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Hannah and Thomas walked out of the meeting house together with Charlotte trailing not far behind. Benjamin walked out and as he did, he was stared at with hard eyes from the men around him. He paid them no heed, but instead walked quickly over to Gabriel, who was standing in line to enlist. The lump in Hannah's throat refused to disappear. Her worst fear could come true. Thomas said nothing to her, for he knew his feelings differed from hers. He wanted to fight the English. He didn't want to be left behind and he was proud of Gabriel for taking a stand. But he knew that Hannah was furious and sad. She didn't want this. But there was still a chance. The voting was going on right now. If it passed, then Gabriel would soon take up that pen and leave them. If it didn't, he wouldn't and he would be equally furious.
But Thomas knew in the pit of his stomach that everything would go in Gabriel's favor. He watched his father talking to Gabriel heatedly. Gabriel said a few harsh words and then turned away. Suddenly there was a commotion of sound all around Thomas. "What? What happened?" He asked a man beside him. "The levy passed! Twenty-eight to twelve! We're going to war!" He yelled excitedly, running towards the enlistment stand. Thomas grinned, but the grin faded when he looked at Hannah. Her face was downcast and her blue eyes were fixed on Gabriel, who was finishing his signature with a flourish. Gabriel looked at Benjamin defiantly, then walked over to Thomas and Hannah.
"Congratulations Gabriel!" Thomas said excitedly, his smile returning as his brother walked up to him, a self satisfied grin on his face. "Yes. We'll beat the British and then we'll come back and rebuild our world. It will be a wonderful change." Then he turned to Hannah, noticing her downcast face. "Hannah, it'll be alright. I'll return before you know it." He said softly, speaking with the voice he used when he knew she was hurting. But Hannah's face surprised him when it lifted. It was, not sad and docile, but flushed and full of anger, her blue eyes blazing. "You are such a fool. Both of you. Thinking that a few farmers can destroy some of the finest trained troops in the world! It is insane!" She said angrily. "Come now Hannah. It's not that bad." Gabriel soothed, placing his hand gently on hers. She whisked her hand away from him.
"You are a fool. You think your Father a coward for refusing to take arms. Well he's the only smart one among you pompous boys. Don't you realize that you will die? Almost immediately. We're no match for them. All these men and boys will leave their wives and sweethearts behind and they'll never return." Hannah said, her voice dropping. "It's not going to be like that. Dying is part of war. For the Cause." Gabriel said convincingly. Hannah scoffed. "The Cause. I'd like to spit on the Cause if it was a man. I would too, you know I would." She said spitefully. "You sound like you're more for the British than us. Don't you have any faith or trust in our boys?" Gabriel said in shock. Hannah dropped her head. "I do have faith in our boys. But I also know of the British's capabilities. They have more weapons, more experience than us. I just, I don't know Gabriel. War is such a waste and I thought once that I'd rather die than live through one." She said sadly. Gabriel leaned forward to comfort her but she leaned away. "Don't. I'll speak with you when you leave, but don't, just don't talk to me now." She whispered as she walked off.
Gabriel watched her go and he sighed. Thomas watched her, then turned to Gabriel. "Is there any truth in what she said? Or was that just her overreacting?" He asked seriously. Gabriel shook his head. "She wasn't overreacting. It's true. All of it. The British are more seasoned than us, more weapons, more techniques. All of it's true." He said. Thomas gazed at him in shock. "It is? But I thought," Thomas stuttered. "All that talk in there? That was us being bold and brave otherwise we'd turn tail and run the other way. But one thing is sure, somehow someway, the Cause will triumph." Gabriel said proudly. "And she was wrong about another thing. Father was a coward." He said.
Thomas gazed at him, but his eyes didn't hold the same affirmation in his eyes. "He wasn't a coward Gabriel. He just doesn't understand." He offered. Gabriel shrugged. "All new enlistments come forth and receive your equipment! All new enlistements!" A boy called out among the crowd. Gabriel turned to walk with him and he turned around. "I'll say goodbye. No fear. I'll be back before we leave. Be sure to get Hannah too." Thomas nodded as he watched his brother walk away to a place that he could not go, though he wanted to with all his heart.
Hannah and Thomas walked out of the meeting house together with Charlotte trailing not far behind. Benjamin walked out and as he did, he was stared at with hard eyes from the men around him. He paid them no heed, but instead walked quickly over to Gabriel, who was standing in line to enlist. The lump in Hannah's throat refused to disappear. Her worst fear could come true. Thomas said nothing to her, for he knew his feelings differed from hers. He wanted to fight the English. He didn't want to be left behind and he was proud of Gabriel for taking a stand. But he knew that Hannah was furious and sad. She didn't want this. But there was still a chance. The voting was going on right now. If it passed, then Gabriel would soon take up that pen and leave them. If it didn't, he wouldn't and he would be equally furious.
But Thomas knew in the pit of his stomach that everything would go in Gabriel's favor. He watched his father talking to Gabriel heatedly. Gabriel said a few harsh words and then turned away. Suddenly there was a commotion of sound all around Thomas. "What? What happened?" He asked a man beside him. "The levy passed! Twenty-eight to twelve! We're going to war!" He yelled excitedly, running towards the enlistment stand. Thomas grinned, but the grin faded when he looked at Hannah. Her face was downcast and her blue eyes were fixed on Gabriel, who was finishing his signature with a flourish. Gabriel looked at Benjamin defiantly, then walked over to Thomas and Hannah.
"Congratulations Gabriel!" Thomas said excitedly, his smile returning as his brother walked up to him, a self satisfied grin on his face. "Yes. We'll beat the British and then we'll come back and rebuild our world. It will be a wonderful change." Then he turned to Hannah, noticing her downcast face. "Hannah, it'll be alright. I'll return before you know it." He said softly, speaking with the voice he used when he knew she was hurting. But Hannah's face surprised him when it lifted. It was, not sad and docile, but flushed and full of anger, her blue eyes blazing. "You are such a fool. Both of you. Thinking that a few farmers can destroy some of the finest trained troops in the world! It is insane!" She said angrily. "Come now Hannah. It's not that bad." Gabriel soothed, placing his hand gently on hers. She whisked her hand away from him.
"You are a fool. You think your Father a coward for refusing to take arms. Well he's the only smart one among you pompous boys. Don't you realize that you will die? Almost immediately. We're no match for them. All these men and boys will leave their wives and sweethearts behind and they'll never return." Hannah said, her voice dropping. "It's not going to be like that. Dying is part of war. For the Cause." Gabriel said convincingly. Hannah scoffed. "The Cause. I'd like to spit on the Cause if it was a man. I would too, you know I would." She said spitefully. "You sound like you're more for the British than us. Don't you have any faith or trust in our boys?" Gabriel said in shock. Hannah dropped her head. "I do have faith in our boys. But I also know of the British's capabilities. They have more weapons, more experience than us. I just, I don't know Gabriel. War is such a waste and I thought once that I'd rather die than live through one." She said sadly. Gabriel leaned forward to comfort her but she leaned away. "Don't. I'll speak with you when you leave, but don't, just don't talk to me now." She whispered as she walked off.
Gabriel watched her go and he sighed. Thomas watched her, then turned to Gabriel. "Is there any truth in what she said? Or was that just her overreacting?" He asked seriously. Gabriel shook his head. "She wasn't overreacting. It's true. All of it. The British are more seasoned than us, more weapons, more techniques. All of it's true." He said. Thomas gazed at him in shock. "It is? But I thought," Thomas stuttered. "All that talk in there? That was us being bold and brave otherwise we'd turn tail and run the other way. But one thing is sure, somehow someway, the Cause will triumph." Gabriel said proudly. "And she was wrong about another thing. Father was a coward." He said.
Thomas gazed at him, but his eyes didn't hold the same affirmation in his eyes. "He wasn't a coward Gabriel. He just doesn't understand." He offered. Gabriel shrugged. "All new enlistments come forth and receive your equipment! All new enlistements!" A boy called out among the crowd. Gabriel turned to walk with him and he turned around. "I'll say goodbye. No fear. I'll be back before we leave. Be sure to get Hannah too." Thomas nodded as he watched his brother walk away to a place that he could not go, though he wanted to with all his heart.