Eleanor's life is not exactly pleasant. She works for rich men, has to do all kinds of odd jobs, and if she does anything wrong she gets beaten, or worse. The men tell her that her parents left her, and they had debts to them and therefore Eleanor h...
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I can read, I can really read. I can understand and say aloud thousands of combinations of the same 26 characters. I can say the 26 letters by heart and therefore can write. Leonardo taught me everything, of course it's not perfect yet, but Leonardo said if I keep practicing every day it will get better. Leonardo arranged for me to stay home for an extra week indeed, and we practiced every day when all the rest were at work. Leonardo also said that their work is very busy and they have little time off, but that he is therefore the only one who does not work and is therefore always at home to be there for me and help me. I like that, Leonardo and I have become very close over time.
Today is my last day at home, and tomorrow I have to go to school. Tomorrow I really have to go to school, as in to an unfamiliar building with unfamiliar people and learn unfamiliar things. I'm pretty scared, but somewhere also excited. What if I make friends? Really make friends with kids my age and then go to class together and secretly write notes to each other and keep dragging on each other. But how do you make friends? What if they don't like me? What if they think I'm weird? What if they're mean at school?
"Eleanor," Leonardo's voice pulls me out of my thoughts.
"Sorry," I mutter sheepishly.
"Doesn't matter, read that sentence again," I look at the book in my hands. It's Alice in wonderland, it's from Leonardo's bookshelf and I have no idea what he's talking about. It's a nice book. I look at the black letters printed on paper, letters that form one whole story, and that story is the masterpiece of the author who probably took a very long time to create it.
"It takes all the...r- running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get s, o , m, e, somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that,"I look up smiling at Leonardo, who also has a smile on his face.
"That was very good Eleanor! You read even faster than Riccardo who learned to read," Leonardo compliments me. I giggle softly at the compliment. Leonardo gently grabs the book from my hands, grabs the bookmark he made for me (it's rose with my name in gold on it with a cute little bunny next to it) and places the bookmark on the right page before closing the book.
"Come it's dinner time," he puts the book down on the seat and then stands up.
"It was just so much fun," I sigh. Leonardo looks at me smiling.
"Another time Sorellina, maybe we can continue reading tomorrow after school if you are not too tired," Leonardo smiles. I get a smile on my face and nod my head.
