The Watch Maker

I've always loved pocket watches and was inspired to write this today. It was also inspired by Yuumei's incredible art on deviantart.com.

     The tick of a clock, it's like the beat of a tiny heart. Only when it ticks does it work. It's a steady, lovely sound. The intricate, delicate peices all work in unison to accurately count the time. It's simply beautiful.

     "Madeline! I need you to go the market to get some ingrediants for dinner!" Mother called from down stairs.

     "Alright Mother! Just let me have a moment to get ready to go!" I called back.

     I went over to my dresser and looked in the mirror as I brushed my short brown hair. I looked into my own eyes and sighed. They looked so odd, the left being green and the right blue and all. I put my favorite green button jacket over my white blouse, smoothed out my brown skirt, put on my shoes, grabbed my favorite pocket watch and ran down the wooden steps to the floor below.

     At the bottom step I looked at the calendar. It said England, July 6, 1915. I changed the date to the seventh and walked to mother who was standing in the kitchen.

    "Madeline, dear, I need you to head over to the market and pick up everything on this list." She handed me a slip of paper and so money as she said this.

     "Alright, I'll be back later!" I waved and stepped out of the door.

     I strolled down the road on my way to the market. Stands were set up along the edges of the street and vendor were shouting out what goods they had for sale. I purchased some beef from a butcher and potatoes from another vendor.

    As I walked down the crowded cobble stone road I looked at the buildings. They were all tall, at least two stories. I continued to walk as I headed for the next stand to buy some onions when I noticed a smaller building, nestled between to building, which looked taller in comparison. The sign said " William's Pocket Watches."

     It had instantly caught my attention and I found myself walking through the front door. There were display cases showing different pocket watchs and chains.

     "Hello?" I called.

     Just then a man, maybe in his twenties walked into the room. He was very slim and tall. He had blond hair and hazel eyes. He had glasses and a suit and looked very proffesional. He seemed like a serious man, but still kind.

     "Can I help you?" He asked.

     "Oh, yes. I was wondering, who made all of the stunning watches?" I gestured to the cases.

     "I did." he said.

     This was astonishing. Watch making was long and tedious. Many people don't have the patience to make one, let alone all of these.

     I wandered around the store and looked at all the watches. I could feel the man watching me.

     "Do you plan to buy anything little girl?" He asked. His tone wasn't harsh, but slightly annoyed.

     "Oh, no, sorry. I don't have any money to spend. I was just admiring the craftsmanship." I replied.

     I heard him sigh and saw him rub his eyes. Thant was when an idea crossed my mind.

     "Could you teach me how to make pocket watches? I've always loved tinkering them, but I don't completely understand how they work." I asked in a pleading tone.

     " I don't take on students." He said almost instantly.

     "Please?" I asked.

     "No, now just go home, I'm sure your parents are worried about you being gone." He said.

     "I doubt it. My father left when I was little, and my mother doesn't really worry about me." I looked down at the floor as I replied.

     "Well, aren't you a little young to be studying with some stranger you just met? I don't teach twelve-year-olds." He said, obviously moved by my previous statement.

     "I'm sixteen sir." I said, more then slightly annoyed.

     "Alright. What's your name?" He sighed.

     "Madeline, sir!" I said excitedly.

     " Well I'm William. Come back to my shop tomorrow at this time and we'll get started." He said.

     I waved and ran out of the shop happily. I ran to the other stands and quickly got the rest of the items mother had asked for.

      I checked my pocket watch and the hands pointed to 6:35 p.m. The sun had fallen behind the buildings and the sky had become shades of orange and red. People had cleared the streets and the evening became quiet.

     I made it back to my house and gave mom the ingrediants and she began to prepare dinner. I ran up to my room and took off my shoes and jacket. I set my pocket watch on my desk and sat down. I looked out the window to see the setting sun's light shine and reflect against the clouds.

     I pulled a repair kit out or the top desk drawr and began tinkering with the watch again. I kept day dreaming about learning about pocket watches. They were always fascinating to me. What little time I had with my father, it was usually spent learning about watches. 

     My father loved pocket watches, even more then I do. He said he was leaving mother, and not me. We always got along so well, it was such a shock when he left. Sometimes I can't help feeling that it was my fault. Tinkering with watches makes me feel closer to my father though, so I'll always love it.

     After an hour of taking apart my watch, my mother called me down to dinner and we ate beef stew together in the dining room. I sat silently for a while before I said anything.

     "Mother, a watch maker has agreed to teach me more about watches and wants me to go back to his shop tomorrow." I said reluctantly. 

     Mother never liked the pocket watches and said me and Father were just wasting time with them.

     "You're not going back to any watch shop." She said sternly.

     "But Mother!" I shouted.

     "No buts. You aren't going to waste time on things like this." She said without looking at me.

     I got up and ran to my room. I threw myself onto my bed and began to cry. I never understood why mother didn't aprove of my love for watches.

     That's when I got the idea. I'd just have to sneak out. With that thought in my head I fell asleep.

~

     I woke up late the next morning and I checked my pocket watch. I only had an hour to sneak out of the house and to get to that shop. I put on my shoes and tip-toed down the stairs and out the front door. As soon as I closed the door I bolted toward the market and William's shop.

     Finally I saw the shop and walked up to the door. I walked in and noticed William standing behind the counter. He looked almost surprised to see me.

     "Well, scince you're here, you can help me repair some watches that were brought in earlier." With that he gestured towards a room in the back. 

     I walked behind the counter and into the back room and saw a long table with several watches sitting on it. There were gears and parts spread everywhere. Some looked shiny and new while others were broken and old.

     I sat down at one end of the table and William told me to pick one of the watches and open the back. I picked up a silver watch with a dove etched on the front. I held it up to my ear and the silence was defening. A watch without a tick is like a person without a heart beat. It's not right.

     I popped open the back and noticed some gears had been misplaced. It looked as though someone had dropped it. I grabbed one of the tools out of a kit William had set beside me on the table and I carefully put the gears back into place. I wound the watch and it began to tick again. William came up behind me.

     "Very good." He said, "Try fixing another."

     I reached across the table once again and picked out a nice gold one. I opened it and a screw fell out onto my lap. I picked it up and looked at it closely. It was clear the watch would need a new screw. I got up and looked through numerous boxes until I found the right one. I went back to the table and put the screw back in the watch. I wound it and it ticked to life.

     "You're quite good at this." William said approvingly.

     "Thank you. I spend most of my free time taking apart and putting together the watch my father gave me before he left." I said.

     "May I take a look at it?" He asked.

     I took the watch out of my pocket and handed it to William. He opened the back and his eyes widened.

     "I've never seen anything like this before. It's so intricate and complicated. Only a master watch maker could have made it, and only someone with tremendous talent could take it apart and put it back together correctly. This watch is quite extraordinary." He said.

     I never knew how complicated the watch was. William handed me the watch back and I stared at it.

     "Who made it?" He asked.

     "My father." I replied quietly.

     William looked at his watch. It was gold and had a tree pressed on the front. It was very pretty.

     "It's getting late, you should be getting home soon." He said.

     I nodded my head and stood up. I walked back to the main room and out of the door. I walked slowly back to my house, thinking about all that William had said about my pocket watch. Was my father really that amazing? Am I really that talented?

     I made it back to my house and opened the door. Luckily it didn't seem like my mother had noticed I had been gone. I walked up the stairs to my room and sat down at my desk. I popped open my pocket watch and stared at it. Before I knew it I had fallen asleep at my desk.

~

     For months I had snuck out of the house five times a week to go to William's shop. William had become almost a second father to me, to fill the space that was left by my actual father. We became great friends and I couldn't wait to go back and learn more.

     I snuck out of the house yet again to head off to the store. I walked in and behind the counter to the table, but William was no where to be seen.

     "Hello? William?" I shouted.

     I looked around the shop but didn't find anything. I heard the bell signaling that someone had come through the front door. I walked back into the main room to find a tall yet pudgy man. He had a sad look in his blue eyes that said something was wrong.

     "I'm looking for a miss Madeline." He said.

     "That would be me." I replied.

     "William Marsh has passed away from a heart attack this morning. He told us to find you here at this time before he passed. He also said he would like to leave his shop to you because he felt it would be in good hands. Because you are a minor the responsibilities would fall upon you legal gaurdian until you are eighteen years of age. You will have final say on any buisness having to do with ownership. I'm sorry for your loss. Good day." With that he walked out of the shop.

     I collapsed to my knees and tears streamed down my cheeks. It was almost as though I had lost my father all over again. It was almost impossible to wrap my head around what that messenger had just told me. I got up and walked to the table and sat down and burried my face in my hands.

     I noticed a small box with a note by it on the table then. I pulled it toward me and read the note.

     "Dear Madeline, I know your birthday is coming up soon, so I decided to give you this. I know you'll love it! Happy birthday, William." I read aloud.

     I opened the box and inside was William's gold pocket watch. I picked it up and opened it. on the inside was written, "To Madeline, a true watch maker."

     Tears poured down my face and I held the watch close to my heart.

~

Epilogue:

     A year had passed and I had inherited the shop. I had been running the place ever scince William died and continued to make watches. I always kept my father's and William's watches with me, no matter where I went.

     Even though I missed them both terribly, their heart beats lived on, in the tick of a watch.