by JH Terry
“Listen, dear, no one wants to know if someone really likes them, only the thought that a person likes them. If they really wanted to know the truth either they would have worked for the police or gone mad. Besides, we are not Puritans, you know. With an attitude like that I might think that you had changed your religion.”
“No, Mrs. Jacoon.”
“Good, let’s go.”
“But what about the other daughter? What was her name?”
“Adelé, dear, the sweetest thing ever. I suppose if she came back at least some of their image will lose its tarnish, but of course they cannot.”
“Why not?”
“Why, she is dead.”
Jan gasped, “Dead?” asked Georgina.
“Why yes, died years ago, an Indian party captured her and did horrible things to her, as well as to Mr. Pickles and his maid Mary. It is too horrible even to think of child.”
“Oh, but do tell me Mrs. Jacoon,” said Georgina, her voice rising in anxiousness, “you are the best person for telling me such things. Was she scalped?”
Jan had heard enough, he rushed over to the window, looking down at the elderly lady and little girl below, saying roughly and uncaringly as he had ever said anything in his life, “I will give you wretches five seconds to move along before I…”
In a bolt, both the woman and little girl ran away as Sarie went over to Jan. “Jan,” she said warmly, but he could not be comforted.
“Oh all the things in the world. One daughter run off with a prince, another daughter made into another Indian legend, what next to be immortalized in town as the only man to be so tarnished and lose all my hair by fifty? What did I do wrong to gain this horrible fate?”
“Oh Jan,” started Sarie.
“Oh no, dear, it is hopeless. Nothing seems to be going right.”
“If only we had Adelé still, then at least things would seem better now, at least we could have saved some of our reputation,” said Sarie aloud with a sigh.
“It is not too late,” said Jan to Sarie who was perplexed.
“What do you want to do? Get another girl to pretend to be Adelé?”
“No, woman, get Adelé here.” Sarie was still perplexed, when Jan, seeing her face, said, “Adelé is still alive dear.”
“What?” asked Sarie concerned. “What about the note from Uncle Pieter saying that he found their carriage broken apart and no one on the carriage?”
“Oh, that,” said Jan with a smile. “You, as usual, did not listen to all of the letter dear.”
“But I proclaimed out loud, ‘oh good, she’s dead,’ as did Higgles.”
“Well, I thought you were referring to her being out of our lives forever. Did you not listen fully to that letter? Of course she is alive, being raised in Heaven knows which ways by Uncle Pieter. Of course, she is still with Pickles and Mary.”
“Pickles and Mary? What are they still doing there?”
“Opened up a business up there with Uncle Pieter, I hear they are very wealthy up there. I just do not understand what education they have there. I guess she will be all right since Mary has been there at least. She will be growing up well and healthy, as well as be suitable enough to live here with us for a while.”
“For a while!” exclaimed Sarie. “I was only joking about bringing back Adelé.”
“I wasn’t. I need my reputation back, Sarie, and Adelé has always been favored by the others, at least now by doing this we will gain back our reputation until Higgles comes back and that prince’s neck is wrung out.”
“And what about Adelé?”
“What about her?”
“What to do with her once Higgles comes back?”
“Why, Sarie, we send her back to Uncle Pieter, maybe he can marry her off to a good old Indian chief who loves the sound of her atrocious music, that is what.”
“Yes, Jan, you are absolutely right. Why keep her here, when we only need her for that little part, and then we can finally rid ourselves of her forever and be with Higgles again…”
“Never letting Higgles out of our sights, of course.”
“Yes, never again, she is too precious to us now, never again.”
“Yes, but at least we have Adelé to help us in gaining her back.”
“Yes, Adelé.”
XV. Tomadelé
At once a note was dispatched from Jan to Uncle Pieter Fritter in the Catskill Mountains. It detailed the following.
Uncle Pieter,
I know that we have not talked for that long of a time at all. However, eight years ago I left into your care my beloved daughter, Adelé, in order that you might make her into an inspirational and mature youth. Now that she is at the age of sixteen I feel that I must take her out of your hands and make her a part of the society that still reigns here in New Amsterdam, her home. I, and Sarie, feel that this is the most appropriate time for her to get into society that she might wed an exceptional young man, and further her own fortunes in such a way. Please send our beloved daughter at once, for life without her has lost its pride and joy for so many years as we await readily her return to our hearts, making them complete once again.
Her father, your nephew,
Jan van Soothsbay
Jan and Sarie laughed with glee at the letter, sure that no one would notice the real intentions of their need for Adelé.
“It will be perfect,” said Sarie with a short laugh. “They will end Adelé down her by carriage, then we will take care of the rest. She will not be able to leave since we will have the money, as well as her reputation to discard if she does want to leave once hearing about the running away of Higgles.”
“Besides,” said Jan wickedly to Sarie. “She was never that smart at all. She will never guess that while Higgles is gone that she is merely a replacement for the time being.”
“Oh Jan,” said Sarie, her golden hair now a faded yellow like that of wheat. It was true that her former beauty had been long gone, but now she was merely worse, an old like crone, with Jan looking just the same with shorter hair. Age had definitely set in, with the cruelty of both showing obviously in their faces. “It is perfect.”
“Yes,” said Jan. “Perfect.”
* * * * * * * * *
As the days passed by Jan and Sarie waited for the arrival of Adelé. They prepared their house for the arrival, with Adelé’s room fitted with bars on its windows, just in case, and her room was next to that of Jan and Sarie, so that they could hear everything that went on I her room. However, they received a letter a week and a half later from Uncle Pieter Fritter.
Jan and Sarie looked to the letter interestingly. Why had Uncle Pieter sent it? Jan ripped open the letter and read the following.
To Jan van Soothsbay, the arrogant
I have read your letter, with some difficulty as to trying to ascertain who taught you to write and it full of more humor than the time when you were a baby and you accidentally ate the dirt on the lawn thinking it was candy (thought I forgot, hey?). I would have advised you against such a thing, I advised Adelé against going, but she wants to come all the same. So, I have written this letter to let you know that I, the illustrious Pieter Appleton Fritter, will be coming along too to ensure her a safe journey, and for you to stock in your house two months’ worth of rum, whisky, potatoes, and meat (I mean real meat like cow, no opossum like you fooled me with last time), for my one month visit (you know I like my food), or else I can demote your status in New Amsterdam to that of mere black stains on high society, understand?). We will be there by the 25 June, if not earlier, so beware and be ready.
Oh, love (huh, huh)
Pieter Fritter
Jan was furious at the letter, so furious that he did not let Sarie read its contents. “What is the date today?” asked Jan of Sarie.
“Why, the 23rd of June, why do you ask?” asked Sarie as Jan’s face looked in horror.
“Where the devil is the person who deli
vered the mail?” asked Jan as he went to the front door, opening it to see the mail deliverer wanting to be paid for his work. Looking to Jan’s face, the man was about to leave when Jan exclaimed, “What took so long for this letter to come here?”
“Storm along the way,” said the mail deliverer stunned at Jan’s anger. “Carriage almost washed into the Hudson River, the driver was very lucky.”
“Who was the driver?”
“Herbe Grench,” said the man still stunned.
“Well, you tell old Herbe Grench that he was lucky enough to survive the storm, but to watch out for he will not survive my wrath!” With a jolt the man left as Jan slammed the door. The butler Gregory stood near the door, hoping to escape Jan’s wrath, when Jan said, “Gregory, go to the market with the cook, get as much liquor and food that you can. Do it now Gregory, as quickly as possible, then the cook must be ready with that food for a feast as soon as I command for it.”
Within a few seconds Gregory had left, happy to be out of danger and finally go outside on the summer day. Sarie looked to Jan perplexed as he sat down on a chair in the living room. “What was that all about? You say nothing to me anymore?”
“Pieter will be here within two days’ time, with Adelé.”
“Pieter?” asked Sarie also slumping into a chair. “That changes everything. With him around our reputation will never be up again, even with two hundred Adelés. We should just not have them come at all.”
“Not have them come? They will be here in two days’ time, Sarie. Pieter is no fool, he knows what we are up to. We must just give him food and be as kind as possible, I do not know what to do.”
“What if we had someone wait along the road to tell them not to come?”
“Sarie, do not act stupid. He’ll find another way of coming, he always finds out a way to make everything turn out good for him.”
“Then we can kill him.”
“Kill him?” asked Jan concerned. “Why talk in such a way?” Jan stood up and walked around to see if anyone was near or listening, but there was no one, and then he walked back over to the living room to talk to Sarie.
“The food, Jan. You know as well as I do that Pieter loves to eat. So, we will simply poison him, to the benefit of us. Call it old age, I mean no one would suspect it, besides the apothecary has certain drugs that seem to act the same way.”
Jan thought on the matter, and the more he thought on it the more he liked it. “Yes, Sarie,” said Jan with a smile. “You are a very smart woman, I am just glad I have always treated you good.”
Sarie gave an evil smile back, “I know I am.”
* * * * * * * * *
It was soon the 27th of June, and Sarie and Jan waited patiently as the sun dawned upon New Amsterdam. They had prepared the rooms and food was ready since the 23rd, but no one showed, nor was their news of a carriage ahead from anyone. Then came the 24th, 25th, and the 26th, each with its waiting and concern. Sarie constantly complained about the wasting of the fresh food needed to be brought in everyday, but it seemed that nothing could change the waiting so Sarie complained in vain.
Jan was starting to talk to himself lately, telling himself that Pieter was making him wait, had used it as an excuse, that no one was coming. Jan would pace the entire living room for the day, edging to the window if he heard a carriage coming towards the house, but only to see it pass by or stop with visitors to their house, but Sarie would politely entertain the visitors as Jan would pace in the dining room, to the concern of the visitors.
On this morning, Sarie awoke to hear pacing downstairs. She saw that she was alone in her bed, Jan had obviously not been to bed since his side was not slept in. Getting out of bed and going downstairs to the living room she saw Jan, his hair is disarray as if he were a wild man, mumbling to himself again.
“Jan, it is just sun rise,” said Sarie concerned. “Did you sleep down here last night?”
“Sleep!” exclaimed Jan with an evil laugh. “She asks if I was sleeping, of course I did not sleep.” Then, Jan said in Sarie’s voice, “But why Jan when I slept so well?” Returning to his voice, he said, “Because I am waiting for him.” Again in Sarie’s voice, “Waiting for who dearest?” In his own voice, “Who? You foolish woman, Uncle Pieter. He did it on purpose, he is going to make me wait, throw me off guard, but oh no he won’t. He doesn’t know that I know that he would do exactly what he has done. You see he knows that I would naturally be sleeping and thinking that he is not coming, cunning as he is, but he does not know that I know that he would know I would do such a thing. You see, it is extreme logic, Sarie. If I do what he does not think I would do then he will not know that I am doing it and I will throw him completely off guard!” Again he laughed with an evil screech, “Yes, Uncle Pieter is cunning, but I am more cunning.”
“I do not understand one thing you are talking about,” said Sarie looking perplexed.
“You do not understand anything. I knew he would do this, he likes to make me crazy, he likes to make everyone crazy, even the very ground he stands on. He did it to my father, you know. All about that intellectual part of him, I cannot understand it. He doesn’t act normal, he doesn’t even look normal, let alone talk like a normal person. You know what he does sometimes, you can be talking to him about balls and ballets, and he goes on and talks to you about properly decapitating someone. Can you believe that? How many times my mother fainted in his presence? Then he would give a high, bellow for laughter, and act as if he were somehow better than us, though he said that he would not even have to think in that way because naturally it was already there.”
“The audacity of him,” said Sarie as she looked on what Jan said in horror.
“Yes, the audacity of him. Uncle Pieter Appleton Fritter, I wonder why his mother, Ingrid Popreun, had to re-marry to Captain Hendrik Fritter. It could have saved us some embarrassment at least. A member of our family living in friendship with those savages up North, it is an outrage, and now he will come here in his mountain furs, swarthy skin, and dirty language and manners to drive our name to the ground. Whatever happened to respectability? I do not understand the world these days, I just do not understand it.”
“Oh Jan, it will not be too bad,” said Sarie.
“Ha, ha, ha,” laughed Jan in a wild-like manner. “Not too bad, do you know what happened with him the last time he came to our house? My father said Pieter had enough to drink, but of course Pieter wanted more to drink. He ran out of the house, shouting in the street such profanities that one woman knocked over her lamp form a fainting fit and set her house on fire! Of course, they saved her and her house, but then Pieter was nowhere to be found. We then searched for him along the houses, only to find him walking around the town in his pajamas drinking whisky heavily from a jug. The embarrassment was just too much. People walked on the other side of the street, let alone even look at us.”
“Oh Jan,” said Sarie concerned.
“Oh yes,” said Jan in Sarie’s voice. Then in his own voice, “I would have never thought that at my age I would have been so embarrassed, after we worked so hard to gain back our reputation, telling off Uncle Pieter never to bother us again, though we tried our best to make him civilized to our own futility. Oh, he is a bringing of black magic, nothing more but always worse.”
Sarie was about to speak when they heard a horses approaching down the street. Looking outside, though, they just saw two hooded figures riding on horses, both with the look of being two men, though they could not see their faces.
“Jan,” said Sarie. “I think that you should have a little rest. I mean, I think that you better look saner when Uncle Pieter comes. If anything I feel he will take more satisfaction in your worry than if you are happy.”
“Oh,” said Jan noting that what Sarie said was true. “All right, I will.”
As Jan was about to walk up the stairs, Sarie behind him, there was a knock on the d
oor. Jan and Sarie stared to the door, not knowing what to do, when, after a minute of silence, the knocking returned with other knocks without stopping, as if one was pounding open the door. Jan took from off of the wall a musket already loaded and opened the door to see the two hooded people who had been on horses before.
“May I help you, strangers?” asked Jan concerned but confident.
“Yes, you may to a cup of ale,” said the person to the left, who took off his hood to show it was Uncle Pieter to Sarie’s and Jan’s surprise. “For us both,” said Uncle Pieter as the other hooded person took off his or her hood to show it was a young boy with a hat on. Yet, something about his dark brown eyes showed a spark of intelligence, whereas his hair was cropped, he wore a filthy old hat and his skin was slightly tanned and smudgy with the dirt of toil.
“Well,” said Jan with a look as if he wasn’t surprised at all, though he was. “I see that you have come Uncle Pieter with a visitor. Where is Adelé?” With a snort of laughter both Uncle Pieter and the boy laughed at what Jan had said with great amusement, though neither Jan or Sarie understood what was so funny. “At least you have maintained your sense of humor in your journey,” said Jan with a sneer at Pieter. “Now, what do you want here that you did not bring Adelé?”
