The Window to History

Kids noisily filed into Ms. Hodges’ class, jostling each other and talking about their weekends. Anna wandered over to her seat by the windows facing the school’s front lawn. History was her favorite class, and she was excited to be starting a new unit today. Pulling out her notebook, she glanced around the classroom walls, taking in the various historical posters and newspapers. Would it be ancient Greece? Or maybe feudal Japan? 

The bell rang, and Ms. Hodges stood up to take attendance. 

“Welcome! We have a full day ahead of us, so let’s try to stay focused all right?” Some kids nodded and others seemed to want to hear more of what their friends were saying. Nevertheless, Ms. Hodges smiled and started calling names.

“Adam?”

“Here!”

“Charlie?”

“Present!”

“Anna?”

“Here!”

Ms. Hodges continued down the list and Anna went back to doodling in her notebook. So far, her Julius Caesar from the last unit was slowly expanding his army of horses. 

“Bailey?”

There was no answer. Anna looked up, a pause in the rhythm of roll call pulling her from her work. 

“Bailey?” Ms. Hodges called his name again and looked around the room. Sure enough, Bailey’s normal chair a couple rows behind Anna was empty. “Huh, that’s weird…” murmured Ms. Hodges, a small frown crossing her face.  Anna didn’t see anything wrong with Bailey’s absence; he could’ve just had a cold or maybe he would show up later. She glanced one more time in Anna’s direction—or was it in the direction of the windows behind Anna? Anna turned around, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. The truck bringing the daily shipment of milk for the cafeteria was just leaving the school parking lot.

As she finished roll call, Ms. Hodges called out to the class to get their attention again. Anna stopped her doodling and looked up expectantly. 

“So, as you all know, today we’re starting a new unit!” Ms. Hodges beamed and seemed to direct her smile towards Anna, knowing how much she enjoyed history. Anna returned the smile while Ms. Hodges went on. “We’ll be studying the Renaissance these next few weeks, which is one of my favorite time periods.” As she went on explaining their lessons for the next few weeks, Anna could feel the excitement building in the room. Ms. Hodges could talk about a subject like she had witnessed it firsthand.

After Ms. Hodges introduced the new material and passed out the papers for today’s class, she gave the class a quick break. Anna’s mind wandered off as she stared vaguely out the window, imagining the lively atmosphere during the Renaissance. If she thought hard enough she felt she could almost see a busy marketplace on the lawn outside her school. 

But as the image stayed, Anna’s eyes widened and she snapped to attention. She looked around the classroom to see if anyone was seeing what she was, but no one seemed to be paying any attention. Anna tentatively got up from her desk and walked over to the window. She reached out her hand, expecting to feel the glass and confirm that she was only having a vivid daydream. Instead, her arm entered a noticeably warmer environment. Wait, thought Anna, it’s February—why is it so warm? Anna took a step closer and still did not hit the glass. 

Anna stepped in, still not believing that she had just walked through what should’ve been a solid glass window. She had entered the marketplace scene and the glassware vendor she had appeared next to did a double take. No doubt her out-of-place clothing and sudden appearance had shocked him.

“Oy!” the vendor cried out. “That’s the second time that hath happened this week!” 

“It—what?” Anna tried to process this. “What do you mean, second time?”

“Another lad dressed like thee—did he say his name was Barney?—Also just came out of nothingness; why, you two both speak rather oddly too!” The vendor was looking at Anna curiously, like he was just as confused as she was. 

“Barney…? Wait, do you mean Bailey?” Anna suspected she was right, though she couldn’t believe it. 

“Ah yes, it was Bailey.” The vendor seemed to have gotten over his shock and resumed haggling with a customer. Anna turned around, expecting to see her classroom through the cabinet displaying vases and cups for sale. Unfortunately, it was solid, and she reached out her hand, almost knocking over a display.

“Oy!” yelled the vendor.

“Sorry!” Anna called back. She hurried out of the stall and looked up and down the busy street. There was a commotion a few meters away, and she went to go check it out. Still split between thinking about how to get back and how Bailey could be here too, she almost didn’t recognize the figure at the center of the commotion. 

“Wait, is that William Shakespeare?!” Anna was startled at first, but as she moved closer she recognized him from a poster in Ms. Hodges’ room. 

“Why, yes, he is the Bard!” replied one of the onlookers. “He’s talking to this lad who sayeth the oddest phrases!” Anna peered into the circle of onlookers and saw Bailey, attempting to look bold but clearly was nervous. 

“What didst thou sayeth, puking?” Shakespeare asked Bailey, scribbling with a feather pen. 

“Yeah—puking! That’s what happens when you’re sick!” Bailey glanced up, saw Anna, and his jaw dropped open. 

“Anna?” Bailey's incredulous voice caused Shakespeare to look up. 

“What Anna?” 

“Uh...sorry, one second.” Bailey pushed through the tangle of people to meet Anna, and the crowd oohed behind them. Anna felt her cheeks flush and saw Bailey’s do the same. They hurried to the shade under a tree. 

“Did you—”

“—Come through the window? You too?” 

“Do you know how we’re supposed to get back? I’ve been here for a while now, since I came to school yesterday afternoon to pick up my book that I forgot. Ms. Hodges’ let me into her classroom and I saw all these people dressed funny—” Bailey looked at Anna hopefully. “Please tell me you know how to get back.” Anna looked at the book still tucked under Bailey’s arm. 

“Hamlet? Really?” 

Bailey shrugged. 

“It sounds like a combination of ham and omelettes, my two favorite breakfast foods. I guess that’s how I ended up here.”

“Okay, well it seems like you’re holding out fine so far. I’ll go back to where I appeared, and try to imagine the classroom.” 

Anna turned around, and Bailey reluctantly walked back towards the circle of people where Anna could see some of them teasing him. She grimaced, and walked faster towards the glass vendor. 

Anna stared into the cabinet displaying glassware, and picked the largest vase to focus on. She felt the urge to shut her eyes to imagine Ms. Hodges’ classroom, but kept them open, thinking, How am I supposed to see through a window when I can’t see? For a quick second, she thought she saw a flash of the classroom from the outside. Anna took a deep breath and concentrated harder, trying to drown out all the other sounds. The image wavered and became slightly clearer. Anna could squint and see through the window from the outside into Ms. Hodges’ classroom, where it looked like they were still on break. Anna blinked, shook her head, and rushed back to find Bailey.

“Bailey! I found a way!” The people gathered around Bailey turned towards her, including Shakespeare. 

“Found something? I’d love to see!” Anna froze for a second. 

“Uhh...”

Bailey saved her.

“I found a way to 'vanish into thin air’!” There was a thoughtful nod from Shakespeare as he wrote down Bailey’s words. Bailey strode purposefully towards Anna and whispered, “Please tell me you found a way. I can’t make a fool of myself again.” Anna nodded and told him to concentrate like he had never before. 

“Imagine a window through the vase, and you should be able to see the classroom.” When they had reached the glassware vendor, he looked both surprised at the amount of attention his stall was receiving, and hesitant to let Anna or Bailey near his items. 

“You two...just don’t touch anything.” He stood protectively over the most expensive objects. 

Anna turned to Bailey and took a deep breath. 

“Okay, on three, focus as much as you can on that biggest vase. Try not to blink and imagine Ms. Hodges’ classroom.” Bailey nodded, and on Anna’s count, they both stared at the vase.

There was silence, and Bailey almost broke his concentration. Then, he saw little bursts of the outside of the school, and he refocused himself. He could tell Anna was seeing the same thing, and the image slowly became more stable. 

Behind them, Shakespeare gasped.

“What light through yonder window breaks!” 

Anna pulled Bailey forward and he turned around for one last look. The last thing he saw was the surprised faces of the onlookers and Shakespeare scratching on paper with his pen. 

Bailey stepped into the image and promptly hit his face on a window. He blinked, and saw that everyone inside the classroom had turned towards him and some were laughing. Anna had somehow ended up inside at her desk while Bailey had appeared outside. He shrugged, and hurried inside through the doors. 

“Sorry, I’m late Ms. Hodges, I was...busy.” Ms. Hodges nodded, giving Bailey a look he couldn’t understand, and then she glanced towards the window where Anna was sitting. 

“No problem, we were just about to start after break. I’m glad you found a way back.” 

As Bailey passed Anna on the way to his seat, he whispered, “Does she know?” Anna shrugged and went back to doodling. 

***

At the end of class, Ms. Hodges tidied the classroom while everyone else packed up their bags. She walked over to the window where Anna and Bailey were talking, and looked through, turning her head around.

Without speaking to anyone in particular, Ms. Hodges said, “I think I’ll keep the blinds closed next class.”