Lahat ng Kabanata ng Mastering Charlotte: Kabanata 231 - Kabanata 240

"What would you like to do when you grow up Jenny?"She grins. "Oh, that's easy, Mr Kalkowski. I want to be like you, a teacher."The old man smiles, perching himself against the edge of his desk. Arms folded, he looks down at his disciple. "To be a teacher is an honourable calling, none more so. But something tells me your life is going to be more interesting than that. Is there not something else that appeals to you?"She shrugs. "Like what?""Like anything. The world is your oyster and you have not, thus far, seen very much of it.""You can tell me about it. And I can read your books.""I can tell you many things Jenny, and I am happy to do so. But I cannot live your life for you. You should go out into the world, see what is to be seen. Learn more...."She stares at him. "Leave here? But you're my teacher....""I have my limitations. Already you ask questions which I cannot answer, but I know that there are others who can. And of course, some questions no-one can ye

RichardMy phone buzzes."Hello, James. How is she now?""Much better. A good sleep has worked wonders. Would you and Beth like to come up when it's convenient. She wants to talk to all of us together.""We'll be there in a few minutes."I sit with Elizabeth, who keeps her fingers laced with mine. James is relaxed, a smile playing around his eyes as he sits by Charlotte.Michael is otherwise. For a man who is normally warm and easy, he seems distant, almost disconnected. On the several previous occasions when I have seen him with Charlotte in similar situations, he has been, as James phrased it, her anchor. Now he barely looks at her and there's a set to his jaw that I've not seen before.Beth notices it too, eye-pointing me across to Michael. I quell her with a warning glance and a squeeze on her fingers.Charlotte sits by James, but her glance repeatedly skitters across to her blond fiancé, who doesn't return it.Better do my bit in support...."Charlotte, um, I k

She screws up her face, feeling a little queasy. "Noooo... Let it go. Please."The old man nods. "I agree. When one has captured the beast with line and fly, it seems fairer does it not? The battle between man and beast. Yes, no? But this feels like a kind of betrayal. An abuse of trust." He stoops, releasing the fish back into the water, where with a casual flick of the tail, it resumes its vigil in the current."Think of the story it could tell, Jenny, to its fellows, of its strange trip above the world of water, only to return."She laughs. "Fish don't tell stories.""Everything tells a story, Jennifer." He stands again, slowly, placing his feet carefully as he returns to his seat on the grassy hummock. "You should not dismiss something because it appears ordinary. Instead, ask yourself what it can say to you...."Her brows puckers. ".... I see you do not believe me." He casts around at the pebbled shoreline, then stooping, picks up a stone. "This for example," he says, of

JamesShe blinks and a little of the tension in her shoulders ebbs. I pursue my point."Charlotte, I can't deny that I bought you in the first place because I saw a beautiful young girl staring out at me from an advertisement and I wanted you. It was that simple. But since then, I have come to know you and I have seen the lengths to which you will go to achieve what you want to, to meet what you see as your duties and obligations. I have absolutely no doubt that any child of yours would be protected, nurtured and loved in every way that matters."She's not looking at me yet, but I have her attention. I continue. "It's a bit of a cliché, but there is the old saying that 'That which does not kill us makes us stronger', and off-hand I'd say you are the best living proof of that I have ever seen. I believe that when the day comes that you choose to have children, the appalling upbringing you had will work for them and for you, because you remember what it was to be treated like that.

.... and then her opponent comes bullying in, her face a mask of anger. She barrels into Jenny, punching hard as she goes, landing one, two, three blows on the taller girl before Jenny backs up to get her distance, then flings in one punch after another, up and over Monica's defence, then down and under.Monica charges in close, striking hard into already sore ribs. Jenny grunts as she dances back and around, striking out and scoring on the shoulder, then again, this time catching her opponent in the face.Roaring as she surges in again, Monica drips blood from her nose. It trickles down her face, then sprays as Jenny's glove connects. There's fury in her eyes and once more she aims for the bruised ribs. The referee is behind them, his line of sight broken for just a moment, and in that second, Monica punches low, catching Jenny in the gut.The crowd whistles and hoots as she staggers. Pain kicks through her and her breath gusts out. But Jenny knows what real pain feels like, rem