”I
don’t think this is a good idea, Mr. Persky.” A girl shouted from inside an old
Chinese cabinet. She did not know why she agreed to such an absurd and crazy
idea. People always told her to be a bit less trusting.
“The Great Persky, Miss. Now, what
novel was that again?”
“Is this a joke Mr. Persky?”
“Some joke. Now, here's the point.
If I throw any novel into this cabinet with you, shut the doors, and tap it
three times, you will find yourself projected into that book." Margareth,
the said girl, grimaced with disbelief.
“Alright,” she sighed, “Harry Potter
and the Goblet of Fire. Yule Ball.”
“Sorry. No books published after
1900.”
She figured she’d just say any
novel, none of this was true anyway, and because she just came from her English
12 class, she said, “Don Quixote.”.
“Strange choice.” said Persky as he
tossed in a paperback copy of Cervantes’ novel.
And he tapped three times. When he
opened the cabinet, it was empty.
The Great Persky forgot to tell her
how to get out.
In the same moment, the girl
appeared inside the inn, where Don Quixote, Sancho, the priest, the barber,
Dorothea, and Cardenio arrived at Chapter XXXII (though the girl was not aware
of this). She could not believe what was happening, maybe she’s gone crazy from
hell week, she thought. She ran and hid inside a closet. She did not know what
to do; she could not speak Spanish, she was wearing a t-shirt and jeans while
people there wore gowns with petticoat; it was impossible to get by unnoticed. Just
then the landlady opened the closet, and they both froze. The landlady looked
at her from head to toe, took a deep breath, and let out a most deafening
scream. Frightened, Margareth screamed too, and bolted.
Don Quixote heard the commotion and
ran after her, convinced she was a witch trying to kidnap the princesses. He
caught her but didn’t hurt her because she was a woman, but Margareth was still
freaked out by being bound and tied up. Desperate to be free, she said to Don Quixote,
“I’m your daughter!”
Don Quixote looked skeptical, but
not angry, which she took as a good sign. She continued, “My mother is Dulcinea
del Toboso. She sent me so that I could finally meet my father.”
Much to her surprise, Don Quixote
hugged her and said, “I’ve always wanted to have a daughter!” Well, that went
well, she thought. They even speak English.
“What’s your name?” asked Don
Quixote, teary-eyed. “Uhhhh”, she replied, “Margarita.”
She was then introduced to the other
characters at the inn. She heard the love story of Anselmo from the priest with
Don Quixote. She saw and heard the story of the captive and Zoraida. And Don
Quixote gave his speech about the superiority of knights over scholars. They
were enchanting to her, almost magical. This isn’t so bad, she thought. All the
while, Don Quixote was smiling and humming, Even Sancho Panza was smiling at
her. She couldn’t help but smile back.
Then Don Quixote kneels in front of
Dorothea, and in a most solemn and regretful manner, says “I am most ashamed by
my next words, Princess Micomicona, but I cannot assist you anymore in the
recovery of your beloved kingdom. I am a father first and foremost, before I am
a knight.”
Everyone was indeed delighted,
except Margareth. She was horrified. If Don Quixote’s not going to be a knight
anymore, she thought, then basically he’s not Don Quixote. This is the best
book of all time and she’s going to ruin it!
“Father,” she said “you don’t have
to give up being a knight-errant. Continue promoting the lost values of
chivalry. It’s what you are.” She saw Persky at the window, beckoning her to go
outside and hurry. She hugged Don Quixote, kissed him on the cheek, and ran to
Persky.
It was then that she truly
appreciated Don Quixote. She realized she wouldn’t want to change a thing. If
she did, then the book would have lost its sense and value.
Later
she would read that Don Quixote always waited for his daughter to come back,
though he still pursued being a knight-errant.
