Chapter 2
A soft knock on the door brought him to his senses and he saw a small figure standing in the doorway. Joy was wrapped up in her mother's shawl and she was also wrapped up in Gilbert's old college quilt. He could tell she had been crying.
"What are you doing up sweetheart, it's late? You should be asleep." Gilbert softly spoke.
"I couldn't sleep papa. I tried. I-I-I'm scared. I don't want to leave here." Joy whimpers.
Gilbert's heart broke at the sound of his daughter's voice. He hated doing this to her. He really did, but Glen St Mary already had a town doctor and Avonlea didn't. That's why he applied to it and Dr. Spencer accepted his application without hesitation. Gilbert opened his arms to invite Joy in. She quickly waddled over to him. As fast she can go, being wrapped up in a big quilt, she went into Gilbert's arms.
Gilbert easily lifted her up and sat her on his lap. He couldn't help but chuckle at the look of his daughter being wrapped up in his old quilt.
"What's the matter sweetheart? What are you scared of?" Gilbert asked gently.
Joy bit her lip; a habit Gilbert never liked, but she only did that when she was anxious and Gilbert could tell she was anxious.
"I don't want to leave momma. She will be by herself without no one to visit her. No one to bring her flowers. No one to go clean up the leaves or branches that fall on top of her grave. She will be lonely papa." Joy said.
Gilbert thought long and hard about this the last couple of months. On how the move will affect Joy. He even spoke to Ruby's parents about it. Gilbert got their blessing in the move and that made him feel better. They even promised they will take care of Ruby's grave. They said they would put fresh flowers on it once a week and keep it clean.
"Momma won't be lonely sweetheart. Grandma and Grandpa Gillis promised they would look after Momma. They promised to bring her fresh flowers every week, and make sure it's kept clean. I know you're scared, but you remember going to Avonlea a few times, right? We spent a couple weeks there in the summer and at Christmas time and New Years? You love it in Avonlea. We will have fun this summer too. Guess what? Remember how you have been wanting to learn to swim?" Gilbert asked.
Sniffing, Joy shook her head yes.
" I'm going to teach you this summer. I'll be working still. But I'll make sure I will teach you to swim. We will stay at Grandma and Grandpa Blythe's house until I find a house for us. They are so excited to see both of us. Grandmother Blythe has a few things planned for you that she wants you to do with her. I'll brush you up on your schooling too before you start school. Just like we used too. How does that sound?" Gilbert asked.
Gilbert felt Joy shrug her shoulders. She was leaning into him and he could tell she was getting upset. He gently rubbed her back
" We were going to be okay munchkin. Remember how we talked about going on a train? You'll enjoy the train ride. We are also going to go to on a Ferry too. I have been on both and I think you'll enjoy both of them." Gilbert continues.
"You have been on a train?" Joy asked.
"Yes, I have. Like the books we read together and how they have trains in them, we are going on one just like in the story books. The train ride will be fun. You can have the window seat and look out the window and at all the passing fields going by. Your tummy might get a little nauseous because of the motion of the train, so I'll need you to try and eat something for breakfast. Okay?" Gilbert asked.
Joy didn't say anything to that remark. Gilbert knows perfectly well that when Joy gets upset, she doesn't eat. Gilbert tried not to get frustrated at her, but he always tries to encourage her to eat something in the morning so she has food in her tummy. If he has too, he'll feed her himself. He doesn't want to take that route, but he well. He has done before it before.
"Will the train blow its whistle and let all the steam out as it comes closer to the train station?" Joy asked. Her curiosity getting the better of her.
Gilbert chuckled. "Yes, it will. You will see its big wheels slowly chugging to slow down. Then the train master will pull on a handle to put the brakes on so the train doesn't crash."
"The train won't crash, will it papa?" Joy asked alarmed.
"No munchkin. The train master will make sure it won't." Gilbert said.
"You'll like the ferry ride too. It's a big boat and it has cabins inside it that we can sleep in. We can walk around on deck and look out over the railing and see the ocean. I just don't want you leaning over the railing. I'll be afraid that you will fall overboard. You might get sea sick for the first day, which is completely normal. Depending how you feel, you can stay in the cabin and rest or we can walk around on deck." Gilbert said.
"Will we see dolphins?" Joy asked.
Gilbert chuckled. "Maybe. We can keep a look out for them. I can't make any promises though."
Do you feel better now?" Gilbert asked.
"Maybe a little. I'm still scared. Talking some more helped. Can we walk around Avonlea and explore it some?" Joy asked.
"Certainly. I'll show you all of my favorite spots that I used to hang out in when I was I younger. You'll like them too. The swimming hole will be a perfect place to relax and cool off in the summer time. That's where I am going to teach you to swim. I'll show you my old secret fishing spot too. I'll also teach you to fish and you'll be the next famous fishermen, I mean, fisherwomen in the Blythe family. Grandma cooks the best fish with homemade cornbread. You'll love it." Gilbert promised.
Joy gave a sigh. "I'm still worried about leaving Momma. I won't get to talk to her every day like I do now. How can I still talk to her?"
Still holding onto Joy with one arm, Gilbert turned to his nightstand to retrieve a picture. Joy looked over her papa's shoulder and her face was curious. Gilbert knew that Joy always liked this picture of Ruby. It was time to give it to Joy.
"I want you to take care of this picture for me sweetheart. I only have room in my knapsack for one more small picture frame and that is this one."
Gilbert fished out the picture frame he was talking about. It was an old black and white photograph of three of them - Ruby, Gilbert and Joy. It was taken shortly after Joy was born. Gilbert felt like the proudest father/young doctor in all of Glen St Mary at the time and he wanted a memory that showed it.
Joy looked at the picture of Ruby and she gave a small whimper. Joy gently touched the picture and traced her mother's outline. Joy thought her mother was the most beautiful woman in the world.
Joy was looking at another picture in a frame and Gilbert said, "That was your momma on her wedding day. She was the most beautiful young lady I have ever seen. She was a nervous wreck though. I chose to not leave her side all day so I could keep watch on her, making sure she doesn't faint on me. It was hot that day and she was so scared she was going to pass out. But I promised her since I had just graduated medical school, I would check on her every so often, making sure she had plenty of water and ate. Luckily, she didn't faint." Gilbert said.
"Momma was so beautiful. You picked the perfect bride Papa. I want to look like her when I get married. I just don't want my anxiety get in the way on that day." Joy said.
Gilbert raised his eyebrows and had a teasing grin on his face. "Thinking about marriage already are you, my girl? I'm afraid that's not going to happen for a long, long time. You're only 7 years old."
Joy snuggled into Gilbert and Gilbert wrapped his quilt around Joy. "I was only talking Papa. I'm just saying if I ever get married, I want to look like momma."
Gilbert was looking at the picture of Ruby. "You will most certainly look like her munchkin. You will be just as beautiful. But I'm going to try and not think about you getting married just yet. You're too young."
Gilbert and Joy were silent for a few minutes. Both looking at the picture of Ruby, Gilbert's eyes were getting misty and he quickly blinked to get the tears to go away. If Joy saw him crying, that would just make things worse.
"Papa, was it my fault momma died?" Joy softly asked.
Gilbert was so shocked at the question, he just stared at his daughter. Hardly believing what he had just heard, he cleared his throat quickly and turned Joy to face him so he can be at eye level with her.
Joy bit her lip and it was trembling. The tears were coming down. Gilbert wipes them away with his knuckles and lifted her chin up with his forefinger and then said, "What on earth are you talking little one? What got that question into your head?" Gilbert asked.
Joy bit her lip again. Gilbert put his thumb on her bottom lip and pulled it down so she wouldn't do that.
"I-I heard that awful Nancy Samson say I was the one that killed momma when I was born. It was after Sunday School and Nancy, Stella, and Lydia were whispering and talking about me and how I was lucky you didn't send me to an orphanage or send me to a relative's house because I made momma die." Joy was hyperventilating at this point and she was trying so hard not to cry.
Gilbert knew something was off with Joy as they were coming home from Church.
She wouldn't talk about it no matter what Gilbert said to her, so he let the subject drop.
Gilbert hugged Joy so tight and his heart broke for her. Joy has had such a hard time being around other children with their mothers and she never once complained. What those girls said made Gilbert's blood boil with rage. He was going to talk to them.
Gilbert was rubbing Joys' back as she was trying hard not to cry. Unfortunately, the tears were coming down hard and fast and she clung to him.
"Oh, my sweet girl, it was not your fault that Momma died. She was so weak from the pregnancy and I had her on bed rest for most of it. Your momma wanted to have you, Joy. She knew the danger she was for having you. We both wanted you my sweet girl. We both knew the risks for your Momma. Her body was so tired after she had you, that she only lasted a few more hours after she had you and luckily a photographer was next door and I grabbed him and had him take a picture of us. I would never throw you out Joyce Blythe or blame you for your momma's death. Please understand that child. I'm so sorry you had to listen to those awful girls. I'm going to talk to their parents. We are a family sweetheart. I'll never abandon you." Gilbert said.
