Sirene (Wattys 2014 Entrant)

Chapter 5

“What is all the commotion?” Oceana asked Beth. “How come we’re made to dress up neat and prim?”

“Today is Saturday, that is why,” Beth replied. “Come on, Oceana, hurry and wash your face, there are other girls behind you and we have limited time.”

“Is there anything special about it being Saturday?” ‘

“Only that it is the day when Miss Patterson comes to visit.”

“Who?”

“Miss Patterson. She is our benefactress.”

“Our benefactress?” Oceana lifted one eyebrow, a habit she had when she was puzzled and skeptic at the same time.

“Yes.” Beth grabbed Oceana’s hand and dragged her in line. “She is a very wealthy lady, of good family and a good position in society.”

“And she just gives money to the orphanage?”

“Every month she makes a large contribution. Where do you think the French teacher and the music teacher come from? And how about the beds and the tables and the fact that we are so well dressed?”

“You call this well dressed?” Oceana gazed at her uniform with disgust.

“Of course we do. Look, the material is good and the dresses are not faded out or, but new, all this is thanks to the fact that Miss Patterson is so generous with her money.”

“Aha, and now out of the blue she’s coming to visit the orphanage?”

“Oceana, did you hear anything I said? It is Saturday. Every Saturday she visits the orphanage.”

“Every single Saturday?”

“Well, no, every second and fourth Saturday of the month.”

“So twice a month she comes here and what?”

“We all get dressed neatly and sit in the hall and she comes in and looks at us and talks with Miss Morgan and then she may ask some questions and then she goes home.”

“And the point of her visit…?”

Beth thought for a moment then shrugged.

“Didn’t anyone ever ask her?”

“You don’t ask people like that such questions, Oceana.”

“You don’t, but I do and I will most certainly ask her.”

“Oceana, you will do no such thing,” Beth was quite taken back at the forwardness of her daring friend.

“Why won’t I? It’s not like she is the Queen of England.”

“It wouldn’t be proper for you to do something like that. It would be considered terrible manners not to mention the fact that Miss Morgan would never forgive you if you did it.”

“I can’t live my whole life in total fear of what Miss Morgan will and will not approve. I…”

“You don’t have to be afraid of Miss Morgan your whole life,” Beth interrupted, “but as long as you live here you should be.”

The girls reached the hall and all sat down on the long benches. Oceana let Beth slide in first then settled herself at the edge of the bench. Miss Morgan came walking up to her.

“Oceana, I want you to be on your best behavior, do you understand? No nonsense from you, not today. Don’t speak unless you are spoken too and no tall tales. Is that clear?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“The last thing I need is for you to do or say something ridiculous in front of Miss Patterson!” Miss Morgan worried as she took her place at the head of the hall.

“Hey, mermaid,” Shirley, who was two girls away from Oceana, leaned forward, “how about producing some proof about you being what you claim to be. Then maybe Miss Morgan won’t be so mad at you all the time.” She gave a giggle at this.

“It’s half-mermaid to you,” Oceana replied. “And I don’t have any proof.”

“What about the necklace? Hmmmm? Show us all the necklace, the one that your supposed mother supposedly gave you.”

“I don’t have it with me.”

“Oh, that is a pity. Who has it if you don’t?”

 “Chandler had it.”

“Aha, and where is Chandler?”

“I don’t know.”

“And Callum?”

“Same answer.”

“So, you don’t have any proof and you don’t know where the only people who could vouch for you are. And you still have the nerve to go around and make such claims. You do realize that all the odds are against you? How do you think people will believe your absurd claim if you don’t have any proof?”

“I don’t think anything. You all asked for a past, I gave it. If you don’t believe me that really isn’t my problem.”

“Such a stubborn little…”

“Shhh!” Miss Grey hissed. “Oceana, Shirley, the pair of you shut your mouths. I want absolute silence from all of you.”

Shirley made a face at Oceana, who only shook her head at such immature behavior.

“There she is,” Beth gave Oceana a poke and motioned towards the door. Sure enough, a lady had just entered. She looked like was in her early forties and was dressed in new and expensive clothing. She wore expensive jewels and a hat with a feather and a long parasol and walked very elegantly. Oceana watched her every movement with great interest.

“She looks like a very well bred lady,” she whispered to Beth.

“She is. I’ve told you that’s she’s well known in society and…”

“Girls!” Miss Grey’s sharp whisper cut Beth’s sentence in two. “What did I tell you?”

Oceana and Beth stopped talking and looked straight ahead. Miss Patterson had already reached the front of the room and taken a seat.

“Miss Morgan,” she said in a pleasant voice, “I noticed a new girl. Over there, sitting on the edge, that’s a face I haven’t seen before.”

“You are very observant, Miss Patterson,” Miss Morgan replied. “Yes, Oceana is our newest arrival. Tuesday will mark a week since she has come to us.”

“She is a very beautiful child,” Miss Patterson pointed out. “Very outstanding features, and such large, beautiful eyes.”

“Charm that mask’s deceit,” Miss Morgan couldn’t stop from saying those words.

“Why, my dear Miss Morgan, whatever could you mean by those words?”

“She is a social calamity Miss Patterson. Oh, academically she is very advanced. The child can read, write and speak fluently in both English and French. Madam Deboius was quite surprised at how good her French is.”

“It is astounding,” Madam Deboius put in. “The girl speaks French like a true Frenchman…only…only there is something in her accent that I couldn’t quite make out.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, at first I thought it was just her English accent coming through. But the interesting thing is, her English is also slightly flavored with an accent, a French accent mixed with some other sort of accent that I just can’t place.”

“Probably Gaelic,” Miss Morgan put in.

“Gaelic?” Miss Patterson exclaimed. “The child can speak Gaelic?”

“She claims she can. She most certainly can sing in Gaelic. The girl is far above her peers in the way of scholastics. But socially, Miss Patterson, I don’t know what brought that child up. She has no sense of discipline; she refuses to obey the rules and constantly insists on doing things her own way. She’s quite the heathen too, didn’t know anything about saying prayers when she came here. I am finding her quite hard to deal with.”

“It sounds like she has quite an interesting personality. I should like to speak to her. Do you think you call her over?”

***

“What are they talking about there?” Oceana leaned over to Beth. “I don’t know about you, but I’m dying from boredom. Is this the way each visit goes?”

“Pretty much," Beth shrugged.

“I can’t believe it,” Oceana widened her eyes in a show of impatient surprise. “So basically we are her charity project and she comes here every so often to remind herself what a wonderful person she is.”

“Oceana,” Beth shook her head, “You must not say things like that. Oh look, Miss Morgan is coming our way. I hope it’s not because we were whispering.” Little Beth shut her mouth and gazed straight ahead, trying to look innocent of any crime she might be accused of.

“Oceana,” Miss Morgan said once she had gotten to where Oceana was sitting. “Come, Miss Patterson wants to meet you. Remember what I said about your manners and don't go saying too much of anything.”

The rest of the children gazed in surprise as Oceana was led up to the front where Miss Patterson sat.

“What is your name, child?” Miss Patterson asked.

“Oceana, ma’am.”

“Oceana, that is a unique name. Not one I have ever heard before. Who gave it to you?”

“Chandler did.”

“Was Chandler your father?”

“No ma’am, he is the man who pulled me out of the boat.”

Miss Morgan reached over and gave Oceana a bit of a pinch.

“Pulled you out of the boat?” Miss Patterson was intrigued. “What were you doing in that boat?”

“My mother put me in that boat to save me.”

“Oh, so that’s how it is. What was she saving you from?”

“Not from what, from who. She put me in there to save me from my grandfather.”

“What did your grandfather want to do with you?”

“He would have mistreated me because I am a half-breed.”

“A half-breed?” Miss Patterson was quite puzzled. Miss Morgan roughly tugged on Oceana’s hand, but Oceana just shook her off.

“Who were your parents?”

“My father was a sailor.” Oceana stated.

“And your mother?”

A hush fell over the entire hall. Miss Grey looked pleadingly at Oceana, Miss Morgan gave a firm shake of her head. Beth caught her breath, but Oceana didn’t hesitate for a second.

“My mother was a mermaid.”

“Your mother was a half fish half human?” Miss Patterson was quite taken back with Oceana’s matter of fact statement and unsure of how to react.

“No, not all mermaids are half fish half human. If you read Greek mythology, you will find the sirens. They are beautiful woman who live in the water and destroy ships by singing them to the shallows.”

This was too much for poor Miss Morgan. “Oh, Miss Patterson, I am terribly sorry. I told her to mind her manners and not go about making wild claims and telling such horrid stories. I’m quite beside myself as what to do with her. Oceana, you naughty, wicked child.”

“There, there, Miss Morgan,” Miss Patterson spoke in a soothing voice. “There is no need to be upset. You are making quite a claim, Oceana.”

“I know, but I can’t help it ma’am. I can’t choose my heritage. If I had made it up I think I would have given it a happier ending? I am powerless at choosing my parentage and my past.”

“And what about this Chandler? Where is he?”

“I don’t know, ma’am.”

“I see.” Miss Patterson was very amused by the whole story Oceana had just said.

“Miss Patterson, I don’t know what to say. Oceana, I had thought you learned your lesson, must I punish you again?”

“Oh, there is no need to punish her for this, Miss Morgan. If the child has one thing, it is a good imagination, and a good imagination in a little girl is wonderful. All she needs is to learn to channel it in the right direction. Well, Oceana it was very nice to meet you.” Miss Patterson gave Oceana’s hand a squeeze. “Now, I must be off.”

“Thank you for visiting us, Miss Patterson,” Miss Morgan motioned with her hand and all the children stood up and remained standing until Miss Patterson left the room.

“Now children, it is time to get to lunch,” Miss Grey announced. “Pair up and let us be off!”

“I cannot believe you actually had the nerve to say all that to Miss Patterson.” Beth stated as Oceana ran up and grabbed her hand. “And poor Miss Morgan, she was so embarrassed.”

“I can’t believe I forgot to ask her why she comes here,” Oceana slapped her forehead with her free hand. “A perfectly good opportunity wasted.”

“It is a good thing you didn’t ask.” Beth pointed out. “Miss Morgan would have never, ever forgiven you if you had."”

“But I want to know why she does it. She’s got to have some sort of reason behind it all.”

“Oceana, sometimes people just give to others out of the kindness of their heart.”

“Oh, I wasn’t talking about her giving money to the asylum. I want to find out why she comes here and sits up there and we all sit down here and have to look at her. Next time she comes, I’ll be sure to ask.”

“Oceana, you will do no such thing!” Beth exclaimed.

“Watch me.”