To Wonderland

Chapter 1

My Parents

     "At the time," her quiet voice rasped,"ah, what a time it was. Sometimes I don't even remember where the start is and where the end was..." A hard glint shone from the icy blue depths of her eye.

     "We could always just talk about your mom and dad, how the division was... Anything you can remember from your early life." I suggest half-heartedly. Most who came from the Era of the Divide were born at the end, dead, or refused to talk about it. She nodded and stared timidly at her old shawl, trying to recall upon half-forgotten faces that had long passed. 

      "My mother... A small fragile woman with sad, weeping eyes. They seemed to always be rimmed red. She nearly had a crying fit when I wanted to go with her," She dabbed her eyes with the corners of her shawl,"I'm sorry, it's just that my mother and I never saw eye to eye. When I look back, I see that she was trying her best... Even when I wasn't exactly seeing her. She was more of a mother than I ever was."

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     "Elysia, please stop running amuck! You're going to get yourself killed one of these days." Mother scolded me from the bottom of the ladder. I was covered head to foot in grime from working on one of the smokestacks.

     "Sorry, mom. I was helping some of the dolts that think a coal shovel is just as handy as a hammer." I hopped off the final few rungs of the ladder landing right in front of her. She jumped, hand flying to her chest in fright.

     "Young lady, you almost gave me a heart attack! Do not do that again, I swear if I didn't know better you'd be a boy instead of the Lady I've raised...." Her words trailed off as she took in my appearance with a frown. She shook her head and started to walk off, tsking repeatedly. I looked down at my skirts and soot covered stockings.

      "What's so wrong with my outfit?" I called out after her, her distant form sending a scolding stare over her shoulder. Flinching slightly, I jogged to catch up with her.

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     "Recite the national mantra of peace in French." Mother's clipped tones came from behind me as I brushed my wet hair. I paused and bit my lip trying to recall the proper words. Mother had promised my tutors that even though they would no longer see me for the rest of my lesson this year, I would continue to advance my studies.

      "Right now?" I asked. Her scowling features reflected in the flimsy vanity made me wince. I sighed, I had no chance of winning today, did I.

       "La monde, uh... La monde est à répartir entre nous. Fille et.... Fille et..." I trailed off trying to recall the last few syllables.

     "La Fille et Le Garcon," she sighed, "Elysia, darling you have to learn these things. These are your final few lessons of the year. You're not in grade school anymore. Honestly, you need to grow up, for heavens sake you are fifteen!" The tone in her voice dripped wth disappointment. I didn't look up from my brush, I already knew the painful look that had replaced her usual watery smile. 

      The ships' bronze bell rang out in the distance, we sat in silence for a few minutes. Everyone beyond our door began bustling to and fro. Shouts rang out in the distance as a louder bell tolled from the beach, echoing off the surrounding cliffs. Sounds of trunks scraped across the floor all around us, women laughed and children screamed out in excitement, mother sighed softly. I glimpsed up and saw her dab her glistening eyes.

      "Finish getting dressed. We're about to land." I scrunched my nose in slight distaste. 

       "But, we're not birds," I said loudly as she turned to fix our luggage. She laughed somberly before she sobered, giving me a scolding look.

       "Eh, you are too much like your father. Not even a single moment can go by without your maddening thoughts." She smiled, a few glistening white teeth cracked through her faded red lipstick. Shouting from the end of the hall grew dim once the plank had been lowered.

        Men began shouting from the shore, rushing to find their wives and family. Mother began to hum a song, I glanced behind me to her smiling form. Chuckling I went back to fixing my appearance, pulling my gloves on I stood up. Mother skeptically eyed my appearance, gutting before walking out of our shared room with her umbrella in hand.

         "What? Mum, what's so wrong with my appearance?!" I trailed her dainty form, smiling children ran about screaming in excitement. The hallway gave way to the deck, men hugged their families in tight embraces, laughter and bittersweet tears gave way from each reunited group. Mother paused and seemed to stretch herself to find someone. I cast my curious gaze across the shoreline, my father could be anywhere.

          "Marian... MARIAN!" A man practically screamed, flailing his arms wildly. His tousled brown hair seemed to get worse with each frantic jump. Mother shook her head laughter erupting from her lips. A dark blush spread across her cheeks, I stared at her in shock. Her regal posture seemed to turn into a coy and shy young girl.

          The man shoved his way through the crowd, wild laughter spilled out from his form. Several people gave him looks of disgust that he simply shook off as he tumbled out of an embracing family.  A once pristine blue uniform was wrinkled and possibly torn, he straightened his vest before turning back to my mother.

             He ran to embrace my mother, lifting her with ease, she giggled as he twirled her around. Once he stopped spinning, both were gasping for breathing laughter still bubbling in the back of their throats. A second later mother remembered my presence, she lightly hit the mystery man and nodded in my direction.

        "Genõ, this is your daughter, Elysia." She smiled warmly at my father, he, for the first time that I had ever seen him in the past minute fell silent. His blue eyes stared at me, two drops of water seemingly from the storming ocean itself. I fidgeted under his gaze, his mouth opened and closed rapidly, he looked to my mother then back to me.

         "Well.... Aren't you going to say hello, or are you going to keep playing guppy?" I asked nervously, he broke into a fit of laughter.

          "Elysia!" Mothers scolding tone made me flinched, her face barely a shade lighter than a strawberry pastry. Father clutched his side, tears forming in his eyes from laughing.

          "She's got her father's madness alright! And you said she was difficult!" My father chuckled, casting an adoring gaze at my blushing mother. She hide her face within his wrinkled vest.