Philadelphia, December 23, 1915.
Eliza hesitated before going into the living room. She'd seen the huge Christmas tree been carried in by workmen from her bedroom window earlier, and now she wanted to have a closer look at it. Her eyes widened with amazement. The tree took up most of the spacious room, and was lavishly decorated with colored ribbon, and ornaments. She moved closer, and reached out a hand to touch the spiky pine needles. A memory jumped unbidden into her mind: She was sitting by a small fire, and there was a tree. It was not as lavish as this one, but the room somehow seemed to be filled with love and happiness. "Just think Eliza, this time next year we'll be celebrating Christmas in America." Her mother said. "Do they have trees there?" Eliza asked. "Oh yes, big, big ones. A lot bigger than this one." Her mother had replied. Eliza had sighed happily, and thought about the coming trip. She was not scared about leaving her native land, she was excited! Her father had returned from work then, tired after having worked eleven hours. "What's a lot bigger than what?" He asked, throwing his cap to Eliza who caught it, and proudly hung it on the nail on the wall. Her mother explained what they had been talking about, and her father nodded. "Everything's a lot bigger in America!" He said. "But most importantly it's a land of opportunity. I wont have to work eleven hours just to put food on the table.and what miserable food.." He'd sighed. Standing in front of the huge Christmas tree in Philadelphia America Eliza sighed also. Her father never even reached America!
"Why do you look so sad on Christmas?" Amanda had entered the room without Eliza even hearing her. "You looked like you were in another world."
'Another country maybe!' Eliza thought. She turned around. "I was just thinking about my parents and Christmas in Sweden."
Amanda frowned. "I thought you couldn't remember your past. Cal said that you didn't even remember your parents!" She said.
"I didn't, I don't really. The last few months memories have started coming back to me!" Eliza explained.
"Oh." Amanda looked thoughtful. "Do you remember the Titanic, and the sinking?" She asked.
"Not really. I remember leaving England though. Everyone was crowded round the sides, pushing to get a spot. My father let me sit on his shoulders so I could see over. The crowd on the wharf were all waving back. And my father was telling me to wave goodbye to our old life, that this was the last step in our journey. He said America would be good to us, that we would have a good life there. And I remember mother was sad, and he put his arm around her and promised us again that this was the best thing we could do..he was sure that he would make his fortune in America. We saw this girl getting onto the ship, and she was clearly rich, and I was admiring her clothes, and my father told me that he would buy me beautiful clothes like that in America.." Eliza trailed off.
"Ironic isn't it that you do have good clothes, but that they're only charity?" Amanda replied her tone cold.
"Ironic.." Eliza repeated, wracking her brain for the meaning of the word.
Amanda didn't seem to realise that the girl hadn't understood what she meant. She changed the topic. "Do you know a Jennifer at school?"
Eliza nodded, wondering why Amanda was asking. Since the girls had found out that she was lying about Cal being her father most of them hadn't spoken to her, other than to ridicule her. Only Annabelle had really stuck by her, which meant that she too had earned the snide taunts of the other girls. But she chose to ignore them!
"You know it's wrong to lie don't you? I know that you weren't brought up properly, but surely even someone of your low class knows that lying is wrong? What kind of parents did you have?" Amanda asked.
Eliza felt tears well up in her eyes, but she blinked them back. "I was brought up fine!" She said angrily.
"Whatever." Amanda muttered. "The thing is I have spoken to Cal about this, I suggested that perhaps school wasn't for you?"
Eliza felt her heart begin to race. Despite the harsh cruelty of the other girls she enjoyed school; she loved to learn! She wanted to know what Cal said, but she wasn't about to ask.
"Cal, however, seems to have been conned by you..he suggested that it was up to him as you were his ward, not mine...quite rudely actually.." Amanda mused, almost as if she were talking to herself. "I'm sure though, that sooner or later he will realise who you are.."
Eliza stood there, not sure what to say or do. Amanda solved the problem for her. "I'm going to put presents under here for Cal and my friends and family-as you know Christmas is an extremely social time for us so we wont be here much-but I warn you to stay clear of this room. Some of the presents under this tree will be very expensive and I don't want you in here. I will be instructing the servants to make sure they keep an eye on you. If anything goes missing I'll know where to look for it! Now go on-out of here. Go up to your room or something!"
Up in her room Eliza sighed. Clearly Amanda didn't like her, nor did she like her being around. She hoped that she wouldn't convince Cal of anything; she didn't want to leave school! Would she ever fit in anywhere? Or was she destined to always be the odd one out? Her tears started falling, in time with the light snow outside.
Eliza hesitated before going into the living room. She'd seen the huge Christmas tree been carried in by workmen from her bedroom window earlier, and now she wanted to have a closer look at it. Her eyes widened with amazement. The tree took up most of the spacious room, and was lavishly decorated with colored ribbon, and ornaments. She moved closer, and reached out a hand to touch the spiky pine needles. A memory jumped unbidden into her mind: She was sitting by a small fire, and there was a tree. It was not as lavish as this one, but the room somehow seemed to be filled with love and happiness. "Just think Eliza, this time next year we'll be celebrating Christmas in America." Her mother said. "Do they have trees there?" Eliza asked. "Oh yes, big, big ones. A lot bigger than this one." Her mother had replied. Eliza had sighed happily, and thought about the coming trip. She was not scared about leaving her native land, she was excited! Her father had returned from work then, tired after having worked eleven hours. "What's a lot bigger than what?" He asked, throwing his cap to Eliza who caught it, and proudly hung it on the nail on the wall. Her mother explained what they had been talking about, and her father nodded. "Everything's a lot bigger in America!" He said. "But most importantly it's a land of opportunity. I wont have to work eleven hours just to put food on the table.and what miserable food.." He'd sighed. Standing in front of the huge Christmas tree in Philadelphia America Eliza sighed also. Her father never even reached America!
"Why do you look so sad on Christmas?" Amanda had entered the room without Eliza even hearing her. "You looked like you were in another world."
'Another country maybe!' Eliza thought. She turned around. "I was just thinking about my parents and Christmas in Sweden."
Amanda frowned. "I thought you couldn't remember your past. Cal said that you didn't even remember your parents!" She said.
"I didn't, I don't really. The last few months memories have started coming back to me!" Eliza explained.
"Oh." Amanda looked thoughtful. "Do you remember the Titanic, and the sinking?" She asked.
"Not really. I remember leaving England though. Everyone was crowded round the sides, pushing to get a spot. My father let me sit on his shoulders so I could see over. The crowd on the wharf were all waving back. And my father was telling me to wave goodbye to our old life, that this was the last step in our journey. He said America would be good to us, that we would have a good life there. And I remember mother was sad, and he put his arm around her and promised us again that this was the best thing we could do..he was sure that he would make his fortune in America. We saw this girl getting onto the ship, and she was clearly rich, and I was admiring her clothes, and my father told me that he would buy me beautiful clothes like that in America.." Eliza trailed off.
"Ironic isn't it that you do have good clothes, but that they're only charity?" Amanda replied her tone cold.
"Ironic.." Eliza repeated, wracking her brain for the meaning of the word.
Amanda didn't seem to realise that the girl hadn't understood what she meant. She changed the topic. "Do you know a Jennifer at school?"
Eliza nodded, wondering why Amanda was asking. Since the girls had found out that she was lying about Cal being her father most of them hadn't spoken to her, other than to ridicule her. Only Annabelle had really stuck by her, which meant that she too had earned the snide taunts of the other girls. But she chose to ignore them!
"You know it's wrong to lie don't you? I know that you weren't brought up properly, but surely even someone of your low class knows that lying is wrong? What kind of parents did you have?" Amanda asked.
Eliza felt tears well up in her eyes, but she blinked them back. "I was brought up fine!" She said angrily.
"Whatever." Amanda muttered. "The thing is I have spoken to Cal about this, I suggested that perhaps school wasn't for you?"
Eliza felt her heart begin to race. Despite the harsh cruelty of the other girls she enjoyed school; she loved to learn! She wanted to know what Cal said, but she wasn't about to ask.
"Cal, however, seems to have been conned by you..he suggested that it was up to him as you were his ward, not mine...quite rudely actually.." Amanda mused, almost as if she were talking to herself. "I'm sure though, that sooner or later he will realise who you are.."
Eliza stood there, not sure what to say or do. Amanda solved the problem for her. "I'm going to put presents under here for Cal and my friends and family-as you know Christmas is an extremely social time for us so we wont be here much-but I warn you to stay clear of this room. Some of the presents under this tree will be very expensive and I don't want you in here. I will be instructing the servants to make sure they keep an eye on you. If anything goes missing I'll know where to look for it! Now go on-out of here. Go up to your room or something!"
Up in her room Eliza sighed. Clearly Amanda didn't like her, nor did she like her being around. She hoped that she wouldn't convince Cal of anything; she didn't want to leave school! Would she ever fit in anywhere? Or was she destined to always be the odd one out? Her tears started falling, in time with the light snow outside.