July 12th, 1997
The rain was dancing on the windowsill of Sarah Tylor's house. Inside Mrs. Tylor sat all crouched up in an armchair knitting a pair of socks for one of her grandchildren. Her deep blue eyes glanced in the direction of the sofa were her three grandchildren sat zapping the TV channels. The kids turned off the television, came to her and asked their grandmother to tell them one of her fabulous stories. She put down her knitting, looked out to the ocean and began her story about the young and angelic Emma Thompson.
South Hampton,
England 1689
A young lady came out of a coach with a wintry carpet-bag in her hand. Once she got out of the coach she was forthwith pushed around by the blustering crowd of people around her at the port. Emma Thompson had lived in England all of her life but now her grandmother had passed away and she had to go live with her father in Williamsburg Virginia. Emma had not seen her father since she had been a little girl , right after her mother had died.
After forcing her way through the swarm of people, she came face to face with the figurine of a mermaid which had been freshly painted on the cock of the boat she was taking to the New World. The name of the boat was written in a bold script writing, it was the Constance. From behind her came a towering, red-headed man. It was Captain Lewis, he was to bring Emma to her father. Several years before he had done the same for John Thompson, her father.
The boat left at noon and her sweet homeland disappeared from view little by little till it blended in with the horizon.
After two months of sailing across the tremendous Atlantic, Emma finally saw the green grass of the New World in the vicinity of her. On the trip she had faced the tempests of the Ocean. She had made friends with the captain and when her expedition was over he was as kind as to bring her to a carriage that would lead her to Williamsburg which was only a few miles away.
Arriving in Williamsburg she was overwhelmed by the plainness of the village life. In London there were always people walking in the street but here only four or five people going from shop to shop. Her coach stopped in front of a small dwelling with a garden in the back. The house was made out of wood and in the garden there was a small well, a woman was hauling water from it and then went back in the house. As she went inside two little children ran out to play in the garden with a small puppy. On the wall next to the door there was the name Thompson engraved in the oak wood. Emma walked up to the door and as she was about to knock the woman she had seen at the well came out with a basket in her arms. Emma asked her if a certain John Thompson lived in the house. The women stared in awe at the young sixteen year old lady in front of her, having never seen her before in her life. John came up behind her and asked who it was that wanted to see him. Mrs. Thompson left and let the two alone in the kitchen.
Emma looked at the man sitting in front of her, fixing the image of her father in her head after all these years. She explained to him that she was Rebecca Thompson's daughter and that she had come to Virginia after the death of her grandmother. John looked at his long lost daughter for the first time in ten year's. The only thing that had not changed were her eyes which were the color of the ocean on a bright sunny day. As John sat admiring his daughter, the little puppy ran in from outside and the two children followed it. John called them to him, he presented them to their new sister. Emma did not understand. These were also his children. He had gotten remarried.
She felt the tears ready to burst from her eyes. Emma left the house running aimlessly down the street until she came to a big field. At the end of the held she collapsed in front of a weeping willow.
She sat there for a few hours until the sun was setting and then from across the field she saw a blond-haired girl coming in the direction of the willow. Emma tried to hide behind the tree but she was immediately noticed by the young lady. The two girls started to talk together,Mary being curious of who this stranger was. Her name was Maty Richardson, she was the librarian's daughter. Mary always came to the tree every night as the sun was setting to read one of her father's many books. Emma not knowing what to do asked Mary for advice and one hour later found herself back at her father's house in front of a hearty fire with her new brother and sister, William and Anne, at her feet asking her dozens of questions.
As for Mrs. Thompson she was rather timid that night, knowing that Emma did not relish her presence in the room.
One month later, Emma had fully pardoned her father and had gotten used to the rural life of Williamsburg. She and Mary had become good friends and they always went to the willow each night at dusk to read a book.
On a warm August morning Emma went to the willow by herself . She stood there in the knee -high grass, as she heard the cracking of a branch coming from the forest which was only a few feet away. Emma cautiously walked into the forest for the first time since she had been there. Near a blackberry bush stood a girl with long hair the color of a raven, picking berries and putting them into a hand-made birch wood bowl. Next to the Indian girl stood a doe who ran away when Emma came closer. The girl turned around and backed away from Emma prudently. Emma made it clear to the girl that she would not harm her and approached the girt slowly. The girl turned out to be the daughter of an Indian chief, her name was Willow. The two girls met each other every day at dawn from that day on. Willow taught her a few of the skills she had learned from her mother and Emma did the same with her.
After having become the best of friends, Emma brought Willow into Williamsburg one day. It was market day, everyone was out of their houses. As the two girls walked down the street shoulder to shoulder the habitants of Williamsburg stared at them and walked away from them. As she arrived home William hide behind Emma's skirt as Willow came in - At the kitchen doorway John stood glaring at the Indian girl -He ordered Emma to come into the kitchen immediately. There he commanded that this Indian should leave his house at once. Emma begged him to let Willow stay but in vain Emma told Willow never to come to town again. After Willow's departure Emma's father forced Emma to never see Willow again.
Even without her father's permission Emma continued to go to the forest every morning to see Willow. They continued these meetings in the wood for several more weeks.
One day in November after a thin crust of ice had set on the soil Emma still came to the forest but this time something had altered . Anne had followed her, having heard the door close behind Emma in the morning for a few days already. Emma and Willow went to walk a little to keep warm and behind them they heard the scream of Anne. Behind Anne was a fox that was chasing her. Anne tripped over a tree root and the fox was only a few inches away from her. Willow scared the fox away with an deteriorated, old branch that she had found on the ground. Anne tried to get up but her ankle was twist so Emma and Willow ran to her to help her. Willow carried Anne in her arms to Emma's house. Mrs.Thompson was the one to open the door. Emma explained her that Anne had almost gotten bit by a fox. John thanked Willow for her act of courage and permitted her to come to their house as often as she wanted in the future.
The two girls stayed friends for several years. Willow came often to Williamsburg and the people stopped looking at her like an Indian but as a friend.
New Port Va.
July 12th,1997
Sarah Tylor finished her story just as the sun was coming out from the clouds. Her grandchildren remained at her feet even though the story was finished. The youngest child asked his grandmother who Emma was and Sarah answered , "She was your great-great-great grandmother." Sarah went back to her knitting and the children went outside to play in the sunshine.
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