When the knock came at the Hockley mansion door, Caledon's heart skipped a beat, he knew it was Thalia. As one of the house maids walked to the door, Caledon quickly rushed over and gently touched the female maid's arm and smiled.
"Um, I'll answer the door this time, Millie." Caledon said politely with a smile. "Thanks anyway."
Millie, the maid smiled and nodded at Caledon before turning and walking away. Caledon took a deep breath before opening the door. When he did open the door, he was floored by Thalia's beauty. She looked prettier out of school than she had in school. Caledon smiled and made a gentleman's bow in front of her.
"Thalia, pleased to see your presence before me, this evening." Caledon said charmingly after his bow.
Thalia laughed and smiled.
"Thank you, now are you going to invite me in." Thalia asked.
Caledon scoffed and smiled briefly.
"Oh right, sorry, come in, please." Caledon said, taking her hand and gently pulling her inside.
Thalia looked all around the mansion with awe. The house was big and spacious with lots of beautiful art work hanging on the walls, there was expensive furniture everywhere. The house, however, looked more like a museum than a home. Caledon stepped in front of her and took both her hands in his.
"I made a little picnic area for us out back." Caledon said with a smile and wink. "I thought it be nice, since it quite warm and sunny out."
Thalia nodded and smiled.
"I'd like that very much." Thalia said politely. "Please show me the way."
Caledon walked Thalia, arm in arm to the kitchen and out to the backyard.
It had been nearly an hour since Caledon and Thalia had sat out under the tall, oak tree that was in the backyard of the Hockley mansion, with fruit, juice and the enjoyment of conversation. It hadn't taken Caledon too long to figure out he was falling for this young woman.
"So after high school, I'm playing on traveling to Boston to attend college." Thalia said with a inspired smile. "I plan on studying medicine."
Caledon smiled and gasped slightly at her.
"Medicine, really?" Caledon said with a smile. "That's what I want to study myself after high school!"
Thalia looked at him with a surprised smile and then laughed.
"Caledon, please don't fib." Thalia said.
Caledon laughed and shook his head.
"I'm not fibbing." Caledon said with a smile. "I've always wanted to be a doctor. My momm—mother, I mean, my mother, she always wanted me to be a doctor and I promised her when I grew up, I would become one."
"What happened to your mother, Caledon?" Thalia asked.
Caledon's smile faded. He remembered what happened with his mother. Oh yeah, he remembered that day oh so well. It was the day of murder in his mind, it was the day that his father, Nathaniel killed his mother, but Caledon wouldn't dare tell Thalia such a story. It was a secret Nathaniel made Caledon swear to never tell to anyone, for if Caledon did, it would be his own life that would be in danger by the hands of Nathaniel. Caledon looked at Thalia and blinked repeatedly with a serious expression.
"She—she died when I was ten," Caledon said softly. "I—I'd rather not talk about it though."
Thalia saw an inkling of a hurt expression on Caledon's face and nodded as she touched his arm softly.
"I understand, Caledon, its fine." Thalia said. "I'm sorry."
Caledon smiled briefly and shook his head.
"No don't be, its alright." Caledon said quickly.
Thalia smiled at him.
"You should come to Boston and go to college with me there." Thalia said. "We could study medicine together."
Caledon smiled.
"I'd love that, really." Caledon said softly.
As Caledon leaned forward to kiss her, she ducked out of his direction quickly, almost making him fall to the ground.
"Alright, did I miss something there?" Cal said with an eyebrow raised and a look of confusion.
Thalia laughed.
"You did," Thalia said with a smile. "I did not give you permission to kiss me yet, Hockley."
Caledon laughed and sighed.
"Ahh, alright then." Caledon said with a laugh.
Thalia stood up and took Caledon's hand into hers and pulled him up to his feet.
"Where are you going?" Caledon asked with a smile. "Its not even dusk yet."
Thalia smiled and nodded.
"I know, but I'd like for you to show me around the sights of Philadelphia." Thalia said with a smile. "I'm fairly new to this land and I know you know all the interesting locations, so before dusk, why don't you take me for a tour?"
Caledon laughed and raised an eyebrow at her.
"Right now?" Caledon asked with a smile.
Thalia nodded with a quick laugh.
"Yes right now, Hockley." Thalia said, smiling. "What? Don't want to be seen with an American Indian girl?"
Thalia skipped away laughing, Caledon laughed.
"Ha! That's the last of my worries." Caledon said as he followed her away from the backyard of the house.
Several hours had passed, and Caledon had already showed Thalia haf of Philadelphia, every museum, landmark, restaurant, everything. By the time, they had reached, the Philadelphia zoo, it was nearly night time and Thalia was surprised and overjoyed with fun at being there and seeing the different animals and such. As they approached the exit of the zoo, laughing together, Thalia ran up to Caledon and hugged him. He looked at her with a surprised smile.
"What's the hug for?" Caledon asked with a smile.
"For taking me out to see such beautiful sights today." Thalia said with a smile. "Especially the Philadelphia zoo, it was amazing. I've never seen such fun things before."
Caledon looked down and laughed. He looked up and into those beautiful, brown soft hazel eyes and knew he had completely fallen head over heels for Thalia—all in one day. Thalia leaned forward and kissed him passionately. It was a kiss that was a first ever for Caledon, but it held much passion and warmth. He wrapped his arms around her and returned the kiss. He had completely forgotten all matter of time and people around him as he kissed her, it was a kiss so strong, that when she pulled away, he felt almost weak with the strength in the passion. Thalia smiled.
"Now I've given you my permission to kiss me Hockley." Thalia said with a smile.
Caledon laughed and then smiled at her and gently touched the side of her face. He quickly hugged her warmly.
"Promise that years later in life, when we're married and have our children, we'll tell them the story of today." Caledon said softly in her ear. "The story of how we met today and how today was the day I fell in love with you."
Thalia scoffed and smiled and hugged him back closely.
"Only if you add in that this is the day I fell in love with you as well." Thalia said softly.
As Caledon and Thalia walked back to the Hockley mansion, Caledon was not expecting his father to be standing right in front of the home, arms crossed and wearing an angry, no, enraged expression on his face. Oh God, what did Caledon do wrong this time? Caledon's smile quickly faded when he and Thalia walked up to his father.
"Father, I'm sorry I'm home late." Caledon said with a serious expression. "Um, I 'd like you to meet Thalia."
Thalia smiled and extended her hand to Nathaniel. Nathaniel looked Thalia up and down with disgust, the same disgustful look that Ruth Bukater, Caledon's future mother-in-law, would give to a young man named Jack Dawson on the ship, Titanic, years later. Nathaniel didn't shake her hand and Thalia dropped her hand back down to her side and her smile faded.
"YOU'RE the woman, my son was talking to me about bringing to the Philadelphia ball?" Nathaniel asked with disgust filling his voice.
Thalia looked at Caledon and Caledon glanced at her with embarassement. Caledon had hoped his father wouldn't cause a scene right in front of the woman Caledon had fallen for, but of course, Nathaniel could always be counted on to cause rude and hateful scenes with his son.
"Yes I am, you must be Nathaniel Hockley." Thalia said politely. "You're Caledon's father. I've heard so much about you, sir."
"Really?" Nathaniel said sarcastically. "My son did not tell me that you were an engine."
Caledon's eyes widened with shock. Did his father just call Thalia a derogatory name?
"Father!" Caledon said angrily. "She is NOT an—she is an American Indian and can you please be nice to her."
Thalia looked at Caledon with anger. She dropped her hand from his quickly.
"Caledon, maybe I should leave." Thalia said in a low voice.
Caledon looked at Thalia and frowned slightly.
"No, you don't have to go, not yet." Caledon said strongly. "Not until my father apologizes to you."
"I will do no such thing!" Nathaniel yelled angrily. "Caledon, I FORBID you to see this—this squaw again! Do I make myself clear!"
Thalia looked at Nathaniel with anger.
"Excuse me! What did you call me!" Thalia yelled.
"Father! Stop it!" Caledon yelled. "Her name is Thalia, STOP calling her hateful names! I will see her if I like!"
Nathaniel grabbed Caledon's arm and yanked him away from Thalia and towards him violently.
"You will do NO such thing!" Nathaniel yelled. "No son of mine will be seen courting some red-skinned Indian! That's the same as dating a colored!"
Thalia gasped and looked at Nathaniel with tearful eyes. Caledon yanked away from Nathaniel and looked at Nathaniel with anger.
"Father, how DARE you speak of people like that!" Caledon yelled angrily.
"Ugh, Caledon, I'm leaving!" Thalia yelled tearfully. "With your father like this, I—I don't think I want to see you again! It—its just TOO much! I—I'm sorry!"
Thalia turned and ran away quickly.
"No wait!" Caledon yelled after her. "Thalia! Thalia wait!"
Thalia ignored her as she ran down the street away from the Hockley home. As Caledon started to run after her, Nathaniel grabbed Caledon's arm and yanked him back towards him violently. Caledon yanked away from him angrily.
"GET off me!" Caledon yelled angrily.
"How DARE you talk to me like that!" Nathaniel yelled. "You are to never see her again! Do you understand? EVER!"
Caledon frowned angrily at Nathaniel and stormed in the house. Caledon stormed into his bedroom, and Nathaniel followed and slammed the bedroom door shut. There was a rage building inside Caledon against his father.
"Wh—what!" Caledon yelled angrily. "Who—who are you to tell me who I can and can not see! I am not a CHILD any longer—FATHER! I—I LOVE Thalia! And I will see if I damn well please!"
"She's an Indian, Caledon!" Nathaniel yelled angrily. "First you want to hang with coloreds, then it was Spaniards and then you want to be nice to the help and now its hanging with—with redskinned Indians! I FORBID IT! You will not be some colored lover or some Indian lover!"
Caledon frowned with disgust at his father.
"Better a COLORED lover or an Indian lover than a racist, snobbish JACK ASS like you!" Caledon yelled angrily.
Nathaniel's eyes widened with shock. Never had his son spoken to him with such words. Nathaniel immediately punched Caledon hard in the stomach, making Caledon fall to his knees as he winced in pain, while holding his abdomen.
"You will NEVER talk to me like that again!" Nathaniel yelled angrily before kicking Caledon several times in the abdomen and chest repeatedly with his foot.
From the outside of the closed door of Caledon's bedroom, the maids and workers inside the Hockley mansion could hear what sounded like a physical fight happening from within the room, but they knew well enough not to go in the room and interfere, for fear that the beating that Nathaniel was giving to Caledon, would be given to them.
Theme Song: "Distraught Rose" ~ Titanic Soundtrack
(I picked this music track because the sadness of it is fitting for this scene)
It was close to an hour later when Nathaniel had left Caledon's bedroom. Caledon sat on the floor, his bruise and blackened eyes, the bloody black and blue brusises all over his body. Why didn't Caledon fight back? Why? Oh he knew, because his mother always taught him to submit to his father and that it be better to just submit than to fight back and suffer fatal consequences from it. Besides, Nathaniel was a lot stronger than Caledon and Caledon was only a teenager, with Nathaniel's strength, Caledon couldn't fight back against him. Caledon looked down at the floor and broke into severe tears. He truly was trapped in a life he didn't want, he was trapped with choices he didn't want, to not be able to be with whom he truly loved. His father had him trapped and the only way out was through death. Caledon painfully stood up and almost fell back down in weakness, it was then he realized his arm was broken, his left leg possibly too. As he tried to get to his feet again, he winced loudly in pain and held his 'throbbing with pain' abdomen as he limped over to the dresser in his room. He opened the first top drawer and picked up a bottle of pills he had in the drawer under his clothes. He stared at the pills with tearful eyes. He broke into more tears. The only way out was through death—death. At that moment, he thought of the decision of death, of causing his own death—suicide. He didn't realize that later in his life, his own future fiancée, Rose, would think of that very same decision, because of HIS abusive actions towards her. Caledon quickly opened the bottle with his trembling, bloody hands and spilled out eight pills in his hand and stared at them tearfully. In his mind, death was a better option than being trapped to live as his father. He stood there contemplating what he should do. Should he die and finally receive peace with his mother? Or should he just give in and submit to his father and become the hideous, snobbish, cruel Hockley son his father wanted him to be? Caledon Hockley, sixteen year old Caledon Hockley was at a serious crossroads….