Here I am in this new world with my five new friends. Like wanderers, we crossed the entire western United States (New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago) on foot.
I finally discovered the real culture and the life that will now be mine for I don't know how many years. There is no magic in this world except all these machines like cars, planes, telephones which were starting to go global.
To my amazement, I got used to it pretty quickly but I didn't necessarily know how to be myself without being ... myself. I had to refuse to be Pinocchio and be August.
But who is August?
For the moment a simple American child.
I was getting quite curious to start my new identity, to know my new life. I had to forget my life before, stop thinking about it.
When I was a puppet, I hardly went to school, I liked to have fun, play the silly, laugh, lie but this new more real country made me curious and I preferred to stay wise and take an interest in its history.
That's why, after five years of wandering around a few cities in the US, I couldn't wait to enter college, to learn things that were beyond my curiosity. I got along well with this group of friends especially with Gordie, the little fat guy and band leader. He made me laugh and he was really nice. He taught me a lot about life. During those five years, I didn't think about Emma anymore, I was so happy to discover so many things, traditions, inventions that I didn't know ...
We were all in our eleventh year. We settled in Wisconsin, with no money, no home, sleeping under the stars, no family but we seemed pretty close-knit (I say « seemed » because I knew very little about them, actually). It was really nice, but secretly I wanted to live normally and accept the customs of Americans.
I invited them to enter college, a free college, fortunately. We managed to get enrolled at James Madison College in Appleton rather easily. Nothing was like in the Enchanted Forest…. The building was huge, there were few trees, it was quite urban but the interior was amazing.
There was a large library that I visited from day one. I discovered an author who wrote a text about lying. It must have been the first book I read. I found it very interesting because I recognized myself a lot in it despite the difficulty of reading. This author's name is Wayne Booth… .. I didn't have a last name and that name suited me perfectly.
Here is my new identity:
August Wayne Booth.
I was also surprised to see characters that were very familiar to me on the "fairy" rays: Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, Snow White, Rumplestiltskin by Grimm, ... No one spoke of magic but it was for that. In this world, these stories are only the imagination of the authors. As I started to read a few pages of my story, I recognized a lot of similarities. I realized that I was totally in another world. Each character had their own story and it usually ended quite well.
« I see you're interested in fairy tales », Gordie said to me. « Do you know Walt Disney? »
« Who ? »
« He adapted all these tales for the cinema. »
I nodded even though I couldn't understand a word of what he was telling me.
« Have you never seen a movie in your life? » he resumed
« I don't know », I skewed.
He left and returned for a few moments with a sort of box.
« Look, this is an animated movie » (I could read Pinocchio), « it was Walt Disney who adapted it »
« I don't understand », I said just feeling a little silly.
« How to explain ? On a screen, stories come to life like moving pictures, it can be either with real actors, or in cartoon like this one. »
« Wow! » I marveled, « I want to see this! »
We will go to the cinema tonight, there is an incredible film that has just been released, it seems, a film with dinosaurs.
Cinema, why wasn't that in the enchanted forest? I was eager to discover the other things that I didn't know in this world.
My first day of class was a bit strange but fascinating. There were a lot of courses so different that you could get lost in them. The teachers were nice, but I found the same people a bit sour as in the orphanage.
Nevertheless, during all my schooling there was one that stood out from the others: I knew him in my 4th year, he was my literature teacher, his name was Ezra Iarding and he completely changed my life. teenager.
Even today, I sometimes think of him.
Ezra Iarding was in his forties, yes the same age as of this writing, and he quickly became a father figure. He had Mexican origins. His course was always interesting and I, who was rather discreet in class, didn't hesitate to speak up, to take the plunge in his lessons.
At the beginning of a week, I didn't intervene. It was a week that started off rather sadly. Gordie had stolen a lot of food and got caught. He found us and the police took us to the station and sent us to a juvenile detention center. We were like in prison, it was awful but we continued to go to school.
But Mr. Iarding has helped me a lot. After class, after all the students had left, he came up to me, asking me what was wrong. Gordie and the others were watching us from the hallway. I explained to him my situation, the orphanage then the prison recently.
« I don't know how to live in this world, I don't have any money. »
« Listen to me, you know during my whole career, I have never met a young boy like you who was desperate to succeed and given your last results, I see that you are giving your all and I am extremely proud of you. I know you are capable of great things »
« Thank you, I will never disappoint you, » I said as I leave.
« Wait, I haven't finished. I refuse that a kid like you is in a detention center, it's very sad. Come live with me, I'm sure my wife will accept. But when you're old enough you'll have to find a job and find accommodation. »
I was very moved by his invitation. Finally, someone didn't take pity on me, I had the sincere feeling that he really believed in me and that no one had been able to do so far.
« I don't know how to thank you »
I looked at my clan who looked disappointed.
« But and my friends, they're like me ... »
« My wife is a lawyer, I think she can find a solution for them but know one thing in this world you can only count on yourself. But sometimes you may need a little help. » He told me with a wink.
I followed him home. His wife, Olivia, was very nice, she was almost like the mother I never had. I was fed, housed, I had a real bed, a real bedroom. What could be better ? I was happy. Mr. Iarding nevertheless required me to read two books a week from his selection and that I make a review. He wanted me to work even when I didn't have class.
At first, it was tiring but I liked it ... One story among all the ones I read caught my attention: The Ugly Duckling! Mr Iarding told me about his vision of history and I recognized myself in it and I also wanted another person to understand it ...