Sirene (Wattys 2014 Entrant)

Chapter 7

It was a large and beautiful drawing room. White-laced curtains hung over the windows, letting the sunlight in and making the room seem more spacious than it really was. The walls were covered in pale yellow wallpaper and the old fashioned furniture was set about with great taste. There were painting on the walls and useless ornaments on the shelves. Everything designed in the taste and manner of a past century. Seated on a sofa was a lady in her late fifties, beside her sat a younger girl. On a chair opposite them, Miss Patterson was busy telling of her last visit to the orphanage.

“I tell you Mrs. Alberna, Stephanie, she is the most enchanting creature I have ever met. Such a beautiful child; I believe in the whole orphanage there is not her equal. And that is not the most intriguing part of it all. When I asked her about her back story, you’ll never guess what she told me. No, I’m not even going to play guessing games with you because there is no way you would even come close to guessing correctly. She tells me her father was a sailor and her mother was a mermaid.”

“Good heavens!” Mrs. Alberna exclaimed. “She actually said that?”

“Yes. I questioned her further: your mother was half human half fish? No, she replies, not all mermaids are half human half fish. If you read Greek Mythology, Greek mythology mind you, some mermaids have legs like humans but they live underwater. According to what she says, her mother was something of a siren, and there is some long sad tale about the romance of her parents and their tragic death. I wasn’t able to catch all of it, but Miss Morgan tells me it is the talk of the orphanage. I shall ask her to tell it to me next time I visit. Miss Grey says she is quite the story teller. Even the way she told it to me in short, you would think she had turned into a story book.”

“What an imagination.” Mrs. Alberna observed.

“And that’s not all. Miss Morgan is very upset with her for telling wild stories, but when she is reprimanded for her tale, Oceana takes great offence and states she cannot choose her past and there is no way for to change who she is and where she came from. She claims she has no other past than the one she told and if people don’t like it, they can leave it.”

“What was her name again?”

“Oceana. A most unique name, don’t you think?”

“Oceana.” Mrs. Alberna repeated the name slowly. “That the strangest name I ever heard.”

“When I asked who gave it to her, she replied, Chandler did.”

“Who is Chandler?”

“Ah, the wild claim continues with him. Oceana says he is the man who pulled her out of the boat her mother had put her in to save her from her grandfather, the Sea King. I heard there is another man involved, someone named Callum. She doesn’t give many facts about who they are and when asked where they are she says she doesn’t know. The child is enchanting, intriguing and a mystery all in one. No one knows anything about her past, who her parents really are, or where she came from! Like I said, a real mystery.”

“And all the while she claims to be half mermaid?” Mrs. Alberna asked.

 Miss Patterson nodded her head. “And if you try telling her she’s making it up, she gets very upset.”

“Do you honestly believe she is telling a falsehood?” Stephanie at last spoke up. Stephanie was a quiet girl who rarely entered into the conversation; most of the time she just sat and listened in silence. Stephanie was not what one would call a pretty or attractive young woman. Her mother, despairing Stephanie was over twenty and still without a husband, sealed her fate as that of an old maid. She wept over this fate, pitied her daughter and accepted it with an injured and resigned air. If Stephanie know of the destiny that her mother had set for her she never spoke about it. How often had her mother told her that of her three daughters, Stephanie was the least attractive and because of this she was the least lucky. She was twenty years one of age already. That was two decades plus one more year. Her two older sisters, Margaret and Estelle, had both been married by that age. They were now ages twenty five and twenty three respectfully and had families to speak of. But Stephanie, Stephanie was twenty one, not pretty and not married.

Now while perhaps in the eyes of many Stephanie was not as pretty as her sisters, it would be dreadfully unfair to call her ugly. Her hair was chestnut brown, her eyes were a dark blue and she had a freckles on her face. Her facial features were rather irregular, her nose was very small as were her lips, but her eyes were rather deeply set in. One would describe her features as unique, and that which is unique is often looked upon with a critical eye. And that which is looked on with a critical eye tends to hide from it, and that which always hides has a tendency to become shy. So when in company Stephanie was very shy. She ran from crowds and was often alone in the company of her mother. During the whole conversation between Mrs. Alberna and Miss Patterson, Stephanie had listened with great interest and had finally decide to enter it.

 “I don’t know if she made it up or not.” Miss Patterson answered Stephanie's question. “Perhaps she did to get attention to herself, or maybe she just wanted to be different from the rest of the children! I don’t know. At any rate, it’s frightfully amusing. You must meet her for yourself. There’s no one else like her.”

“But you know, my dearest Becky, I could never go to that asylum. Such places always upset me in a frightful manner.” Mrs. Alberna gave a shake of her head. “And I know Stephanie would be very upset if she were to go there too.”

“Really mother?” Stephanie frowned.

“Take my word for it, Stephanie. So many little orphans, it’s enough to make anyone upset. I don’t know how our Becky manages to go there twice a month.”

“I’ve got stronger nerves than you do.” Miss Patterson laughed. “Well, if you shan’t go to see her, I suppose I’ll just have to bring her to see you.”

“Do you think they would let her leave the orphan asylum?”

“I don’t see why not. I am well known there and they know I am trust worthy enough to take the girl and bring her back.”

“Do you suppose she would try to run?” Stephanie asked. “After all, you mentioned that Miss Morgan said she’s not so happy there.”

“No, the girl is no fool; wild, eccentric perhaps, but not a fool. She knows she has nowhere to go. I think it is perfectly safe to bring Oceana to meet you. I shall go over to the orphanage the day after tomorrow and work it all out.”

***

“The shoes are too tight.” 

That was the only thought on Oceana’s mind as she sat with Miss Patterson in the parlor of the lovely house. She had received a long lecture from Miss Morgan on how she ought to behave like a perfect angel and not say any of the nonsense she had been talking about at the orphan asylum. If something were to go wrong, Miss Morgan would never let her leave the orphanage again. Oceana had nodded her head, but never actually made any verbal promises. Miss Patterson had picked her up and they had ridden together in a carriage. All the while, Miss Patterson had asked Oceana about how she found life at the orphanage and had been quite taken back with Oceana’s honest but rather negative answers. At last they came to the large house that belonged to Mrs. Alberna and had walked inside. The maid had led them to the parlor and told them to please wait. 

Oceana gave a sigh and squished her toes, why did she have to wear such tight shoes? 

“Here we are.”

Oceana looked up and saw the door open and a lady sweep in. Her hair was twisted into a braided bun which was graying in a few spots. She was dressed in a white blouse and silk grey skirt. Following her was a younger girl, in a blue skirt and a striped blouse.

“My, but she is a pretty child.” Mrs. Alberna looked at Oceana from heat to toe. “Take a look at those eyes; they’re so large, and so green. And her face and her skin and that figure she is such a beautiful child. The prettiest I have ever seen to be sure. Margret and Estelle where not as pretty as children, even though I will admit they were very handsome little girls. You will have problems keeping suitors away when you grow up, no doubt about that. Ah, if only Stephanie could have been at least half as handsome when she was a little girl…”

“Mother.” Stephanie gave her mother a little nudge.

“Oh well, you can’t help your looks, Stephanie. And I certainly don’t blame you for not being as beautiful as your other sisters.”

“Mother.” Stephanie blushed. She hated it when her mother spoke of her in public. “We’ve got visitors.”

“Yes, yes.” Mrs. Alberna nodded her head. “Oceana.” She turned her attention back to her little visitor, who was staring wide eyed at this strange lady who talked a mile a minute but didn’t say anything that made sense. “Miss Patterson tells us that you are claiming to be half-mermaid, was it.”

“And what if I was?”

“Well, ah,” Mrs. Alberna was quite surprised at Oceana’s frank manner. “I’m only very interested in the story you are telling. I can’t help but wonder, don’t you know you are making a claim, that is, well, outlandish to say the least.”

Oceana rolled her eyes. “Mrs. Alberna, do you have any idea of how I am sick of people telling me that? It’s all I ever hear, day in and day out.”

“Then why make such claims?”

“I’m not making claims; I’m only telling people my past.”

“I should very much like to hear it.” Stephanie suddenly broke in, “The whole story from the very beginning. Miss Patterson has told us little pieces, but she doesn’t know all the facts.”

“I can tell it to you.” Oceana grinned at Stephanie. There was nothing she liked better than telling stories to a listening crowd.

“I believe we have time for it.” Mrs. Alberna agreed.

So Oceana told them the same tale she had told the children at the orphan asylum.

“My word, what a story.” Mrs. Alberna exclaimed when she had finished. “And the way you tell it! You had me all caught up in it. It was, well, dare I say, quite bewitching. However did you come up with such a…a story?”

“Whatever gave you the idea that I came up with it?” Oceana stated in an offended tone!

“Oceana, mind you manners.” Miss Patterson corrected her. 

“She is quite the character.” Mrs. Alberna turned to Miss Patterson. Stephanie grabbed this opportunity to try and get better acquainted with Oceana.

“Miss Patterson tells me you’re not very fond of the orphanage.”

“I hate it there. I feel like I’ve been placed in a prison.”

“Surely it cannot be that bad?”

“We aren’t allowed to do anything fun. It’s all classes and learning things. Even when we go outside, we just walk ‘breathing deeply’. The other girls don’t seem to mind so much, but I can’t live like that! It’s not even living. Some of the classes are very fun, like during art class we sometimes go outside to paint. And the music lessons are fun too. Yet at the same time, everything is so regulated. We can’t do anything on our own. It’s all lessons from Monday to Saturday and then on Sunday, we all have to sit in the large hall and listen to someone drone on about something and read from some large book and sing songs. And all this time, the birds are calling me to come out and play with them.”

“Sunday is the Lord’s day, child, surely you understand that.”

“The Lord’s day?”

“Yes, a day when we take time to think and pray to God.”

“How come God gets a day all to himself?”

“Good heavens, don’t you know?”

Oceana gave a shake of her head. “I don’t know anything about God.”

“Nothing at all?”

“Chandler didn’t believe in God and if Callum did he never spoke of Him, so there really was no way for me to find out.”

“I see.” Stephanie was silent for a moment as she pondered Oceana. “I take it you’ve never said prayers either?”

“They make me say something at the orphanage, but I can’t understand for the life of me what I am saying or why I am saying it. The thing is, if I don’t say them, Miss Morgan and Miss Grey all get very upset and angry and call me a perfect heathen. I can’t understand why they get so angry, if I am a heathen, isn’t it good that at least I am a perfect one? That’s probably the only time they call me perfect. I can’t seem to do anything ‘right’. It’s very frustrating living there. My one consolation is Beth. She’s my friend and tries to help me understand. Doesn’t always succeed, but at least she tries.”

“Let me see if I can help you understand.” Stephanie gently said. “God is our great creator. Can you understand that?”

“I think, but why would we need a creator?”

“Where else would we have come from? Where would you have come from if there was no creator?”

“I came from my mother and father. We all did.”

“Yes, but there had to be a beginning mother and father didn’t there? There is a beginning to everything, Oceana. Miss Patterson says you like to tell stories, is that right?”

“Yes.”

“Doesn’t every one of your stories have a beginning? You never just start off straight from the middle, do you?”

Oceana nodded her head.

“It’s the same with this world, it had to have a beginning, and that beginning was God. He created the world and everything in it. He’s the great being who cares for us all. When you say your prayers, you are thanking Him for this world and for all he has done and all He will do. You also ask Him things when you pray.”

“Oooh.” Oceana slowly processed all that she was just told. “But how come no one can see God?”

“God is something we can’t see or understand, we just have to believe in Him.”

“Just like that?”

“Yes.”

“What are the two of you talking about?” Mrs. Alberna suddenly broke into the conversation.

“About God.” Oceana curtly replied. She didn’t like Mrs. Alberna. Stephanie on the other hand, Stephanie was very nice.

“About GOD?” Mrs. Alberna lifted both her eyebrows. “And what about God?”

“It really isn’t any of your business.” Oceana was annoyed and didn’t fail to show it. “I was talking with Stephanie and not with you.”

“Oceana, you must not speak to your elders like that.” Miss Patterson quickly said. “You must always be polite with the people who are older than you.”

“But why can she just break into the conversation the way she did and start asking all sorts of questions about things that weren’t even being discussed with her? I don’t think that is very polite either.”

“Oceana, I…”

“Miss Patterson, Mother,” Stephanie spoke up, “we must remember that Oceana has had a very unique upbringing and maybe she doesn’t quite understand some things.”

“Stephanie…”

“Mother,” Stephanie lowered her voice a little, “not now.”

Mrs. Alberna, very surprised at Stephanie’s uncharacteristic behavior, looked at her daughter with wide eyes and said nothing more.

“Was it Chandler that brought you up?” Stephanie turned to Oceana again.

“Yes, him and Callum.”

“And where are they now?” Mrs. Alberna dared to ask.

“I have no idea whatsoever.”

“No clue at all?”

Oceana gave shook her head. “They’re whereabouts are just as much a mystery to me as to the person who never knew them. I don’t know what happened to them or where they can be found.”

“And Chandler told you that there was no God?” Stephanie asked.

“He never said there was no God, he just didn’t believe in God so we never discussed Him. Usually, when Chandler didn’t want something spoken of or discussed, it wasn’t discussed. Chandler ruled the roost, so to speak, Callum was more of a follower.”

“Chandler and Callum are the two men who supposedly pulled you out of the boat?” Mrs. Alberna put in again.

“They didn’t supposedly pull me out of the boat; they did pull me out of the boat.”

“So says you. But you cannot prove to me that you are not making this up.”

“I am NOT making it up. How dare you say I am?” Oceana was on the verge of getting mad. Stephanie once more rushed to the rescue.

“Oceana, Miss Patterson tells us that you can sing, would you like to sing something for us?”

“I would love to.” Oceana beamed.

“The piano is over there. Do you want me to play for you?”

“I don’t think you know the song.” Oceana replied, “I’ve only been learning to play the piano for two weeks, but let me try and pick up the tune.” Oceana walked over to the piano and after fumbling a bit with the keys, began to play a little tune and sing a pretty little song in French. The three women sat spellbound by her voice as she sung. When she was finished, there was silence for a few moments.

“And you’ve only been learning to play for two weeks?” Mrs. Alberna could not believe it.

“Miss Emily, the music teacher, says I have absolute musical hearing and a talent for music.” Oceana shrugged. “And I’ve seen other people play before. Besides, the tune is easy, it’s a short melody that repeats itself.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve only been learning French for a week and half as well and have a ear for languages as well as for music.”

“No, French I have spoken since birth. Chandler was a Frenchman.”

“Ah, so that is the way it is.”

“You have a beautiful voice, Oceana.” Stephanie changed the subject, “it had us all spellbound. And it was a pretty song. You certainly do have musical talent.”

“Thank you.” Oceana beamed a smile at Stephanie.

“I’m afraid out time is up, Oceana.” Miss Patterson stated. “I promised I’d have you back before supper. We must go.”

“It was wonderful to meet you,” Oceana spoke to Stephanie, “I should like to talk to you some more.”

“I should like that too. Perhaps I could come and visit you.”

“That would be wonderful.” Oceana’s eyes lit up. “I’m sure Miss Morgan would allow it. If Miss Patterson can come and visit us, I don’t see any reason why you can’t.”

“Really, Stephanie, go to the orphan asylum?” Mrs. Alberna put in.

“Oh, Mother.” It was all Stephanie could do from rolling her eyes, but she knew she must be respectful to her mother, especially in front of Oceana.

“Goodbye, Mrs. Alberna.” Oceana politely said. “It was kind of you to have me.”

“You were quite the visitor, I was entertained by your wild tale and your singing is very beautiful. It’s a pity your behavior leaves less to be desired for.”

“Yes, yes, come along now.” Miss Patterson didn’t want another fight. She took Oceana’s hand and they went out to the carriage.

“The child certainly has an imagination.” Mrs. Alberna commented as she watched them from the window. “Coming up with such a story. And the way she says it, you would almost believe it was really true.”

“She didn’t come up with it, Mother.” Stephanie softly stated, walking up to the window and standing next to her mother.

“Stephanie, don’t tell me you actually believe her?”

“No, I’m not saying that. All I am saying is that she isn’t the one who came up with the story. I understood that from the moment she began telling it to us.”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s repeating something that has been told to her. The story she relates, someone told it to her first. It’s not of her making, it’s of someone else’s.”

“But if she didn’t make up the story, Stephanie, who did?”

“I’m not sure.” Stephanie’s voice became distant, “that is to say I’m not completely sure, but I do have an inkling…” Her voice trailed off and she said nothing more.