Between the words: Anne with an E

Letter 3

BLYTHE

Gilbert was certain of one thing, and that alone. That in this moment, his roommate was the principal, the epitome of dramatic. There in their dorm, after yet another late night of drinking, Earnest was groaning his way through the day. First with each bite of eggs he would pause to groan, next at each mention of assignments and additional reading he would groan. Gilbert thoroughly hoped that by this time next year he would be able to exclude himself from whatever it was his roommate was going through. Finally Gilbert gave in at what seemed to be the hundredth groan to ask what the matter was.

"My mother and father want me to marry this American girl by the name of Phoebe McGowan, have you ever in your whole existence heard a more unattractive name than that. And worst yet, I am to spend my free weekend with our families by the lake. I hate the lakes and I surely hate the McGowan's" he spattered as if he were a hungry five year old child.

"Have you ever met Miss McGowan?" Gilbert asked calmly. But his mind repeated the question of, why on earth was he entertaining these ideas. But with a hundred and one better things to do, Gilbert sat for an hour or do listening to the perils of Earnest whom, willing or not was probably going to meet the McGowan's.

The next morning brought less groaning along with the much anticipated response to his letter from Anne. Thankfully he had checked his post before breakfast and thus had time to read it in somewhat privacy. Moving to the window for better light he opened the letter and smiled. His smile only grew on reading the final lines. And in that moment his certainty grew. He made the right choice in choosing Anne and Toronto.

--

"Blythe has a lady friend" Earnest's voice came over the silence. Gilbert met his gaze and shrugged. It was pointless denying the fact. He slipped the letter into the safety of his jacket pocket and joined his friends for another tasteless or awful tasting breakfast.

"So who is she?" Earnest asked as he swallowed his food.

"She is someone I grew up with and am currently getting to know" Gilbert added. He wasn't quite sure what he and Anne were, but he hoped they in the future they could be more than just pen pals.

"She must be more beautiful than the likes of Phoebe McGowan, and the food smells like rotten pigs" and like that the blissful morning turned into a one of complaining alike all the others.

Gilbert didn't utter a sound. Anne certainly was beautiful to him, but that held very little value to the direction of the conversation. In fact he had much rather spend his time replying to the letter then listening to student gossip. Excusing himself quickly, Hilbert slipped into the empty classroom and began to write.

Dearest Anne,

I am fumy aware of your dislike of your colour hair, but I must confess that ever since my carriage tolled away from you, it is all that i have thought about. Thinking of it now, i remember that night at the bonfire with our class. I had com to confess my feelings and inquire after yours. And seeing you there full of life is the image that i take with me through the days here in Toronto.

I just received your letter and couldn't wait to reply. Your letter gave me hope that the days until the winter holiday will come sooner than we can realise. And that perhaps letters are a rather good place to start. I suppose they are better than not having any connection to you at all.

I want to apologise for all that of the past. It is so clear to me now how my actions have caused you confusion and pain. So, I am truly sorry. I was blind to seeing what had been right in front of me, and it took the thought of never seeing you again, for me to realise that, that was not something I was nor am willing to do.

And so I ask you to wait for me. And I promise to do all I can to come back to you and be someone worthy of your thoughts. Because if this is a dream Anne, then I must be dreaming too.

My class is just about to start, and so i must leave you with these final thoughts. Please work hard and check up on Sebastian if you find yourself in Avonlea, I suspect he must have gotten too busy to have written to me.

Yours longingly,
G.B.

Gilbert had never expressed himself so truly like that before and so it was almost daughting a thought to mail something so intimate to someone. But he had to ask, to find out if she was thinking of him as much as he though of her. The next time to go back to Avonlea was more than a month away. And the time seemed to mock him and his patients.

"You are a keen one aren't you?" A raspy voice announced behind him. Looking around hr noticed his teacher standing behind him, the older gentleman still wore his wet hat and coat as if just arriving from a chilly morning.

Standing up quickly Gilbert cleared his throat "Yes sir" he answer surely.

"And your name boy?" He asked pointing a finger

"Gilbert Blyth sir" he replied mote quickly this time.

"Ahhh, you wrote a very interesting paper on herbal remedies did you not. The most original paper I have read in years" he replied nodding

"Thank you sir, I observed a community of native peoples use it sir, and the healing time increased most exponentially" he replied.

"Yes, they sure know how to stay healthy. Why, I am hosting a dinner at my home with a collection of bright minds, I say, you should attend Mr Blyth" he muttered approvingly.

"Thank you sir" Gilbert added as the man hobbled down the row of seats to his teaching podium. It seemed like a complete shock to have received such a complement from such an esteemed professor. Gilbert was honoured and quickly sealed the letter addressed to Anne so that he could post it before lunch.

It seemed but just moments when the class began to fill and the class begun again. Learning about the body and medicine seemed to be far mote captivating then simple equations and spelling complicated words all day. Each extract of knowledge seemed to be so useful and captivating.