Beyond the Willow Tree

The Willow Tree

"Come Riley, come." I call to Riley.

Riley trails behind, his athsma getting the best of him.

"Coming." He wheezes.

"Will you two hurry up." Xander yells, already at the willow tree.

I run to catch up, feeling the damp Earth squish beneath my bare toes. When I reach the willow, I turn around to see that Riley as only just made it past the seamstress's shop.

"Riley let's go." Xander shouts.

"Coming." Riley says, and jogs quickly over.

"Look at that." Xander says, pointing up to the stars.

I look up and see the black sky sprinkled with stars.

"Amazing." I say.

"Clarissa! What are you doing out here. You best get in the house before your father gets here. He'll have a cow if he finds out your out at night." A familular voice calls.

I turn to see my mother in the doorway of our house.

"Coming mother." I yell.

I turn to Riley and Xander.

"Bye." I say.

I turn and run to my house. When I get inside, my mother is waiting for me.

"Clarissa! Look at your dress! Your a lady not a man. You should not be running around bare foot. You should be in search of a husband." She says.

"Mother. What if i don't want a husband." I say.

"Clarissa your 16 years old. Its time for you to grow up. How many men have asked for your hand in marriage?" Mother asks.

"Five." I say.

Well, why did you not accept." Mother questions.

Suddenly, the door opens and Father walks in.

"Finally, Silas tell your daughter that she needs to be searching for a man instead of running around bare foot." Mother says.

"Clarissa, since you haven't accepted marriage on your own your mother and I will pick out man for you. Now go to your room." Father says.

I begin to sob. I turn and run to my room. I fall onto my bed. I cry for a solid twenty minutes. Then I begin to fall into a deep sleep. When I wake up the birds are singing outside my window. I stand up and get dressed in a robin egg blue dress. Even though I would love to put breeches on, it pleases Mother and Father if I wear a dress. I walk into the kitchen where Mother is lighting the fire place. Father is sitting at the kitchen table. I sit next to him and mother serves me a small piece of bread. I bit into it as Mother sits down.

"Clarissa, your mother and I have chosen who you will marry." Father says.

" Who?" I ask.

"In a few months you will marry your friend Xander." Mother says.

"What?" I scream.

" We talked to his father and he agrees that you two shall be married." Father says.

I stand up and run out of the house. I run to the willow tree. When I reach it, I find that Xander is here too.

"So, you heard the news." He says.

"Xander, what about Riley? When we were 6 we promised each other that we would never marry each other." I say.

I start to sob and Xander comes over. He hugs me.

" We must not tell Riley. He will never forgive us." Xander whispers in my ear.

"Clarrisa! Xander! Come quick its Riley." A strange voice calls.

We turn around to see Riley's mother running to us. We run to her and she leads us to her house. When we enter the house. We go straight to Riley's room, where we find Riley laying in his bed. His mother comes behind us.

"Don't get to close to him he has measles." She says.

The village doctor enters the room.

"Can I talk to you two in the hall." The doctor says. We follow the docter, leaving Riley's mother with Riley.

"Riley is in terrible condition. I don't have the medicine he needs to survive. It grows deep in the woods. I want to know if you to would be willing to get it."

"I don't know." Xander says.

"I'll pay you both a pound a week." The doctor says.

"Deal." Xander and I say in unison.

"Good. You'll leave tomorrrow morn." The doctor says.

I open the door to Riley's room to see his mother singing to him.

"He'll be fine." Xander whispers to me.

I look up to Xander. He smiles at me and I smile back. I look back at Riley who is now vomiting on himself.

"Don't worry Riley. We'll get you the medinine." I think to myself.

I just hope we find it.