Preparing For Thanksgiving

Hello there! My name is Alice. I arrived in America today at daybreak. The sunrise here in America is so pretty. I went to England to get my family. Father says we will be having something called Thanksgiving. He said we have to prepare a whole bunch of foods. I am still kinda surprised my father likes to cook, normally most men put it all up to their wives.

My mother the main cook of the family was washing and preparing potatoes along with my grandmother. My brother and father went out to get a turkey, they have to hunt and kill it. I am not sure if I want to eat it though. My mother made me go out to our garden to dig some carrots up.

As I was walking to our garden I noticed a boy. This boy was the boy who had lived next to me since we moved in a couple summers ago, but I have never seen him. He did not see me at first, then when he did I startled him because he was not expecting me to be outside. My parents almost never let my brother or I outside.

I kindly asked the boy "what is your name?". He quietly replied "Bartholomew, but some people call me Bart for short. I don't really mind. What is your name?" "My name is Alice, most people call me Alice. But for short my parents call me Al, or Ally." "Well hello Alice, I noticed you moved in a couple summers ago. My parents don't let me out much. They say the sun is bad, even on a cloudy day."

"Well the sun isn't that bad, but it can burn you." "Yeah, my parents are out in town right now. They are trying to sell some of their collectables. They want to send me to school, I am not very happy. They want me to have a good education, get a good job, and get married. But sometimes I do not want any of that. Most of the time the girl's parents pick the marriage. I want to marry someone because we want to marry each other." "Wow Bartholomew, I did not think you thought that way. Most men don't care, as long as they marry someone who comes from a rich family." "Yeah well, I don't mind much. I think, as long as I can be happy and love the person I marry it should not matter. But I should be going back in, my parents will be coming."

"Goodbye Bartholomew! I should be heading back in as well with these carrots I have been digging up. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving. I may see you in school, maybe we can walk together." "Yeah maybe Alice!"

I was walking back into my house, but before I did, I turned. I had to look at Bartholomew one last time with his luscious brown hair that they wind blew just so perfectly. I was also thinking about how I could convince my parents to let me go to school.

I walked into my house, my grandmother and mother looked at me. My mother said "young lady, what took you so long to dig up carrots? You should have not taken that long. You need to help prepare. This fest means so much to your father. You were just gonna throw it out like that?" "No mother! I would never do that. As I walked to the garden, I saw the boy who lives next door. I thought I would introduce myself and be a lady. His name is Bartholomew. He is so nice mother."

"You should not be worrying about no boys. Your father and I will pick who you marry when it is time. Currently it is not that time you are only fourteen, next year you will get married and be living with your husband and preparing your own Thanksgiving. Right now you need to worry about this Thanksgiving so you know what to do. I won't tell your father about this, but you better start acting like a young lady. Not no hoodlum. You are better than that, your father and I raised you differently."

"Yes mother. Of course, I am so very sorry." "Good now go start washing, and peeling those carrots. When you are done with that you will need to cut them. After you are all done go down to the berry bushes and pick some nice berries." "Yes mother, I will!"

I spent about an hour or so washing, peeling, and cutting carrots. As I was doing it, I thought of Bartholomew the whole time. How his hair, hands and lips looked. They were so perfect. Oh, I know I was only fourteen, but he was so cute. I kept thinking about him, it is all I could do.

After I was done, I went out to the berry bushes as my mother instructed. As I started picking berries and putting them in my basket, I saw Bartholomew. I did not know what to say after, I had been thinking about him for about an hour or so.

I started to quietly say "Hello Bartholomew. I did not think, I would see you outside." He slowly looked up "Well my parents told me I had to come pick berries. They want to use them for our fest. I guess my grandparents are coming into town and they want the best berries they can find. Well I can find" "Oh, my mother told me I had to come pick them. My father is a very picky man, he picks everything so precisely. He has been gone for almost a whole day with my brother just for a turkey." "Wow! My father would never do that. He thinks we should not eat any animals. But my mother makes him and me. I am never opposed to eating meat. But my father will only eat chicken and beef, nothing else. So, we will not eat turkey. We are gonna eat chicken. Sometimes I get sick of chicken though." "Yeah I understand. One time I had to live with my uncle, he hated meat. So I ate vegetables with him for a solid month. It was torture." " I bet!"

"I enjoy talking to you Bartholomew! I never had anyone to talk to and share things with. I have never had a friend in my life, not even when I lived in England." "Really?" "No, have you ever had a friend?" " No not really, my parents are always to strict. But I am glad I met you Alice. You live right next door! Even if we have to talk in secret, that is okay with me. As long as it is okay with you." "Bartholomew, I am very okay with it. I want to talk to you and learn about you. I have to be heading in with these berries though. But before I do may I ask, how old are you?" "I am happy, you are. I want to talk and learn about you to. Yeah I am sorry, I have been holding you up. I should be going to. I am fourteen. How old are you?" "I am fourteen as well!" " Well Alice you so far are a great friend! I will see you later goodbye." "Goodbye!"

I started walking towards my house with a basket full of berries. I saw Bartholomew running back to his house with his basket full of berries in which I helped him pick. I soon enough got to top of the small hill, I had lived on. I walked into my house and my mother said "Did you pick the berries?" I replied "Yes mother, I did! I got a whole basket full of them." My mother looked like she had so much enjoyment on her face, she looked as if she was really proud of me. But my mother would never admit that she was proud of me. She has said before that I need to know how to take criticism. I learned to take it to, people would always make comments about my family and I. They would say how poor we were, when in reality we weren't that poor.

My mother then told me to go to bed, and change out of my dirty clothes. I went upstairs in my home, washed up, and looked out of the very small window in my room. I saw all the trees outside and the sun setting and that is about it. I finally decided to lay down, I was really tired from the whole day. 

I woke up the next day to birds chirping, the wind blowing slowly, and the sun rising. Nobody else in my house was awake, it must have been a late night for them. I got up out of bed and went to my little brothers room, his bed was still neatly made as he left it.

I decided to get dressed and go downstairs. Still nobody was awake. I first decided to try and read a book. But I got bored, so I went out on our porch. I started thinking about the day before and Bartholomew. I had so many feelings about him, he was so dreamy. I would love to marry him one day, we are both fourteen which means I might be able to. But my parents have to pick him, both of my parents want me to marry a boy who was born into a family with a silver spoon. Which means rich. I did not really care about money. But my parents did, they did not want me to struggle like they did.

My parents ran away together when they were fourteen and they got married. They both weren't very rich growing up, they both came from poor families. My father's parents still do not talk to him to this day. My grandmother which is my mothers mom still talks to her, her father passed away about ten years ago when I was four.

My parents ran away together when they were fourteen and they got married. They both weren't very rich growing up, they both came from poor families. My father's parents still do not talk to him to this day. My grandmother which is my mothers mom still talks to her, her father passed away about ten years ago when I was four.

They had it rough, it was very hard for them to keep a house longer than a couple months, as they tell my brother and I. Sometimes I think they just make up stories to scare us into not wanting to run from home and do what we want, and marry who we want. But it truly does not scare me sometimes, the thought of running away with the person I want to marry kinda sounds wonderful.

I soon heard a noise, it was a grunting noise. It sounded as if it was from a human and it was like they were hungry. I was searching to see where the noise was coming from. It was coming from the side of the house, as I walked around I saw the sweet and amazing Bartholomew. I said "Bartholomew? Are you okay? What happened?" "I.. I.. I..' he studerred. " I am really hungry. My parents did not come home last night. They were supposed to pick us up some groceries. They left me a note saying what I had to do and that's it. I ate all the the berries I picked. I haven't eaten since yesterday."

"Oh my.... would you like something to eat? We have fruits and some vegetables?" "My parents once left for four months and I managed to live by myself. Clearly not many people care about me not even my own parents." " Please I can give you some food, for now. You can come in my house and get some." "Would your mother be okay with that though?" " I don't know. She isn't awake yet. I can't ask. But I am not gonna just let you sit out here and starve." " Like i said my parents have left for a total of four months before, I managed on my own. I went and begged for money and bought myself some food."

"Well I am not gonna let you go into town alone. I am gonna go grab you some food, and my money. We will go to the town together, I will buy you some groceries and we can bring them back. Don't worry about my mother. They had a very late night, they will be asleep awhile." "Are you sure? It isn't a burden is it?" "No...no...no it isn't" "Okay......"

I quickly grabbed some fruit for Bartholomew and my money. We then started to walk towards the town. Bartholomew was biting down on an apple and started to say "Thank you so much for this, to be honest I have no clue how long I would have lasted." I told him he was welcome. As we were walking to the town we passed the river and a bunch of trees. We also happened to pass flowers. Bartholomew picked some and said "The most beautiful flowers, for the most beautiful girl."

I got all warm on the inside and the only thing I could say was "Aww thank you so much. You are such a great person." Bartholomew stopped walking and he started talking. He said "You know what Alice....... ever since the day we met when you were digging up carrots..... I thought you were so beautiful...... I know it was just the other day.... But still." "Oh Bartholomew....... I thought you were so handsome since that day too. I lied to you about school though. My parents want me to stay home, they would never send me ever......"

"Alice don't worry about school. Who honestly cares about it. I think we should stop here and discuss other things and not school. My feet are starting to hurt anyway." "Okay we can stop for a little break. But what do you want to discuss?"

"We both clearly like each.... maybe one day we can even love each other." "Bartholomew, I have been thinking the same thoughts but......we are both only fourteen. We have a whole year until fifteen. My parents, mainly my father will pick who I marry." "I know but Alice.... you can have so much. We can run away together... today! If you want too. I mean no harm can come from it. None at all." "Listen... my parents ran away when they were younger thinking it was gonna work. They could barely live somewhere longer than a few months.... they truly did struggle a lot. My father's parents don't even talk to him to this day."

"Come on Alice, you know you want to. You are just scared by all those tales you have heard from others of it never working out." "Bartholomew...... I really truly would..... but this Thanksgiving dinner means a lot to my father. I will get in enough mischief being here in town with you. I think we best be walking, getting you some food, and then returning back home. Before my family wakes up, and before your parents return." "My parents have been gone up to four months, they do not care about me. Why do you think I'd rather run. But your right we should head into town, get food, and get back home."

Bartholomew and I walked into town. We walked quietly though, we didn't really want to talk after the long conversation we just had about running away . It was more so his idea then mine, of course I wanted to run away with him and get married. But I just couldn't my family would be so upset with me. I wanted to cry, I was deep inside. I really wanted to go with Bartholomew and help him through all his pain and suffering with his parents running off but, I didn't know how.

We finally got into town, there was so many things. There were vendors lining the streets with milk, fruit, vases, flowers, vegetables, meat, candles, and so many other beautiful things. I had never been in town, not even where we used to live. I had $3 dollars, that I had saved from my grandmother. She had given it to me when I would help her around the house. Bartholomew had $1 dollar, he said he had stolen it out of his father's coat pocket when he heard they were going into town. It is all he could find.

I asked " What would you like to buy?" He simply replied "Some vegetables, fruits, and milk. I have a well, I can get water out of." We bought some peaches, apples, potatoes, carrots, beets, and milk. It came to $2 dollars. Bartholomew wanted to put his dollar in, so I paid a dollar and he paid a dollar. The vendor kindly asked us "Are you two siblings? married? What you are guys do out alone here in the little town?"

Bartholomew quickly replied "We are friends, we live just down the street. We had to come and get some things for our parents. But we will be on our way home now. Thank you!" "Okay, have a nice day you younguns, be careful out there." "You too mame."

As we were walking back home, I started thinking. I thought about what Bartholomew was saying early. I didn't want to run, but hearing they vendor ask if we were married, and she didn't say a single thing. She didn't it looked wrong. Even though she did not know our ages. Still we could run and get married. Nobody would ever even realize it.

I stopped walking, and simply said "Bartholomew, I am so terribly sorry." He looked confused, as if anyone would be. He did not even know what I was talking about at first. I slowly started to say before he cut me off "About earlier...." Bartholomew stopped walking at that point, he turned around and said "Why are you sorry? You meant what you said didn't you?

"Well I did, but I have been thinking. What if we did run away together? Like run away, get married, and have a happy and loving life. It could be truly amazing especially with you by my side."

The End For Now, Until More Comes.........

Courtney Slee