A sojourn with Anne

I still remember that night when I casually picked a copy of a book recommended by my close friend and skimmed the pages without any particular aim of finishing it. I wonder what made me actually start reading that book. This book literally changed my life! The book in question was Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Everyone at home had retired for the day. For some reason I hadn't felt sleepy. A book with a strong recommendation from my bosom buddy is enough to keep me awake. I switched on the living room light and started to read what Rachel Lynde observed from her window. Somehow, I don't remember what kept me going then. I now guess it had to be the homey feel the book had when compared to the universal favourites (I still use a 'u' when i write 'favourite'. I think it lends a poetic feel to the otherwise plain word! I am sure Anne would have agreed with me!) which had plenty of blood and gore. I turned the pages comfortably without hurrying up to know what happened next. When my back started to feel a little uncomfortable, I glanced at the wall clock. It was getting late. I had to attend college the next day. I tore myself away from Anne and hit the bed with the excitement of discussing the book with my friend. Days rolled by (there...I could use some melodrama-after all Anne loves it!) with a new flavour (again!) after the advent of Anne in my life. She became so real to me. I started devouring the Anne books. I felt sad when I finished the last book of the Anne series- Rilla of Ingleside. I felt a vacuum and started on an Anne book buying spree. I used to haunt the famous Landmark bookstore with my friend after college hours-just to look at the Anne books arranged on the shelf. I bought one a month. Soon the Anne fever caught my dearest cousin also. We discussed L.M.Montgomery's books and Anne whenever we got a chance and re-read all the books whenever my life-season demanded. My cousin and my friend presented me with an Anne book for my birthday. I can never forget those birthdays. They were extra-special to me. There is something so wholesome and transparent about the Anne books which one wouldn't find elsewhere. The present day lifestyle actually needs books which relax you without being preachy. I passed out of college and started my Masters degree. I was still obsessed with Anne. Only very of my friends were able to understand that feeling. In my Masters degree, there were no kindred spirits. People were too busy discussing relationships and heart-breaks. I had to dream alone or with my cousin when we got a chance to meet or with my friend whenever we called each other. I dreamt dreams of visiting Prince Edward Island to experience nature at her best as claimed by L.M.Montgomery who grew up there. Many people thought I was a bit weird in picking P.E.I as one of the places I'd love to visit during my lifetime. I was so sure that I'd visit this beautiful place sometime and revel in Anne and the related romance L.M.M wove. Little did I think that it was going to happen very soon with the- and because of the most special person in my life. When I set foot on the Charlottetown (capital city of P.E.I) airport with my husband, I felt the very air hang thick with unexplored beauty. People usually love visiting the most hyped spots on earth. Most of them do it for a kitty party or a coffee table discussion. The bed and breakfast Inn we stayed reminded of the cosy Patty's place. My eyes started to search for the elusive Gog and Magog at the fireplace. Our charming host had arranged the living room so beautifully and garnished it with lots of Anne and L.M.M. I had to tell myself every time that I was not dreaming. The breakfast we had there almost equalled the goodies Anne had in the golden picnic with her friends. This was just the beginning. Practically every islander knew about Anne. It was surprising to see that P.E.I 's tourism actually revolved around Anne. In passing, I couldn't help but think about the things India could do to promote its tourism with its countless legends and mystical past. The first day in Charlottetown was rainy. I was able to drink-in the beautiful fragrances brought by the rain described so vividly by L.M.M in her books . I looked out of the window and imagined Anne's first day at Green Gables. After a hearty, Anneish breakfast, we visited the Anne store. I now feel guilty about the money I spent on buying Anne memorabilia. The most beautiful part of my P.E.I trip was the visit to Cavendish-the place where most of L.M.M's novels are set. To begin with we stopped at the bookstore run by L.M.M's descendants. The bookstore was free of all the glitz and glamour (yet again!) of the bookstores I have visited. It looked like a quaint barn with the choicest collection of L.M.M's works neatly arranged on the racks.. I was thrilled beyond words to be there. As we walked further away from the bookstore to visit L.M.M's Cavendish house, I bent down and scooped some earth and put it inside a plastic bag. Many would think this act crazy. I am sure kindred spirits won't. There was a fine drizzle all day and as Anne would term it, the experience was perfectly romantic! There was not much remaining of the Cavendish home where Anne of Green Gables was penned. The very thought that my most favourite book was written there made me stop there in awe and silence. I was amazed at the impact a book could have on one's life. My husband was amazed at the 'damage' it had done to me. Our next stop was Green Gables. Blood was performing a roller coaster ride in my tiniest of capillaries. I was actually going to see Green Gables! As we walked towards the hilltop, the first view of Green Gables took my breath away with its beauty and simplicity. The words used to describe this homiest spot on earth danced in my mind uncontrollably. I was numb in joy! Each and every room I visited brought the memory of a wonderful chapter from the book. When I looked at the east gable room, I was a bit disappointed. This disappointment was like the one Anne had when she came to know that diamonds are not violet in colour. The dress with puffed sleeves spread on the bed consoled me a bit. The Green Gables kitchen reminded me of the chapter when Anne pays a surprise visit to Green Gables from Queen's Academy. Though there wasn't any lamp to welcome me, I was able to feel the warmth of a real home when I looked at the 'freshly home-baked loaf of bread' and Marilla's rolling pin. I half expected to see Anne and Marilla on the dining table discussing the Avonlea gossip. Each spot I visited in P.E.I made it hard to believe that Anne is only a fictional character. I was amazed at myself for remembering the books page-wise! After Green Gables, we paid a visit to L.M.M's final resting place and Avonlea village. Everything seemed like a dream right from the Raspberry cordial bottle I was holding. I am now awake with fond memories of that 'dream'. I have often heard my mother say that your dreams would come true if you wish for them with all your heart. I was only a dreamer. My husband made it real for me.
Photo courtesy: Green Gables, Cavendish, by my Gilbert Blythe