Try Harder

Reading Class

Trying Harder

Esther Deborah K.

1/20/13

Jogja Patriae Academy

Richie sat down on his breakfast chair, and blinked his eyes twice. His brown hair hadn’t been combed yet, and it was a mess. One of his servants put his meal in front of him. Two sizzling bacons, boiled egg and a toasted bread didn’t make his appetite rising.  His head was still spinning, because he remembered last night’s Gardiner’s party.

He picked up his glass and drank the milk quietly, but his headache seemed to mess with his brain. He didn’t sip the milk properly into his mouth, but instead, the milk dripped from the rim to the velvet night robe he was wearing. He didn’t care.

He only worried about his mothers’ plan. Just yesterday, his mom said to him that he will have a future wife and an arranged marriage, like all rich British people do. He didn’t meet his fiancé yet since last night’s ball. He actually didn’t want to come to that stupid party, but his mom forced him to. He already liked someone he knew, and he didn’t like it at all when his mom pushed him into the carriage that led him to the party place.

“This is Richard Watson, my only and eldest son,” his mom introduced him last night at the ball to his future mother in law, Mrs. Emma Gardiner who held the party.

“Oh Suzan, what a handsome boy you have!” Mrs. Gardiner exclaimed, and then she continued to babble about her daughter named Elizabeth.

Mrs. Gardiner was a fat lady with yellow hair, pinned up in a luxurious style, a British manner of elegance.  Her gestures were so ladylike, but Richie thought the way she talked was like a hyperactive parrot. Her perfume was too strong. Richie felt like he wanted to throw up.

He sneered at that noisy woman, which glared at him. She then forced a smile, because his mom was staring at that fat woman.

“Ah, yes,” Mrs. Gardiner changed the topic “I will introduce you to Elizabeth,” she turned to her black servant.

“Molly, call Elizabeth from her dressing room right away,” she ordered Molly who nodded and walked away.

In a minute, a girl came in a silky, marmalade gown. Her wavy hair was pinned up, elaborated with fur. Her waist was frilled by long clothes that drop until the bottom of the dress. She was wearing the S-bend corset, that shaped her body like an ‘S’. She held a fluffy fan that made Richie sneezed.

“This is Elizabeth, my dear daughter,” Mrs. Gardiner opened her hand, showing Elizabeth like she was the latest mannequin display in the shops.

“Pleased to meet you,” that Elizabeth said in a soft voice. Richie only gave her a bored stare.

“Yeah, yeah, nice to meet you,” Richie said while putting both hands inside his trousers. He yawned without covering his mouth, and blinked his eyes twice.

“Richard!” her mother barked at him, “Say the proper greetings.”

Richie only exhaled and glanced at Mrs. Gardiner who was glaring fiercely once more to him. “It’s a catastrophe to meet such a pampered lady like you,” then he bowed lowly and smirked.

Elizabeth’s eye widened with astonishment.

“This is preposterous!” cried Mrs. Gardiner at Richie’s mom, who was shocked. This Elizabeth could only cry.

“Elizabeth, let’s leave this uncivilized people!” her mom took her hand roughly and led her into the crowd.

Richie only could laugh inside his heart. By Christopher Columbus, that was quite a scene! Besides, that pampered girl is no better than Kate.

“Richard, what are you thinking!?” his mother shook his shoulders “That is your future wife, and in ten seconds, you make her reject our family proposal!”

“Mother, how many times I told you I don’t want a future wife! I want a normal life, without weird things happening, and enjoy my life,” said Richie and fold his hands.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” her mom massaged her head “what on earth do you want, Richard?”

“A normal life, full of adventures, making friendships with the ordinary kids,” he said.

“What about your future life then if you keep to think of this…life full of adventures? Specifically about your marriage.” his Mother questioned him.

Richie started to imagine how Kate would look in a fluffy dress like that crybaby Elizabeth had. No, definitely not her style. She’s good the way she is. Kate is always full of excitement, mischiefs and never cared her poise. She’s a good-natured girl who didn’t take rough jokes seriously and always frolicked with Richie, whether in playing boys’ games or not. She’s also one of the four ordinary kids in his school, which made her a huge difference in Richie’s school.

“Richard?” his mother asked again, surprised him from daydreaming.

“ Yeah? Uh…What is the problem with them, Mother? They didn’t do any harm, and didn’t judge you from your style and watch like my high-class friends does,” he remembered that Kate didn’t care about how she styled her hair or what kind of hat she wore. Stuffs like that never bothered her.

“Some of them never take my rough jokes seriously…” his voice started to trail off.

“No, no, Richard. Let’s end this discussion. You are going to have an arranged marriage,” his mother snapped and went out of the party hall.

Richie stopped his flash of memory, and decided to dress for school. He rose from his chair and the milk stain on his bath robe was drying. He knew that his problem is not over yet.

***

“Young Master, please don’t go to school walking!” Emma shouted from the front porch, chased Richie who was leaving at the gate.

“It’s not a big problem, Emma,” Richie grinned and made sure his mother is nowhere to be seen.

“Richard!” his mom appeared behind the servant with her hair stuck with rollers. Her feet were wearing slippers, and her left hand was holding a bottle of perfume. “It is a big problem, especially for the eldest boy of a noble family! Our family already bought a carriage for you, so get back here,” his mom ordered.

“Not today, mother,” Richie stepped out from the gate, put on his cap and ran away with his school bag.

Mrs. Watson could only groan.  

Richie ran as fast as he could, while looking at his pocket watch. Seven AM. He’s not late meeting her in front of the train station. He ran faster, and there was the building ahead. There were train horns heard everywhere, and the air was still filled with morning mist.

He saw a figure sitting on a near bench. She was reading a book; her hair was untied and blown by the wind. She turned the next page. Her eye caught Richie’s, and she put down her book inside her bag. She ran to 

him and waved her hand.

“Good morning, Richie!” she stopped in front of him with huffed breath from running.

“Ready for school?” Richie grinned. “Hey, you choose to use medusa’s hairdo today?” he teased as both of them started to walk down the streets.

“My new style,” she laughed and kicked a pebble. “Oh, is it true that you came to the Gradiners’ party last night? Julian told me that because his friend was there.”

“So…You know about it?” Richie asked Kate carefully.

“Of course! What thing I didn’t know about?” she joked, “ What is the matter with you? Today you acted unusually, like you are hiding a dog poop in your pocket,” Kate joked, which made Richie laughed at her statement.

“You see, my mom made…something weird for me. Something I didn’t want. Something I hate,” Richie exhaled and nervously played with his hands.

“Let me guess,” said Kate. She started to think, and scratched her head. “The one you didn’t want, something you hate and weird. Eel?”

“Not that.”

“Crab cake?”

“No.”

“Swimming in the sewer system?”

“No!”

“Smelling stinky shoes? Eating worms?”

“Kate, why would my mom tell me to do that?” Richie laughed so hard that people walking around them frowned with disturbance.

“Then what?!” Kate grew uneasy and shook Richie’s arm. He loved these times.

“It is hard to say this, but…” Richie started and told her the whole story.

Ten minutes Richie told everything without stopping. He had a hard time, and felt like he wanted to sink inside the earth. He studied Kate’s face. She was not smiling anymore. That made Richie wants to sink deeper. Kate listened every word attentively. Richie knew she was thinking, though she looked alright.  They arrived in front of the school.

“Although I rejected the Gardiners, I know my mom is going to search for another one. I’ve peeked into her drawers and there were full of her friends’ daughters. One of them was Elizabeth, and the others were worse than her,” Richie shook his head in fright.

“Why you don’t you ---You peeked in your mom’s drawer?” Kate just realized it.

“Ah! Never mind about that, do continue,” Richie turned red.

Kate cleared her throat. “Why don’t you tell your mom more seriously that you really don’t want it?” Kate finally said.

“But I’ve tried,” Richie started to say.

“Then it is not hard enough yet. You have to try harder,” she said sternly.

 “Richie, once when I was a little girl, I want a juicy, big, red apple that grew on the tree near my house. I tried to reach the apple, but I’m not tall enough. I climbed that tree thrice, but always fall down because I’m not strong enough. You see these scratches?”

Richie looked at the faded scratches on Kate’s arm. There were a lot, and Richie knew it requires a lot of persistence. He nodded with amazement.

“Yes, it was because of that. That time, I thought I would never can reach that tree, but I didn’t easily give up. I decided to use my dad’s ladder, but when I lifted it up, it was far too heavy for a little girl like me. I finally sat on the front porch’s stairs, figuring out how to reach for that apple. My mouth watered so much that I have to swallow many times. Then, I looked up to the ceilings and to the top of the tree. I got an idea. 

After I did my idea, I succeeded to get that apple, though I was so scared at that time. You know what did I do?” Kate asked Richie while lifting up both eyebrows.

“What?” Richie asked in interest.

“I climbed my roof and walked up there to reach the top of the tree,” finished Kate with satisfaction and a winning smile.

Richie was speechless. When he was at his age, he never had a big determination like Kate’s. The school’s bell rang.

***

“Mom, I don’t want to have a future wife,” Richie put down his school bag on the couch near the fireplace. He was frowning, determined to tell his mother seriously and to try harder.

“Richard, you have to. It’s a must,” his mother continued to knit beside him.

“Why, mother? Why I have to do this? What is your reason? Is it because I am so reckless in doing things so you search somebody to look after me?  Or…or you thought that by giving me an arranged marriage I will be more mature?” he talked so fast. He can feel himself was burning inside, and right now, he want answers.

“You will understand this when you are big enough. In these days, you only have to follow my instructions. If you thought I gave you an arranged marriage for the reasons that you mentioned, it is not because of that. I gave an arranged marriage for some specific reasons,” her mother’s tone was getting higher.

Richie’s body was tensing. “Mother, I also have the right to choose. I’m already fourteen, and I’m not a kid anymore. This isn’t a small matter like choosing what I should eat or wear. This is about my future. I don’t want to be miserable when I grew up for choosing the wrong person to be with me for my entire life. I will not give up telling you this. If I fail, then it is not hard enough yet. I have to try harder,” he swallowed hard.

“I wonder where you get this…sudden determination, son,” frowning Mrs. Watson asked and pulled a chair for Richie to sit down.

Richie started with his story about how he felt at the Gardiners’ ball, about Kate, his desire for his friendships until Kate’s childhood story. After he finished, he looked at his mother with hope for a good answer coming out from Mrs. Watson’s mouth.

“Richard, my only and eldest son,” his mother finally said and put aside her knitting aside. She paused for a moment and only the crackling of the fire was heard. “I’m always proud of you and give you the best things I could get.  I’m afraid that you will not be happy if you choose your own way. I thought when you told me you are not a kid anymore were just words, but when you told me the whole thing and your determination, I was speechless. You proved me that you are worth to make your own decision for your future.” his mother patted his shoulder.

“…That’s it? “ Richie asked his mother in disbelief. Is he dreaming or not? “You’re letting me to decide my own future?” his eyes widened and Richie’s face lit up.

Mrs. Watson only nodded and squeezed Richie’s arms with joy. He hugged his mom tightly. His feelings of happiness, disbelief were all mixed together. Richie felt like he had butterflies in his stomach and couldn’t express his joy with words. He owed that good natured, mischievous, bright, persistent and determined girl. Really, he owed Kate a lot.

*E.D.K.*