Jane

Prompt: Write a short story or poem about a conversation in a garden. (1,000 word limit)
Word Count: 982
Written for:

ID: 333655   (Rated: 13+) The Writer's Cramp  Write the best story or poem in 24 hours or less and win 10,000 GPs! by Sophy

Jane

"Jane, are you listening to me?"

She shrugged, Jane hated these conversations. Why couldn't everything just be as beautiful as the lilies; as peaceful as the little fountain where the robins bathed?

“Jane, look at me. Jane?”

“Oh, goodness, what do you want from me?” Jane sighed and plucked a rose from the bush in front of her, careful not to prick her fingers.

“I want you to listen to me, just for once, Jane, I want you to pay attention.”

Her head hurt. Why must everyone always demand her attention? Why can’t they just all let her be as she wants to be?

“Perhaps I don’t want to pay attention to you at all. Perhaps I just want to stay here, in the silence, and not hear you at all.”

“Really, Jane, you must pay attention. I have something exciting and important to tell you!”

Finally, knowing the intruder was not going to just disappear and leave her to her fancies, Jane turned to face her, dropping the red flower to the ground. “You have my attention.”

“He is coming today. He wants to see you.”

“I do not want to see him.” Jane crinkled her nose, “He is not a kind man. He is grumpy and dresses poorly.”

“Now, Jane, that is not a nice thing to say. He is a very generous man.”

“Generous?” Jane lifted her foot over the rose, “He is old and rich. What choice does he have but to be generous?” She stamped her foot down and crushed the rose with her toes.

She hated when he came. He acted as though she belonged to him. He didn‘t understand that she belonged to no one. Especially not him. He was massively tall, wore clothes that were too tight for him, and was always in a bad mood. And if that were not enough, he wore too much cologne, talked to sweetly, and tried to touch her.

“You do have a new dress, do you not?”

“That ugly thing you picked out for me?” Jane stomped her foot, “I will not wear that thing! It is made for someone thrice my age!”

Jane turned, prepared to throw quite a tantrum and storm out of the garden but a gruff voice stopped her.

“Jane Eloise! You will not speak that way!” His hand gripped her shoulder, “Mr. Pate has come for dinner and your companionship. You will oblige him by wearing your new dress and sitting beside him.”

Tears welled in Jane’s eyes, “I do not like him.”

“I understand.” The gruffness left his voice, “But you must give him a chance to make you like him.”

“Why must I oblige him at all?”

The man chuckled, “Because in this, you have no choice.”

“I never have a choice!” She stomped her feet.

The other voice chimed in, “Of course you have a choice, dear. You’ve always had your choices.”

Jane giggled, “Oh yes, I get to choose my shoes. I get to choose my panties.” She giggled again, “But you get to choose what I do during the day; when I get to walk in my garden; and what dress I should wear.”

Pulling the pins from her hair, she continued, “You don’t think me capable of making my own decisions. As though I am not but a stupid child.”

“Now, Jane,” the man started,

“Don’t now Jane me! I am my own woman! I am capable of this and so much more. I do not want to see the man, and I won’t see him today.” She smiled, “I will not see him ever.”

The man and the woman stood quietly, waiting for her to finish her tantrum.

“I will not see him,” She screamed, “I do not have to see him!”

The man nodded once to the woman and she scurried off as Jane continued.

Jane pulled at the roses, her fingers biting into the thorns, “I will not see Pate. I will not see him ever again. He does not like me. I do not like him.”

“Jane?”

She stopped. The first man stepped backwards to allow the newcomer to close in on her.

“Jane, perhaps we should go up to your room and think about this.”

“I do not want to think of this.” She shook her head rapidly, “No, no, I do not believe I want to think of this. Pate is a horrible man. An ogre.”

A hand landed on her shoulder, gently, while another grasped her wrist. “Shhhhh, Jane, do not fret.”

Jane cried out as the needle landed in her vein. She felt the drug seep into her bloodstream, clouding her brain, slowing her movements.

“What have you done,” She cried as she fell backwards into his arms, “You have stolen my choice, yet again.”

“What set her off?”

The first man shook his head. “The same thing as usual, Sir. We announced Mr. Pate’s arrival and she went into her tantrum.”

“Calvin, we must find another way to announce his arrival if she continues to act this way.”

“Yes Dr. George. I do agree.” Calvin stepped towards the doctor and lifted a limp Jane from his arms. “I will take her to her room and settle her for his visit.”

“Calvin,” The doctor stopped him with a hand on his arm, “Mr. Pate, he truly loves the girl.”

“Yes, Sir. I know that, Sir. If he didn’t love the girl, he would not still be visiting her after all these years.” Calvin looked down into the serene face nuzzling his chest, “Do you think she will ever get better?”

The doctor shook his head, “I don’t believe so. This is a horrible disease, we aren‘t even sure what has caused her to forget everything. We have not yet found any way to return her memories to her. She will never remember the man she loved and married.”