Crit 1000 words.
- From: Miles <mileswaistle22@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 31 May 2007 07:31:53 -0700
Allo again. :D
A bare room and a lack of patience made the hour tick by so slowly,
he'd been staring down at his name, 'Alexander Henry Campbell' on the
front cover for nearly ten minutes now, and still it was not over. As
easy as the exam had been, he wanted nothing more than to pass and be
on his way home. Away from the stench of urban, industrial life, that
had been poorly compensated by a pompous snuff. He slouched in his
chair alone in the room, with only the table for company.
The latch on the door behind him clicked and he sat up
quickly, as the hinges moaned an introduction to a short man, one of
the administrators at the Admiralty who marched over with his chin
high,
"If you'd please take a seat in the corridor, I shall take
your paper to the invigilators. It will be marked within the hour."
rehearsed the man, taking the paper and gesturing Alexander out of the
room. He rose from his seat, to his legs great relief, and headed
gingerly out the door only to be greeted by yet another chair. So he
sat. So he waited.
This next hour passed slower than the last, at least he
had the questions to answer in the other room. Now he sat, with that
little anxiety nibbling away at him, just as the hand on his pocket
watch nibbled away the time.
Finally there were voices sounding behind the door the
administrator had left through, and it clattered open as a tall man
entered, clad in elaborate blue felts. He wore a bright smile and
extended his hand as he rushed over the threshold. Alexander only just
managed to stand up before the man was to him. He smiled back and
spoke as the man grasped Alexander's hand with both of his and shook
vigorously.
"Rear Admiral Hardy, a pleasure." said Alexander
"Oh, dear Mr. Campbell leave me the pleasure, for I have
the news you have sat so patiently for" replied Hardy heartily.
"I can only presume it good" chuckled Alexander, though his
interpretation of good was far from that of Rear admiral Hardy.
"I'm sure Napoleon will be the worse for it, with two
Campbell's at sea. Congratulations, Lieutenant." on saying this he
went to tear Alexander's arm off once more, who tried desperately not
to grimace, and keep smiling.
Hardy lead him down the stairs toward the front door.
"I should expect I will see you soon Alexander, I
understand your father will be holding a little celebration due to
these new circumstances" smiled Hardy.
"I've no doubt he will Mr. Hardy" said Alexander taking the
letter that Hardy had just extended toward him. "The official
confirmation?" asked Alexander, placing the letter inside his jacket.
Hardy nodded in reply and went back inside.
Alexander made his way down the busy streets of Portsmouth,
past huddles of sailors, clumps of tradesmen and ordered columns of
red coats marching to port, rum and any other poisons in such a city.
He strolled along the seawall that looked out over the docks
where he could see at least ten ships of his majesty's navy, anchored
off the shallows. Hordes of stubbled sailors ferried barrels of gun
powder and crates of rations aboard the longboats, from the warehouses
on the sea front.
Rabbles of marines stumbled out of taverns occasionally, cherishing
their leave unlike Alexander. He gets promoted, and they get drunk.
How I hate the damn navy. God teaches you to love thy
neighbour, and your father teaches you to kill thy French.
Another ten minutes walk and he had arrived at the coach
house on the outskirts of the city. A coach was waiting to take him as
far as London, where he'd take another back to Cambridge and his home.
He'd spent so long going places lately, yet he himself had done
nothing. He had simply sat in the coach, simply sat in that corridor
but he new that his new rank would take him many places, with a mutual
effort.
*
He was back in Royston in three days, it was a sunny Friday, the day
before the celebrations and some of the closer guests had already
arrived and were at the house. Rear admiral Hardy had came the night
before and he and his father had spent any time from then together
discussing the war.
Alexander thought that considering the effort it had taken him
to achieve his lieutenancy the celebrations and the hype were blown
far out of proportion. So to get away from the hustle in the house he
had taken yet another seat. He was on the balcony at the top of the
house that looked out over Cambridgeshire. He liked it here. Though he
was only alone for a short time until his mother, Elizabeth took a
seat beside him.
"Excited Alexander" said asked merrily
"Yes."
No.
"Your father thought it would be fitting to have it by the
lake, and your little brother would like to sail his model of the
temerity" continued Elizabeth seemingly oblivious to Alexander's tone,
or lack of it. "Think yourself lucky Alex, you will be voyaging on the
real thing in no time at all."
"Yes, it's a privilege just to think it"
Please don't remind me, or I may have to drown myself in the
lake.
It was not that Alexander disliked his mother or father, or
that they disliked him. It was just that they were so narrow minded,
if a son was born to the Campbell family they would be sailors. There
was no two ways about it.
They both returned to the view as Elizabeth put her hand on
Alexander's shoulder.
"We're so Proud Alexander." finished Elizabeth softly. And
there it was, the pride. Nothing else but this made Alexander join the
navy and remain in it. He often thought that it was pride that blinded
his parents to Alexander, they only saw Campbell. Lieutenant
Campbell.
Miles.
.
- Prev by Date: Re: Word to plain text: please help me test my web based converter
- Next by Date: Re: Speculative linguistics(*)
- Previous by thread: Speculative linguistics(*)
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
