Rain

Kissing in the Forest

The excursion to the seaside had reasonably lifted everyone's spirits. Aunt Gertrude and Uncle Edwin kept finding reason to be alone, completely ignoring me, their very own nephew. It annoyed me greatly, but it did get them off my case for a good amount of time, liberating me from their watchful guardianship. Not that I wished them away, of course, but I so longed to explore. "Is there anyone or anything I have not yet seen, Liliane?" I asked as we sat on the bridge to town, dangling our feet over the edge. "It has been almost three months, but I am bored to tears!"

Liliane rolled her eyes, an expression I was becoming quite accustomed to. "What do you wish to do?"

"Something."

"What sort of something?"

"I want to go somewhere."

"You know the village is out of the question."

"But your parents are not so cross as before! Perhaps-" I hesitated.

"Perhaps what?"

"Perhaps they will not mind an adventure. They were young once, you know."

"My parents?" Liliane scoffed. "I cannot imagine it."

"Well, you must try! Otherwise we'll never leave this house."

Liliane looked at me seriously this time. "You wish to leave?"

"No, no, not leave forever. I just wish to leave for a few hours. It is awfully boring with everyone so in love..." I trailed off, wondering at my companion's wistful smile. "Why do you smile like that?"

"I smile because someday I wish to be as in love with someone as Mama and Papa are," she replied, so matter-of-factly it hardly sounded like a girlish fantasy,

"Oh." Who would she fall in love with? She could marry an Indian, with her fluent Bangal. The thought of her in a sari with a thick braid down her back made me chuckle.

"What is it?" she demanded.

"Just imagining you married to an Indian, is all. I do not think that would work."

"And why not?"

"You should wed an English gentleman. You hardly express yourself in English, even less in Bangal-how would the poor chap ever understand you?"

I knew Liliane considered this remark, for she would not admit she agreed with me. "But what Englishman would I know? I was born in India, Evan. You are the first Englishman I've met who is close to my age."

"Well, you should marry me."

"Preposterous! Why would I do that?" Liliane appeared baffled, but amused.

"I'm the only one who would ever consider living in India, for one," I stated, not seriously considering implications in the slightest. "And we both know you'd never be happy anywhere else," I added gently. "Besides! I am dashing and extremely pleasing to the eye, with an amazing wit and fantastic hair," I said, puffing out my chest and raking a hand through my hair. "The very epitome of an eligible gentleman."

Again she rolled her eyes. "As you wish, my lord," she laughed. "But I will find me someone who is absolutely perfect in every way, Indian or Englishman."

We were both silent then, her statement blowing away with the breeze. I could not imagine some other boy having Liliane as his best friend, so I chose not to think of it. "We still have not chosen what to do."

"Hmm," Liliane thought for a moment. "I know just where to go." She slid her feet out of the water, using her dress hem to dry them off. Then she stood and ran in the direction of the house.