Pen and Paper
One
It was the year of 1956. The sound of music filled the halls of the escape house as ten year old Eloree Provence pressed down gently on the keys of the piano in her room. She was trying to learn Tanga, a piece that had come out many years before she was even born. It reminded her of her early childhood, her life before the war, before her father died. Her father used to hum the tune whenever he tried to comfort her, and right now, she really needed comforting. Between taking care of her mother and listening to news about what was happening outside, she had no more time to really be the child that she used to be. She was just getting the hang of the song when she heard a soft creaking noise from behind. She turned around to see a younger boy peeping into the room.
She gasped softly, running over to the door. She pulled him in and shut the door as quickly and quietly as she could. “Are you CRAZY?” she whispered. “We’re not supposed to even see each other. We could get kicked out of here if they catch us.” When the boy failed to reply, she sighed. “Well, there’s nothing we can do now but hide you somehow. What’s your name?”
He opened his mouth, but only gibberish came out. He bit his lip, embarrassed. The young boy then looked at her, and then around the room. ‘What’s up with this kid..?’ Eloree thought as he stood up and approached a table beside the piano. He picked up a pen and paper, and scribbled something down. He walked back to where he was standing and handed the pad over to her.
‘Can’t really talk that well. Hi. My name is David. What’s yours?’
After reading the note, the female smiled with a look of understanding on her face. “Oh, I get it, that’s why you didn’t answer earlier.. Well, David, I’m Eloree, and just so you know, you’re gonna get in trouble just for being here..”
He nodded solemnly and took the pad from her. ‘Yes, I know, but I liked the song. So I don’t really care.’ he wrote. He showed it to her, then wrote again. ‘You’re good.’ To this, she blushed. “I’m not that good, but thank you.”
Suddenly, the two children heard the sound of footsteps getting louder. “Oh no!” Eloree grabbed his hand and opened the door of her closet. “Stay here, alright?” He nodded, stepping inside, and the closet door was closed.
Just then, the door opened, with the owner of the escape house, Alexandra, standing at the doorway. Alexandra was an extremely strict woman, and the almost angry look on her face was enough to make Eloree feel like she wanted to shrink and disappear. “Good morning, Ms. Alexandra.” She said softly. The older woman nodded dismissively and craned her neck, examining the room. “I thought I heard voices coming from this room, Eloree. Is there something you would like to tell me?”
Eloree squirmed just a little bit, not liking the look Alexandra was giving her. “No, ma’m.. I was just playing by myself..” she looked up, meeting the woman’s eyes. “I miss my friends very dearly, you see. I wish I could visit them is all.”
Alexandra pushed up her glasses with a long, thin, finger. She nodded reluctantly, though her gaze never left Eloree’s. “You know you cannot leave this house, little one. Not until the war is over or the house gets destroyed. Whichever comes first.” She scoffed. “How stupid of you to even ask.”The eight year old hung her head, feigning shame and disappointment. “I’m very sorry, Ms. Alexandra. I won’t ask again.” She muttered, hoping that such an apology would make her forget about the voices she’d heard earlier.
Stepping closer, Alexandra pulled Eloree’s long, brown locks into a neat ponytail and tied it up with a ribbon. “Very good, then. I’ll see you at dinner, and keep your hair up. We may be in the middle of a war, but we must all look dignified still.” With that, the old woman left.
Eloree sighed a sigh of relief. She opened the closet up again, and David ran out, almost bumping her. “Yep! You’re safe now.” She said, patting his back. “But.” She said, putting her hands on his shoulders and looking straight at him. “We have to make sure we don’t get caught if we’re going to keep hanging out like this.”
He grinned, amused with what she’d said. Not only did she agree that they should keep the blooming friendship up, but she was willing to break the rules for it, too. He nodded, and on Eloree’s request, the two did a pinky swear on it. “You have to go now.” She said, sounding just a little sad. He shook his head and picked up the pad he was using earlier. ‘Can I hear you play that song again?’
She giggled at the request. “Sure, sure, of course.” He placed the pad back where he’d found it earlier on the table as she sat at the piano again, playing the now familiar melody that had brought this new friend to her. He swayed gently to the music, loving the way he could almost feel every note flowing into him. When the song finished, he gave her a thumbs up as a way of saying goodbye and went towards the door. It was when he put a hand on the doorknob that he heard her voice again.
“David, wait!”
He turned to see her picking up the pen and pad paper that he had been using earlier. She approached him and put them into his hands. “Write me, okay?” When he responded with a blank, somewhat confused expression, she explained. “We can’t always see each other, so it’ll have to do.”
He smiled one final time and nodded as he sneaked out, disappearing as quickly as he’d come.
She gasped softly, running over to the door. She pulled him in and shut the door as quickly and quietly as she could. “Are you CRAZY?” she whispered. “We’re not supposed to even see each other. We could get kicked out of here if they catch us.” When the boy failed to reply, she sighed. “Well, there’s nothing we can do now but hide you somehow. What’s your name?”
He opened his mouth, but only gibberish came out. He bit his lip, embarrassed. The young boy then looked at her, and then around the room. ‘What’s up with this kid..?’ Eloree thought as he stood up and approached a table beside the piano. He picked up a pen and paper, and scribbled something down. He walked back to where he was standing and handed the pad over to her.
‘Can’t really talk that well. Hi. My name is David. What’s yours?’
After reading the note, the female smiled with a look of understanding on her face. “Oh, I get it, that’s why you didn’t answer earlier.. Well, David, I’m Eloree, and just so you know, you’re gonna get in trouble just for being here..”
He nodded solemnly and took the pad from her. ‘Yes, I know, but I liked the song. So I don’t really care.’ he wrote. He showed it to her, then wrote again. ‘You’re good.’ To this, she blushed. “I’m not that good, but thank you.”
Suddenly, the two children heard the sound of footsteps getting louder. “Oh no!” Eloree grabbed his hand and opened the door of her closet. “Stay here, alright?” He nodded, stepping inside, and the closet door was closed.
Just then, the door opened, with the owner of the escape house, Alexandra, standing at the doorway. Alexandra was an extremely strict woman, and the almost angry look on her face was enough to make Eloree feel like she wanted to shrink and disappear. “Good morning, Ms. Alexandra.” She said softly. The older woman nodded dismissively and craned her neck, examining the room. “I thought I heard voices coming from this room, Eloree. Is there something you would like to tell me?”
Eloree squirmed just a little bit, not liking the look Alexandra was giving her. “No, ma’m.. I was just playing by myself..” she looked up, meeting the woman’s eyes. “I miss my friends very dearly, you see. I wish I could visit them is all.”
Alexandra pushed up her glasses with a long, thin, finger. She nodded reluctantly, though her gaze never left Eloree’s. “You know you cannot leave this house, little one. Not until the war is over or the house gets destroyed. Whichever comes first.” She scoffed. “How stupid of you to even ask.”The eight year old hung her head, feigning shame and disappointment. “I’m very sorry, Ms. Alexandra. I won’t ask again.” She muttered, hoping that such an apology would make her forget about the voices she’d heard earlier.
Stepping closer, Alexandra pulled Eloree’s long, brown locks into a neat ponytail and tied it up with a ribbon. “Very good, then. I’ll see you at dinner, and keep your hair up. We may be in the middle of a war, but we must all look dignified still.” With that, the old woman left.
Eloree sighed a sigh of relief. She opened the closet up again, and David ran out, almost bumping her. “Yep! You’re safe now.” She said, patting his back. “But.” She said, putting her hands on his shoulders and looking straight at him. “We have to make sure we don’t get caught if we’re going to keep hanging out like this.”
He grinned, amused with what she’d said. Not only did she agree that they should keep the blooming friendship up, but she was willing to break the rules for it, too. He nodded, and on Eloree’s request, the two did a pinky swear on it. “You have to go now.” She said, sounding just a little sad. He shook his head and picked up the pad he was using earlier. ‘Can I hear you play that song again?’
She giggled at the request. “Sure, sure, of course.” He placed the pad back where he’d found it earlier on the table as she sat at the piano again, playing the now familiar melody that had brought this new friend to her. He swayed gently to the music, loving the way he could almost feel every note flowing into him. When the song finished, he gave her a thumbs up as a way of saying goodbye and went towards the door. It was when he put a hand on the doorknob that he heard her voice again.
“David, wait!”
He turned to see her picking up the pen and pad paper that he had been using earlier. She approached him and put them into his hands. “Write me, okay?” When he responded with a blank, somewhat confused expression, she explained. “We can’t always see each other, so it’ll have to do.”
He smiled one final time and nodded as he sneaked out, disappearing as quickly as he’d come.