Chains Keep Us Bound

26 | Only in Trinidad

Summers had come and gone. Leaves and fallen and faded away. Life had changed, Anne and Gilbert had altered. Things would never be the same. That fateful night many years ago had ruined something they both cherished so dearly. It was to late for such frivolous thoughts now thought. First love is a beautiful thing. First love was made to stand in between in last love.

Anne had found herself turning down a proposal merely a week ago. Leaving a Roy Gardner devastated and lonely, looking for another girl. When she dreamt of being proposed to, she always thought it was going to be absolutely magical. She never dreamed of such a thing happening until the field trip so many years ago, something changed in her then.

She had finally decided to leave and figure out what she wanted. Teaching, she always said she wanted to be a teacher. It was the perfect vocation, or so she thought. She had never left Canada before and decided to go to the one place she knew someone else had found themselves. Trinidad.

Over the year Anne had become so unlike herself. She still loved to write, but her stories became less and less imaginative. She knew she needed to experience the world if she wanted to get back to who she was. To get to who she wanted to be.

Anne found room and board in a house owned by a kind old man who reminded her very much of Mathew Cuthbert. He was quiet but laughed at Anne's jokes. He told her she could stay in a room on the second story until she found a way to pay for a nicer one. He was truly a kind souls.

Gilbert Blythe had found himself finishing his first year of medical school, looking forward to a good life with a wife, a few children and a decent income. He was surprised how quickly he fell in love with Josie Pye. It was so different from anything he had ever experienced. It was all so fast and out in the open. It was almost three months ago that he proposed to her. She accepted graciously and started planning the wedding that night.

Josie has always dreamed of a big wedding, hopefully in a beautiful place like Charlotte town. She had every detail marked down to the amount of petals each flower would have. Jane Splurgeon was to be her maid of honor. They remained best friends, they always would. All the preparations had been made and it was time for the final Avonlea wedding tradition. The Man and Wife to be were to spend a week away from each other.

Gilbert has decided that he wished to spend his final days as a single man in the place he cherished most. Trinidad. Sebastian pleaded to go with him on his quest to The beloved island but Gilbert insisted on him staying. He promised Bash he'd be the first to see when he got back, he was his best man after all.

Gilbert arrived off the boat with plenty of money and a small amount of time to waste as a single Man. He took board in a small hotel ran by a kind and quiet old man. He purchased a week in a nice room on the third floor. After showering and unpacking his bag he was off to make some final memories. He remembered seeing a restaurant next door and decided that'd be a good place to start.

He walked downstairs and saw familiar red hair at the front desk. It was braided into a single intricate plait down the mysterious girl's back.

"Anne?" He whispered under his breath but quickly dismissed the thought, he was in Trinidad of all places. He could not be farther away from Anne. Or so he thought.

He walked into the restaurant and found a comfortable leather stool to sit down on. He ordered himself a logger and introduced himself to a man sitting next to him. He was around the same age with blonde curls draped across his head.

"William Mate. Pleasure to meet you." The man said in a soothing Irish accent. They both turned their attention to the door when it rang sharply, the same redhead had walked in. She quickly ran up to a table and sat alone, facing the wall across from the boys.

"Seems to be a beauty. You should talk to her." William relayed to his newly found friend.

"I've never had much luck with redheads. Besides, I'm getting married in a week." Gilbert smiled at the thought of his wife to be.

"Then I'll take a crack at it." Responded William. He lept out of his seat and sat himself across from the redhead, winking at Gilbert once he sat down.

After the two chatted for a little bit, William flagged him over. "Come join us Mate!" Gilbert hopped off of his chair and walked down the row until he stood face to face with the mysterious redhead.

"Anne."

"Gilbert."