RDR2: Taciturn

Chapter 2

"Hello miss," an older man was standing at the mouth of my tent when I awoke, a kind smile on his face, "My name is Hosea. Dutch told me you couldn't read or write so, I thought I could help you."

I sat up, rubbing my eyes and smiling hesitantly at him.

"Come on, we'll get you some coffee and begin," he offered me a hand which I took, allowing him to lead me to a table in the middle of camp.

He placed two mugs on the table, along with a book and an empty journal, taking a pencil in his own hands.

"So, you never learnt anything?" he asked softly, "Never went to school?"

I shook my head, pleading with my mouth to form the words.

My parents were illiterate and didn't have money to send me to school.

But nothing came out. I sighed in frustration, clenching my fists and he cleared his throat awkwardly. 

"Right, we'll go from the basics," he nodded, a small frown on his face, "I taught John and Arthur, so I'm sure I can teach you."

But it was harder than he expected. I couldn't sound out the letters, the words, so he didn't know if I was following along properly. I wanted to, so desperately, I wanted to answer his questions with words, but I had to suffer with just copying the things he gave me, frustration clear on my face.

After around two hours of him trying to teach me, he stopped me.

"Can I ask you a question, miss?" he asked and I nodded, "In terms of your muteness... why are you silent?"

I shrugged my shoulders, my head dipping down.

"Do you want to speak?" He pressed and I hesitated before I nodded, "Have you spoken before?"

I nodded before grabbing the pencil, writing down two of the words he had taught me today.

Momma Pa

"So you spoke to them?" I nodded in response, "Because you trusted them?"

I nodded once again and he scratched the back of his head.

"I think I get it," he nodded, "The big group makes it worse, right? Too many people staring at you ensures no words come out."

I nodded again, a bit more hesitantly this time.

"I understand," he smiled at me, "We'll leave your lessons, have a break. You did well!"

I smiled at him as he left, before grabbing the journal and scribbling furiously the words he had taught me.

Momma
Pa
Arthur
Hosea
Dutch
Thank you
Please
Horse

The list went on, I started trying to suss words out myself using the alphabet he had taught me, sounding them out and writing them down, eventually forming sentences that, though spelt incorrectly, made some sort of sense.

Momma and Pa dyd in a fyr. I wos alon. Arthur helpd me. I am not alon.

I smiled at the sentence I had written, feeling pride that perhaps I could communicate somewhat. Yet the one thing that escaped me was my name. How did I write my name? Was I even ready for them to know my name yet, willing to attempt writing it? I didn't think so.

"Hey kid, how's the writing going?" Arthur approached me, his hat shielding his eyes from the midday sun.

I grinned and pushed the journal towards him, he scanned the page, the sentences I had written.