A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed! I want to let you know that our Jane has
very little knowledge of Indian culture, so you must forgive her if her
descriptions or understandings have little resemblance to how India was at
this time. :)
Chapter 6: Arrival
St. John recovered slowly, and just as slowly did the weeks of our journey drag on. Between my husband and myself was none of the sweet felicitations that I had hoped would come with our marriage; the sweetness he had shown the night I accepted his proposal was hidden from sight. I tried to convince myself that this was due to our voyage, but I could not see a village in India as a more pleasant setting for that sort of thing. The very day that St. John happily sat down to a meal was the very day our ship arrived in the busy port of Bombay, India. My first steps onto land were tentative and the earth seemed to rock from side to side as I followed St. John, Reginald and Nathaniel to collect the rest of our things.
With our trunks in the hands of some Indian men looking for work, we found the church that we were to report to. I was shocked to see how poor it looked, plain and dirty, and I wasn't very comforted by the minister who welcomed us, either. He was not impolite, but he seemed very anxious to get us on our way, and avoided answering any of our questions, as if he was scared when we heard the answers, we would board the next boat back to England. He had arranged for us to be taken to our new village the next afternoon, leaving minimal time to gather necessary supplies. We spent the night in a small room in the back of the church, and St. John fell quickly asleep without touching me at all. I, though just as tired, lay awake long into the night wondering about my new life.
The next day, I wandered the village while the men bartered for some extra supplies. I was amazed by the bright fabrics the women were wearing and at the number of children running about in the streets. In England children were kept out of the way, for the most part. A bittersweet memory of my former charge, Adele, made me smile; she had certainly not been a normal English child. I hoped that her progress had not been hindered by my abrupt departure from Thornfield, but I knew I could not change this, so I tried to focus on something else. I browsed a shop filled with beautiful jewelry, the finely colored gems sparkling in the bright sun, and then I found myself a seat in the shade.
I was quite enjoying my rest, watching the strange people of India walk by, when St. John, Nathaniel and Reginald approached, their shopping completed. We walked to where our escort was scheduled to meet us; St. John walking briskly, as I followed slowly behind, wanting to absorb as much of this interesting scene as I could. All too soon we were on our way to our new village, which was located between Bhopal and Jabalpur, and would take several days of travel to reach. I was expecting a bustling trading town like Bombay had been, but much to my surprise, there were only a few structures, none of which was a church. What had I gotten myself into?
Chapter 6: Arrival
St. John recovered slowly, and just as slowly did the weeks of our journey drag on. Between my husband and myself was none of the sweet felicitations that I had hoped would come with our marriage; the sweetness he had shown the night I accepted his proposal was hidden from sight. I tried to convince myself that this was due to our voyage, but I could not see a village in India as a more pleasant setting for that sort of thing. The very day that St. John happily sat down to a meal was the very day our ship arrived in the busy port of Bombay, India. My first steps onto land were tentative and the earth seemed to rock from side to side as I followed St. John, Reginald and Nathaniel to collect the rest of our things.
With our trunks in the hands of some Indian men looking for work, we found the church that we were to report to. I was shocked to see how poor it looked, plain and dirty, and I wasn't very comforted by the minister who welcomed us, either. He was not impolite, but he seemed very anxious to get us on our way, and avoided answering any of our questions, as if he was scared when we heard the answers, we would board the next boat back to England. He had arranged for us to be taken to our new village the next afternoon, leaving minimal time to gather necessary supplies. We spent the night in a small room in the back of the church, and St. John fell quickly asleep without touching me at all. I, though just as tired, lay awake long into the night wondering about my new life.
The next day, I wandered the village while the men bartered for some extra supplies. I was amazed by the bright fabrics the women were wearing and at the number of children running about in the streets. In England children were kept out of the way, for the most part. A bittersweet memory of my former charge, Adele, made me smile; she had certainly not been a normal English child. I hoped that her progress had not been hindered by my abrupt departure from Thornfield, but I knew I could not change this, so I tried to focus on something else. I browsed a shop filled with beautiful jewelry, the finely colored gems sparkling in the bright sun, and then I found myself a seat in the shade.
I was quite enjoying my rest, watching the strange people of India walk by, when St. John, Nathaniel and Reginald approached, their shopping completed. We walked to where our escort was scheduled to meet us; St. John walking briskly, as I followed slowly behind, wanting to absorb as much of this interesting scene as I could. All too soon we were on our way to our new village, which was located between Bhopal and Jabalpur, and would take several days of travel to reach. I was expecting a bustling trading town like Bombay had been, but much to my surprise, there were only a few structures, none of which was a church. What had I gotten myself into?