Essie Flashback #2

by Schammielynn

The ride there was silent and cold. I sat in the back, watching the open scenery pass behind me, and waiting for either of my parents to snap at each other, or at me. It was a long drive, and I probably fell asleep once or twice, stomach growling with intense hunger and legs cramping from not being able to move.

The silence was only broken when we hit the end of the yellow brick road. My father growled, "The Emerald City. Still too green."

I thought it was lovely, but I would never admit it.

As our tiny little carriage pulled through town, people on the sidewalks were gawking, not at me, but at my parents. Their tiny stature was unusual here, and I looked normal. I'd never been around anyone else my height before, so I instantly felt like I fit in. I stifled a pleased smirk about the change in roles, and watched eagerly as we approached the grandest, tallest green building of them all.

The Wizard was young. Probably in his late 20's or early 30's. He sat on a large emerald chair with documents in front of him and glasses on his face. But he looked up the second his maid announced us.

"Why, what do we have here? Munchkins? Ah! Munchkins!" he exclaimed excitedly and I could have sworn he bounced out of his chair. "Alexandra, darling! Rare visitors!"

His accent didn't match those that I had heard already, and he threw his glasses at the other end of the room, where they landed accurately in his maid's arms. She didn't even flinch.

"Mr. Wizard, sir," Mother began, sounding as irritated as she usually did.

"Oh please," the Wizard smirked, bowing. "Mr. Wizard was my father."

"Stop that nonsense," she snapped, and pushed me from behind her, I was only a bit shorter than my parents, and was, in fact, able to hide behind them slightly prior to this forced introduction.

"And what do we have here?" Alexandra asked, walking in from behind us. I spun around to look at her. She was gorgeous, with raven black hair down to the small of her back, and green eyes that matched the city.

"This is Elsa," Mother said, with a sort of harshness to her voice.

"As you can see," began my father. "She doesn't exactly belong in our family."
"Belonging shouldn't be about appearance. It's about where you feel safe," Alexandra knelt down to my level, and said these words, looking only at me and into my eyes. "And where you're loved."

"Well, she is causing many problems within our village. The other kids don't like her because she's socially awkward and lacks a personality and..."

"Here now," Alexandra's demeanor changed instantly and she popped to her feet. "That is no way to describe a child."

"Either way, she still causes the problems." Mother insisted with a nervous chuckle.

Alexandra gently brushed her hand on my shoulder and I watched as she waltzed in some magic fashion up to the wizard. Even at 7 years old, I thought Alexandra was one of the most interesting people I had ever met.

"So what do you propose we do?" Asked the wizard.

"What do you propose we do? We sought you for help."

"Oh, goodness. Advice," the wizard rubbed his chin, and he and Alexandra met each other's gazes.

He began, "Mr. and Mrs…."
"Saddler."

"Mr. and Mrs. Sadler, would you mind if we spoke to Elsa alone for a moment? Just to get an idea…."

"Certainly, certainly," they chorused. Mother bent over and hissed, "Be good. Or else."

I sucked up all my fear and faced the wizard and Alexandra with as much bravery as I could muster.

The big wooden door behind me shut and I stood alone in the middle of a vast, vast room.

"Are you happy, Elsa?"
"Essie," I corrected quietly, and waiting for somebody to scream that I was 'backsassing'.

"Essie," Alexandra smiled, hearing me talk for the first time. "Are you happy?"
I didn't answer, just looked at the ground. So much of my life had gone with me talking and then getting yelled at that by the time I was that age, talking seemed like something I shouldn't have been doing.

Alexandra walked down away from the wizard and knelt down to my level again. "Essie? You don't have to be scared of me, sweetheart."

"No."
"No?" she looked confused.

"No, I'm not happy."

Alexandra let out a breath and her face looked like someone had physically broken her heart in two.

"And your six years old?"
I nodded.
"You're quite mature for six."
As I shrugged she stood again, and looked up at the wizard. "Oswin, we can't let her go back with those people."
"Hm…"

"Why don't we take her in? You're always so busy. And the company could be nice. She could grow up with us. We'll raise her as a Ozian."

"What?!"

"Oh, come on, Ossy, you can't tell me you weren't thinking it!"

"Al, please…"

"She's already so well-behaved. You're well-behaved, aren't you Essie?" Alexandra looked at me with an encouraging smile. Never had another person looked so genuine to me.
"I'll be whatever you want me to be if you let me stay," I whispered. "I don't know if I could go back."

I saw the wizard's face do something similar to what Alexandra's has done moments before as if his heart had been pulled in two.

"Call back in Mr. and Mrs. Saddler," he said, voice stern, unchanging.

They walked back in and Mother grabbed my sleeve and pulled me into her. She smelled of sweat and hard work, and her voice raised more with each word. "If you ruined the chances of anything…."

"Mrs. Saddler, please." Alexandra raised her voice slightly and Mother backed away from me.

"My apologies, Madam."

"We have decided," the wizard began. "We will take Essie in. She will live a long life of ease here with us, and you won't have to worry about her ever again."
I felt my soul jump leaps and bounds, but I didn't show it.

"Will we… How…. But…" My mother stammered.

"I'm sorry, Your Wonderful Wizardry," Father began nervously, "We didn't expect you would volunteer to take her in."

The wizard began "Essie is a very nice girl…"

My parents laughed as if this were hysterical.
"And she deserves a better home. Which obviously isn't with either of you. For your display of hatred and mistreatment of this poor child, we've decided not to compensate you for your journey. Have a good day. Guards, guide them on their way, and bring Essie's bags in."

Mother and Father's faces had never been more red or upset, and I knew it was at their lack of cash.

"But she's a purebred! From the Enchanted Forest!"

The wizard stood, "I don't care where she's from, or if you were the Prince of Persia, you don't deserve a reward for harming a child. Now leave!"

The guards pulled them out, and I remember watching, expressionless, as they were more emotional about losing their money than they were about losing me. I remember wanting to cry, but Alexandra quickly changed that.

She was positively beaming, "Oh, Essie, dear, I do hope you'll be happy here."
I looked up at her, tears growing closer to my eyes. The sudden change of events were rather overwhelming.
"My name is Alexandra, but you can call me Aly. His name is Oswin. He's busy a lot so you won't see him as much, but you and I are going to be good friends, right?"

I nodded.

Oswin walked over and looked down at me and Alexandra stood to peck a kiss on his cheek. For one moment, he and I held each other's gaze, and he nodded almost approvingly. As he walked away, I had no idea that he would be the man to change my whole life.