Chance encounters
Gilbert Blythe was homesick. He didn't understand why even at 9 years old he couldn't just go home. Nova Scotia was close, especially here you almost FEEL PEI. But it wasn't.
His father was housebound again his mother faithful beside his father, left a nine year old boy to wander about this coast line, just to return to Alberta at the end of the month. He didn't like it there AND he was falling behind in school. He used to be able to imagine all sorts of things but now he was almost a man, he saw the follys of his childhood, he never really imagined things anymore. So he had decided to rest a while in these weeds by the sands edge and look towards where he knew his homeland was you could just about make it out on the horizon. Just as he was settling a group of children led by two adults came onto the sea shore.
He watched as they rallied around each other they seemed to be a family enjoying the sea side air. Except they seemed to be treating one child differently to the others. Why, she must be about his age, so why were they yelling at her? The other children although didn't have the best clothes in the world seemed somehow better off than the girl he noticed. Her dress seemed short on her and although she was thin the dress still hung off her tiny thin frame.
It was odd she didn't look like any of them they all had dark hair hers was bright... well... red! He'd never met someone with red hair before. The girl disappeared off before returning a few minutes later with ice creams for everyone... everyone but her.
" just shoo!" the women demanded of the girl as soon as the treats were dispersed. Gilbert felt cross. Aren't they getting her an ice cream? The girl wandered in her own dream world apparently was quiet surprised at finding the boy there.
" hello." He said to her.
" hello." She replied. " are you hiding?" she asked him.
" hiding? No." He said.
" it's just I didn't spot you when I was over there, I thought I could see the whole sea shore but I couldn't see you, what an interesting spot you chose." She said all at once.
He smiled at her. "I guess so, I didn't deliberately choose it for that reason."
" then why did you choose it?" she asked him.
"see that shore yonder?" he asked pointing out to it.
" yes." She replied.
" that's my home I haven't been back there for a year, I miss it, I just wanted to see it that's all." He explained.
"Oh?" she replied.
He looked at her again. " what's your name?" he asked.
She paused for a moment before answering him. " you can call me Geraldine." She said her pretty little nose going in the air.
" call you it?" he asked. " is that your name?"
"I IMAGINE it's my name." She said with a sigh sitting beside him. " isn't it a lovely name?" He laughed a little " Oh please don't laugh at me..." She started.
" Oh no I don't mean it like that. It is a lovely name and you are very endearing." He told her.
" endearing?" she questioned.
"Oh erm... let's see it means, cute or adorable." He explained.
" endearing... cute or adorable." She said closing her eyes, Gilbert looked in fascination was she adding it to a mental dictionary? He wondered.
" what's yours?" she asked him.
"my what?" he asked. " Oh my name!" He realised
" Oh no... let me make one for you." She said.
He grinned again and bit his lip. He had never met anyone like this before! " alright since I don't seem to have your real name, seems only fair."
" let me see you seem a sturdy boy, not thin or weak so you need a strong name. But it can't be too soild you seem to be a kindred spirit afterall. Oh maybe a biblical name Matthew, James, John... wait, yes that's it John."
Gilbert smiled. " not too bad a name, it's actually my papas name." He said with a smile.
" Oh then you must bear some of his spirit." She smiled.
" well Geraldine pleased to meet you." He said.
" where's your mamma and papa?" she asked him.
" my papas sick and bed bound most the time, leaves me to roam the countryside, I hate just sitting around waiting. So I thought I'd come down to the shore."
" is your papa going to die?" she asked him.
"I dunno, it sometimes feels like he might, they won't tell me if he will or not, I wish they would. So I might know."
" you at least know him, it must be awfully nice to know them." She thought out loud. She looked at his confused expression.
" but I thought...?" he started.
" my parents died before I was three months old of the fever." She told him sadly. " Mrs Thomas took me in, I live with them."
" is that why they treat you differently?" he asked her.
" Oh you noticed. Oh don't judge then harshly, I'm sure they MEAN to treat me well I must be difficult to love, I have a temper as red as my hair, which I do so hate."
" your hair or your temper?" he asked.
" both!" She emphasised. "I would love to be beautiful maybe then Mrs Thomas might find it in her to love me. I try my best to control it but it's so difficult for a seven year old to do."
" seven?!" Gilbert asked in surprise. "I thought you must be my age I'm almost ten!"
" Oh I'm long and thin aren't I? I'd love to be round and soft, maybe then I might be huggable."
Gilbert's heart broke a little. Not half an hour ago he was sulking over his bad lot in life. But this girl! She never felt loved! He had been cocooned in it his whole life! He put his arm around her.
" what are you doing?" she asked him.
" I'm giving you a hug." He said.
" but why? You barely know me." She reminded him.
" because everyone deserves to be loved." He told her. All at once she burst hugging him back. He smiled. " well you're the most huggable person I've met." He told her with a smile. She looked at him eye to eye. He'd never met anyone with grey eyes before. But were they green? With her bright smile and mysterious eyes the words came out before he meant them to "I think you are beautiful."
" you do?" Her eyes widen as he said it. He could read her eyes, her emotions were so close to the surface, it was amazing!
" well yes." He assured her
" even with my hair? Red as carrots?" she asked with an air of dubiousness.
" carrots and all." He told her. "I like your hair I've never seen a colour so pretty." He saw her blush. He made her FEEL better! " do you trust me?" He asked her. She looked for a moment as if she was assessing him then nodded. " come with me." He said taking her hand and leading her away from the sea shore.
He didn't have enough money on him for ice cream so he bought two drinks and a few sweets for them to share with what he did have. They weren't gone for long and weren't missed. After they ate their sweets they went for a walk along the shore. He was sure she thought she was two years younger then he was but she didn't SEEM like she was. Their conversations were fast, efficient and he felt closer to this girl then anyone he had ever met. He wondered what her REAL name could be. Geraldine for all it was very eloquent didn't suit her.
Mary? He wondered. No that didn't fit.
Joanne? No no that won't do.
Ruby? No he knew a Ruby back home she was nothing like her.
Jane. No that was a plain name.
Ann. That didn't look right? Something was missing from that name for it to be hers.
"ohh look John!" She called. Look at all these shells!" She said in amazement.
" theses aren't just shells." Gilbert told her. " these are oysters. I wonder how they got here?"
" will they still be alive?" she asked.
" probably, the baby ones will be better off in the water." He said picking some up and throwing them back in. "check the big ones if they are open tap them, if it shuts close its alive if not then its dead." He told her. She picked out the dead ones separating them from the others. Gilbert started to open the dead ones prying then open with his penknife.
" are you looking for something?" she asked him.
" yes, pearls." He told her. He scrapped away at the shells cleaning then as he went, his companion he was happy to say stayed with him, To his delight found on one of the shells a tiny pink pearl.
She looked in wonder. " Oh how beautiful!" she exclaimed.
They continued their quest along the shore talking as they went. Gilbert didn't want this day to end! This morning he had felt so discouraged now this girl brought such light with her. She was wonderful.
They heard the distance shouting of Mrs Thomas an hour later. Gilbert couldn't make out her name from it but it was obvious she could.
"I have to go." She told him.
" no you don't." He said headlong without thinking. " come run away with me, my ma always wanted a little girl. You'll be loved as you should." He told her.
The girl laughed. "I can't. Oh your mother would never love such a ugly thing anyway." She told him.
" you aren't ugly." He told her. "I know my mother would love you, because I do."
" you don't mean that." She objected.
" alright I'll prove it." He said, taking the pearl out his pocket. " this is a token to you, Geraldine, or whatever your REAL name is. One day we'll find each other again and I won't ever stop loving you. We can get married and I'll protect you that way you'll never be alone again, you can belong to ME and I'll take care of you like a real man should." He smiled and put the pearl in her hand. He kissed her briefly on the lips then gently pulled on one of her braids. He looked at her hair " carrots." He said softly.
Her heart fluttered " you promise you'll love me always? No one has ever loved me before?"
"I swear it." He said hugging her one last time.
She heard Mrs Thomas calling her again as she let go of the boy.
He had became her best friend so quickly, she had never a real friend like this before. She pulled herself away and ran towards the calls. She looked back and saw him watching her run away.
"ma, pa..." He started proudly that evening when he walked in. " I've met the girl I'm going to marry someday."
He'd been trying to catch her attention all morning. He recognised her immediately. It was Geraldine! He had met her four years ago and never forgot the interesting little girl he had made a promise to and her name was much more beautiful and suited her so much more. ANNE. With an e! Yes that was perfect for her. ANNE. But there was no mistaken this was the same girl, the same grey eyes so easily read, the same flaming red hair like carrots. But did she remember him?
He saw her turn in her chair to look at him. Maybe she did remember? He thought to himself. He winked and she turned back quickly in her seat. Then again maybe not. He thought. He tried and tried to get her attention again and met with failure each time. He wanted to call across " Geraldine" maybe some context would help? But it would sound mighty strange to the rest of the school if they heard. So maybe something else he called her that day.
He did just as he did that day picked up the end of the braid and whispered " carrots! Carrots!"
The look in her eyes made clear as day she couldn't remember him. She hated him and he could tell in that moment. As she shouted " you mean, hateful boy! How dare you!"
Then thwack! He felt himself in shock as Mr Phillips spoke harshly to her. Oh no no no! This was all going wrong! He had to protect her! " it was my fault Mr Phillips." If she couldn't remember him it must have seemed like he was mocking her, "I teased her."
It didn't work. Oh maybe, if he caught her after lessons? Maybe he could apologise and explain.
When school was dismissed Anne marched out with her red head held high. Gilbert tried to intercept her at the porch door. "I'm awfully sorry I made fun of your hair, Anne," he whispered contritely. "Honest I am. Don't be mad for keeps, now." Anne swept by disdainfully, without look or sign of hearing.
Ouch! He thought to himself. She really can't remember me. He thought sadly. He felt a butterfly feeling in his stomach. He still would keep his promise. Maybe one day he could tell her.
Their honeymoon so far was so romantic! He adored Anne's arm through his! The whole world would know she was his. So when they decided to go on a day out on the ferry, he saw one which caught his attention. Maybe if he took her there he could jog a few memories about that day. See he had waited and waited to tell her about it but after she didn't talk to him for four years it seemed a bit pointless to bring it up then. When they were friends Anne didn't like anything too sentimental said so every time he thought he had the courage to say it, she would put him back in his place. And when they were engaged, they had so much to actually catch up on from their time since she came to the island, between that and the kissing there wasn't much time for anything! So maybe being there would be easier. He didn't take them to the shore first, although now he had more then enough money for ice creams he bought them two lemonades and picked out the exact same sweets then walked them down to the shore and sat them amidst the now taller weeds.
Anne looked about the place " you know Gil, it's the strangest thing, I swear I have been here before. But I'm sure I would remember it." As he opened their bottles.
" you have been here before." He told her confidently.
"I? I have?" she asked him. " with you?" she was even more confused.
" in a way." He said. " you really can't remember can you?" he asked her.
" remember what?" she asked confused.
He took a breath. " once upon a time..." He started. " there was a young boy who wandered this shore alone one day. He sat right here and looked yonder into the distance and saw his homeland. Then quite by chance a family came into the shore the mother let her sons play while the little girl she had she sent to buy the ice cream but didn't get her one, said girl was sent away from the family and found the boy in these weeds." A vague look came across Anne's face, it wasn't a remembrance yet but a sort of lifting of a veil. "she told him she would like to be called Geraldine and she made a name for him too that day, his name would be John. She told him the sad tale of her life and the boy promised her something that day. Do you know what it was Anne?" he asked her.
He could see the recognition in her eyes. "no, no it can't be?"
"One day we'll find each other again and I won't ever stop loving you. We can get married and I'll protect you that way you'll never be alone again, you can belong to ME and I'll take care of you like a real man should." He smiled and He kissed her briefly on the lips then gently ran his fingers through her hair " carrots." He said softly.
" that's impossible!" She said her eyes filled with tears.
"it's not Anne, how else could I know that story?" he asked her.
"how long have you known?" she asked him.
"the moment I saw you again I knew it was you." He said stroking her face.
"but... but... I treated you terribly!" she whispered.
"and I promised to love you always. I had found you! I HAD to protect you, I would never let you out my sight again." He smiled. "I loved you that day when we met here..."
She looked down at the sweets and lemonade again
"Gil!" She whispered excitingly finally realising why the lemonade and sweets
" but I fell in love with you as soon as that slate hit my head. I swore that day, I told you I loved you, I've never stopped loving you and I never will. I kept my promise... Geraldine!" he mocked and giggled with her. "Anne, my Anne with an 'e', that suits you so much better."
She reached into her purse and pulled out the lone pearl.
"but I thought you had forgotten?" he asked her.
"I did. The day was so beautiful I felt like there was some light at the end if the tunnel. Then we returned to real life." She sighed. "and... oh it's difficult to explain I'm only just remembering... but... to survive I had to seal it and store it away otherwise it would break my heart. And I forgot it, but I kept this, I forgot why but it made me feel hope." She said the tears flowing down her face. "it's why I love pearls." She said looking at her engagement ring." I've always kept this with me. Oh Gilbert!" She exclaimed jumping on top of him kissing him into the sand. He was not objecting.
Gilbert smiled when they parted "I did wonder if you had somehow remembered when you picked pearls but there wasn't any recognition in your eyes." She leaned back down and kissed him more. They walked the same route along the sands, funding the same oyster bank as before. They stayed there before making their way back along the shore and caught the ferry back to PEI.
She held him a little closer that night. That sweet boy! Was her Gilbert! How had she not seen it? How had she forgotten his face? He kept his promise, he had loved her that day! Oh not in THAT way he was too young back then to live her THAT way, but in an innocent love sort of way. He had been the first one to hold her and (she blushed) kissed her! They weren't romantic, they had been completely innocent, but he kept his promise! He married her and now she was HIS. Their love was beautiful from innocent love to intimate love. She kissed into his hair thankful that little boy kept his word, no matter what.