The Hidden Gem

A trio of roommates, Jenny, Emmy, and Mega, were huddled around a table in the campus dining hall, their conversation punctuated by the clinking of silverware. The trio, all on-campus residents, were discussing their upcoming holiday break plans, a mix of excitement and dread.

"I'm heading home tomorrow," Jenny announced. "Just one night class to conquer, then I'm free!"

"Lucky you," Mega sighed. "I can't leave until Saturday. That Friday afternoon class better end early."

"I'm stuck here until Saturday too," Emmy lamented, her face etched with worry. "And I've got a huge problem. Professor Davis assigned a report on an interesting family member. My family? As exciting as a week-old loaf of bread!"

"Oh, come on, Emmy," Mega chuckled. "Your parents immigrated to a new country. That's pretty interesting!"

Emmy shook her head. "It's not enough. I barely know my extended family, and my siblings? Well, let's just say we're not the Brady Bunch."

"It wouldn’t hurt to ask your mom, you never know there may be a family secret that you don’t know about" Mega suggested. "Maybe she knows some family stories, hidden gems, or eccentric relatives."

Emmy's eyes lit up. "That's true, it won’t hurt to try, I'll give her a call before I head home. Thanks, Mega!"

As the conversation continued, the weight of Emmy's assignment seemed to lighten. Perhaps, hidden within her family's history, lay a fascinating tale waiting to be discovered.

Saturday, the day of liberation had finally arrived. Mega and Emmy were both eager to escape the confines of campus and return to the familiar warmth of their homes.

As Emmy stepped through her front door, she was greeted by her parents' warm embrace. After a flurry of hugs and kisses, the conversation turned to her dreaded assignment.

"I found something that might help," her mother announced, walking towards a small table. A weathered, leather-bound journal rested there, its pages yellowed with age.

Intrigued, Emmy carefully examined the notebook. The musty scent of forgotten dreams filled the air as she delved deeper into the leather-bound journal. The elegant cursive script flowed across the pages, revealing a world long past. The unknown person's words, a bridge across the decades, transported her to a time of hope and determination.

Emmy discovered that the journal's author was her mother's late great-great Aunt Amelia, a young woman living in 19th-century New Zealand. Amelia's entries painted a poignant picture of a girl struggling to find her place in the world.

Amelia's family had migrated to New Zealand around 1860, drawn by the gold rush that swept through regions like Otago and Westland. Despite the family's financial gains, Amelia felt lost and isolated. Her journal entries revealed her frustrations.

"Father yelled at Mother again, blaming her for raising a bad daughter. He thinks I'm a failure, a daughter who'll never find a husband because of my terrible cooking and clumsiness. Everything I touch breaks or gets ruined, even the clothes I tried to wash today. It's as if the objects themselves resent me. My heart aches for the opportunities denied to me, the chance to learn, to grow, to be more than a domestic servant. I yearn to read, to write, to work outside the confines of this house. But I dare not voice these desires to Mother. She, too, is burdened, her health fragile. To add to her worries, to reveal my discontent, would be a cruelty I cannot bear."

Amelia's words conveyed a deep sense of despair and longing, revealing her desire to break free from the domestic confines imposed on her and to carve out a life beyond the household.

Emmy's heart ached as she read Amelia's words of despair, imagining the suffocating constraints of societal expectations. Then, a shift in Amelia's writing style caught her eye—a hurried, almost excited tone. "Today, I overheard Mother and our neighbor whispering in the kitchen. Mother gasped and sounded worried. Something's brewing, and I'm eager to find out what it is!"

Emmy scanned the page, her eyes darting across the lines, searching for the pivotal moment. A few pages later, she found it. The passage revealed where the mystery unfolded. Amelia's neighbor, a bold and courageous woman, had joined a group fighting for women's rights. "I've decided to join them too," Amelia declared, her voice filled with determination. "Mother might not approve, and it's dangerous, but I'm determined to fight for freedom and equality."

Emmy felt a surge of admiration for her ancestor. Amelia, once trapped by societal norms, was now breaking free, embracing a cause that would shape the future.

A jolt of realization struck her. Could her family have a hidden hero? She wondered why her mother never mentioned Amelia's involvement. Intrigued, she delved deeper into the journal.

"Mother caught me talking to the neighbor and her daughter. She's been trying to keep me away from them, afraid I'll join the fighting women. Little does she know, I've already joined the cause!"

Just as the story was reaching its climax, Emmy noticed that Amelia's entries abruptly ended. Panicked, she flipped through the pages, desperately searching for a continuation. On the verge of giving up, she noticed the last page felt thicker than the rest. Upon closer inspection, she realized the pages were glued together. Carefully, she researched methods for separating old paper without causing damage. With a bit of effort, the pages finally separated, revealing two additional entries written years later.

September 20, 1893, "I still can't believe it! Yesterday, Governor Lord Glasgow signed a new Electoral Act into law. Women finally have the same rights as men. I wish Mother were still alive to see this. Now that it's done, I hope to inspire my children. Though I've kept my involvement a secret from my family, including my husband, I hope to gain the courage to share my story with them, so they can be proud and confident in their own pursuits."

As Emmy finished reading the final entry, tears welled up in her eyes. "When I said our family had a hidden gem, I was kidding, but it turns out it's true!" she exclaimed. After a moment, she went to find her mother to share the news of the hidden pages and delve deeper into Aunt Amelia's life.

"Mom," she began, "why didn't you tell me about Aunt Amelia?"

"You finished it already? Unbelievable! I'd been waiting for the perfect moment," her mother replied. "When your grandmother gave me this notebook, I was a lost soul, just like Aunt Amelia. She gave it to me to light my way, and I hoped it would do the same for you."

"Do you know what happened to Aunt Amelia?" Emmy asked.

"I know a little. Grandma told me she was forced to marry a rich man after her mother died. Unfortunately, I don't know what happened to her after that," her mother explained.

"Apparently, she continued participating in campaigns without her family's knowledge, even hiding it from her husband," Emmy revealed.

Her mother looked puzzled. "I noticed the last page was thicker, so I inspected it closer and found that the pages were glued together so I unglued them," Emmy explained.

"Wow, I need to call Grandma to tell her about the hidden pages!" Her mother laughed.

"Now I can proudly write about our beloved Aunt Amelia," Emmy exclaimed. "Thanks to her and all the women who fought for women's rights, we were able to complete a trailblazing movement. I'm so proud to say my ancestor was part of the first-ever international women's suffrage movement!"

"That's right," her mother agreed with a smile. "We're not a boring family after all."

Reader Note: Although the characters in the story are fictional, the historical event is true. On September 19,1893 women in New Zealand were given voting rights. Making it the first nation to formally allow women to vote.