Moonlight Symphony

3rd Note | The Sweet-Talker of the Thames

Finishing it off with a tight spin, she smiled broadly at her audience and winked at the little girl whose dark brown eyes had been gazing at Watsonia and Arthur for more than half an hour now. The little girl blushed in surprise, tugging at her father’s sleeve for coins that she may give. Her father looked down at his child lovingly and produced a few bills from his coat pocket which he than handed down into her soft little hands. The lass walked up to Watsonia who at that time was picking up the coins by the sidewalk. Watsonia looked up in astonishment as the little girl reached out the bills her father gave.  The little girl ran away before Watsonia can even mutter her gratitude.

“Oh, my good lord!” Arthur gasped as he looked down upon Watsonia’s bounty. His enthusiastic eyes absorbed every glitter of the coins as it sparkled in the late afternoon sun. They had been playing for hours now that his tiny fingers started to hurt and his fingertips began acquiring a number of blisters. Watsonia, on the other hand, felt the ache slowly creep up into her joints and the heaviness of her limbs penetrating into her energy for she had been dancing alongside Arthur’s playing for quite some time. Yet, with all this pain –plus the orchestral groans of their stomachs –they felt a deep warmth of joy blossoming from within their hearts.

They had gathered a 3-days worth of income that day and that alone had filled them with fervor merriment and had healed all the complaints of their body. Still though, it wasn’t enough to completely free them from the grocer’s grasp. The grocer who had promised them shelter, food and clothing a few years back had started wearing an iron fist when Thomas and Watsonia had reached puberty. He demanded fees for the years of which they were taken care of knowing exactly that Thomas and Watsonia are capable enough of making a living for themselves back then. The grocer and his family became very abusive towards them –constantly maltreating them- that it led to the children’s departure from the grocer’s house. Even so, the grocer had pursued them and had almost put Thomas behind bars.

Watsonia shivered at the thought of meeting up with the grocer’s son yet again. Pursing her lips in deep thought, she worried on how to avoid the grocer’s son’s usual advances – advances that almost led Watsonia to pull out her dagger had Arthur not intervened. She touched the long shaft that held her dagger – the dagger that Thomas had given to her when he had heard the mistreatment of the grocer’s son towards her. Her deep blue eyes down on the pavement in contemplation, she cannot afford to anger the grocer again. To do so, would jeopardize their partly peaceful life.

“You know, Thomas would gladly accompany you to the Grocer’s.” Arthur said sensing his companion’s worries. For some deep reason Watsonia can’t fathom, the child had developed some sort of skill in seeing through her expressions. It had proved to be very annoying at times but mostly it kind of helped her through her problems. She sighed at the thought that Arthur truly had grown throughout the years – not only physically but mentally too.

“Thomas will, if you can just kindly ask for his company.” The boy added, his smile hinting youthful incitement on seeing the man he had always wanted to be when he grows up. He glanced up at Watsonia who towered over him. Her brows knitted together in deep worry and fear, her hand stroking the rough texture of her dagger’s shaft.

“Ha! I can’t. “ Watsonia replied in bitterness. “But I can always go to the Grocer with you, Artie.” She batted her curtained eyelids at the young boy who rolled his eyes at her. His reddened cheeks puffed out in discontent for he truly wanted to see Thomas and brag about what they had garnered that day. Watsonia bent down at him, her blue eyes shining in persuasion.

“Well, you yourself said that I am just a lad. A lad can’t protect you from anyone but a man can. Someone like Thomas can!” He exclaimed on tiptoe. His weensy nose almost touching Watsonia’s longer one. She pouted in displeasure and Arthur mirrored her – his eyes widening at the effort to soften the lady’s heart. It worked. Watsonia stood up straight in compliance.