn't want him now.

'Hey, morph, tease her a little.' Jim asked him. And the little thing came to my face, down my hands and began to caress me, making me giggle.

'No, Morph, I'm not in the mood.' I said as serious as I could.

But the little thing was smiling with such an adorable face…

'Morph! I'm angry! Please, stop!' I shouted between laughs.

Jim was laughing at me, and he began to tickle me, so I laughed more.

'Bastards…' I said.

After a while they called for us to dinner.

'Come,' he said passing his arms down my arms and legs. 'we've gotta have dinner.'

'Hey!, Leave me!' I shouted at him.

He looked at me mischievously.

'Okay…' And he dropped me.

I fell on the floor with a thud.

'Aaow' I looked bad at him. 'You're a brute! Damn…'

'Didn't you want me to drop you?' he asked pretending confusion. 'You have a very high proud. All that stories about witchcraft have made you to believe in them.' He said mocking me.

'But I'm not a simple human.' I said defending my proudness.

'I haven't said the contrary.'

He took me again in his arms and brought me to the table.

Everyone was in the dining room and then the doctor came.

'Opaline! Look! I've found a wheelchair!' he said proud of himself.

'Yay! That's good!' I answered quiet ironic.

Is that a wheelchair is something that makes you feel ill, dunno why, but at the same time, lets you to move, so I don't need to depend on Jim…

'Guys, the rooms are prepared.' Sarah said as she brought the food. 'B.E.N., you don't need one, right?' she asked dearly.

'No.' He said looking down. But I'm sure that if he had had flesh he would be flushing.

'Well, then, Amelia, yours is next mine and Opaline's is next Jim's.' She continued.

'And where's your room?' I asked Jim.

'On the first floor, later I'll bring you there.' He answered.

'Wait' I murmured realizing a thing. 'Then I can't go with the wheelchair.' I sighed and said: 'Great.' Ironically.

We ate the dinner and they were all talking happily as before and I was quiet as before, and all in the same situation till a moment, where I saw that everyone was looking at me.

'Eh?' I asked confused.

'They were wondering if you could tell them something about your life.' Jim told me.

'Aah…ehm… I don't want to upset you…' I looked at him making a face as I didn't wanted, didn't know if it was ok to tell them that.

'Don't worry, we listen.' They said without moving their eyes from me. It was a little awkward situation. I didn't had another exit. Well…

'Okay…' I sigued. 'Apart from when I was a very little child and was orphan and my parents abandoned me, I lived in the streets some time till Billy rescued me. He was a good guy.' I was looking at my finished plate while I was remembering. 'He was always drunk, he sang a lot and shouted, but he was happy, and was a very active person.' I noticed that I was smiling. Till then I hadn't noticed that I loved him that much. 'He cared for me a lot. He gave me presents, I had dolls, little castles, and well, when I grow bigger I became the second most important of the crew, there, he was the first, of course. He gave me great parts of the treasures, he gave me planets, also… well, he said that I was his goddess or his queen and sometimes he called me daughter…' I looked at them one second. 'Oh, but all those things that he gave to me I have no idea where they are now.' They laughed. 'I knew that my presence was a shield for him, that he was manipulating me somehow, well, for all the universe was running the legend that I was an immortal witch with fearsome powers, so, yeah, it was good for him. But I loved him… and now I realize that he also loved me, in his way, of course… but he did.' I looked down once more, to fight the memories. 'Then, with all the thing of Treasure Planet, well, he was gone, but then Silver came… he is different from Billy, but he also cared for me. I don't know what the pirated see in me, well, maybe it's my destiny to never be a righteous person.'

I looked up. I had talked a lot, too much, right? It wasn't good.

'Oh, my, the past must not mark our live for the destiny.' Sarah said. 'And you would not become in the people that you have loved if you don't want to. Destiny is what you are, what you want to become.'

'But, what if what I am is what I've always lived in? At this moment I'm feeling very strange. Maybe I should go to a pirate crew and live forever as another pirate… because I don't know how to live in a different way.' I answered worried.

'Well, I believe you are much more than a pirate, Opaline.' Delbert said.

I looked at him shocked.

'Maybe I could if everything had been easier, or if I had been as one of the great people in this world, people who will get great achievements.' I looked at Jim. 'But not for a person who has always been apart from all the natural of the live and its curse.' I said while making my chair to go from the table. 'Well, good night, I'm tired.' I told them. I was a little angry and sad, but I didn't want to be a stupid and rude girl.

I fell to the floor and went to the wheelchair. I climbed up disastrously and went to the stairs to go to the first floor. And there I stood, waiting to the stairs to melt or something, to go to my bedroom and to cry. Yes, it was too humiliating.

I heard a chair crawl and some steps approaching me.

Damn, so degrading.

'Do you want to go to your bedroom?' he asked me in the ear.

I nodded. He wrapped me up and went up the stairs.

'Okay, let's see… this is my mother's…' he talked to himself as we were passing doors. 'this is mine, and this one should be yours.' He said as we went to a door, he opened it, but then I felt a little, so I hold my arms stronger.

He let me on the couch, and I bent legs and buried my head into them.

'Hey… do you want me to call Morph?' he said not sure of what to do. 'He knows how to make you happy.'

I sensed how my shoulders shivered. I knew I was crying.

'Lina, why are you sad?' he asked downcast.

Hug me.

'Uh…' I mumbled. I looked at his eyes.

'What?'

I turned down my head again. I was so coward…

'I… I feel bad…' I told him between sobs. 'I shouldn't have said that! It was the first day. My first impression must have been horrible. They had never seen me before… and I'm so…' I hugged me deeper. I sensed that Jim was kind of smiling.

'Don't say those things.' He rested his hand on my shoulder and I closed my eyes. 'I'm sure that they understand you. You know? Before coming to this trip I was horrible.' He said mid laughing. 'Maybe I've not been grown by the pirates, but I had a very bad behavior after my father left us. But we have to get over these things, right?' He said grinning.

I looked at him and I couldn't stand it anymore. I threw myself to him to hug him. He hugged me to and stroked my hair while I was still trembling.

'Calm,' he whispered in my ear. 'even if there's something haunting you, I'll always be by your side, okay? I won't let you to be disappointed again.' I nodded.

'I'll try to keep up.' I told him, feeling as my heart was burning.

So, Billy, you were right when you said that even having the tiniest and washy of the hearts, the ones who have been hurt so many times are the ones who love with more hope.

And I fell asleep in his arms.

That night was when happened something that had never happened since I was eleven. I dreamed.

I was staying in the house of a woman and it was my eighteen birthday. It was a very beautiful day. Then his son came to greet me but he just asked me: 'how are your sunglasses?' It was a thing that it was normal to happen. I told him that yes. We went out the house. Then he asked me: 'what's the thing you most desire?' And I told him: 'Look at this world without this glasses, because with them all seems to be dark, and I can't believe that a world where you live in can't shine.'

When I woke up I sensed my heart full of something, and it confused me.

Well, I think that if I went outside without sunglasses, I would get blind.