SID0435524_JASON-WANG_Re-Write_Final

New Literature-Assessment 1-Rewrite-S2 2009

Antoinette Manson (Final)
For Childern


By Jason Wang

Adam Woodford lived in the Christmas House at 8 Heaven High in Boston, America. Long time ago, before he brought the house, a famous poet had lived in the same house, but later moved to the capital. Many people said he looked like the poet, but they weren’t related. Adam was a tall gentleman with dark hair and a handsome face. Last year, on his last birthday, he had turned thirty. One fact, Adam Woodford was wealthy but no one knew much about him.

With the exception of his butler, seven other house servants and four chefs, Adam lived alone in the house at Heaven High. He stayed at home almost of the day and ate most of his meals at home. With the master of the house at home, the butler had a long list of everyday duties. At the Christmas, everything was kept in order.

Adam Woodford was very particular about how he wanted things done. Everything had to be done exactly what he had arranged for the day. This morning he fired his butler for bringing him coffee cold.

Just one hour ago, he received an invitation from a friend of his father’s, the Masons, from Jamaica. But he did not have time to think about it. Now Adam was sitting in an armchair in the library. He was waiting for his new butler to arrive for an interview.

At eleven-thirty, there was a knock at the door. A good-looking young man of about twenty showed up at the doorway, stepped forward and bowed.

“My name is Simon Harley, I am here for an interview, sir,” he said.

“What time is it?” Adam asked.

Simon pulled out his pocket watch and looked at it carefully. “Twenty-two minutes after ten, sir,” He answered.

“Your watch is slow, three minutes too slow.”

“Pardon me, sir, but that is impossible…”

“Very well, from this very moment, ten twenty-five on Monday, October 2, you are now my butler.” With that said Adam put on his hat and left home.

Simon set off to explore the house from top to bottom, from right to left.

“Very impressive, this is a house that is so clean, it shines. Everything has a place,” he whispered. “We will get along just fine, Mr Woodford and I. This job is just what I am looking for.”

Adam left his house and walked to the Royal Taste a restaurant in downtown. He went straight to his VIP room next to the dining court on the second floor and sat down at his favour table next to the window. Just outside the window, there was a garden full of beautiful flowers that he liked to look at. A waiter brought him lunch and drink. When he finished eating, he re-opened the invitation and read through it again. Mr Mason of Spanish Town wanted Adam to visit him and their family in Jamaica. In the letter, Mason told that the family has a beautiful daughter, Antoinette Mason, and wishes to introduce him to her. Mr Mason hoped he could arrange the trip as soon as possible.

“Very well, an old friend of my father’s, there is a ship leaving at eight tomorrow morning, I shall be on it.”

***

Adam and Simon boarded a steamer called the Hope, one of the fastest steamers in the US. While the ship sailed toward Jamaica, a man walked up and down the town hall. He was the white inspector of the Spanish Town, Inspector Hill. Inspector Hill was a short man with tiny eyes and unshaved face. Despite his mouse-like appearance, he was a clever policeman. He was sent by Rochester to stop Adam from leaving the wharf.

The Hope left Boston on schedule and started off on its journey to Jamaica. The ocean was smooth and calm. The steamer made excellent time and arrived one day early. Yesterday, Inspector Hill requested a warrant from the regional office with the estimated arrival time of tomorrow. With the unexpected early arrival of the ship, he tried to convince the police at port to write a new one, but they refused. They thought this is the job of the head office. Before leaving the port, Adam hired a Jamaican guide. On the way to the town, Adam with his guide must cross a big forest. Half way through the forest, suddenly the guide heard loud voices coming through the woods. The loud voices crept closer and closer. Soon they came into sight, a group of men dressed nothing but few large leaves of some plants.

Simon whispered, “Do you think they have seen us?” The guide made a motion with his hand to tell him to be quiet. Some of the men danced around a very large and tall tree. Many of them were wearing nothing. Another group pulled a woman behind them. She was young and pretty. The guards who followed the lady carried very sharp sword-like things.

“She does not seem to be a local or she looks bit like us isn’t she, sir?” Simon asked. Adam nodded.

“I think they mean to harm that poor girl,” Simon whispered.

“I think you are right,” Adam answered. “She must be a lady. Look at the way she is dressed, so, we must save her, gentlemen.”

“Agreed!” Simon said.

“If they catch you, they will surely torture you,” the guide warned. “But you have my help too. The girl they captured is the daughter of a wealthy merchant here. Her name is Antoinette Manson.”

“What! Antoinette Mason!” Adam and Simon almost shouted at the same time.

“We must save her right now!” Adam emphasised. “They must have captured her for the ransom her family would pay to get her back!” Adam said. “Let’s think of a plan. It might be best to wait for the cover of darkness.”

Everyone nodded. “We should move closer to them. That way we can see what they are doing,” Adam added.

They tied up their horses and made their way closer to the camp. They waited until it was completely dark and the guards had fallen asleep. Simon and the guide slipped away and started breaking down the wall of the hut where the girl had been locked up. One guard had woken up and heard the noises. Adam slowly snuck up behind the guard and hit him on the back of the head. Finally, the wall was broken. The poor girl lay on the ground. She looked half-dead. Adam carefully picked her up.

“Hurry!” he said, “we’ve got to get out of here right away!” They crept through wall and quickly ran back to their horses.

***

The adventure made fast progress toward the Spanish town. They moved so quickly and reached the town centre before sunrise. Back in the town centre, Antoinette woke up. She was scared and weak. She was so surprised to be here in a hotel room and not tied up in a hut at the centre of the forest with unfriendly people all around.

“Where I am, sir? Did you save me?” she asked.

“In hotel, you are safe now, dear lady,” Adam replied. “We have saved you from those awful men and are taking you back to Mr Mason with us. My name is Adam Woodford. This is my butler, Simon Harley. We are from Boston. We are friends of your father’s. It was him who invited us to here to meet her daughter.”

She thanked them for their help in saving her life and said she would never be able to repay them for everything they had done.

“Sir, I know you. I know my father has invited you. But he had also invited Mr Rochester from England. But I do not like him. He is a fake. He came here for money, Christophine told me. But I want love,” Antoinette explained. “I escaped with Christophine’s help but Rochester sent those people chasing after me. I would have been taken back to that cold follow, if you hadn’t saved me.”

“Christophine is my best friend, my guardian. She warned me I am facing a difficult life and may be a terrible fate ahead if I accepted Mr Rochester. But, in my family, I am not in a position to change a thing. But, I know I must do something, must do like Christophine has foreseen. She knows everything and she loves me,” Antoinette went on said.

“That means your life will always be in danger, you will never be happy, if you continue stay here. Would you like us to take you to Boston? If you would, I shall write a letter to your father later explaining your situation and what that Rochester has done to you, most importantly, your own will to be free. I am sure he will understand what the best is for her daughter’s future. Come with us, to America. Yes, America, a place not far and it is a place of freedom. I am sure you will get a new life in my country.”

“A country of freedom? I will be reborn? A place of my own?” Antoinette asked.

“Yes, I promise you. Yes, my dear lady. You shall have your own life. You shall have a place of your own. You know everyone has a place in the States. I am sure you will find one for yourself. Besides, I will help you.” Adam said.

“Yes, he is right, Madam! I will serve you well, both of you Madam.” Simon Added.

***

Adam wanted to get going right away so they could board the Hope back to home in plenty of time. They had a few hours before it was due to leave. Adam hired a carriage from the town and heading back to the port. Adam wanted to make sure Antoinette was comfortable and had everything she needed.

A man stopped Adam just after he had helped Antoinette down the steps of the carriage.

“Are you Mr Adam Woodford?” the man asked.

“Yes, I am, “Adam replied.

“And this lady is Miss Mason, I presume?” He pointed to Antoinette.

“She is.”

“Where are you travelling?”

“We are sailing back to America, Miss Mason is my guest and this is my butler, Mr Simon Harley.”

“Then all of you need to come with me, I am Inspector Hill of this place.”

Hill escorted them to a police carriage and opened the door for them. After a quiet thirty-minute’s ride, they arrived at the police office. Hill opened up the carriage door. As he let them out, he said, “Follow me.” He led the three into a small room with bars on the windows. “You’ll stand before Judge Fraser at precisely seven o’clock.”

“We are prisoners?” Adam exclaimed. “Nonsense! They must be some mistake.” He turned to Antoinette and Simon. “Not to worry, we shall be on board the steamer by eight.”

Ten to seven, the cell door opened and Hill came back. He brought them into the courtroom. Jude Fraser was a fat, round man, came in.

“The first case!” Fraser called.

“Adam Woodford!” the judge’s clerk shouted.

“Present,” Adam said.

Two men and Antoinette came into the courtroom. At first Adam and Simon thought they were friends of Rochester trying to get Antoinette back.

“Mr. Woodford, Mr. Harley, you are charged with illegally breaking and entering a sacred site of the aborigine. These European tools are the proof that you were indeed there,” Fraser said. “Do you admit you were there, gentlemen?”

Adam nodded.

“Good. You will be fined one hundred and fifty pounds and will need to spend one week in jail.”

Adam spoke up. “I shall pay us a bail. Then we won’t need to stay in jail. What’s the cost?”

Fraser looked at him closely. “It is rather steep, sir. One thousand pounds,” Fraser said.

Adam took a roll of bills out of his pocket and paid the bail. Inspector Hill stood at the back of the room watching everything. He thought he had found a sure-fire way of keeping Adam jail before Mr Rochester gets here. But now that Adam and Simon had bail, it looked like Adam was going to away.

“Good,” said Judge Fraser, “This money will be returned to you once you gentlemen have completed your time in jail. If you do not return, we shall keep the money.”

Adam nodded. “That’s fine, sir.” He turned to Simon and Antoinette, and said, “Let’s go!”

***

The three travellers boarded the Hope just in time. The steamer was just about to set off for home. During the first few days of the trip, Antoinette spent much of her time getting know Adam and Simon. She told them all her life story about Coulibri Estate, her father and mother, sep-father Mr Mason, Christophine even her unfortunate neighbour Mr Luttrell at Nelson’s Rest and, of course, the infamous Daniel.

At the same time, Mr Rochester through his father in England sent another request to London asking for a new warrant to Daniel on the Hope. It was his last chance to catch Adam Woodford, the man he hated the most. It was him who ruined the whole plan to marry Antoinette and takeover her fortune. Once the boat sailed into and entered America, Adam would no longer be on British soil. That meant no one here would be able to arrest them.

“What should I do, Adam?” Antoinette asked.

“It is very simple,” Adam said. “You must go with me to Boston.”

“But I cannot be in your way…”

“Nonsense, you are not in the way at all. It is our pleasure to have you at home.”

“Simon!”

“Sir?”

“Please book three train tickets to Boston, first class. We are going home.”

Simon was very happy that Antoinette would still be travelling with them. He skipped happily out of the VIP room of the Hope.

A policeman and Daniel were on the ship. Daniel did not look happy. The arrest warrant arrived but too late. Adam was on his way to New York. If he was no longer on British soil, the policeman had no authority to arrest him.

One day, the three travellers needed some fresh air and went outside. The moment they stepped out on deck, there was Daniel. Adam walked right up to Daniel and punched him on the nose. Daniel fell down.

“Well done, sir!” Simon said. Daniel did not move. He knew he had received what he deserved.

The Hope docked in New York. The three travellers left the Custom House. They jumped into a cab and moved to the train station.

“Have we missed all of the trains to Boston?”

“No I have got our bookings.” Simon said.

***

After dinner, Adam and Antoinette sat down to have their talk in the Christmas House at 8 Heaven High in Boston, America.

“Antoinette,” he said. “will you forgive me for taking you out of your family?”

“What do you mean? You saved me. I do not want to be in Jamaica. I have no life there, nothing there. Life is painful. My soul has been suffering.”

“I have no true friends and no family, but I will be fine.”

“Well,” Antoinette said. “If you will have me as your wife, I will be your family. We can face the future together.”

Adam stood up. He did not know what to say. His eyes lit up and lips trembled.

“I do love you!” Adam said. “Yes, by all that is good and honest, I do love you! Let’s get married.”



They held tightly to each other’s hands. Simon came into the dining hall and saw the pair smiling happily.

Adam said, “We are getting married.”

“You would like to get married tomorrow?” Simon asked.

“Yes, tomorrow,” Adam answered.

“Yes,” Antoinette echoed.

End