Chapter VI
A Midsummer Night's Dream
I didn't overcome the effects of the anxiety I had felt that night for many days, and I often lay in my bunk, not waking up when the dawn came. My arms' excruciating pain never ceased, and I often was weak, my body's strength constantly working, slowly being used up creating cells to help heal my broken bones. Although, I did hear from Lisa that Charlotte was relentlessly trying to get into my cabin to talk to me, God bless her, and of course, Will was constantly by my bedside, I knew that he would always be there for me, and I for him. When I wasn't allowed to get out of my bunk and walk around, I would read my Shakespeare treasuries, filled with my favorite stories of magic, adventure, and often tragedy. Some that ended well, and others not so much, but that was what made me love them, they showed life the way it was, there isn't always a happy ending.
"You're awful cold today, Alise," Will said, directing my attention away from my book, and towards him, he looked genuinely worried, and I noticed that he was massaging my hand quite tenderly. "What are you reading?"
"Shakespeare. Midsummer Night's Dream, to be exact, classic piece of literature. Probably haven't heard of it, am I right?"
"I actually have, my mother used to read it to me when I was young, she went to school, Oxford to be exact. She came from a middle-class family, and when she married my father, she gave up all of her dreams of someday becoming an upper crust. After my father left, which was so very long ago, we became poor, but my mother's love for Shakespeare went with her, her favorite was The Tempest."
"I love them all, maybe, after you learn to read well enough, you will understand why your mother loved it so."
"Perhaps."
"Maybe, when we reach this Port Royal, I could teach you, when I had better materials, I want to, so badly. It is my duty, I believe, to teach you."
"So, you pity me?"
"No, I don't pity you, but I believe that you deserve a proper education as much as anyone else, rich or poor," I said, and I thought that perhaps I sounded like a speech-maker, one of those members of Parliament back in London, for Will was rendered speechless. I was the first to interrupt the quaint silence, "So, I heard that you fought quite valiantly five nights ago." "Not really, I was taught to use a sword by my mother, to protect myself from the other street boys," he said, his words quieting at the mentioning of his mother.
"You loved her a lot, did you not?"
"Yes, it was quite a surprise to me, I always thought that she was indestructible, she was so dear to me. She was my protector, my teacher, and most importantly, she was my mother."
"You have a reasonable skill with the blade, very impressive," I said, slowly hinting for him to give me lessons, I was very interested, in case I would ever need it.
"You know, if you wish for me to, to teach you, I could, since you are giving me reading lessons."
"Yes, yes, would you!" I said, my excitement finally free of its hold. That was the response I had been looking for.
"Of course," he said simply, his starved face covered in a wide, smiling grin. Then he got up from his seat at the side of my bunk, let go of my hand, and walked up the stairs to the deck, leaving Shakespeare and me in peace.
That night, while lying in my small, tight bunk, I finally realized how lucky I was, to have an education, friends, and almost anything a girl my age could ever want. Yet, I still wanted the one thing that I had never had, freedom. Comforted by these pleasant thoughts, In my head, I played a lullaby my mother had sung to me when I had been young, and clutching her antique pearl necklace, I fell asleep, the song's haunting last notes echoing in my undamaged heart and soul, my dreams of lush, green hills, forests filled with magic, and friends who would always be there for you, filled my already over-flowing mind.
Sorry about the lack of updates, school just resumed and I am loaded with homework, but I promise to do a lot more updates. Sorry that this chapter is not very long, but I am loaded with excess work. I love this story, and I have discovered that it actually could have happened! Thanks to my one- and-only reviewer, Clueless-Patty. As always, your faithful writer, Juliette Handover
A Midsummer Night's Dream
I didn't overcome the effects of the anxiety I had felt that night for many days, and I often lay in my bunk, not waking up when the dawn came. My arms' excruciating pain never ceased, and I often was weak, my body's strength constantly working, slowly being used up creating cells to help heal my broken bones. Although, I did hear from Lisa that Charlotte was relentlessly trying to get into my cabin to talk to me, God bless her, and of course, Will was constantly by my bedside, I knew that he would always be there for me, and I for him. When I wasn't allowed to get out of my bunk and walk around, I would read my Shakespeare treasuries, filled with my favorite stories of magic, adventure, and often tragedy. Some that ended well, and others not so much, but that was what made me love them, they showed life the way it was, there isn't always a happy ending.
"You're awful cold today, Alise," Will said, directing my attention away from my book, and towards him, he looked genuinely worried, and I noticed that he was massaging my hand quite tenderly. "What are you reading?"
"Shakespeare. Midsummer Night's Dream, to be exact, classic piece of literature. Probably haven't heard of it, am I right?"
"I actually have, my mother used to read it to me when I was young, she went to school, Oxford to be exact. She came from a middle-class family, and when she married my father, she gave up all of her dreams of someday becoming an upper crust. After my father left, which was so very long ago, we became poor, but my mother's love for Shakespeare went with her, her favorite was The Tempest."
"I love them all, maybe, after you learn to read well enough, you will understand why your mother loved it so."
"Perhaps."
"Maybe, when we reach this Port Royal, I could teach you, when I had better materials, I want to, so badly. It is my duty, I believe, to teach you."
"So, you pity me?"
"No, I don't pity you, but I believe that you deserve a proper education as much as anyone else, rich or poor," I said, and I thought that perhaps I sounded like a speech-maker, one of those members of Parliament back in London, for Will was rendered speechless. I was the first to interrupt the quaint silence, "So, I heard that you fought quite valiantly five nights ago." "Not really, I was taught to use a sword by my mother, to protect myself from the other street boys," he said, his words quieting at the mentioning of his mother.
"You loved her a lot, did you not?"
"Yes, it was quite a surprise to me, I always thought that she was indestructible, she was so dear to me. She was my protector, my teacher, and most importantly, she was my mother."
"You have a reasonable skill with the blade, very impressive," I said, slowly hinting for him to give me lessons, I was very interested, in case I would ever need it.
"You know, if you wish for me to, to teach you, I could, since you are giving me reading lessons."
"Yes, yes, would you!" I said, my excitement finally free of its hold. That was the response I had been looking for.
"Of course," he said simply, his starved face covered in a wide, smiling grin. Then he got up from his seat at the side of my bunk, let go of my hand, and walked up the stairs to the deck, leaving Shakespeare and me in peace.
That night, while lying in my small, tight bunk, I finally realized how lucky I was, to have an education, friends, and almost anything a girl my age could ever want. Yet, I still wanted the one thing that I had never had, freedom. Comforted by these pleasant thoughts, In my head, I played a lullaby my mother had sung to me when I had been young, and clutching her antique pearl necklace, I fell asleep, the song's haunting last notes echoing in my undamaged heart and soul, my dreams of lush, green hills, forests filled with magic, and friends who would always be there for you, filled my already over-flowing mind.
Sorry about the lack of updates, school just resumed and I am loaded with homework, but I promise to do a lot more updates. Sorry that this chapter is not very long, but I am loaded with excess work. I love this story, and I have discovered that it actually could have happened! Thanks to my one- and-only reviewer, Clueless-Patty. As always, your faithful writer, Juliette Handover
