folklore - gilbert blythe

Chapter Three - You are not like your mother Estella

Este could now see Green Gables. It looked like it was home. Not her home but still someone's home. Este's house may have been a luxury to live in but it could never be her home. Her home was back in Edinburg where they lived in a vintage cottage and when her father was alive. Green Gables reminded her of her home. "Green Gables is so very serene." Complimented Este. "Oh! I know! It is simply breathtaking." Anne exclaimed but then said more seriously, "I finally have a place to call home." Este smiled at her. Not with pity. With happiness. "Yes, you do."

They enter Green Gables and Este spots a boy their age feeding a horse. He looks and her and she sends him a smile which is returned with a huge grin. "That's Jerry. Marilla hired him to help Matthew with the farm." Este only laughs and walks with Anne. As Anne rushes in removing her coat Este stands at the door until Marilla notices her.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Cuthbert. I apologize for arriving uninvited and on short notice. My name is Estella Taylor. Could I please come in and spend a few hours with Anne?" Asked Este respectfully with a smile. Marilla took a few seconds to respond. It seemed like she was connecting dots in her head. Finally, she said, "Oh My! You are Veronica's daughter, aren't you?" Este wasn't surprised by the reaction. Her mother grew up in Avonlea and moved to Edinburg with my father when she was 19.

"Yes, Ms. Cuthbert." Marilla looked at the resemblance in awe. It seemed as if she was fighting tears before she found the courage to say, "Please dear, come in. Make yourself home, hand me your coat, and get ready for supper." Anne simply witnessed the encounter and dragged Este to her room. "And please, call me Marilla." Said Marilla from the kitchen.

When they reached Anne's room, Anne asked "Do you know Marilla?" "No. It seems my mother knew her. My mother actually got her education from Avonlea and only moved to Edinburg after marriage. She must know a lot of people in this town." Told Este. Both of them freshened up and came down for supper.

When Anne was asked about her first day at school, she fell silent. Este had only known Anne for a day but that was enough for her to know that Anne staying silent was not a good sign. Marilla looked at me. "Did something happen in school dear?" Estella didn't know whether she should tell Marilla about the kids. She decided she would.

"Marilla, the kids at school were not very polite to Anne." Este looked at Anne to make sure she could continue. Anne nodded in approval, "The kids kept bothering Anne with cruel words about her appearance and... about... her being an orphan." Marilla fell silent as well. "If it matters what I think then I personally adore Anne's hair. It is unique and stands out in the crowd. As for her freckles, they look like a fairy sprinkled her precious fairy dust upon her face. It's simply extravagant if you were to ask me. And she's not an orphan anymore, she has a family."

Marilla chuckles at how she had a vivid imagination just like Anne. She really appreciated Este's words. "Fairy dust? My freckles? Oh, Este! No one has ever said such kind words to me." Exclaimed Anne. "You should get used to it then." Smiled Este.

"You certainly are not like your mother, Estella." Said Marilla. "Please Marilla, call me Este. And I take that as a compliment." The three of them laughed. "But why so Marilla?" Asked Este. "I apologize in advance but your mother would never compliment Anne the way you just did. As much as I loved Veronica, her unnecessarily high standards of beauty and constant obsession over impressing men is what drew us apart." 

Marilla remembered how they would tag along like sisters anywhere they went but all of a sudden, this bond wasn't so important to Veronica anymore. What's sadder is how Este totally believed her mother would do this.

"It does not do to dwell on those memories now. I'm glad you have your father's mind." Este smiled at this. She was glad about that too. She already liked Marilla and looked up to her. Adopting Anne in a town like Avonlea took a lot of courage.

"How tragic of an ending for a beautiful friendship like yours, Marilla. I hope I can keep my friendship with Diana and Este forever and always." Said Anne. "I'm sure you will." Smiled Marilla. "Forever and always." Said Este.

~~~

After helping Marilla with the dishes Este and Anne went to Anne's room. Este was just mesmerized by the flowers outside the window. She was fond of them. Anne broke her trance, "I need a favor Este. I need you to help me with my studies." Este scrunched her brows and said, "Studies? Anne the words you know are probably not even mentioned in my dictionary. I should be taking help from you." "I fortunately had a chance to read books at the orphanage but all I know in math is numbers." Anne seemed embarrassed about that.

"It'll be my pleasure to help you, Anne." Anne had the widest smile on her face. Este and Anne spend an hour and a half learning basics of math and half an hour doing the homework. Este bid Marilla goodbye and thanked her for her hospitality. Este reached home by 4:30 in the evening.

Mother did not even ask her where she was or how her first day was. The first thing she said was, "Oh God Este! Go and wash your face! You look like a tired old lady." Este just rolled her eyes and mumbled, "Could've just said I look like you." Emmy heard that and didn't even try to control her laugh. "What's so funny huh?" "Nothing Mother!" Este cleaned herself up and had dinner. Mother told her she had gone to visit Mrs. Barry. She kept comparing me to Diana, how she was so well maintained while Este had no care for her beauty, how she took piano lessons and will be training to "behave like a woman" further while Este only sang and did all the things a girl is not supposed to do.

Este always ignored her mother's comments but on times like these, it hurt. Emmy held her hand and squeezed it three times under the table. This was a habit of theirs since mother and father started fighting. They would yell at the dinner table and Emmy would tell me "I love you" by squeezing my hand three times and I would squeeze it back.

Este gave Emmy a slight smile. After her mother had stopped insulting her, Este finally asked her about Marilla. "I went to the Cuthbert's today." For the first time in a while, my mother showed interest in what I had to say. "Marilla told me she knew you back in school." "What exactly did she say? Is she doing well?" Emmy was shocked as well. Mother had become cold and careless after her father's death. This was the first time she showed real emotions.

"She told me how close friends you two were. She sounded like she missed you a lot, Mother. And she is doing quite well." She smiled. Her mother smiled. Genuinely. She looked lovely in that moment. "Well, that's nice to hear. But why were you at the Cuthbert's?" "My friend from school lives with them. She is adopted." Mother surprisingly did not judge Marilla at all. "You should invite her home someday. Your friend from school." Home. Mother too never ever called this house a home. It seemed Marilla had revealed a completely different side of my mother.

Although Este appreciated her mother inviting Anne to the house, she was sure of all the cruelty Anne would have to face the moment my mother saw her. She only smiled at her mother and remembered how soft and kind she actually is despite all the things that made her so tough and cold.

Avonlea might just be the place that heals the Taylors.

AN:
Thank you to the few people that have given this story a try. This chapter is more about Este's background because I don't want the story to just be about Este and Gilbert. It will have a few scenes which show Este's background and where she's coming from.

Again thanks a lot to the people who read and voted. Take care of yourself. Stay hydrated.

Please vote if you wish to <3

Love, Val