Classics : Little Women

Chapter One

   Authors note -

At the time of I wrote this chapter I was also memorizing for the play I am in, one of my grandparents has resently had surgery and I have started taking up a new class. So I'm sorry for any and all mistakes here on out.
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Now it wasn't unlike Jo to enjoy doing things differently, for that's just who she was. She was loud and out spoken and didn't care what others thought of her. And she would write. She could write some of the best stories their town had ever seen. And was glad to be considered a Shakespeare for the newer generation by her family. But that's not exactly what she wanted.

Tucked away in a little corner of the March sisters bedroom, was a small, seemingly invisible, bundle of papers, of which were Jo's pride and joy. And though it pained her not to be able to tell her family about the story, she knew that they would never allow her to even submit something so...

...scandalous.

But it was what she had dreamed of writing for almost three years now. Writing about things that would make most people uncomfortable and blush. Things, that when people read them, most of them would have felt ashamed to have, even to themselves, admit that they enjoyed it. That they had enjoyed the rush that came with reading something so forbidden. Holding something that would have their pastor praying for forgiveness just because he, had not just enjoyed it, but finished it five times.

It was only when Jo was able to write like this, that she could find herself  truly relaxing and able to live. To truly unwind and not care about anything other then what was happening to the people in her story.

Though lately she found it harder and harder to find enough alone time to get even a paragraph done. And with yet another Christmas coming up, she found it hard to focus. With every day that passed that she wasn't able to write, she was put more and more on edge. She would snap at her siblings quicker and quicker. The longer she went the harder it became to control her temper. But if she could just make it to the end of the holidays everyone would go back to their normal routine and she would finally be able to write again.

And with the girls father away fighting. It had fallin to Jo, the Tom boy of the small family, to do everything that he had. Go out and chop the wood, keep the fire going, etc. Things, untell her father had left, she had loved doing. And so, only complaining periodically, Jo would do the work.

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After finally finishing chopping the wood, Jo sat down next to her sisters by the fire. Sprolling out in her chair from exhaustion, one hand covering her eyes, she realised something. So sitting up straighter she told her sisters.

"We won't be getting any presents this year. You can't have Christmas but no presents." her voice getting louder the longer she talked. "What's next! Easter with no eggs. Or what if we don't go to church on Sundays any more but instead on Wednesdays." she was rambling now, but no one seemed to care so she kept going, getting off her seat to pace before her sisters and the warm fire, almost yelling now she continued. "Or what about mother. What if she stopped doing her charity work and was actually home."

See the Mrs.March was always away from home doing her 'charity work' as she told her kids. Little did they know that she was doing something so much more than charity work.

"Or father desires to keep fighting and never comes back home. And-"

"That is enough Jo!" Meg, the eldest of the four, shouted to Jo. Throwing down her knitting, she stood up, grabbed Jo by her shoulders, and looking her dead in the eyes. She said calmly "Jo you know why we do this" she said waiting for Jo to answer before continuing "And you know how hard it is on mother. This is her first Christmas without him. Now do you really want to make mother upset because you're heading down that path. Jo shook her head. So Meg kept going, letting go of Jo shoulders so she could walk around and look at all her siblings. "Our men need our money and food more than we do at the moment. They are out there fighting while we sit, nice and warm and safe inside our houses. So I think, for maybe this one time, we can stop thinking about ourselves and think about others who need this stuff more than we do."

At the end of her speech though little Amy stood up, and much to Meg surprise, said "That still doesn't mean that we should be the ones having to give everything up! There are plenty of families out there much richer than us. Who have the money to spare." Just than Jo stood up next to Amy, and nodding her head in added on "Yeah and between the four of us we have what, four dollars total. Like that would help the men out sooo much." Meg who had just about givin up changing the girls mind simple asked "Fine. What do you say we should do with our meesly four dollars?" "Well..." she stopped to think "...there's this new book coming out. So we each by some thing we want. We've earned it." "So I can get my new music?" a timid little Beth said so quietly that if anyone had even yawned no one would have heard her. No simply nodded at the girl. But she wasn't done talking yet "But what will mother think?! Christmas morning comes and there is something for each of us and none for her. Would she not be disappointed with us?" No one had thought about that. "Beth you might be right" Jo said, throwing an arm around her sisters shoulder. "Well then, new plan. How about we each get something for mother with our dillar." No said leaving no room for an argument.

Just as Jo finished Mrs.March came in through the door, making all the children shut up instantly. "Well," their mother said slightly laughing, she sat down to take off her boots "glad to see you girls didn't kill each other while I was out." she looked up and smiled at each girl, who would then, in turn, start rushing about trying to make her comfortable. "Sorry I missed dinner again." It was the third time mother had not made it to dinner. It just With it being winter to soil got so tough it took so long to dig now. But changing the subject she asked "So what have you girls been doing while I was... out?" Though none of the girls seemed to notice her pause.

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At they sat their for the next hour just talking and enjoying the company of each other till even mother started yawning. "Alright," she said clapping her hands and standing up. "We had all better get to bed and get some rest." She finished looking towards the fire to see Beth and Jo sleeping before the during embers.

So mother, who was a lot stronger than she looked, picked up Jo as Meg picked up Beth, and headed off towards the girls room. "Mother?" Meg whispered as not to wake her sister "What is it darling?" "What took you so long? I was starting to get really worried. Was Mr. Thomas really that much of a hassle?"  Mr. Thomas was a man in about his late fourties whom Marmee had caught cheating on his wife, Janet. And because Janet wad one of Marmee's best friends, she decided to do something about it. "I know, I'm sorry dear. It's just that with the cold weather settling, it's my harder to dig a hole." "Well how about next time I come and help you." Meg said, gently putting Beth in her bed and tucking her in. Mother did the same to Jo be fore responding. "I would very much like that. Thank you darling."

Amy who had finished brushing her teeth walked into the room. But stopping beside the door as she heard Marmee and Meg talking. " Well how about next time I come and help you." she heard Meg say, there was a pause and some shuffling before she heard mother's response. " I would very much like that. Thank you darling." With that Amy walked into the room. Rubbing her eyes she asked "What's Meg gonna help you with Mother?' "My charity work darlin. Just my charity work." Marmee answered tucking Amy into bed as well.

By the door Marmee turned around and looked at her darling children "Goodnight." she whispered before blowing out the candle and heading to her own bed.

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The picture is Jo