Rain

You Could Use the Company

I awoke in a sweat in the middle of the night. The humid, sticky air made it impossible to sleep. I breathed heavily, still haunted by the nightmare.

"Evan, Evan, darling, come follow me!" My mother's soft, lilting voice called to me as the darkness kept closing in. I saw her then, standing high above me as the train continued to pull away. That man was with her. Mother had told me he was my father, but I knew he was not. He looked nothing like me; his bright, flaming red hair was nowhere near comparable to my dark chestnut shade. "Evan!" she called again, but to no avail. She stood on the train, the man's arms wrapped around her, pulling her farther and farther away from me. Darkness once again shrouded my vision, and I had to wake.

My fists clenched, and I got out of bed and looked out the window. I watched the stillness of the rainforest that hugged General Fairfield's estate. New promises. New life. All right before me. Would the nightmares ever go away?

I left my room and roamed the halls. The General certainly had found favor from the Queen for Her Majesty to bestow such funds. I had never seen such a beautiful and immense villa in my life. The halls were decorated with elephant tusks and stuffed game, and the moonlight cast an eerie glow on the ornaments. I sped up slightly, but came to a stop where I thought I saw a candle glowing. A door was ajar slightly, probably to let in the breeze. I peeked through the crack, and saw her. She was still very much a child, but her expression told of so much wisdom and grace beyond her years as she sketched furiously on a pad of paper, propped up on her bent legs. Liliane was sitting on the window seat, probably to draw the midnight landscape.

It is not polite to stare, I reminded myself. I promptly turned around and left, hoping she hadn't seen me. This would not be the last encounter, however. After her response to my uncle's mindless arguing, I had vowed to keep a close eye on the dynamic character of Liliane Fairfield.

**

"Good morning, Liliane," my father smiled as I exited my bedroom.

"Good morning, sir," I said quietly, looking up at him, and then quickly to the floor.

To my surprise, Father offered me his arm. "Shall we take a stroll before Mother wakes up?"

Stunned, I nodded, and began to head towards the back entrance which lead out to the gardens of our estate. "You know, having the guests here reminds me of what I left behind in England when your mother and I left on the ship bound for the Continent."

I gazed up at my father now, and saw a muscle working in his jaw. "Do you wish you hadn't, Papa?"

 'Twas an innocent question. England was far, far, far away from India, and once one left, there was no going back. My father thought for a moment, his eyes fixed on the rainforest off to our left. "I remember the day I was commisioned to India. A letter with the King's seal came on the Lord's Day, if I recall correctly. I read aloud, right after we returned from church.

"'Her Majesty the Queen requests your commission in the Royal Army, in India. The ship will set sail in a fortnight. Bring what you can carry-- your uniform and your sword' it said. There was little else to prepare me for the land I was bound for. My father was furious, Liliane. I cannot remember a time when I had made him angrier."

I turned to him, and saw his eyes were misted. It was almost as if he'd been transported back to the very room of his memory, living the moment. "Father?"

Papa had heard me, but he did not let on. Instead, he continued. "Mother had been devastated. I was good as dead over in the 'unexplored savage land'; I suppose they grieved me far before my time. But your mother was the only exception. We'd just been married then, and she promised to follow me to the ends of the earth. I know she grumbles now, Lilian, darling, but before your brother left us, she was much better. And she still is, it's just difficult-- for both of us." He sighed, patting my hand as it rested on his arm. "I am proud of you for speaking up, child. Not many young ladies are secure enough to speak their minds. Do not ever change that, yes?" His light green eyes shifted to mine, and smiled slightly. "Sometimes it's best not to sway your opinion to please. Take it from a soldier who followed his heart."