CHAPTER 6: NEVER TAKE MY FREEDOM
That night, she woke up to her name being called from somewhere in the room. She opened her eyes, and saw a face peering in her window. "Jesse?" She called out. Her heart raced, and she quickly got out of bed to meet him. She kneeled before her window, and they were face to face. "I saw you in town with my brother the other day." He calmly told her.
"I saw you too."
"My brother speaks of nothing but you. I think he's in love with you."
She stared out blankly. "I do not love him."
"Why not?"
"I just don't."
"He's rich, he's handsome, and he's going places. Isn't that what every girl wants?"
"That's not what I'm looking for."
"What are you looking for Winnie?"
She stared deep into his eyes. She was quiet for what seemed like forever, and finally replied, "For someone to climb up my window."
They smiled at each other. She looked deep into his eyes, and saw things she'd never seen before. She could almost feel the adventure running through them. She wanted more of it. Wanted everything he had to offer.
She took Jesse by surprise when she kissed him. But he didn't hold back. Instead, he pushed his body up, close enough to fall in, and this took Winnie by surprise. She pulled back, a little dazed by her first kiss, and at the same time, amazed and overjoyed.
"So, how are you going to break it to my brother?" He asked her abruptly. Her smile faded quickly. "That's not the problem." She responded. "Then what is it?" He asked. "My mother. She'll send me away if I ruin this. I don't want to leave. Not to an all girls catholic school." Winnie made a face of absolute disgust, and Jesse had to laugh. "It's not funny." She chuckled giving him a playful shove.
He stared at her for a while, as if trying to find words to stay. His smile got bigger, and full of confidence, as he built up all the energy he'd had in him, and in one breath almost yelled, "Then run away with me Winnie!" He was so animated he'd almost fell off the window. She grabbed his shirt as he caught his balance then pulled him into her room. She had to cover her mouth to keep from screaming by chance to wake up her parents.
"What do you mean run away with you? I've only known you two days."
"But you can't tell me you didn't feel anything. Winnie, ever since I saw you that day in town, I just new, new something was special about you. I felt something calling inside me saying that I was going to see you again, and I did, at the pond. Winnie. I can't stand it at my house. I'm trapped in there. My parents are trying to make me someone I'm not, and with or without you I'm leaving to see the world. I'd just prefer to be with you. I'm going back to Paris, then I'm traveling to Germany from there to stay with my Uncle. He hates my dad, and would do anything to spite him. We can stay there until I get enough money, and then we'll go to Italy, and China, and anywhere you want to go. I don't want to be a doctor, or a lawyer, or the next mayor. I'm not like my brother. I refuse to be caged and tamed. I'm going to be free Winnie." He was on his knees now making wide motions with his arms. "Free." His voice became calm, and he cupped her face in his hands. "Be free with me."
For the first time in her life, she saw something in his eyes she knew her mother would have seen. It was crazy. Something she could only dream could work out. She new it couldn't, but she new he couldn't be tied down, and there was no sense in trying to get him to stay there with her. "No, Jesse. No. I can't live like that. I want to, but I'm only 17, and I'm just a girl."
"But you're not just a girl. You dove off a waterfall. You've got fire in your spirit Winnie. I know it. I sense it. You need adventure. Don't tell me you haven't been craving adventure your whole life." He just stared at her as she looked away. Feeling reality he got up and crawled out the window. Took one last look at her. "I'm leaving at the end of the week. I'll give you till then to decide what you really want. Just know, I'd never let anything happen to you. I'd protect you if I had to give my life doing it. I'd never let you go hungry. I have money Winnie. I have everything I need, except freedom, and that's what I'm going to get. On Friday, I'll be at the train station at noon. I'm leaving with or without you. Please see me again. Let me show you who I am. Tomorrow, at 5, meet me at the pond." "But I..." Winnie started to say, but Jesse was already gone. "...Have a date with your brother tomorrow." She said dejectedly and turned to go home.
That night, she woke up to her name being called from somewhere in the room. She opened her eyes, and saw a face peering in her window. "Jesse?" She called out. Her heart raced, and she quickly got out of bed to meet him. She kneeled before her window, and they were face to face. "I saw you in town with my brother the other day." He calmly told her.
"I saw you too."
"My brother speaks of nothing but you. I think he's in love with you."
She stared out blankly. "I do not love him."
"Why not?"
"I just don't."
"He's rich, he's handsome, and he's going places. Isn't that what every girl wants?"
"That's not what I'm looking for."
"What are you looking for Winnie?"
She stared deep into his eyes. She was quiet for what seemed like forever, and finally replied, "For someone to climb up my window."
They smiled at each other. She looked deep into his eyes, and saw things she'd never seen before. She could almost feel the adventure running through them. She wanted more of it. Wanted everything he had to offer.
She took Jesse by surprise when she kissed him. But he didn't hold back. Instead, he pushed his body up, close enough to fall in, and this took Winnie by surprise. She pulled back, a little dazed by her first kiss, and at the same time, amazed and overjoyed.
"So, how are you going to break it to my brother?" He asked her abruptly. Her smile faded quickly. "That's not the problem." She responded. "Then what is it?" He asked. "My mother. She'll send me away if I ruin this. I don't want to leave. Not to an all girls catholic school." Winnie made a face of absolute disgust, and Jesse had to laugh. "It's not funny." She chuckled giving him a playful shove.
He stared at her for a while, as if trying to find words to stay. His smile got bigger, and full of confidence, as he built up all the energy he'd had in him, and in one breath almost yelled, "Then run away with me Winnie!" He was so animated he'd almost fell off the window. She grabbed his shirt as he caught his balance then pulled him into her room. She had to cover her mouth to keep from screaming by chance to wake up her parents.
"What do you mean run away with you? I've only known you two days."
"But you can't tell me you didn't feel anything. Winnie, ever since I saw you that day in town, I just new, new something was special about you. I felt something calling inside me saying that I was going to see you again, and I did, at the pond. Winnie. I can't stand it at my house. I'm trapped in there. My parents are trying to make me someone I'm not, and with or without you I'm leaving to see the world. I'd just prefer to be with you. I'm going back to Paris, then I'm traveling to Germany from there to stay with my Uncle. He hates my dad, and would do anything to spite him. We can stay there until I get enough money, and then we'll go to Italy, and China, and anywhere you want to go. I don't want to be a doctor, or a lawyer, or the next mayor. I'm not like my brother. I refuse to be caged and tamed. I'm going to be free Winnie." He was on his knees now making wide motions with his arms. "Free." His voice became calm, and he cupped her face in his hands. "Be free with me."
For the first time in her life, she saw something in his eyes she knew her mother would have seen. It was crazy. Something she could only dream could work out. She new it couldn't, but she new he couldn't be tied down, and there was no sense in trying to get him to stay there with her. "No, Jesse. No. I can't live like that. I want to, but I'm only 17, and I'm just a girl."
"But you're not just a girl. You dove off a waterfall. You've got fire in your spirit Winnie. I know it. I sense it. You need adventure. Don't tell me you haven't been craving adventure your whole life." He just stared at her as she looked away. Feeling reality he got up and crawled out the window. Took one last look at her. "I'm leaving at the end of the week. I'll give you till then to decide what you really want. Just know, I'd never let anything happen to you. I'd protect you if I had to give my life doing it. I'd never let you go hungry. I have money Winnie. I have everything I need, except freedom, and that's what I'm going to get. On Friday, I'll be at the train station at noon. I'm leaving with or without you. Please see me again. Let me show you who I am. Tomorrow, at 5, meet me at the pond." "But I..." Winnie started to say, but Jesse was already gone. "...Have a date with your brother tomorrow." She said dejectedly and turned to go home.