Home to Avonlea

2. the angel

Anne Shirley Cuthbert was tired.

She worked long hours at the library in town. She didn't earn much, but it helped out at home and that's what mattered. She worked hard to contribute paying off the debts of the loan from the bank. Anne had originally told Marilla that she'd only work three days a week and still attend school two days, but she stopped going altogether and instead took on extra days at the library.

Supporting her family was the most important thing to Anne.

Anne missed school a lot though, despite not having many friends, she ached for new subjects to learn about. She missed the challenges for her brain. The library was great for free books which fed her imagination, but usually she was too tired to read many books. Most of all she missed her best friend Diana Barry.

Anne saw Diana on weekends, and sometimes she brought Anne some work papers from school so she could keep up to date on some of the classes she was missing. Anne hadn't been to school in over a year, so she was very far behind.

Lately there was always trouble on Anne's mind. She desperately desired to help her family, but it seemed like they'd never pay off their debts. The bank kept adding interest and it seemed hopeless...

One cold spring morning, the weather was grim and cloudy. Anne felt a heaviness on her heart and she had no energy to sort the books on the shelves like she'd been asked by the manager. Her imagination only seemed able to take her to sad places, full of grey skies and misery.

As Anne called it, the depths of despair.

The door jingled and in came a tall boy around her age with a head of golden curls and bright eyes. Anne instantly thought that he looked like an angel from a painting. She straightened up to look at him properly.

"Hello, welcome to Avonlea Library. Don't hesitate to ask if you need help with anything." She reeled off what she was required to say, but her mind wasn't on the words.

Anne was thinking that she hadn't seen this boy around town and she knew nearly everyone, even if only by sight. He had to be new here. Perhaps he'd come from a far off land? A different country? Maybe he'd heard of the breathtaking natural wonders of Prince Edward Island and simply had to see them for himself.

Anne's imagination was firing away for the first time in a while and she desperately hoped his past was exciting.

"I say, do you have any Dickens? I can't seem to see any of his volumes..." Asked the angelic boy softly.

His big blue eyes gazed right into Anne's eyes and she felt an unfamiliar feeling in her chest.

She quickly dispelled the feeling and focused. This boy sure was handsome but for all she knew he had a head full of sawdust! She liked intelligence in a boy. The brain was the most important part of a possible companion or partner. She'd have to get to know him to see if he had a capable mind.

"Right this way." She said, walking to the third aisle of books and scanning the fictions. She had memorised nearly every book title in the establishment. "So, do you like to read a lot? I myself truly adore books. They provide such scope for the imagination, don't you think?"

The boy beamed at the red-headed girl's passionate way of speaking. It was refreshing and exciting.

"Indeed, I love to read. My mother frets that I don't go out enough as I spend nearly all my free time with my head in a book." He jested.

"You surely have a head full of stories then, all stored away in your brain like a personal library! I have my own brain library of memorised books and poems. You can dive into them whenever you like and relive a wonderful tale..." Anne was starry eyed thinking of all the stories she had ever read.

"It certainly is helpful for tediously long train journeys..." He agreed.

"Have you been on a train lately? Is that why I haven't seen you around town? You must be new. Either that or you truly never go out, just like your mother says!"

The boy laughed loudly and Anne felt pleased to get a chuckle out of him.

"Yes, I am new here." He explained when he'd stopped laughing. A sadness entered his eyes. "I've come all the way from New York. My Mother has become terribly ill and Father wanted to come to Canada to take time off work and spend time with us. He was born in Avonlea, you see."

"I'm so sorry about your Mother." Anne felt his sadness in her heart. She was very empathetic. "I understand what it's like to have a loved one ill and I do believe nothing worries the heart more."

The boy gazed at Anne. "It is very worrisome. She's a fighter, but she's not invincible."

At the back of Anne's mind, she appreciated his use of the glorious word invincible.

"She sounds very brave and strong, I should be humbled to meet her. I will pray for her speedy recovery!" She promised.

"That's most kind of you." The boy smiled.

"Here are all of our volumes by Dickens." Anne piled them into his arms. "Oliver is my personal favourite. A riveting tale, bursting with mystery and twists! When I read it I found kinship in Oliver as a fellow orphan who had a rough start in life but luckily found a wonderful family later on."

Anne had run away with herself. The boy was intrigued by her words. He was too interested to be irritated that she'd got carried away and ruined the story's ending.

"You're an orphan?" He asked.

"Well I was, but I'm no longer alone! I've been adopted by my dearest Marilla and Mathew Cuthbert of Green Gables." She beamed. "My time in orphanages is truly over."

The boy took the books from her. "I'll check all of these out on loan please." He smiled gently.

"Of course." Anne took them to the desk and began sorting them. "Where are you staying? If you don't mind me asking."

"In Guardinia Cottage, at the edge of town." He told her. "I will be starting at school soon. Will I be seeing you?"

Anne shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid not. I haven't been in a long while, as I must work. I don't have any time for lessons! I miss it dreadfully."

The boy frowned. "That's rather tragic. I'm terribly sorry for you."

"Well, everybody has their trials in life that they must bare. No school is a very light trial indeed." Anne said brightly. "I'm counting my blessings that I haven't fallen off a horse and become forever wheelchair bound, or been struck by lightning while reciting poetry on a hilltop and tumbled into the ocean and been swept away, or been kidnapped by evil bandits and witness awful thievery as they travel the countryside raiding houses and stealing gold or--"

"Goodness, I really see the imagination which you spoke of." The boy laughed appreciatively. "What's your name, anyway?"

"Anne Shirley Cuthbert. What's yours?"

"I'm Joseph Bines." He told her. "I hope I'll see you around town."

"You too. Good day, Joseph Bines. It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Anne nodded her head, and handed him the books.

Anne felt sure that she'd found a kindred spirit in Joseph.

As he left through the door, he smiled and said, "The pleasure is all mine, lovely Miss Shirley Cuthbert."

A/N hello! What does everyone think of Joseph? Comment and vote 💞 thanks a lot!