Goodness!
A different perspective indeed - now if we're getting the ADs in a different order, this can't be Carolyn; so . . . could it be Pat? or do I detect the Green hand???
Thanks ADs
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| Advent Drabbles Day 19 - Rescue http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=5444 |
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| Author: | Advent Drabblers [ Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:00 am ] |
| Post subject: | Advent Drabbles Day 19 - Rescue |
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A change in posting order today. Gaius looked up from his work as Merlin slipped in through the door and headed for his room. "Did you have a good time in Garnham?" he asked. "Yes thank you. It was interesting," said Merlin as he passed. "So what went wrong, young Merlin," demanded Gaius. "Something did." Merlin dumped his bag in his room and came back down the stairs, taking a seat at the cluttered work table. "Nothing much," he muttered, not meeting Gaius eyes. "Hmm. Tell me!" "I got to Reg's house OK. He's fine by the way, and sends his good wishes to you. It's a small village of stone-built houses, clustered round a church and a few shops. Most people have lived there for a long time, and like any village, know each others business before they know it themselves. There were a couple of exceptions. A young woman living alone with a servant, who was very friendly with Reg, and a group of four women and their children who were living opposite her. The group were only there on holiday, and three of the four women came from overseas, though they spoke English very well. I was with them quite often as they struck up a friendship with Reg, and he was up at there quite a lot. They were very friendly to us both, and I grew to like them. I'd been there for a week when the priest and his wife returned from a holiday. I'd been warned about her, as she was well known for her spiteful tongue, so I was interested in meeting her. I knew immediately I saw her that she had no magic, though she could be persuasive despite being disliked by most people, due to her husband’s position in the village. So I got very worried a little over a week later when I heard her talking outside the shop. She'd been up to visit the group of women on the Saturday afternoon, and came away with a very bad impression of them. I suspect that they stood up to her, which would be quite enough. She was commenting on the number of 'foreigners' there were there, that two of them were German (they actually came from Austria!), and that all but one of the children were Catholic. There was also something about some sort of musical instrument, and that she'd taken exception to something that had happened to it, or should have happened. They refused to do what she wanted, and I don't blame them. I wouldn't want to do anything that she wanted on principle! The talk was very nasty, and designed to turn everyone against them. They had done nothing wrong, nothing to merit this at all, except to not conform to her ideas." "So what did you do? You did something, I know! Did you use magic?" Merlin dropped his head, and looked sideways at Gaius. "I had to. I couldn't let her go on like that! I stopped her words having any meaning when she spoke bad things about other people. What she said would sound like gobbledegook to anyone listening, but perfectly clear to her!" “Merlin! That was a very stupid thing to do! What if someone had caught you?” But Gaius’ eyes were twinkling. Sshh! Keep the magic secret! | |
| Author: | abbeybufo [ Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:07 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Advent Drabbles Day 19 - Rescue |
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Goodness!
A different perspective indeed - now if we're getting the ADs in a different order, this can't be Carolyn; so . . . could it be Pat? or do I detect the Green hand???
Thanks ADs
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| Author: | Emma A [ Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:25 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Advent Drabbles Day 19 - Rescue |
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Gosh, that drabble raises more questions than it answers! Thanks, ADs.
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| Author: | Lexi [ Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:48 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Advent Drabbles Day 19 - Rescue |
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Fab 
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| Author: | PaulineS [ Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:06 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Advent Drabbles Day 19 - Rescue |
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Thank you AD. Doubt if it is the Green Hand this early!!!! | |
| Author: | Advent Drabblers [ Fri Dec 19, 2008 1:49 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Advent Drabbles Day 19 - Rescue |
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No it wasn't, that one was Pat's. I wasn't able to write mine until this morning due to lack of transcript. I've used Lesley's summary and Pat's version above to feed into mine! Eh, 'ave you heard about the Sodger? What's she been up to now, interfering old so and so? Getting put in her place, that's what! Really, who'd have the gumption to do that, I know I wouldn't. She freezes my blood every time she looks at me. Weren't one of us, was that lot of foreigners at the Witchens. What those Germans? They aren't apparently, there are two Austrians, a French girl and the fourth one is as English as you or me. Anyway, the Sodger went to visit them last Saturday, she'd want 'em in church for Sunday wouldn't she. So what happened? Well apparently she was really rude, you know how she is. Don't I just. Yeah, well she sat there, prim as you like and said all sorts about foreigners, to 'em an all. What a nerve, mind you, most have thought it since they arrived. They may be nice and polite and be helping Miss Pheobe an all, but you can't help wondering can you. No, but to say it to their faces! Anyway, then she started having a go at them about Miss Pheobe, about that there cello of hers and how she should sell it to the first young bit that comes asking. It was her dad's weren't it, well catch me if you find me selling my dad's fob watch. Some things you have to keep. Then she topped it off by reading them the riot act about sending Miss Pheobe to that big hospital. She seems to think she knows better than the doctors. So how did she get her comeuppance? Well, the foreigners were really polite through all this, and then the children turned up and were introduced. You've seen the big girl and know how pretty she is? Yes ? Well the old Sodger made a song and dance about it. Praising the girl right to her face. Has she no common sense? Apparently not. Well the English lady read her a lecture on how the girl was blessed, but knew that it wasn't any of her own doing but just how God had made her. Then one of the children, I don't know which piped up with that old saying 'praise to the face is an open disgrace'. Ha, wish I'd been there, don't think I've ever heard anyone willing to tell her off, even though we've all wanted to. Oh, that wasn't all. Even after that she had the nerve to say she presumed she would see them in church on Sunday and they turned round and said that all of them bar the eldest girl were Catholic! So she'd wasted her Saturday afternoon trying to add to the collection plate when there was never a chance and she got told off into the bargain. Wonderful. How'd you hear? Well, Debbie heard some of it, and she told Reg, who told his auntie who told her next door who told our kid who told me! | |
| Author: | Emma A [ Fri Dec 19, 2008 1:53 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Advent Drabbles Day 19 - Rescue |
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Advent Drabblers wrote:
Well, Debbie heard some of it, and she told Reg,
who told his auntie who told her next door who told our kid who told
me! I love the long line of communication there! Nice to see the villagers celebrating the Sodger's come-uppance (and their Yorkshire accents). Thanks, Carolyn. | |
| Author: | Jennie [ Fri Dec 19, 2008 2:24 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Advent Drabbles Day 19 - Rescue |
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Thanks, Advent Drabblers, these are a joy to read. | |
| Author: | Fiona Mc [ Fri Dec 19, 2008 2:30 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Advent Drabbles Day 19 - Rescue |
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Am loving these drabbles and trying to guess which scene you'll give us from each book | |
| Author: | PaulineS [ Fri Dec 19, 2008 6:03 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Advent Drabbles Day 19 - Rescue |
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Quote:
Advent Drabblers wrote: Well, Debbie heard some of it, and she told Reg, who told his auntie who told her next door who told our kid who told me! Quote:
I love the long line of communication there! Nice
to see the villagers celebrating the Sodger's come-uppance (and their
Yorkshire accents). Thanks, Carolyn. And they had the tale correct, they must have enjoyed it not to have added to it when it went through so many people. | |
| Author: | Advent Drabblers [ Fri Dec 19, 2008 7:28 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Advent Drabbles Day 19 - Rescue |
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'I know what they all think of me, the people in the village I mean. I'm not stupid. I know that, whenever I go into a shop the conversation dies away, that when I walk past a huddle of women in the street they all fall silent and just watch until I pass. It's alright for Alfred, he never has any problems; people go to him with their problems, he's always greeted cheerfully, he has the respect due to a Vicar. But what do I have? I know what they call me, how they all laugh behind my back, ridicule me. I have no one in the village with whom I am friendly, no one with whom I can laugh or chat. I never realised it was possible to be so lonely in the middle of a village full of people. I've always found it difficult to speak to people, always found it confusing. I envied those that seemed able to speak to all, regardless of whether they happened to be the dustman's wife or the Queen. Father used to laugh at me, though Mother understood, she had always been shy herself. When I married Alfred I thought hard about how I was going to manage - the wife of a Vicar cannot be shy, cannot remain a shrinking violet. In the end I decided that I would have to almost live a lie. That I would pretend to be loud, bluff, confident, everything that, in fact, I am not. it helped that I looked the part. You always expect those who are shy to be petite and quiet don't you? Yet I had inherited my Father's build and was tall and square, generally with a red face and bright eyes. No one, not even Alfred, could ever call me beautiful...oh, I forgot, Alfred does, but he does need to have at least one sin to confess to God, doesn't he? The difficulty was, once I became this character I couldn't ever show my true self. And inside, the real me would cringe and cower everytime I added to the legends of 'that Sodger'. Take the visit of those four women, for example. I had been caring for my sister's children as she was in hospital. The three little mites had all gone down with a quite severe case of mumps - in fact we were all very worried about young Lilian for a time. After that I immediately joined Alfred for a holiday in North Wales and, I must admit, spent the first two weeks just sleeping, I was so exhausted. When we returned Alfred, of course, was immediately thrust back into the normal work of a Vicar - he got a handover from the temporary one and spent some time with him. There was no one to hand over to me - the temporary Vicar was a bachelor therefore I was told nothing of all the village news. No friends, remember? Anyway, when I did eventually discover that four women and their families had taken The Witchens I was intrigued - and when I discovered that they had a number of children with them I was concerned as I'd seen none at the evening service. Whatever else is said about me I know my duties when it comes to ensuring that children attend Church. We have a flourishing Sunday School and I felt the children would be most welcome. Unfortuately I was unable to visit immediately - The Witchens is at the other end of the village to the Vicarage and the weather had been very bad. Although it was a Saturday afternoon I felt I had to go and introduce myself - I was sure they felt I had been neglectful in not coming before - after all a Vicar's wife is supposed to be hospitable, isn't she? I must admit I was very apprehensive, I knew that three of the women had strange sounding names - in fact one of them appeared to be of the nobility, and I was uncertain of how to address them. However I also knew that they were were related in some way to Sir James Russell, the great TB specialist, and was excited about this. I will admit I was also concerned about Phoebe Wychcote, while I knew that my own relations with the girl and with her father when he was alive, had never been friendly, I was worried that these people had seemed to take over her life - even persuading her to be taken in to hospital. I had an Aunt that suffered from the same disease as Phoebe, my Mother's sister - and I mean suffered. I remember visiting her when a child and seeing the gnarled hands, unable to even hold a cup, see her face continually wracked with pain. I knew that there was no cure for the condition and that young Phoebe needed money to be able to pay for her care. That's why it seemed so silly her hanging onto that cello - she had to be practical and consider her own health first. Of course she never listened to me - I could never manage to put across my viewpoint in anyway that didn't just sound like hectoring and bullying. So I went to see them, and that was a real mistake too - first of all, although I knew three of the women had foreign sounding surnames it hadn't prepared me for the fact that they were, themselves, foreign! Oh I had no real problem with Mme De Bersac - after all I'd heard of the Free French, but the other two? What on Earth were two German women doing in Yorkshire in the middle of wartime? Of course I later discovered they were Austrian but even so - I understand Hilter was an Austrian too! Then there was Mrs Maynard, a very forceful character, and so totally certain of herself and her place in the world - I could feel myself cringing within and, to cover it up, I became even more bluff and bombastic than normal. I was very silly in all I said about Phoebe and that cello - I'll admit, but I was very worried that the poor girl had been dragged off and given false hope about her illness, that she would suffer such terrible disappointment when she found that her condition could not be cured. I did try to make amends, I'll admit, but even that went horribly wrong. The eldest girl, Mrs Maynard's niece and Sir James Russell's daughter, was an absolute picture. I don't think I have ever before, or since, seen such a lovely child. I did the same as any normal person would do, I mentioned it, praised her beauty. You would think I had asked her to worship Satan! The poor child cringed and looked embarrassed while I was treated to a lecture from Mrs Maynard on how this was God's work, nothing to do with young Sybil - as a Vicar's wife I was already aware of this, and will praise God's work in all things - but being rebuked for saying, truthfully, that a child was beautiful. I had had enough but I did remember my duty and enquired as to whether I would see them at Church the following day, the young Sybil answered me quite politely but then Mrs Maynard seemed to take pleasure in confirming that the rest were all Catholic. As I said at the beginning, I know what they all think of me - and now it seems that the four women at The Witchens feel the same. I will speak with Alfred - perhaps he can arrange for us to go to a different parish, one where perhaps people are a little more understanding, and where, perhaps, I won't be quite so lonely. I'm sure, if I just tried to be myself, then I might be able to manage.' | |
| Author: | Sarah J [ Fri Dec 19, 2008 7:56 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Advent Drabbles Day 19 - Rescue |
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Ooh - very unexpected point of view and so sad. | |
| Author: | Carolyn P [ Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:02 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Advent Drabbles Day 19 - Rescue |
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Such a different point of view, thanks. | |
| Author: | PaulineS [ Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:18 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Advent Drabbles Day 19 - Rescue |
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Love the different perspective. What a lonely woman you portrayed AD. Thanks for todya drabble ADs. | |
| Author: | PaulineS [ Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:18 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Advent Drabbles Day 19 - Rescue |
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Love the different perspective. What a lonely woman you portrayed AD. Thanks for todya drabble ADs. | |
| Author: | Alison H [ Fri Dec 19, 2008 11:43 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Advent Drabbles Day 19 - Rescue |
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Good to see a different viewpoint - thanks ADs
.You do realise that you can't leave this after 24 books and that you're going to have to carry on all the way to the end of the series, don't you  ?
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| Author: | Cath V-P [ Sat Dec 20, 2008 1:17 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Advent Drabbles Day 19 - Rescue |
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Goodness, that was rather sad - trapped in a persona that everyone dislikes and knowing it. And probably people would have understood better if she had been shy in the first place, poor woman. And the other two drabbles were fun! | |
| Author: | Susan [ Sat Dec 20, 2008 11:11 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Advent Drabbles Day 19 - Rescue |
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This is one scene that will never be the same again when I read. Love the bit about Merlin and the local gossip. Poor 'Sodger' I never thought of her as being lonely before. | |
| Author: | Smile :) [ Mon Dec 22, 2008 9:05 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Advent Drabbles Day 19 - Rescue |
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Thanks ADs. Love the way the local gossip went. Poor old sodger, what a shame that Jo jumped down her throat when she was only trying to be nice. | |
| Author: | Fiona Mc [ Wed Dec 31, 2008 2:14 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Advent Drabbles Day 19 - Rescue |
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Love the different point of view of Sodgar. That is so sad, and people do tend to judge shyness pretty harshly. Thanks AD's | |
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