Thursday morning finally arrives, and Will opened the store at 8AM. Instead of working the afternoon shift, he was covering the morning shift so he could catch the evening train at the Old Colony station to Fall River. He already had an overnight bag packed and waiting at home, and Aunt Elisia had said she would stay with Uncle Frank for the next two nights.
For his own part, Will was beside himself with excitement. The day couldn’t move quickly enough for him.
Four o’clock finally arrived, and Will was out the front door of the store like a shot, waving goodbye to Uncle Benjamin. “See you on Saturday, Willie. Good luck!” the older man called, laughing.
Will caught the horse trolley to Kneeland Street, bought his ticket for the Boat Train, and waited impatiently in the lobby of the massive train station. While waiting, Will listened to the porter announce the arrival and departure of many trains. Other people gathered in the lobby as well, waiting to board their own train and move on to their own destinations, or wait for loved ones and friends to arrive. As people boarded and departed, the station population continuously grew and decreased.
As it grew closer to the arrival of his train, Will noticed a difference in the people waiting to board. Most looked like seasoned business travelers, carrying only a small traveling bag and an overcoat. Will hadn’t brought much luggage, but he felt like a beginner on this road, and wondered if he looked as nervous as he felt. Then he heard it!
“Fall River Boat Train now boarding! Fall River Boat Train now boarding!” the porter shouted out suddenly. The crowd began to move around him, merging toward the door.
Will waited until most of the people had started to board, and then fell in behind the group, finding a seat that was unoccupied. He didn’t particularly want to sit with anyone else, and was quite sure that he didn’t know anyone on the train. Riding alone would give him time to think and plan.
Within a few minutes, the train bell outside rang loudly, and the porter shouted, “All aboard! All aboard!” Then the train started to slowly chug forward and rock slightly from side to side. Will settled down into his seat for a quick nap, leaning his head against the window. The train was due into Fall River in an hour and a half – the perfect amount of time for a nap.
In his light slumber, Will suddenly heard a gentle voice asking him, “Is this seat taken, sir? Sir, is this seat taken next to you?”
He woke up, turning his head to his left to see a pretty young woman standing next to him, trying to get his attention. She set her bag down on the seat next to him.
“I’m sorry. What did you say, ma’am?”
“I asked if this seat next to you was taken,” she replied, taking off her elaborate hat and placing it on the seat.
“No, ma’am, it isn’t. You’re welcome to it, if you’d like,” he answered, wondering what such a girl was doing traveling on her own.
She nodded in thanks. “Thank you, sir. I would like that very much. Much obliged.” She lifted her traveling bag from the chair and moved it to the compartment above her. “My name is Savannah Jourdan,” she said, extending her right hand in greeting.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Jourdan. My name’s Will Austin.” He offered her his left hand instead, and she accepted it without further questions.
“You may call me Anna. Everyone but my parents does. Oh, and my grandmother. She calls me Savannah.”
Will cleared his throat and sat up in his seat since, knowing that it was polite to make conversation with her, rather than going back to sleep. He remembered Anna using the phrase “much obliged” in her initial contact, and remembered that being a term used by people in the Southern States. Occasionally, Elizabeth would use that term, and she was born and raised near Atlanta. Will filed the information away for later, but didn’t ask her about it now. They had a long train ride ahead of them, and plenty of time to get to know each other.
“May I call you Will, or do you prefer Mr. Austin?” Anna asked suddenly.
He laughed. “Please, call me Will. Everyone does, except for my family. They call me Willie, but I don’t prefer to be called that. I think it’s a child’s name. They’ve been calling me Willie since I was a little boy, so I guess, even as a grown man, they still use that name.”
“I think that’s a cute name for a child, but not for a grown man. I like Will. That suits you.”
“Thanks!” Will said, uncomfortable with the personal turn of the conversation. He didn’t know this woman at all, and here he was discussing his childhood name with her. He found, though, that he wanted to know more about her. He’d been taught that was impolite to ask personal questions, but he was curious about this woman. He sat in his chair in silence, wondering what to talk about without asking personal questions. Then he had an idea. He remembered being told one thing that women always liked, and that was to be complimented on what they were wearing. Surely that would be safe topic of conversation.
“That’s a beautiful dress you’re wearing. Did you buy that in Boston?” Will asked out loud. After he said it, he realized that he might have been too loud, and dropped his voice.
“Thank you, Will. That’s a wonderful compliment. I made it myself a couple years ago. It’s one of my favorites. My grandmother owns a seamstress shop in New York City, and I go there on the weekends to help her. I’ve been sewing my own clothes since I was a child, growing up in Memphis.”
Great question! Will thought to himself. He’d got some personal information about her after all, and without asking anything improper.
“I thought I detected a Southern tone to your voice, and your use of the words. ‘Much obliged’ gave you away,” Will answered, proud of himself.
“I’m going to have to be more careful. I’ve tried to get away from using common words from back home. Since attending school here in Boston, I’ve been trying to be more sophisticated in my words, but my heritage keeps giving me away,” Anna said, slightly dejected. “I’ve been coming to visit my grandmother since I was fifteen, over seven years ago, and have been trying to learn the words and phrases common to this area. Most of the time I do pretty well, and nobody would suspect me from out of the area, unless I say something from back home. Trying to fit in, you know.” She gave him a wry smile, acknowledging that it didn’t always work.
“Why are you so focused on forgetting your heritage?” Will asked, confused. “I’ve heard Memphis is a beautiful city, especially since it’s on the Mississippi River.”
She shrugged. “Don’t get me wrong, Will. I love Memphis. It is a beautiful city, so beautiful and beguiling that it can keep a grip on you and not let you go.” She paused, thinking a little harder about her next words. “But I want to see more than just Memphis. I want to see New York and Chicago and San Francisco and Boston and so many other cities. So I left my home behind, and try to fit in with the larger world.”
Will remembered himself as a young man, growing up in Boston and having the same feelings as Anna did. Wanting to be someplace other than where you were. He also remembered Mary explaining the difficulties of being a female doctor. She was expected to get married and have children, but instead she wanted to go to college. She found her direction in life there, and found that she wanted to see the wider world as well.
“I know exactly what you mean, Anna.” He responded quietly.
“You do? Nobody seems to understand when I try to explain all this. Everybody in my family says I should just be happy in Memphis, find a man, get married, and have children.” She expelled a huge sigh. “There’s nothing wrong with all those things, and for somebody else it might be fine, but it’s not what I want. I want something different.”
“Do you know what that, ‘something different’ is yet? You said you were attending school in Boston? What are you studying?” Will looked directly into her eyes, finding his interest in this woman’s life growing by the minute. He noticed her hesitation over her next words, and wondered whether she was going to tell him the truth.
“I’m studying to become a Methodist minister at Boston University.”
He could see that she was watching his face closely for his response, and composed his features. “Why, that’s wonderful!” he said truthfully. “I don’t know anything about that religion, so maybe you can teach me a few things.”
“I would love –” Suddenly they heard the porter announcing the arrival of the train to Fall River, and the transfer to the steamship Pilgrim. Will looked out the window, shocked. Had they arrived already?
“That was definitely the fastest ride I’ve ever taken. Are you transferring to the steamship to New York?” Anna asked eagerly.
“Yes, I am. This is my first time. Maybe you can show me around the ship.”
“I would love to! I thought I hadn’t seen you before, since most people who take these rides are regulars.”
Will was flattered that she noticed him out of all the people on the train, and happy that he now had a guide. He wouldn’t have to travel into the city on his own, and it looked like he’d just made a new friend.
Thank goodness he took the doctor’s advice, and came into New York City!
No comments:
Post a Comment