07 | saving the home

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"please help me save my home

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"please help me save my home."





Early this afternoon, Matthew went to the general store to pick up some items Marilla has asked for the night before. As the brother was at the counter settling down for a bag a flour, he turned behind him and noticed Gilbert shopping around and looking at things that were placed on the shelf. The store worker put the sack to the side as Matthew started walking over to the poor Blythe, just to see how the boy was doing.

"Hello, Gilbert." Matthew said while approaching the young boy. Gilbert was shocked when he turned around and seeing the older man behind him.

"Good day, Mr. Cuthbert." He replied and continued on looking at the items placed in front of him. Matthew paused for a second and just stared at the boy. He wasn't sure how to start the conversation, but he eventually came up with something to see how the young man was doing.

"So, uh... bit of a cold snap, eh?" He asked Gilbert.

"True enough." The boy replied short. The Cuthbert sibling understood the position he was in and not wanting to talk to anyone is understandable. He watch as the Gilbert continued looking at products on the shelf. Matthew, did indeed, feel a little awkward about this conversation, but he kept it going.

"Uh, the other day at the, um... Uh, I-I noticed that you had to leave a couple fields go fallow-"

"I haven't decided yet." Gilbert interrupted. Matthew was taken a back from the the boy's response, not comprehending what he meant by "haven't decided." Was the boy not sure he was planning on staying at his home? Or taking care of the orchards? "I'll let you know if I'm going to sell." Matthew was shocked at what the boy has said. He didn't have any interest in buying the land, but interested in helping the Blythe child to keep up with the work.

"Oh-oh, no. I'm just saying, me and my hand-boy Jerry... we'd be real happy to help out." The sibling replied. "We'll come on over in the spring if you like, get you back up and running." Gilbert was shocked at the offer and shook his head. It was a kind gesture, but the boy wasn't sure what he wanted to do quite yet. He never really wanted to be a farmer.

"I'll let you know. Thank you." The boy replied and picked out the items he planned on getting. Matthew nodded his head and walked back over to the counter.

"Shame about that vessel. Word on the the street is you had crops aboard." The shopman spoke to the man.

"Vessel?" Matthew questioned. The man behind the counter turned around to update the brother on what has happened.

"You didn't hear? Ship went down on the way to the mainland. Out of Charlottetown. And apparently, the vendor didn't have insurance so there's no recouping the loss. It's a crying shame is what it is." The man continued. Matthew was in shock. He had not heard about what happened. This whole incident means Green Gables isn't going to get any money. They're going to struggle. They're poor.

dark sunshine | GILBERT BLYTHE |Where stories live. Discover now