Rebirth: Revenge of the Abused Daughter

Catherine Kauffman and finding friends

I look at her then I smile as I clasp my hands together and look at her face.

“Why did you say so, young lady?” I ask as I look at her.

“You are different from any grown-up around this place. You are oddly different and that there is this certain darkness surrounding you that is like the same as I have. Why are you here, Miss Witman?” she said as I look at her, the way she speaks and talks to me are contradictory to her age and small body.

“Hmnn let’s just say, I am your teacher. I came here to teach you all how to survive and how to become a human being. I am not as perfect that is why I decided to take you all as my students. I see myself in you. Young, weak, scared, misunderstood, and neglected…… I want to help you all to get over those since when I am at your age… no one stood beside me and taught me what I have to do. DO you… still; want your parents to reconcile?” I ask making her look at me wide-eyed.

“THAT is why you are like this right; they are neglecting you and are always arguing at home. In the end… your house is as cold and empty. Your mother is avoiding your father and your father despises seeing your mother. Who knows Catherine, you might even learn in school from me how to get them back together.” I said with a cunning smile as she looks at me in surprise and disbelief.

“How- How did you know that? Who are you? Are you following me back home or…”

“I can see it in your eyes, my dear. It is the same as to those people who are experiencing the same. So I am right, THAT is your problem.” I said as she looks at me still wide-eyed.

“I…”

“I will be watching over you, Catherine. Don’t depress yourself thinking about the grown-ups’ problems. Study hard Catherine who knows you might get them to notice you and stop fighting.” I said as she just remains silent while biting her lower lip.

My days passed as a teacher and every day I have to deal with the children’s tricks and attitudes. Some of them are eventually giving up and are listening in class and some are still against me and want me to leave like Betty. I sigh as I walk towards the market. I stop when I see something on a glass window of a shop. It turns out to be a shop that sells things like telephones, a clock and the one thing that caught my attention. I smile as I enter the shop and walk towards the stand where that fountain pen and some papers and book cover is. It is like books that have pages that will be attached to them once already written. I pick the new hard-covered book with white blank pages. I smile and then take 4 of those and 3 fountain pens. I know these will be expensive but I smile and walk towards the shopkeeper. I paid him as he places those in a bag made of thin silk that will be tied on the top like a pouch but bigger. I smile as I walk back home holding my basket of bought items. I stop when I see a fancy carriage passing by me on the road and I heard someone shouting but I continued walking when someone runs past by me and I stop seeing Catherine gasping for air as she stands in front of me.

“Catherine? What are you doing here? Do you need anything from me?” I ask as I look at her and hold her in her arm to let her stand straight for she is holding into her knees breathing so hard.

“Miss Witman, can I ask if what will be our lesson next Monday? What shall I prepare?” Catherine said as I smile at her.

For some days of teaching in that boarding school, Catherine seems to change as I teach them things they never learn before. That is also another reason why I am gaining their attention in class. Learning something new is much more fun for them than that being taught through books, even the other teachers keep on arguing with me and telling the headmistress how bad I am teaching the kids but the headmistress just remains silent saying that I managed to change the class and we agreed in the beginning that I can do whatever I want to the class as long as they will stop misbehaving. I have been teaching and avoiding the kids’ tricks for almost 10 days and I notice that Catherine is getting closer to me and her dead cold eyes are starting to show interest in learning and communication.

“Oh, do not worry about it, Catherine. Your lesson will not be from the books. By the way, did you try the lesson I taught you at home?” I ask as I look at her.

“I did Miss Witman, it went well. I manage to create a fire without a match with only stick and wood.” Catherine said with her eyes shining in excitement.

I smile and tap her shoulder. To all my students Catherine is the one I am having a connection with though I am trying so hard to treat everyone equally.

“I am happy to hear that you manage to apply what I taught you. Now you know that by rubbing two things creating what we called friction heat will be created and after a long time, it will turn into fire. Be careful using it in places. Make sure to be safe and don’t set something on fire.” I said smiling at her.

“Yes, Miss Witman.” Catherine said as I look around.

“Oh, one more thing how are your parents doing? Are they still avoiding each other at home?” I ask as she looks up at me.

By the look on her face, I don’t know if what is happening to her family. I was invited by the Kauffman before and I meet Catherine’s mother. She appears to be kind but a little bit odd. She invited me for tea in their house but her husband is not there. I get to see how big, wide, and fancy their house is. Not to mention their plantation is as wide and productive. I also noticed that they have many servants or slaves but I am happy to see that they are treating them nicely unlike those I watched in movies that they whip and kick their slaves.

“Not like the way they are before. Now they can face each other at a meal but don’t even get to look at one another.” Catherine said as I take a deep sigh.

“Don’t worry dear; they will soon start talking to each other and how about you? Are you doing okay despite how they are now?” I ask as Catherine smiled bitterly but unlike before her eyes are getting lively not like the first time I see her with her dead cold eyes.

“I will be fine Miss Witman because my uncle Alejandro is coming again to stay with us so he can fix the papers of his property here. He said he will be staying in his new house so I can come to see him any time. I must go, Miss Witman, I am going to meet him at the town hall.” Catherine said with her eyes brightening and her smile widening.

“Alright, take care on your way Catherine and see you on Monday.” I said as I watch her run towards a carriage that is waiting for her in the side.

I watch as the carriage drives away with Catherine waving at me. I smile and take a deep breath when the carriage is out of view. I take a deep sigh as I start walking back home.

“Seems like Catherine is changing in time, I can see that there is a person who makes her smile and happy like that. I hope her parents will eventually start talking to each other without arguing. Catherine is being affected by their cold relationship. Poor Catherine, I only hope she will eventually open up to the others and stop being as cold and dead inside. That reminds me of Betty, that girl is sure a hard shell to c***k. She is the only one I can’t get to see what she is hiding in her eyes. I just wonder, what is her story for being what she is now? I have to figure her out so she will stop doing tricks and getting her friends caught up with her trouble.” I said with a sigh as I stop in front of a house just a few meters from where we are staying. 

“Hello Miss Witman, I am glad to spot you before you could pass by. Here, take this with you and tell your mother we will be seeing you tomorrow at church. I hope you can join us for dinner then.” a kind woman in her gray dress said as she walks out of the gate of the house I stop into.

It is a bigger house than ours with white and blue paint and a nice porch. The kind woman that is living here with her husband and daughter is as kind as anyone else. Miss Roselia Crantock became a friend to my mother when they get to know each other at church then Mrs. Crantock become a regular customer at the shop where my mother is enjoying her sewing job. I look at the basket she is handing me and see a lovely cotton cloth and some bread and milk. I take it and look at the kind woman.

“Thank you so much for this Lady Crantock. I will surely relay your message to my mother.” I said smiling at her and the kind woman smile back as she taps my shoulder.

“You must have been working so hard. I heard from my daughter that your class is the hardest to handle in that boarding school.” the kind woman said and I just smile at her.

“It is tiring but I love teaching the children what I know is best for them. I am just hoping they will stop doing those tricks every time I will enter the class.” I said with a sigh as the kind woman smiles and rub me by my arm.

“Your efforts will be rewarded one day. Don’t give up and keep doing what you know is best. You should go back home before it turns dark. Have a nice evening, my dear.” the kind woman said waving at me as I wave back and went back home holding 2 baskets and that bag with the items I bought on my arm.

When I arrive home Elena meets me at the gate and takes the other basket in my hand as we walk back into the house. I can see that even Elena is starting to change and get used to our new life here. She is starting to read words and write words. According to the teachers in her school, she is a hardworking one even how much she is being bullied by her classmates. My mother is also starting to heal and get better. Her usual bruises, while we were in Scotland, are now gone just like Sonia’s wounds and bruises are gone now. The only things that are left reminding us of what had happened to us in Winterlock are those scars in our body that will never disappear.

“Where is mother?” I ask as we enter the door that Elena opens widely.

“She is in the back planting more vegetables on the soil that we had made into beds. I will start cooking us some diner.” Elena said as I walk out of the house and went to our backyard.

The side of our house is already planted with vegetables and fruits so the whole place is so green and bright. I am about to walk towards the back to see my mother when someone calls out from the gate and when I look to see who I take a deep sigh. Right, after a few days in here men are starting coming to visit. Of course, Sonia is already 17, and when she will turn 18, people are expecting she already had chosen a suitable husband. Their beliefs here are so frustrating than what I am used to in the 21st century. I mean I am already 22 in my previous life and I am unmarried, with no experience of dating the opposite s*x and in short… yes I am innocent of the idea of love and marriage. I sigh as I look at the man on the gate smiling at me holding one violet flower. I walk towards him and plaster my best fake smile I can give to.