PROLOGUE
Before I begin I must warn you that this story isn't about someone who has done something inspirational or has gone on to have their name known worldwide. If that is the sort of story you wanted to read then perhaps you should choose another story because it seems you may have accidentally stumbled into the wrong place.
This story will however , like many other stories take you on a journey of some sort. And when I say journey I don't mean some historical pilgrimage or a buccaneering adventure.Think of it as more of ,a mental way-fare in the company of a fledgling dreamer . Your companions name will not go down in History nor will it be remembered.Once your companion has fulfilled her goal in life she will demise without word and no one will so much as know of her existence (except you).
By now you are probably trying to work out how this is possible and perhaps you are questioning my understanding of the situation ,so if you haven't already worked it out then I strongly suggest you pursue with your reading.
At this point I believe it is time to congratulate you for choosing to continue with this story.
Anyway before you begin be sure to prepare yourself for this "journey" .How it is you prepare for it is beyond my knowledge ,but do it anyway.
CHAPTER 1
To begin ,I must ask you a huge favour ! I'm asking you to travel through time, mentally.
Picture yourself on a cobbled street in the year 1890. Now teleport yourself to London. Look at the orphans sleeping on the street ,and the drunks outside the pub. Once you have done this I want you to imagine among the orphans a girl who appears very young. There is also a bustling crowd walking to the market. Have you done it? Yes?
Now we can begin the story.
* * * *
Aisling Baker was a quiet girl. She kept herself to herself and had decided from a young age that she wasn't to share herself with anyone but herself.(excuse the tongue twister). She also decided to keep a mental cloak of invisibility wrapped around her at all times possible.
Aisling slept on a matress of cobbles and hugged herself tightly with her blanket of stars.In the early morning before the town awoke she would stare at the sky and watch as her blanket vanished and her mattress became solid cobbles beneath her.
Now she would stand up, wrap herself in her magical cloak and disappear into the dark , shadowy alleyways where no one would spot her. She would hide here during the day to avoid the busy crowds and hide from the rowdy drunks lolloping outside the public house.
When the men stepped out of the public house she would swiftly scuttle under the wooden pub steps, and breathe inaudibly so as not to give away her location.
She didn't know what would happen if they found her but she knew she should be afraid . She listened secretly as slurred oaths spilled out of their unholy mouths. She listened as fists were thrown and glasses were smashed. She would listen until there was nothing left to be heard.
Once she was certain they had gone she would vacate her retreat and slip into the growing crowd . Once part of the crowd she would pick the pockets of the neighbouring crowd members. She always felt guilty for doing it afterwards but reminded herself that although what she was doing was bad she knew she couldn't really be a bad person because a bad person wouldn't be feeling the guilt that she did. And besides they had money and she did not.
After she had got her silver,and after she had convinced herself not to feel so guilty ,she would exchange her payment for some food . She would then return to her alleyway and greedily guzzle down her meal.
Aisling was only a little girl of about 9 at this point ,so still enjoyed playing with dolls and toys like any other child her age. The difference between her dolls and those of average children ,however was that her dolls were simply made of a piece of cloth, wrapped loosely around a thimble ,and fastened with a bit of thread.
Although this may not sound like a very lovable doll, Aisling loved her with all of her heart seeing as this doll was her only companion. She could have made friends with some of the other orphans but Aisling was quite happy to simply be alone with her doll. Besides she wasn't sure she'd be very good at making real friends.
Aisling had named her doll Hilda after an elderly lady who used to give food to Aisling when she was younger. The real Hilda had died about a year ago. Aisling had barely known the woman but appreciated her kindness greatly, so once a week she would pick some daisies from the scarce tufts of grass and deliver them to her grave.
Aising wasn't unintelligent nor was she unobservant and knew that many of the other orphans were taken by merciless men to the workhouse for labour.This was one of the main reasons she kept herself so isolated ,for fear of following the other orphans to their predetermined deaths.
* * * *
It was crisp and icy when Aisling stirred. She sat up lazily and heard her shawl crackle with frost as she did so. As she ran her hands through her hair little snowflakes danced as they landed on to the velvety layer of snow ,that had painted the grubby dirt .Aisling gazed at the snow and felt glad that she had reunited the snowflakes with their brothers and sisters on the floor.
It was times like these when she felt somewhat grateful that she didn't have work to do or really anything to do . Pensive as that may seem she really did feel that way because it allowed her all the time she wanted ,to appreciate the beautiful things that often went unnoticed. She had always felt that nothing should go unnoticed and so had made it her ambition to notice everything that she could. Wether it was the amount of children Mrs Edwards had ,or the price of the meat in the butchers on a Tuesday, she noticed it all. She sometimes sat concealed in the same spot all day and simply observed the scene before her. Today she decided would be one of those days.
Aisling stood up hastily and stopped for a moment as she felt a little dizzy . She decided it was probably because she had not long woken up and perhaps she stood up a bit too fast.She picked up little Hilda , persuaded her tired legs to move ,and headed towards the market.
Once part of the preoccupied crowd she followed the flow of people heading towards the stalls. When she saw the oak tree opposite the market ,she weaved her way though the villagers ,and took retreat under its sheltering branches.
From under the tree she watched all of the wealthy ladies and gentlemen and the children with their nannies. Although Aisling had every right to envy their wealth ,she did not. It was for one reason, and one reason only. Hilda (the real one) once told her ;
"money can't buy happiness my dear ,so do not envy the rich and do not pity the poor , there is happiness elsewhere".
After hearing this Aisling cried that night as she realised how wrong she had been. And how badly she had misjudged people.
It was this midnight epiphony that changed Aislings view on life ,and it was this midnight epiphony which made her smile every morning at the feeling of happiness .(Although there was nothing in particular which had made her happy).
So on seeing all the happy people at the market, she smiled too. She liked to think of it as ; silently sharing happiness.
She sat under that tree for the majority of the day . The whole time with a grin etched on her face ,and joy written in her eyes.
Sometimes a pitying lady would drop a penny or two ,give a patronising smile and add a little;
"Ah bless" ,as she scurried away with her mind already elsewhere.
