S'been awhile, and it's about time I updated with new carp! Anyway, nuthin ta say, a lot ta write.
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Chapter 3: I Remember a Melody
The crowds died down and Bone Jangles had had to leave because of the headache it was all…rhetorically giving him. He was tiered and upset, it would take a lot to make him happy. Several hours later, he returned to the bar to find it completely empty. He took the opportunity to play.
His fingers started moving, gracing the air with the music. He didn't think, he just played, and it was a song unusual for people to hear him playing.
The melody was sweet and light; it wove tales of happiness and sorrows, drama's and simple pleasures. A harmony joined it, it was quiet and reserved, slightly eerie at times, often went from very high notes to very low notes, smoothly winding itself around the melody and embracing it. In the end, the two parts divided from each other and they left each other completely, leaving a lonely and empty song in its place.
He continued to play this song, quietly at first, and then he seemed to be off in a daydream as he played it with more power and passion, (not necessarily loud), and if you had heard it, you'd have thought it mean something really important to him. Something really…really important.
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Things were silent, and Elizabeth finally found that she was able to walk about freely without being surrounded by thousands of dead souls. She walked fluidly down the street, listening to the sounds of the land of the dead.
Then she heard it, a tune being played from the bar…it sounded so calming…so soothing…
…So familiar.
She moved toward the bar, where the sound grew louder, she picked up the uneven and soft beat; she seemed to dance with the music as she walked. It was almost tuneless in its dancing notes, but it spoke in a way of a lost lifetime of joyful happiness. It began with dancing and two voices that sung together, then there were lights and people were cheering, the eights told of a friendship growing and the sixteenths that were spun delicately with the quarters spoke of a love blooming between the two.
Elizabeth remembered music that told tales such as this from a mere piano piece played by only one person in the world. How could she forget those senseless days of wonder in the country when she learned to sing and dance because that silly little boy taught her? And then they grew and moved on…to bigger and better things.
That boys name was Elias Jameson.
Elizabeth had grown up in a very prominent and well-known family. Her father was a wealthy businessman and they owned a spectacular mansion. She had spent days with a private tutor learning the proper ways to great people, to speak to people; the certain ways to sip your tea, how you should place your napkin and then refold it across your plate, how a young ladies hands were to remain in her lap or clasped in front of her when not in use.
She had spent time learning to play the piano, and being taught to sing her arpeggios. Her father thought it even wise to teach his young daughter to do math and science, to be well educated in all the well parts of life.
Other times she'd be fitted in simple and beautiful dresses, others were more extravagant and lovely for special times. Every morning she was dressed up head to foot by her lovable nanny and then went promptly to breakfast. A young lady was never to be late, and never too early, she arrived when she should and if not she should have a decent reason to her slow arrival.
Yes, Elizabeth had lived the rich and perfect life of a young lady, though her slight rebellion caused her to take trips outside in the courtyard quite often, or to take long walks in the woods on a warm afternoon, or spend a day riding on her horse across the hills, but Elizabeth was well bred, she always kept her dress as clean as she found it and always kept her manners with her.
For a girl who had grown up so prim and proper, the friendship they had shared was most unlikely.
It had been a late summer day, just getting into the fall seasons, for you could tell by the leaves turning their brilliant shades of red and gold, mingling with the green canopy of forest. Elizabeth was sitting on the sloping hill not far from her home with her white dress spread delicately around her. She adjusted her flowered hat to more cover her face and continued reading the large book she held in a graceful posture.
Not far from her near the base of the small hill, and on the other side of the fence I might add, was a young boy. He walked with a cat-like balance on top of the wooden posts as he lead a beautiful black quarter-horse beside him, well, more like it followed him. He spoke to the horse in an animated fashion when he noticed the girl upon the hill, it was this that caused him to stop in his tracks and stare.
He had to admit, he had never seen anything quite like her in the world, and mind you he had seen many wealthy girls, for he often ran errands for them and their families, he was…quite the charmer. Her white and blue dress was quite the sight, it rested about her as if it was made to do just that. It's supposed sleeves ended just above the shoulder, it sloped in the front above her childish breast and remained higher in the back. It was laced with blue ribbon and other such fancies. She wore clean white gloves over her small hands and held quite a right-sized book in them. Her sun-hat was white and wide, it was decorated with colorful and bright flowers, beneath that, was her.
Her skin was a pale peach that looked like porcelain; her deep brown hair was pulled to the side and fell in ringlets over her shoulder. Her lips were painted red and her cheeks flushed a pale pink, her deep brown eyes set off the rest. He stared at her; she was so very contrary to him.
He had a messy head of black hair and dark skin, his overalls were dirty and his white shirt was untidily tucked into them. His eyes were an unattractive hazel unlike her brown ones. But for him, he was real, she looked so…doll like, inhuman. It was actually kind of strange to look at her.
She flipped her hair over her shoulder and so he took the opportunity to speak up.
"Good morning."
She started; looking around she noticed the boy on the fence. He couldn't completely read her expression, it was slightly curious yet…revolted. This only caused him to grin; he thought it was amusing when someone was afraid of a little dirt.
After her little start, the girl grew continually curious, she finally stood; straightening out her dress, she made her way toward him down the light slope of a hill. She walked in a strange and graceful pattern and it was almost as if she didn't walk at all, more like she would glide across the grass so her feet would not touch the earth.
"A very good morning indeed." She said in reply, giving him a very modest curtsy as if to say that he should be honored he got that in return. "Is there something that I might do to aid the in this fine day sir?"
She said 'sir' with some difficultly, since she was after all calling some, more or less, ragged young boy something so proper and high class. The boy stepped down off the fence to the opposite side away from her since he figured she'd run away if he came near.
"Nah, nothin' that you need to worry yourself over misses. Just walkin' with Lady here and thought I might say hello. You looked lonely up on that hill and I ain't one to pass a stranger without introducing myself and saying hello."
She flinched lightly, "Though I disprove of your form of speech, I do owe a polite introduction." She tucked her book under her arm, "My name is Elizabeth Madeline Smithson, you may call me Miss Elizabeth. And what of yourself? What do you go by?"
The boy leaned on the fence amused, "Me? I'm Elias Jameson, but I go by Elias and many other strange nicknames. Strange to call you by 'miss', you ain't called Lady then?"
Elizabeth looked genuinely shocked, "Heavens no, I am still a young miss, there is no reason for me to be called a Lady at such a child-like age. Far too adulthood for my innocent child demure."
Elias chuckled, "Oh I see, well that's strange. I always have called my pretty mare Lady, for to me, she was always a Lady. You look much like a Lady yourself Miss Elizabeth, I am surprised that you are only so young."
Trying to suppress an embarrassed blush, Elizabeth again adjusted her hat, "How can you say that, where do you learn such ill-mannered behavior? I am not grown enough to be talked to in this fashion."
"Forgive me then Miss Elizabeth but I must ask, is it so bad that I call you a Lady? It isn't like anyone can hear me or know that I called you that."
"It will remain on my guilty conscience."
"Why should it? It wasn't your fault I call you that, so what is the point in being guilty for something you haven't done?"
She was silent, "I…suppose you make a clear point."
Elias chuckled, "Then tomorrow Lady Elizabeth?"
She huffed, "Don't count on it, I don't ever want to see you here again you silly boy."
Of course, they met everyday after that.
The two had become best friend, by the time they were 14, they realized the common similarities they had, for one, they both loved music.
Musicians at heart, Elias began to come everyday with a lute, he'd play as Elizabeth hummed a tuneless song and danced on the hill in her sunlit dresses. Sometimes they'd sing together and others, they'd take long rides over the land. Elias began to dress somewhat more proper, but not so much as his money couldn't buy, and Elizabeth grew this free-spirited attitude.
But then, the day came when Elias had to leave, at 16, he and his new friend whom he had grown sorely fond of were required to exchange a sorrowful goodbye.
When Elias returned, he was full grown, at the young age of 19. He had become fairly successful as a scientist in the Americas when he finally decided to return to England. Searching out his former companion, he discovered from her family she had moved to the city in London and was living out as a schoolteacher.
When he reunited with her by watching one of her classes, he had been startled by the growth his dear Elizabeth had gone through. Her deep brown hair had now a touch of young age golden color, her brown eyes less deep and plain were full of life. It was hard for him to listen to her words because his I Lady /I (that was his nickname for her, she took a certain fondness to his horse at one point and so he began to call Elizabeth "Lady" as well) had grown up so much, so much to the point that she finally fit the persona of Lady.
The children she taught were enthralled with her too, Lady Elizabeth was so kind and thoughtful, and she cared for each child and taught so wonderfully well.
If there was one thing that could be said about the two's reuniting, it is that nothing was quite like it in the world. Elias had snuck into the back until Elizabeth's class was done; she had met him back there and embraced him tightly.
They shared the entire day together and the days henceforth, until Elizabeth's teaching term was up, she then retired from teaching and the two became a very popular…not to mention famous duo in a very short time.
They were musicians.
Playing in different places such as concerts or gatherings, Elias usually played the piano while Elizabeth sang, sometimes he'd sing with her. The two seemed to belong together, the public couldn't agree more. They sang together, their actions and movements were in harmony of one another yet they did it in a strange way of unison.
And they would have been together, for Elias was going to ask her to marry him nearly four years into their career.
That is…he was going to ask her.
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Characters © them peoples blah blah blah
I really don't care if Bone Jangles had another name, Elias is his name in this story and that's final!