The Girl Who Wouldn't Grow Up
[Art by Audrey Kawasaki]
+PART 1+
+Peter+
“Tink, will you come on one last adventure with me?” Peter asked as he sharpened his sword. Her response was like the sound of wind chimes on a summer breeze, which always meant ‘yes’. “Good, I need you to go on ahead and find her while I stay the day and prepare. I’ll send word to the pirates to look forward to a war then meet you at half past.” And with that she raced off, leaving nothing but the hope that this game would end differently from the rest.
+Jillian+
Aunt Mabelle would be in a horrible mood later when I returned to the flat. This was the second time in a week that I had skipped out of school to spend the day walking the streets of London. Today I found myself heading towards the Kensal Green Cemetery to visit my parents. It had been a year since they were murdered in a mugging and I missed them terribly. Aunt Mabelle took me in the week she heard the news, and I had been with her since. She didn’t talk much about her sister, my mom Willow, but there were nights where I crept from my room to see her crying over old photos in the library. No, she wouldn’t be happy with me, but I would take whatever punishment she dished out. For now I would lay here in the grass, next to my parents, and dream of the days we missed. At first I didn’t understand why their stones were engraved with the quote “to die will be an awfully big adventure”, but the more time I spent here over the past year, it became clear why.
After two hours of lying with the dead, I had become restless. Getting up and brushing the leaves from my school uniform, I left the cemetery and walked the few blocks to Kensington Gardens. It was a ritual of mine that after I had visited with my parents, I would go to the park and sit awhile near the statue of Peter Pan. Mom had always read me stories of his adventures at night before bed, I would dream that I was Wendy or the Lost Boys out on some adventure with Peter and Tink. I still remember the night she shared a very different story with me, I was five at the time and hoped that someday Peter would come for me.
“Now darling, would you like to hear of my adventure with Peter? It was a long time ago when I was just a few years older than you, but I remember it well. Have I told you that we decent from Wendy Darling herself? Yes, the very same Wendy that I read to you. Now let me see, well it was an ordinary night, and your Uncle William was already asleep in his bed when Tink arrived. We had shared a room before your Aunt Mabelle was born. I remember waking to the sound of tiny bells ringing out above my head, and when I opened my eyes, there she was. Tink was the first faerie I had ever seen, and she was most beautiful. I was still marveling at her glow and the way she danced about the room when I saw Peter sitting at the window. He told me he was there to take me away to Neverland, just like he had done with every girl in our family who had come before me. To say the least, I went willingly and had the most grand adventure, full of pirates and Indians. We played all the best games with the Lost Boys; I even met Captain Hook whilst I was there! But like all adventures, mine had to come to an end. I found that I missed William and our parents most sincerely and came back right away. Some nights I dreamt of all the fun I would have had if I stayed in Neverland, never to grow up, but then I would have never met your father and had you. No I suppose I made the right choice, but it doesn’t keep me from dreaming ever now and again. Well that’s all for tonight my sweet Jillian. Good night and I hope the faeries find you in your dreams my love.”
That was one of the strongest memories I had with my mother, and the one I always recalled as I gazed up at the bronze statue of Peter. With the last light of day beaming down on me, I thought I heard the ringing of bells about my ears. It was the strangest thing I thought to myself as I glanced about the near empty park. The sound came as if from miles away, in a dream that one suddenly remembered, but just as quickly as it had come, the bells were gone.
+
Aunt Mabelle was furious when I returned home later that evening. She sent me to my room with nothing to eat and told to me think about what my parents would say if they knew of my actions. Luckily I had anticipated such punishment, so on the walk home I grabbed a cheese and tomato toastie. Although I was told to contemplate my actions, I couldn’t shake the thought of the twinkling bells that I swore I heard earlier. It hadn’t been a time for church bells to chime and there was relatively no one else around when they sounded. Unable to clear my head, I searched the bookshelf to find my copy of Peter Pan that Mother had read to me. Once finding the tattered copy, I went to my window seat and sat down with the window open. The breeze was chilled, but I didn’t mind, it was refreshing on my skin and wafted the musty scent of the pages up towards me.
I must have fallen asleep while reading, because I awoke to the soft patter of ran on my face hours later. Closing the book, I stood and reached for the towel that was hanging on the bed post. After drying myself, I turned back towards the window to shut it a bit, but not completely. The rain was but a sprinkle now as it fell to the ground. Despite the weather, there was still enough sky to see the twinkling stars above. Dad used to tell me that the stars were loved ones watching over us, I now took comfort in pretending that those very same stars were my parents now. Grabbing the blankets from my bed, I curled back up in the window, not wanting to lose sight the stars tonight. It was only a few moments later when I caught sight of a falling star, or at least what I thought to be a falling star. The thing sparkled and shimmered, but never really fell completely, as it seemed to be coming closer. It can’t be, I thought to myself, eyes wide. I sat there frozen until the tiny ball of light floated to a halt outside the glass of my window. Slowly I opened the window, and watched the little sparkler fly in. Immediately I knew who and what it was.
"I’ve been waiting for you,” I said with a smile.
© Sonja Scutaro 2011.
+Peter+
“Tink, will you come on one last adventure with me?” Peter asked as he sharpened his sword. Her response was like the sound of wind chimes on a summer breeze, which always meant ‘yes’. “Good, I need you to go on ahead and find her while I stay the day and prepare. I’ll send word to the pirates to look forward to a war then meet you at half past.” And with that she raced off, leaving nothing but the hope that this game would end differently from the rest.
+Jillian+
Aunt Mabelle would be in a horrible mood later when I returned to the flat. This was the second time in a week that I had skipped out of school to spend the day walking the streets of London. Today I found myself heading towards the Kensal Green Cemetery to visit my parents. It had been a year since they were murdered in a mugging and I missed them terribly. Aunt Mabelle took me in the week she heard the news, and I had been with her since. She didn’t talk much about her sister, my mom Willow, but there were nights where I crept from my room to see her crying over old photos in the library. No, she wouldn’t be happy with me, but I would take whatever punishment she dished out. For now I would lay here in the grass, next to my parents, and dream of the days we missed. At first I didn’t understand why their stones were engraved with the quote “to die will be an awfully big adventure”, but the more time I spent here over the past year, it became clear why.
After two hours of lying with the dead, I had become restless. Getting up and brushing the leaves from my school uniform, I left the cemetery and walked the few blocks to Kensington Gardens. It was a ritual of mine that after I had visited with my parents, I would go to the park and sit awhile near the statue of Peter Pan. Mom had always read me stories of his adventures at night before bed, I would dream that I was Wendy or the Lost Boys out on some adventure with Peter and Tink. I still remember the night she shared a very different story with me, I was five at the time and hoped that someday Peter would come for me.
“Now darling, would you like to hear of my adventure with Peter? It was a long time ago when I was just a few years older than you, but I remember it well. Have I told you that we decent from Wendy Darling herself? Yes, the very same Wendy that I read to you. Now let me see, well it was an ordinary night, and your Uncle William was already asleep in his bed when Tink arrived. We had shared a room before your Aunt Mabelle was born. I remember waking to the sound of tiny bells ringing out above my head, and when I opened my eyes, there she was. Tink was the first faerie I had ever seen, and she was most beautiful. I was still marveling at her glow and the way she danced about the room when I saw Peter sitting at the window. He told me he was there to take me away to Neverland, just like he had done with every girl in our family who had come before me. To say the least, I went willingly and had the most grand adventure, full of pirates and Indians. We played all the best games with the Lost Boys; I even met Captain Hook whilst I was there! But like all adventures, mine had to come to an end. I found that I missed William and our parents most sincerely and came back right away. Some nights I dreamt of all the fun I would have had if I stayed in Neverland, never to grow up, but then I would have never met your father and had you. No I suppose I made the right choice, but it doesn’t keep me from dreaming ever now and again. Well that’s all for tonight my sweet Jillian. Good night and I hope the faeries find you in your dreams my love.”
That was one of the strongest memories I had with my mother, and the one I always recalled as I gazed up at the bronze statue of Peter. With the last light of day beaming down on me, I thought I heard the ringing of bells about my ears. It was the strangest thing I thought to myself as I glanced about the near empty park. The sound came as if from miles away, in a dream that one suddenly remembered, but just as quickly as it had come, the bells were gone.
+
Aunt Mabelle was furious when I returned home later that evening. She sent me to my room with nothing to eat and told to me think about what my parents would say if they knew of my actions. Luckily I had anticipated such punishment, so on the walk home I grabbed a cheese and tomato toastie. Although I was told to contemplate my actions, I couldn’t shake the thought of the twinkling bells that I swore I heard earlier. It hadn’t been a time for church bells to chime and there was relatively no one else around when they sounded. Unable to clear my head, I searched the bookshelf to find my copy of Peter Pan that Mother had read to me. Once finding the tattered copy, I went to my window seat and sat down with the window open. The breeze was chilled, but I didn’t mind, it was refreshing on my skin and wafted the musty scent of the pages up towards me.
I must have fallen asleep while reading, because I awoke to the soft patter of ran on my face hours later. Closing the book, I stood and reached for the towel that was hanging on the bed post. After drying myself, I turned back towards the window to shut it a bit, but not completely. The rain was but a sprinkle now as it fell to the ground. Despite the weather, there was still enough sky to see the twinkling stars above. Dad used to tell me that the stars were loved ones watching over us, I now took comfort in pretending that those very same stars were my parents now. Grabbing the blankets from my bed, I curled back up in the window, not wanting to lose sight the stars tonight. It was only a few moments later when I caught sight of a falling star, or at least what I thought to be a falling star. The thing sparkled and shimmered, but never really fell completely, as it seemed to be coming closer. It can’t be, I thought to myself, eyes wide. I sat there frozen until the tiny ball of light floated to a halt outside the glass of my window. Slowly I opened the window, and watched the little sparkler fly in. Immediately I knew who and what it was.
"I’ve been waiting for you,” I said with a smile.
© Sonja Scutaro 2011.
++PART 2 COMING++