Theresa — The Angst
A Short Fiction Story
Rougherdshire was a small town, amid old Scotland. It was home to roughly 1500 citizens, each with a role and a name assigned to it. A role could be anything from a baker to a butcher, and thus the significant quality of these roles would impact their names. Bach the Baker, would usually be referred to as Touchy-Feely — as most of his work was done by his hands. So each member who worked, or lived was known by the significant quality of the work they did.
There was a man named Jacob, the Jester known as “The Jester”. While his wife was named Jeanne, the Just as she always spoke truthfully about how she worked and lived. This quality attracted these two people together, as she loved the way Jester made her laugh — he was just that good.
Everyone in the town, perhaps lived by such a fascinating way of being known for their character. Thus, this was the main factor that made the town famous, in all the lands of old Scotland as the town of Rougherdshire — that meant people who were a rough herd but treated each other as family.
This trade was given to everyone that was born in the town. Some weren’t lucky as the rest, as a few were probably the laughing stock, as you could fairly imagine. One of those magnificent examples was Edgar — The Idiot.
Now Edgar was but a simple lad but had a different way of doing things that were just ridiculous to most of the residents. He used to prance around in his underwear worn outside his pants because he was afraid that somebody might pantz him.
This would happen to him, by his dear Idiotic mates, that too basked in his limelight, they were known as Yvir — the Yahoo, and Rio — the Rascal, another boy was among them, but he always had the flu so he stayed in bed all day otherwise he would get sick from the pollen that was in the fields they used to play in.
His name was Giovanni — the Goody Two Shoes. He liked the three boys because they were the only ones that didn’t treat him like a sick boy. He knew deep down, why they did what they did — and he was happy that he had friends who always took him away for a joy ride knowing very well he wasn’t allowed to. Giovanni was a kind lad, as a boy he would help everyone in town, would run from and there with messages as a guide for people who needed help.
He was fairly strong, as a kid and he would motivate the other delinquents as well to help him. They were perhaps the fastest idiots who would even jump from the water bridge just to deliver mail. But everyone knew in their hearts, why those three always stuck out for Giovanni because Gio was a boy who charmed everyone.
Yvir was someone very different from the others, He would always talk in a manner that was considered gibberish. But he had perhaps a speech impediment or lack thereof. As the nonsense, he spoke never really stopped. He was someone, a very hyperactive child while growing up he would talk about the weirdest of things in the most expressive of manner and that would get him in trouble. He was an avid reader, in the town’s library and thus his thirst for knowledge and understanding was thrown by his words that never skipped a beat. This made him at times a laughing stock in crowds, as he would just go on and on and on — even if the night came upon. He would never know when to stop, and thus he was called Yvir — the Yahoo.
Coming to the rowdiest bunch, of them all was perhaps the tall and bulky Rio — the Rascal, the man with the plan, the action, and the persecutor. Yes, we are talking the go-getter, I’m not sure that he was but he was known as one perhaps his not so famous titles. Rio was a child that was perhaps a traveler’s son that left him to the town in search of the truth. Thus he was left behind, with a foster family, friends of his father who was known as Wilson — The Wise.
Rio looked up to his father and was fairly touched by his words and the stories he would tell him every night when he would put him to sleep. These words made the character of Rio, and in his mind, he became this fierce and bold person. But fate, so it seems he made himself into a Rascal than a Saint. Perhaps, facing a life without a father, even though he was raised in a good family that wound drenched with sadness etched in his heart so deep, was something that made him a Rascal on the outside, but with dreams and hopes on the inside.
Rio understood, people — he understood his friends even Edgar who would mistakes because it was not in his control. Rio was probably the muscle and the machine of the gang… and so it was that they were a team together tethered towards all odds manageable and suffering.
But there is someone much more unique to the group — Ah yes, how can we miss the brains of the gang. Surely, we haven’t forgotten about the Lady, that brought even the mighty Rio to her knees. Yes, Theresa — The Angst. Theresa, was perhaps the most wealthy of the bunch, a good education, a maid or two to wake her up and get her dressed.
She was the Heiress of her late grandfather, who was the mayor of the town thus she inherited a lot of property. Her parents were distant relatives of the old King of Scotland. Perhaps you could say, she had royal blood coursing through her veins which would be a joke made, by Yvir — The Yahoo occasionally.
She would always worry and fear if someone from the royal family would kill her or kidnap her. She was worried about losing her family and her parents. This gave her extreme anxiety at times. Thus the name, Theresa — The Angst but it was not the only one Theresa was known for as she would become a very cautious and skillful woman, much known throughout the lands in years to come.
Although she had enough, she always looked towards the fields in search of adventure even when she was little. She would escape through the old attic, in her house — climbing next to the pipes sliding downwards, and off she goes to the journey that awaits her, prancing around joyous in the streets of the town, watching the different delights that await her.
Of Course, everyone knew each other but they kept minding their business and let young Theresa roam around. Her favorite place, was the field near the river where the gang would play — Her first trivial moment when she laid her eyes upon these boys, “these foolish boys” as she murmured glancing at how they were bathing in the river with no care in the world was something she was fascinated with.
So she jumped right in, and that startled the boys. Gio was the one that screamed, “Ahhhhh, It’s a girl”. Meanwhile, Edgar put his head under the water, knowing very he can’t breathe. Meanwhile, Yvir, trying to put Edgar out of the water struggling. and Rio was standing with a mean look on his face, and asked, “who gave you the right to come here”. Theresa Spoke boldly, and said, “it’s a free river, a lady can do as she pleases!” Spoken so softly and boldly might I add, Rio was baffled he had never truly confronted a girl and said a sentence and that caught him off guard, and he flustered. Perhaps, he even leaked his pants, a bit as his legs were shaking as well.
Deep down Theresa was anxious to the moment, she just threw herself in the river stream out of worry, but now the currents swept her away, As soon as the boys saw that they hurried to catch her so that she doesn’t drown. Rio swooped in and caught her, took her out of the water, and then asked her If she was all right. Afterward, they dried their clothes and had their quick laughs and introductions.
Theresa found all of them pretty amazing, not once did they think for a second when she was in danger, and they went for her rescue like that. So she asked, would they do this for each other as well. Gio stood up, and said,
“we’re all in this together, even if you’re a stranger but you aren’t any more! Are you! we talked and had fun in the stream, I guess we are all friends now! and friends look out for each other”
This made Theresa happy, for so long she had been yearning for a company of people would take all her worries away, and at that Theresa — The Angst felt for the first time that she didn’t need to worry after all as there were a group of people who would always be there for her, for better or for worse. This was something truly shared among the five, the bond of companionship.
Theresa asked the boys if they wanted to form a gang, and the boys replied in earnest, “yes, we would love to” — thus they had their vows to become friends and companions in their hunt for their truths. This company blossomed year, after year with each having their fun, Theresa — The Angst was someone who would worry for everyone, even if they were mean to her. She would always be worried about her friends’ sake. she would check up on Giovanni making sure he gets his medicine.
She would visit the two delinquents, Rio and Yvir trying to help Edgar get out of a tight fix, now and then. and Life perhaps bloomed in the town of Rougherdshire for a while.
Meanwhile people are still wondering when is Edgar going to wear his underwear on the inside!?
