Well, the tiny white orphan lie, succeeded into getting me out of immediate trouble. However, once my parents had gotten a full night's rest, they decided that they were still going to be mad at me. I shouldn't have ditched Warren at Carriage Square. That was dangerous. If I was going to spend all day at the orphanage, then I should have had good judgment enough to send back word of my whereabouts. That way, no one would have had to worry about me. Yada, yada, yada.
Strictly speaking, I was grounded. Even further, the king and queen didn't trust me as far as they could throw me. My father doubled the guards stationed outside my door and balcony. I was basically living in a maximum security prison. Even me, the expert escape artist, that I had grown into, wasn't capable of such feats. It seemed as if Hali the Great was going to have to hone her skills even further. I supposed there would be ample time for practice, another day. Right now, however, my brain was fresh out of ideas. Of all the rotten days! This was terrible, simply terrible.
I lied in my bed, staring up at the ceiling, sighing out of my misery, when I heard the heavy oak door creak open. I turned my head, curious to see who was foolish enough to enter my room without permission. It was probably my father. I was going to make him pay.
"You weren't really helping orphans, were you, Hali?" Melody questioned.
"Of course not, Mel," I spat, "who do I look like, Robin Hood?"
"No," Melody answered softly, "more like maid Marian."
I glared at my sister impatiently, "What do you want, Melody?"
"I want to have a chat," Melody began, sitting down next to me on my bed, "just us girls."
I groaned, and buried my head beneath the mass of pillow on top of my bed. Melody craftily picked them off, one by one.
"Why would you lie about orphans, Hali?"
"Does it really matter, Melody?" I cried, " dozens of orphans are going to benefit off that lie. By the law of Utilitarianism, the happiness of all those little orphans outweigh the happiness of mom and dad. It would be dreadfully unethical of you to tattle on me, now."
"I wasn't going to tell," Melody said honestly.
I studied my sisters face, taking careful note of her features. I wasn't so sure that I should believe her.
"Tell me about this boy, you've been sneaking out to go see at night?" my commanded, although, she did you gently.
"It doesn't matter," I lamented.
"Why not?" inquired Melody.
"He's leaving tonight, and I'll probably won't ever see him again. I don't even have a chance to say goodbye to him."
By some miracle, Melody had pity on me. Perhaps, I reminded her of some love sick fool.
My sister smiled at me, and said, "Grab your blanket and your pillow, and follow me."
"Why?" I questioned in confusion.
"Just do as your big sister asks of you, Hali," Melody teased, throwing a pillow at my stomach.
I grabbed my blanket and pillow and followed Melody out of my bedroom door.
Both Warren and Greer were waiting outside, arms crossed, and ready for trouble.
"What's going on here?" Warren demanded, with absolutely no trace of emotion in his voice.
There was the inhuman body guard that I had grown to know and love. I thought I had lost him there, for a minute.
"Hali is going to have a sleepover with me, in my room tonight, Warren," announced Melody.
"I don't think so," both Warren and Greer stated bluntly, standing up to their full heights.
"Why not?" Melody whined.
"Sorry, Princess," Greer answered, "we have strict orders coming from the king."
"The young princess stays in her own room," Warren added grimly.
"Oh honestly," Melody sighed, "the two of you can keep watch outside my door, if it will make you feel any better."
Greer looked over to his superior, as if he needed assurance on what to do. Warren simply shook his head no.
Melody was really becoming quite feisty, now. I wondered what she was up to.
"It's not like she can sneak out, without waking me up, Warren" Melody stared directly into the guards brown eyes, "do you think I would let my own sister, wander around town alone at night? If she tried anything, anything at all, you'd be the first person I'd call, believe me."
I saw it! Warren faltered for just a minute. Melody, the tiny girl that she was, had just intimidated the biggest guard on my father's payroll.
"I'm sorry, Princess, the king..."
"In the morning," Melody used her commanding princess voice, "we can go to the king, together, and I will explain everything. I'm sure my father won't mind."
"Fine," Warren finally submitted, "but we will remain outside your door. Remember that."
"Wonderful," Melody clapped, "come along, Hali."
Once inside, Melody's room, I climbed into her bed. Certainly it was big enough for both of us to sleep in. If she thought I was going to sleep oh the floor, she had another thing coming.
"Get out of my bed," Melody ordered.
"Make me," I shot back, "if you didn't want me here, then why did you make such a big commotion with the guards outside."
"It's not that I don't want you here," grinned Melody, "not at all."
"What are you talking about, Mel?" I ventured to ask, getting up on my knees.
"You can sneak out of my balcony to say goodbye to this boy you like so much."
"What!"
Melody put a finger to her lips, urging me to be quite.
"Do you want to alert the whole palace?" she asked.
"No," I replied bashfully.
"Then go now," Melody began, "but I'm begging you, Hali, don't take to long. We're pushing things as it is."
I jumped out of bed and hugged my sister tightly.
"Thank you, Mel!"
"Tick-tock, Hali," warned Melody.
I immediately turned towards her balcony and opened her double French doors. The coast was pleasantly clear.
"Hali?" Melody asked amused.
"What?"
"Are you going to go to meet him in your nightgown?"
I blushed furiously at the thought.
"My wardrobe is right over there," Melody nodded towards her closet.
I quickly slipped into one of Melody's beautiful dresses, and clamored over her balcony. I wondered to myself, how many times I must have escaped in this fashion. Maybe I should write a book about it, some day?
The only place I could think of to look for Sam was down by the docks. Where else would a sailor who was bound to set sail, going to be? I hurried to the docks, not wanting to miss his departure.
I found him, leaning against a wooden post, talking to another sailor, about our age. Sam seemed completely disinterested in what the other boy was saying.
I standing behind Sam's back, now, although he was completely unaware of my presence. Sam's shipmate was about to open his mouth to warn him, but I hastily put a finger to my lips. This boy had better get the hint, or else. It must have worked, because the sailor returned his attention to Sam, engaging again in their previous conversation. That's when I made my move. It was a simple tap on the shoulder, but it did the trick. Sam turned to meet the tapper, and upon seeing me, he flashed the biggest, most genuine smile I had ever seen in my life.
"Lorelei!" Sam cried, "I thought you weren't going to make it."
"Hello, Samuel," I smiled.
Sam grabbed me by the hand and started dragging me off, towards someplace.
"Where are you going?" the other sailor called after us, "we set sail in an hour!"
"I'll be back before then, Piper," Sam sighed annoyed, waving his hand in dismissal.
Sam had brought me to a very secluded area of the harbor. Tiny fireflies blinked yellow in white against the black sky. The moon was reflecting off the water, and crickets were chirping somewhere off in the distance. Everything was perfect. It almost seemed like Sam and I were the only two people in the world.
"I'm glad you came to say goodbye," Sam began gazing into my eyes.
"How could I not, Samuel."
Sam pulled something out of his pocket, and placed it into the palm of my hand.
"Something to remember me by," he blushed, "it's my lucky charm. I found it when we went to Bangladesh, on a beach called Cox's Bazar. It's the longest beach in the world, you know?"
I inspected the small shell he had given me. It was an elegant spiral shell, light brown in color, and no bigger than my pinky finger.
"Do you like it?" he asked hopefully.
"I love it, Sam," I answered truthfully, "it's perfect."
"Good," he replied still looking me directly in my azure eyes, "I'd like a token to remember you by, if that's okay?"
"Well, yes," I replied hesitantly, "but I don't have anything to give you."
"Oh," Sam answered downheartedly, looking down at his feet.
Then my face brightened, for I had just thought of something.
"Sam, do you have a knife?" I inquired.
"Of course," Sam responded with a smile, "every good sailor keeps a knife in his boot."
I held out my hand expectantly, and Sam produced a small pocket knife from his boot, handing it to me. I held the knife up, in front on my face, and it flashed in the moonlight.
Sam chuckled, "Are you going to give me my own pocket as a keepsake?"
"No, silly," I sighed, as I used the pocket knife to cut a lock of my fiery hair, "here," I said handing him back the knife and my freshly cut hair.
Sam pulled out a leather thong from his pocket, and used it to tie the lock of my hair together. Did sailors carry everything they might ever need in their pockets? I noticed that Sam had tied my read hair together in a shape that resembled the figure eight. Staring me in the eyes, he turned it sideways. I knew what Sam meant by that; it was the symbol for eternity. How cute, was that!
We shared one final kiss that lasted for sever minutes. It was a great kiss, and I hated to see it end, but nothing can last forever.
"Goodbye, Lorelei," Sam said sadly, brushing the side of my cheek with his hand.
"Farewell, Samuel," I returned.
Then Sam sulkily got to his feet, and glancing at me one last time, started walking towards his ship.
"Sam, wait!," I called after him, "couldn't you stay here with me?"
The sailor only looked at me sadly, "I have to go, Lorelei. They're my family."
With that, Sam disappeared. He broke my heart right then and there, though I didn't regret a single second of our time together. As I slowly walked back to the places, I contemplated ways, to keep my mind off Sam. Seashells? Yes, I would collect seashells.
~FIN~
Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah
Wow. I really liked this ending. It has both a happy and sad feel to it. Don't you agree? So, I do hope you enjoyed the sequel. Maybe someday I'll rewrite this form Sam's perspective. Wouldn't that be fun?
Didn't you just love Melody in this chapter?
Cox Bazar, really is a beach located in Bangladesh. It is claimed to be the longest beach in the world. My friend went there once and brought me back a seashell. That was my inspiration.
Utilitarianism is a branch of philosophy, that believes moral worth correlates to the over all utility, or the most happiness to the most people. This is reflected in Hali's orphan example to Melody. Famous Utilitarian thinkers were John Stewart Mill, and Jeremey Bentham. Incidentally, you can go visit Bentham's preserved body at University College London, if you ever get the hankering! Thanks professor Storm!
Check back soon for The Misadventures of Sali trivia.
On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair,
xJadeRainx