Winter Strike

Part 1- The Dream

"Human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights."

Hillary Clinton

Place: Cambridge England

Date: November 30th, 1906 5:41 pm

Racing through the streets of Cambridge was one of my favorite things to do. The feel of the wind through my hair as I sprint down the road. The expression on the Nobel's faces when they saw Winston Churchill's daughter running down the street like a peasant. It was what I live for, well that and drawing. Without this, I would be suffocated in those fluffy gowns or be forced to go to all of the dinner parties in England.
"Get back here Winter Olive Churchill!" Chanel demands, "Your dad is going to see you and be livid! I don't know what you were thinking of escaping like that."

"She doesn't care what he thinks I've told you for the hundredth time." My friend Hunter says coming to my defense. Chanel glares at Hunter, gritting her teeth. Hunter's family isn't wealthiest of sorts but we have been best friends ever since her mom started working at our estate. Chanel, on the other hand, treats her no better than a servant.

"Listen to Hunter!" I holler back. My father was the least of my concerns. Sure I wasn't content when the police reported me talking to "peasants" and making friends with the "servants" but might I remind you that it is his fault that they can't afford a good house. After all of those taxes he made up, we would be poor if he weren't prime minister. Anyway, I don't care what my father thinks about me. The only reason that I stop is Chanel. She isn't really the most active few rich girls have ever even run.

Chanel isn't like me actually she is the opposite of me. Chanel has ginger red hair perfectly parted one inch to the left of the middle. That is how my father wants me, he says it to my face sometimes. 'Winter why can't you be more like your sister? You besmirch our family! I have worked for years and years to get our family to this high of a level and one thing you do could ruin it all.'. I have short messy unkempt platinum blonde hair a "disgrace to our family".

I hear my fathers Ford Model N's ('The newest car this year!' As he tells everyone) wheel's crunching as they come along the dirt road. When he sees me he shakes his head. He opens his mouth to speak but then shuts it not wanting to say anything in public. Ignoring Hunter he prods me into the car still silent. Once we are in the car he begins to speak.

"Again Winter! Really I thought you were over that by now. Do you know how many times I've had to defend you? Do you? And running away? Thank goodness Chanel found you and convinced you to stop. I don't know...."

I let my father drone on but I didn't listen. It was always the same talk; how good Chanel is and how terrible I am. The only reason he hates me is that I wasn't a boy. My parents hoped for there eldest a girl which they got with Chanel and their younger child a son. If I were the elder daughter in her place my father would despise Chanel instead of me. I don't get why having a son is such an important thing. Women and men should both have the same rights! I mean I can only study until fifteen when I have to learn to be a housewife. Men meanwhile can go to universities and colleges forever. Whenever a son is born the neighborhood throw a huge party but if a daughter is born then they only-

"What did you say?" I ask snapping my attention back to my father. He sighs again loudly this time.

"I said that you just ruined my day!"

"No no no! After that!" I shriek begging him to respond. I wasn't sure of what I heard but if I was right then...

"In Congress this morning a new law was passed," He pauses and I prod him along. "It declares that women can't go to school." I couldn't talk.

"No." Was all I could say. What would Chanel say to this? She might be on my side considering that school was the only time that she got to meet her friends. But then again she does anything for Father.

"Well, Winter you won't have to worry about failing a test..." Chanel said breaking the silence. I guess she is on Fathers side... again.

"No" I repeat. "You can't do that!"

"Well, technically I can Winter." Fathers cold stone hard reply came. During school was the only time I could draw! When the teachers are busy talking I could sneak in a few drawings. I never dared to try at home Father would be outraged.

Drawings of mermaids and dragons. I know they aren't real I'm 13. But drawing is the only thing that brings me peace. It reminds me of those days in the sunroom where mother and I would sketch for hours never talking. After we sketched I would pull out the watercolors to paint.

On the last day we did this I decided to draw a fox and Mother drew a castle with a moat. She looked paler than normal but I associated that to the slight cold the doctor had said she had. I asked her what was going on but she only shook her head and mumbled something that sounded like "nothing". I knew something was wrong but I decided to ignore it a decision I regret even today. When she was done she looked up at me and whispered "Don't stop believing Winter. This world is an unjust cruel place don't expect it to get better. You need to be the spark that lights the way for everyone else. Do you know why I chose the name Winter Olive for you? Winter standing for "rebel" and Olive stands for "warrior". You are a warrior and I am sure that you will live up to that name. No matter if you have me."

I was scared when she said that not sure what she meant but I didn't question it. I would follow anything she said I would live up to my name.

Mother wouldn't be okay with this. Mother is a quiet woman and now she goes along with what father says but I know she never agrees with it. She was the only other person I had. Was before cholera. It weakened her it weakened her so much that she stopped believing in women's rights towards the end it wasn't of her life but it was equivalent to that for me.

Later that evening before Chanel and I went to sleep she asked me "Why do you never listen?" It was a weird question. But when she turned to face me I saw curiosity in her eyes, not scorn.

"I don't try to not listen." I respond "But it angers me so much to see how we are treated women are treated no better than the poor. Why? What is the difference between them and us?" That night I told Chanel everything how much I hated everything from our rights to our titles. And she listened sucking up it all I know that somewhere in her mind she agreed with me but was too scared to tell anyone. That night was one of the rare times she and I were more than sisters we were friends.

That next morning Chanel forgot everything. She acted like what I said last night was nothing. So I reciprocated that feeling towards her. Before school started Hunter and I always met at the shed behind our house. I used to tell my father that I was going to help the teachers set up so that he wouldn't object.

Today was different last night I had a dream. In the dream, I fought for everything I believed in. Fought for women's rights. With Chanel and my mother by my side. If only I could do that be brave enough to not run away when the police came. I am tough on the outside but few people are tough on the inside. I am not one of them. I couldn't sleep that night so I thought of how I could do it. I filled up pages of my notebook with ideas of boycotts and marches. If only the old mom could see me now. The more I thought of it the more it tempted me to make a difference. But when I thought of the consequences the angel side of me talked me out of it.

"You know you can't do this." It said "You will be going against everything your father has ever worked for. Now throw that stupid book of yours into the fire." Every time I wanted to throw it away I was reminded that I would have to live knowing that I could have at least tried to make a difference but decided against it. I had made up my mind I was going to bring change or at leats die trying to.