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So...hey there, guys! I was bored so I decided to post this two year old story here, just for funsies. In case you couldn't tell, this isn't Pokemon. Rather, it's a fan fic I wrote for the game series Harvest Moon, or as it's now known, Story of Seasons. Particularly based on the Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town games. I know there's a few HM fans here. I wrote this early last year, and I've gotten a lot of good feedback on it, so I'm aware of the flaws others have pointed out. However, I consider this to be my best story, and I'm really happy I wrote it, so I hope you guys enjoy it, too!
Content Warnings:
***
“One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives.” -- Euripides
***
Torrential rains drowned tiny Mineral Town, coming down in sheets, pounding on the glass windows and soaking whoever would be foolish enough to tread through the rain to the bone. Only the tears of a thousand weeping angels could produce such a dreadful downpour. It wasn’t enough to flood the entire town or cause any casualties, but it was enough to make everyone want to stay inside their warm, comfortable homes. After all, who would want to go anywhere in such a downpour, and in autumn, no less?
Luckily for Mary, the library was not only her refuge, but connected to her house, so she could always walk through the door on the side that led straight into her living room. That was of no interest to her now, as she was leaning against the wall, completely absorbed in a new book that had just arrived last week. The pitter-patter of raindrops against the glass windows were a combination of white noise and music to her, as she read the passage where a brave warrior princess saved three fairies from cages of thorns set up by the beautiful but evil butterfly queen.
Just as Mary reached the page where the princess and the fairies dodged an arrow, the side door opened, and a woman with thick black hair done up poked her head in. Mary didn’t even hear the creaking of the door, as she was too absorbed to pay attention.
“Mary?” The woman called out. “Mary, dear?”
“Oh!” Finally, the woman’s voice reached Mary, as she finally pulled herself out of the book. “What is it, mother?”
“You’re not going to believe this,” Her mother explained. Mary slid a bookmark in her book and stood up, taking some time to straighten out her aqua blue dress some. “Barley’s here.”
Mary raised an eyebrow. “Barley?”
“Yes, from Yodel Farm,” Her mother clarified. “Your father’s going on and on about plants with him right now.”
Barley? The old man who owned the cow farm? Coming to a library? That was quite unlike him. It must be confessed that Mary didn’t know the man too well. She had seen him a couple times in Mineral Town, but more often than not, he was at his cow farm with his granddaughter. Sometimes, when she and her family would go to Mother’s Hill, the meadow just below the mountain, she would see him bathing in the hot spring, right near the mine. His little granddaughter would sit outside, either playing pretend or gathering flowers for herself.
“What’s Mr. Barley doing here?” Mary asked, her cobalt eyes already twinkling with curiosity.
“I don’t know. But dinner will be ready soon, so would you set the table, please?” Her mother asked kindly.
“I’ll be happy to!” Mary put the book back on the desk and ambled into the living room. Two men, one of them with thick glasses, snow white hair, and a raspy voice, sat on the couch. Mary looked over at the other man, who had short hair and was considerably younger than his friend. The two were laughing merrily, like they were having a good time just chatting about whatever was on their minds. Leaving them alone, Mary went into the kitchen and set the table, right as her mother pulled the doria out of the oven.
“Basil! Dinner’s ready!” Mary’s mother called out.
“Thanks, Anna! I’m starving!” Basil, the younger man, immediately stood up from the couch.
By six, everyone was at the table, munching on Anna’s freshly cooked doria. Basil, Mary’s father, was the first to strike up conversation, as usual. “So Barley, toy flowers have been growing like crazy up on Mother’s Hill.”
Anna raised an eyebrow, shooting a somewhat disappointed look at her husband. “Honey, enough with all this talk about plants,” She told him gently. As much as she loved her husband, his love for plants could get a little exasperating. All Mary did was chuckle as she ate some peas and gratin. “I apologize, Barley. May I ask what you’re doing here by any chance? You almost never come to the library.”
Right as she finished, the man fell silent. Mary saw his normally cheery expression suddenly turn dark, his smile bending into a frown. Whether it was pain from his arthritic knees or thoughts of the past, she wasn’t sure, but seeing Barley sad was as likely as her beloved books and stories becoming real. Even Anna and Basil found themselves silent with concern. His white hair and mustache seemed to droop downward, and Barley kept staring at his doria. He hadn’t taken one bite.
“Listen, I was wondering if I could ask a favor of you,” Barley began, his raspy voice trembling some. “I got a letter from one of my old friends. His wife died, and he wants me to come to his funeral.”
Funeral. Just the mention of the word made the atmosphere in the house turn somber. Mary continued to eat, not wanting to let her mother’s doria go to waste. But she did listen to the rest, as did her parents.
“It’s not something I can ignore, so I’ve decided to go. I won’t be here for about three days,” Barley continued on. “I found someone to help watch the farm, but he doesn’t know how to raise a child, so I can’t leave May with him. Manna’s busy with the winery, Sasha is out of town, and Elli has her hands full taking care of her grandmother and Stu. Lillia’s not an option since she doesn’t have the best constitution, and I don’t want to make her illness worse than it already is...” The spoon trembled in his hand.
Anna had heard enough to put two and two together. “So you want us to watch May while you’re gone?”
The more Mary heard, the more she realized Barley didn’t mention one other person: May’s mother. It was no secret that Barley’s daughter left the farm long ago, before suddenly having a child and then leaving her here for seemingly no reason. No one, not even Barley, was able to figure out why she would just abandon her flesh and blood, never coming back for her. Mary could think of a few possible reasons, but none of them excused leaving May like that. Of course Barley wouldn’t ask her mother for help.
“Would it be possible for you to look after May for three days?” Barley finally asked. “I apologize if this is short notice, but I have no one else to turn to.”
Basil spoke up, and there was no hesitation. “Don’t worry, Barley. We’d love to take May for a few days.”
The old man lifted his head up, eyes wide like he heard a thunderstorm. “Really? You will?”
Anna smiled. “I don’t see why not. Mary could use the company,” Hearing that, Mary’s face turned red. “She’s shy and as much as I love that she likes reading, I do think spending some time with someone else might be good for her.”
“Mother!” Mary shot her mother a look that said, “Really? Did you have to say that right in front of him?” Anna could only smile and wink at her daughter. But Mary did see where she was coming from, and she didn’t find herself objecting to the idea. She liked little May, and the little time they did spend together was relatively nice, if somewhat short. Plus, she always did want a little sister. Maybe her mother was right. This might be a good idea.
“I don’t mind at all,” Mary agreed with her mother, once her embarrassment faded. “We would love to have May here.”
A smile as big as his nose painted itself on Barley’s face. Some of his teeth had turned yellow and old with age, but nobody paid any mind. “Ohhh, thank you kindly! I don’t want to leave May all alone, and I can’t take her with me, so this is wonderful!” Barley exclaimed, his raspy voice brimming with joy as he clasped his thin hands together. “You have no idea how much I appreciate this.”
“It’s no problem at all,” Anna replied. “So when are you leaving?”
“Saturday, at noon. If things go as planned, I’ll be back on Monday at six in the evening, maybe earlier if possible,” Immediately, he began scarfing down the food that Anna prepared, realizing he hadn’t eaten since he got here.
Mary found herself lost in thought. Three whole days with May. It seemed like a pleasant enough thought. May was a nice little girl, from the few interactions she had with her, and wasn’t a troublemaker like Stu could be sometimes. Already, Mary could imagine some things they could do together. Reading books. Throwing autumn leaves around or leaping into the piles. Watching funny shows on TV. Going on walks around town to give May some fresh air. Today was Thursday, so Barley would be leaving in two days.
Enough time to prepare for a little girl to stay here for a while.
“We’ll make sure she has a good time here, Mr. Barley,” Mary reassured, her warm, gentle gaze already making Barley sigh with relief. “Please, don’t worry. We’ll do what we can for her.”
But could she do it? Mary wasn’t sure. She didn’t have brothers or sisters, like Elli and her rambunctious brother. Still, she promised herself to do right by Barley.
***
The day May would come to Mary’s house was nothing short of a brilliant display of autumn trees and their canvas of wild, vivid colors that never ceased to be amazing. Golden yellow, sunset orange, shimmering bronze, vermilion red, and many other obscure mixtures of the above colors all made a patchwork quilt of a forest that spread all over Mineral Town, wrapping it in the beauty and comfort of its warmth. The air had become chilly with autumn frost, but not so much so that it would make anyone’s lungs burn from too much cold.
Mary made sure to write about autumn’s beauty in her notebook, hoping to use it for real, should she ever publish a book on her own. It didn’t take long for Barley to arrive at the library, his granddaughter’s hand in his own. The entire family greeted them warmly, with smiles and bows. May looked just as cute as Mary remembered. A little girl of about seven years old, with thick black hair tied into tiny, Eastern-style braids, wearing a red dress with long sleeves to protect her from the cold. Her shy, dark eyes gazed up at Mary, sizing her up.
“Hello May,” Mary bent down to put herself at little May’s level.
“Hello, Miss Mary,” May flashed a shy smile in the older girl’s direction.
Miss Mary. She wasn’t quite sure how to take that. Did May see her as a full grown adult, like a teacher? Whatever the case, Miss Mary made her feel somewhat old, and she was only sixteen. Of course, she knew May was only trying to be polite.
“You can just call me Mary. We’re very happy to have you here. Want to come inside?”
“Yes, please!”
After a short while, Barley left Mineral Town, happy that May was in good hands for the next three days. For the most part, the first few hours were uneventful. May and Mary simply talked about various going-ons in Mineral Town and watched TV. It was yet another episode of My Dear Princess, a very popular children’s show that Mary couldn’t quite get into. But she endured the cheesy episode for May’s sake. May’s eyes were wide with delight as the princess managed to get herself out of yet another predicament. In fact, little May was throwing her fists in the air, cheering like she was at a baseball game.
“You did it, princess!”
When the episode ended and the credits began to roll, Mary decided to take the initiative. “May? I was wondering...I have some books in my room that we can read together,” She told her kindly, in a soft, mature voice. “Would you like to pick one?”
May flashed a bright grin in the older girl’s direction. “Sure!”
The two girls trotted off into Mary’s room. Since May was only seven, Mary had already pulled out some children’s books and brought them to her house the day before her charge was to arrive. She was sure May wouldn’t be interested in either adult books with complicated words and stories nor any of her father’s tomes about plants. Basically, fairytales and whatever kids book series she could find. She didn’t know of May’s specific interests or book preferences, so she simply winged it and hoped May would find something that she liked. May did pick one fairytale book out, and Mary read it to her. She took care to read slowly so that May could comprehend and understand what she was saying.
“Fear not, my dearest princess,” Mary recited after a few pages. “For I will see to it that you are free from this prison!”
May sat on the edge of Mary’s bed, listening attentively as the latter read the book to her, word for word, taking it all in. However, as Mary glanced at her charge as she read, she noticed that May kept glancing over at one of her bookshelves. Was she interested in a book from one of her own shelves? Or did she notice something that Mary didn’t? The bespectacled woman wasn’t sure, as she couldn’t read May’s mind. Still, this was a signal that she couldn’t find it in herself to ignore.
Once she finished reading, Mary asked, “Do you need something? A snack or a drink before bed?”
Without a word, May stood up and walked over to Mary’s shelf, pointing to the second shelf from the bottom. “I wanna read this book,” May told her.
It didn’t take long for Mary to see which of her books she was talking about. The book in question was titled Wilting Flowers: The Biography of an Unwanted Daughter. It was an autobiography about a woman who grew up during the rapid industrialization period eighty years ago, and the authoress was often the subject of abuse and neglect from her rich, well-off family, especially her mother, who had no use for a daughter. Mary put a hand on her chin, perplexed. Why would May want to read something like this? As far as Mary knew, it definitely had some content that she didn’t think would be suitable for seven-year-olds, and big words that May might not understand.
“I read a little bit of it when I was in school,” May explained upon noticing the confused look on Mary’s face. “I like it. But then it disappeared, and I want to read the rest and see what happens. Can I read it, Mary? Please? I’ll be super careful,” May was polite with her request, but Mary could hear the subtle pleading in her small voice, like she really wanted to read that book.
“It’s great that you want to read such a big book,” Mary began. “But I’m not sure if it’s anything you’d be interested in. There’s a lot of complicated stuff in there that might not be good for little girls to read just yet.”
It must be confessed that it hurt Mary’s heart to say this to little May. She was always one to encourage people of all ages to read and find joy in books. In some way, she did want to allow May to read that book. The fact that May was interested in it at all said a lot about the little girl’s character, and she certainly didn’t want to say no and disappoint her. At the same time, however, she did have some concerns about the book’s content. Mary herself read some adult books when she was younger, and she wasn’t traumatized one bit. But every person was different, and she didn’t want to risk it with May. Still, she hated the condescending tone she took with her. She didn’t mean to sound that way, but she couldn’t think of a more delicate way to put it. May was a child, yes, but children could be smarter and more perceptive than people gave them credit for.
Plus, Mary did have an idea on why May wanted to read it. But maybe now wasn't the right time to bring it up.
“Really?” May cocked her head to one side, her braids drooping. “I won’t be scared. I promise.”
“I’m sure you won’t,” Perhaps changing the subject would be a good idea. Mary was quick to suddenly say, “But I think now’s the time to brush our teeth. We better get to bed soon.”
Hearing this, May didn’t press the subject further. She smiled and chirped, “Okay!”
Barley made sure to pack May’s favorite toothpaste and toothbrush so she could have something familiar to use while at Mary’s house. There was no way she could stand the harsh minty taste of adult toothpaste, Barley had reasoned. Once the girls brushed their teeth and changed into their pajamas, they were asleep when the comforting embrace of darkness wrapped all around them.
***
It was still dark when the sound of soft sniffles and sobbing made Mary stir. At first, they were quiet in the stillness. Gradually, the sobs grew subtly louder. Not so loud that they turned into full-on crying, but enough to pull Mary from dreamland. She rubbed her eyes, still weary from sleep, wondering just what was making that sound. Even in her weary state, Mary could tell she wasn’t the one crying herself, as she didn’t feel any tears on her face or eyes.
“Mwaah?” She was in no mood to try and sit up, as she wanted to get back to sleep right away. Groggily, Mary turned over on her side to face the side of the bed that May slept on. That was when she saw it. Both of May’s arms were covering her face. Wretched sniffles and sobs escaped the young girl’s lips. Her tiny fists were shaking.
Now this was alarming. Suddenly alert and wide awake, Mary sat up, dark eyes wide with worry. Was May having a nightmare? Even in the darkness, she could see May’s small body trembling, the sobs completely wracking it.
“May?” She gently pressed her hand on May’s shoulder, shaking it. “May. Wake up.”
“Mommy…” A small, weak, broken voice kept choking words out. “Mommy...don’t leave me...don’t go! I don’t wanna be all alone!”
Definitely a nightmare. “May. Please wake up,” Although her grip was gentle, Mary began shaking May just a little bit harder. “Wake up, May!” Mary tried to keep her voice low so she wouldn’t wake everyone else up, to no avail.
“Why are you...leaving…? No! Mommy!”
“May!”
“Uh!” Finally, May’s brown eyes shot wide open. Her lungs in dire need of air, May suddenly found herself breathing heavily, like she had ran a marathon. Tear tracks soaked her cheeks, with some of them having melted into the pillow she laid her head on. Breathing a sigh of relief, Mary ran a gentle hand through May’s black locks, stroking her hair reassuringly.
“It’s okay now, May. You were having a nightmare,” Slowly, Mary used her other hand to pull the girl close, pulling her into a hug. “It was just a dream. Just a dream, sweetie.”
May could feel herself melting into Mary’s touch. She buried her face into Mary’s torso, allowing the rest of her tears to fall. “It was real.”
“Hm?”
“I dreamed that Mommy left me all alone,” May finally confessed through her quiet sobs. “She looked so angry. I don’t know why she was mad. I said come back over and over, but she never came back.”
So that was it. Mary could hear her heart break right inside of her chest. It was no secret that May’s mother had been out of the picture. What exactly happened before May came to Mineral Town, no one knew. That was something only little May knew and kept to herself. Why her mother left May here and never returned was a question that seemed to have no answer. Not even Barley seemed to know why. Perhaps even May didn’t know why her mother left.
Mary decided against asking her any questions. She could see right away that being abandoned was definitely hurting this poor, sweet child. What good would asking her questions do? For all Mary knew, May might not remember her past clearly. She was only seven years old. Besides, Mary told herself, even if she did remember some details, or even the very reason why her mother abandoned her to begin with, May might not want to disclose anything she wasn’t comfortable speaking about, and that was fine with her. Still, she had a right to mourn what she went through.
“It’s okay, May,” She whispered in a soft, dulcet voice, using her other hand to stroke May’s back ever so gently. “I’m here. I won’t leave you all alone. Mr. Barley won’t either. He’ll be back soon. I promise.”
Gradually, May’s sobs quieted down. Her black hair had turned a soft shade of navy blue in the moonlight coming through the window. Mary then kneeled closer to May’s level and peppered her forehead, nose, and cheeks with soft kisses, as if those kisses could erase whatever unhappy memories she had. She knew they couldn’t, obviously, but May giggled at the gesture, so they at least made her happy for now.
“Thank you, Mary. You’re nice.”
“You’re welcome. Let’s go back to sleep now, and dream nice dreams this time.”
That proved to be enough for May to fall fast asleep, her favorite sheep doll wrapped around one of her arms. After a few extra minutes, Mary herself then fell back asleep, happy that May was going to dreamland with a smile on her face this time.
***
The next day was a fairly pleasant, if somewhat uneventful day for the two of them. Since the last remnants of the rain had finally been dried off thanks to the morning sun, Mary thought it’d be nice to take May out for a stroll through Mineral Town. Plus, May was anxious to know how her dog, Hannah, and the cows on Yodel Farm were doing. First they went to Rose Square, and May mostly trotted about the area as Mary sat down on a bench, reading yet another book. She had barely gotten ten pages in when May suddenly ran right back to her, eyes gleaming and smile radiant.
“Mary! Mary! Look what I found!” In May’s hands was a bundle of pretty little blue flowers, bunched together into a makeshift bouquet. “I found lots and lots of them!”
“They’re so lovely, May!” Mary chirruped.
“Here!” Happily, May pulled one out and handed it to her older friend. “This one’s for you!”
Touched by the kind gesture, the bespectacled girl gratefully took the flower and put it behind her ear. “Thank you very much, May. This is wonderful.”
“I’m gonna put these in a vase when we get to my house!” May announced, her cheeks rosy red with delight.
Since Yodel Farm was right near Rose Square, it didn’t take long for them to get there. The cows were out grazing in their pens, and a little dog kept an eye on them. Hannah, May’s precious dog, was only too happy to see her precious human friend, and didn’t hesitate to jump on her and lick her face. May fell on her rear, giggling as Hannah showered her with kisses, her tail wagging back and forth faster than anyone could see. Oddly enough, Mary kept herself at a distance. She was about ten feet from the two of them, and May could see her older friend shaking and her face was white as a ghost, eyes wide like she saw something scary.
“What’s wrong, Mary?” May asked, confused as to why Mary would be all the way over there. “Don’t you wanna play with Hannah?”
Mary shook her head. “No thank you. I’m...not very good with dogs. I’m sorry.”
Little May couldn’t understand why Mary wouldn’t want to play with Hannah. She was such a nice dog. But Barley had told her that there are some people who don’t like dogs no matter how nice they were. Disappointed but not too bothered, May dropped the issue and showered Hannah with love and attention. It felt good to be back with her furry friend, even if it was only going to be for a short while. Mary was fine where she was, and allowed May some time to play. Honestly, she didn’t want to touch that dog with a fifty-foot pole. Already, she wished she was back at her book-filled sanctuary. Dogs definitely weren’t allowed in libraries.
Thankfully, much to Mary’s eternal relief, they didn’t stay at the farm for very long. The person Barley hired to care for the cows did allow the girls to pet them for a short while, but that was it. Then they went to the church, one of May’s favorite places. Neither Mary nor May fidgeted over their wooden pews during the congregation, and Father Carter’s sermons were short. Mary watched as May kept eyeing the beautiful golden sunbeams coming in through the stained glass windows, making the colors shine and come alive, like they were a glass painting created by an otherworldly genius. Little beauties like this always made Mary want to write about them. In her mind, they deserved to be shared with the world.
When the church services were over at about eleven, May suddenly announced, “Can we go to Stu’s house, please?”
“Stu?” Mary asked, blinking once to process what her little charge just said. “Sure. I don’t mind. How come?”
May flashed a cute smile in her direction. “I wanna give him, Elli, and Granny Ellen some of the flowers I found!”
It was Mary’s turn to smile. May was such a sweet girl. “Alright. I’m sure they’d love that. Let’s go.”
The tiny cottage where May’s friend Stu lived was only two blocks down from the church, so they had no problems getting there. It was easy to find as well, since Ellen lived right next door to the mayor. It also helped that both the library and Stu’s house were on the same street. Mary knocked on the door, and the two of them waited a couple seconds. Soon, the door was pushed open, and out came a pretty young lady in a frilly yellow and white pinafore-apron. Her very short, chocolate brown locks were arranged in a boyish bowl cut, matching her light, kind eyes.
“Oh! Hello, Mary!” The woman exclaimed, tugging at the red and black ribbon tie around her neck “What a surprise to see you!”
“Good morning, Elli,” Mary greeted her friend politely, as she always did.
“Hi, Elli!” May chirruped.
Flashing a smile in the girl’s direction, Elli kneeled down to May’s level. “Good morning, May. How are you today?”
For as long as Mary had known her, Elli was always a kind, patient young lady. With her puffy light blue shirt, long navy blue skirt, fair skin, and motherly nature, it seemed natural for her and May to converse like they were best friends. Plus, she was a trainee nurse at the clinic, so she spent a lot of her time taking care of people, whether it be putting band-aids on a child’s scraped knee, giving medicine to a sick patient, or simply offering a friendly word of advice. Elli always gave off a warm, friendly, comforting atmosphere that always seemed to draw people to her, even someone as timid and bookish as Mary. Even her soft, inviting smile was a wonderful sight for sore eyes and sore hearts.
“I’m good!” May replied.
“We’re sorry to intrude if you’re busy,” Mary told her.
Elli shook her head. “Not at all. Don’t apologize. I always enjoy good company.”
“Can Stu come out and play?” May suddenly inquired.
It was here that Elli’s smile immediately turned downward. Even her normally kind eyes suddenly became hard. “Sorry, but Stu can’t play today. He’s grounded.”
Disappointed, May looked down at the bundle of flowers in her hands. “Oh? How come?” Mary asked, suddenly curious.
“It was dreadful!” Elli exclaimed. She explained that yesterday, she had taken Stu to the inn so they could have some lunch and get him out of the house for a while. But when she wasn’t looking, Stu had taken a bug he found and slipped it down Anne’s back. Oh, how the red haired tomboy shrieked! Thankfully, the scene didn’t last for very long, and Anne managed to get the nasty beetle out from underneath her shirt before it could go any farther down. It helped that Elli had managed to catch Stu redhanded in the act, even though she was slow to stop him.
“Oh my,” Mary’s mouth fell agape, and a hand almost flew to cover it.
A sigh escaped Elli’s lips. “I’m only too grateful that Anne didn’t think too much of the incident, thank goodness,” An uncharacteristically stern expression spread across her round, kind face. Mary couldn’t help but think that such an expression didn’t suit her. “Even so, Stu is forbidden from playing outside today and tomorrow, and he has to do all of his chores. He can’t have any desert either.”
“Elli!!” There was no mistaking little Stu’s shrill voice. Everyone could hear his shrieking, even though he was way in the back of the house. “This is boring!! I don’t wanna clean my room!! Lemme go out so I can eat Father Carter’s cookies!!” He whined petulantly.
Good thing Elli was not going to submit to her brother’s tantrums. “No, Stu. You brought this on yourself. Now finish cleaning!” She called back.
“Umm…” Before Elli could go on, May pulled three flowers out of her bundle and handed them to the older woman. “Will you give one to Granny Ellen and Stu? One of them’s for you, too.”
Just like that, her smile returned, and Elli took the flowers with gratitude. “Thank you. You’re very sweet. I’ll see to it that they get their flowers.”
May smiled back at her, which in turn made Mary grin. Oh, how quickly the atmosphere around them changed. After a few more minutes, Mary and May left Elli to her own devices, not wanting to overstay their welcome. It wasn’t long before the two black haired girls made their way back to the library without much trouble. Along the way, Mary couldn’t help but thank her lucky stars that she didn’t have any siblings to worry about. She wasn’t sure what she’d do if she had to deal with someone as rambunctious, energetic, and naughty as Stu. Elli certainly had her work cut out for her.
Then again, having May around was like having a little sibling in and of itself, so perhaps the thought of having a brother or sister wasn’t all bad. May proved herself to be a very sweet child. Obedient, quiet, and polite when she needed to be, but still energetic in her own way. Especially not at the obnoxious level like Stu could be. For the most part, May didn’t mind having some time to herself, which allowed Mary some freedom for when she wanted to go to the library, the kitchen, or her own room. However, being the observant girl that she was, she did notice that May often went into her room. Nothing was out of place or missing, but still...something was going on in there that May obviously didn’t want Mary to know about.
Just what was it?
***
She found the answer later in the evening.
“May!” Mary called from downstairs. “Dinner is ready! Mother made your favorite stew!”
“Stew?!” That was enough to make little May race right down the stairs, her dark eyes gleaming with delight. “Yay! Stew! Does it have carrots?”
“Yep. Lots and lots of carrots. I need to go put this back,” Mary showed her charge a small pink wallet the size of her whole hand. “I’ll be down in just a minute.”
Satisfied, May raced to the dining room, happy to have her favorite dinner. Mary ambled up the stairs, like she always did her whole life, right into her room. Her legs didn’t feel drained from the exertion, as she had walked those stairs every single day. She was used to it. When Mary put her wallet on her desk, she noticed a book on the floor. It had a flat piece of paper tucked into the very last two pages, like a bookmark. Mary kneeled down to pick it up. Books didn’t belong on the floor.
It was the book that May said she wanted to read. Wilting Flowers. Mary turned to look toward her bedroom door. Had May been reading this? It was the only logical conclusion she could come up with. May must have snuck into her room a few times to read it when Mary wasn’t looking. Of course, Mary wasn’t angry. In a way, she was relieved. There was no way May would do something bad like rip her things or do something else that she shouldn’t. Still, Mary couldn’t help but wonder why May would want to read this book at all.
Wait a minute...a potential answer flashed through her mind. The answer that had lingered in her mind since May told her she wanted to read the book. May’s mother was gone. The main character’s mother was cruel, abusive, and often left her alone in order to do things that she shouldn’t. Did May identify with the main character? May and the girl from the book had problems with their mothers. At that moment, Mary’s stomach roared a rather undignified rumble. She made a mental note to discuss this with May after dinner.
As she came downstairs to eat, May was in the middle of telling her parents about the cows that her grandfather would raise. “Caramel is my favorite cow. Her fur’s all brown and soft, and she always likes to snuggle with me. Grandpa says she’s a jersey cow. Do jersey cows make chocolate milk?”
“Nope,” Mary answered right away, sitting down and helping herself to warm, fresh stew. “Jersey cows make milk that has a lot of this stuff called butterfat in it. Butterfat is the part of the milk that has fat, carbohydrates, and protein, all of which are important.”
Dinnertime was pleasant and full of merriment. Even May was joining in on the Boatwright family’s conversations. She even ate all of her food, vegetables and all. Mary could barely hide her surprise. No child she met ever ate all of their dinner, especially vegetables. She could vaguely remember her early childhood, but knew that when she was younger, about six or seven, she absolutely hated curry and absolutely refused to eat it no matter what, making it loud and clear for anyone who could hear. Even now, she didn’t consider curry to be a favorite, but she could tolerate it at best. That was as far as it went.
When night time came, Mary finally decided it was time to talk to May. “Do you mind if I ask you something?”
“Yes, Mary? What is it?” May cocked her head to one side, her bangs drooping, following suit.
Mary pulled the book out from her coverlet. Seeing it made May jump back a little. Her eyes went wide, like she was thinking, ‘Oh no! I’m in big trouble!’ That was not an expression that suited the little girl at all. Mary simply smiled and used her free hand to stroke the child’s shoulder.
“Don’t look so frightened. I’m not angry at all. I saw it on the floor before dinner,” Mary pointed to the piece of paper that had been hastily shoved into the final two pages. “You’ve been reading it.”
The little girl averted Mary’s kind gaze. To say that she was relieved that Mary didn’t fly into a volatile temper or yell would be the understatement of the millennium. But she still didn’t like having to confess to doing something she wasn’t supposed to do, even though it was the right thing to do.
“I’m sorry, Mary,” May apologized. “I did read it. Way early in the morning before you woke up. I made sure to put it back where it was. I know it’s rude to touch someone’s things, but…I really wanted to read the rest of it…”
There was no anger in Mary’s eyes. Only kindness and sympathy. This time, Mary stroke the little girl’s hair, petting her like she was an adorable kitten. “It’s alright. I understand. Do you mind if I ask why you wanted to read it? Is there something you like about it?”
At first, Mary received no answer. May simply shifted herself onto the bed, clutching her favorite sheep doll. The lack of response made Mary worry that she crossed a line.
“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. It’s alright. You don’t have to say anything you don’t feel comfortable--”
“June’s mommy...is a lot like my mommy. Sorta.”
Mary found herself taken aback. She was silent, but her eyes suddenly widened. It was rare for May to talk about her mother, especially in front of other people. But she knew that May saw the way her grandfather’s expression changed when she mentioned her mother. Then he would pat her head and tell her she was a good girl. She had seen her try to converse with him about it once before out on their farm. Mary had to wonder how May felt about all of this. She was certain that in some way, May could feel the effects of her mother’s disappearance.
“Mary?”
“Yes?”
“Is it true...that there are mommies who hate their kids? Even for no reason at all? Who hurt them, don’t let them eat or wear nice clothes or who are never nice to them?”
The sound of her heart breaking into pieces was the loudest sound she heard and felt. Even louder than May’s unprecedented question. She could feel her eyes beginning to blur with oncoming tears. What could she tell her? How could she possibly answer that question? On one hand, she wanted to tell the truth. She was not so naive as to think that the world was all sunshine and rainbows, even if she herself had a nice life and loving parents. May’s mother was the perfect example of that. At the same time, she didn’t want to make May sad or burden her with things a child shouldn’t have to bear. May was only a little girl. Her childhood deserved to be full of fun, happiness, and innocent joy. May deserved nothing more than endless love.
Didn’t she?
But Mary couldn’t deny the fact that May would want an answer. May wasn’t stupid. She confessed to reading the book, which was an autobiography. It depicted real events. Perhaps...being truthful in a delicate way wouldn’t do much harm. The practical, worldly side of her gradually began to come forth.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Mary confessed. “There are mothers and fathers who don’t love their children. Sometimes there’s reasons for it, and other times they do it for no reason at all. Why some of them don’t love their kids, sometimes there is no real answer. There are times when not even they know why they hate their own children.”
For a short moment, May was quiet. Mary could see a solemn, unchildlike expression on her face, like she was deep in thought. There was a strange depth in her eyes. A grim, thoughtful expression that told Mary that little May was in the process of searching through her memories. That was what she thought.
“I wonder if...Mommy hates me?”
“Can I ask why you think that?”
Mary couldn’t bring herself to say something like, “Your mother doesn’t hate you! Not at all!” But that would come off as hollow or superficial. Mary didn’t know what May’s mother was like, nor the reason she never came back for the child she bore in the first place. Again, she reminded herself that only May knew her own mother. It wasn’t her place to judge a situation she didn’t fully understand. But curiosity still overrode every other emotion in her heart. May was opening up little by little. Perhaps she needed someone she could talk to about this.
“You can tell me if you want. It’s alright,” Mary gently reassured.
Finally, May spoke again.
“Mommy was angry all the time,” May began softly, talking very slowly like she wanted Mary to hear every detail. Her voice was still low, but clear enough for the older woman to hear. “She...yelled a lot. If I was hungry, she got mad. If I was thirsty, she got mad. If I wanted a toy, she got mad. When I was just looking at her, she got mad. She yelled on the phone a lot. She said lots of bad words. I can’t say them because they’re bad. Sometimes strange men would come by and Mommy would yell at them. She threw a tea cup at one big guy with a long, frizzy beard. She hit me a few times.”
The more May told, the more Mary listened. No, that was definitely not the best kind of environment for a child. May’s story was still vague enough that Mary couldn’t form a complete picture of the child’s life before Mineral Town. Even so, as far as Mary was concerned, no child deserved that kind of treatment. No child even deserved to be hit for any reason. Surely, May did nothing to warrant such cruelty.
“June’s mommy said that she was a bad kid who had bad blood and should be sent away forever...who shouldn’t...exist. Do I have bad blood? Am I a bad kid?”
Now the tears suddenly came forth. With a sniffle, Mary pulled the little girl into a tight embrace, resting her face into the girl’s black hair. The raven strands tickled her nose, but she barely felt it.
“No. Don’t ever say that about yourself,” Mary’s voice was still soft, but under that softness was stone hard conviction. “You’re not a bad child at all. There’s no such thing as bad blood. You are a wonderful child. I don’t know why your mother did what she did, and why she never came back for you. But you’re here now, and we all love you. Me, your grandfather, my parents, Hannah, Stu, and everyone in Mineral Town...we all love you very much. How could we ever hate you?”
She could feel a small fist tighten around the fabric on the back of her pajamas. May wrapped her tiny arms around Mary, holding her tight like she didn’t want to let go.
“I won’t lie. There are lots of bad people in this world. But there are just as much good people as there are bad people, maybe even more. Even if your mother doesn’t love you, and I don’t know why she could possibly hate such a sweet little girl like you, don’t ever forget that all of your friends love you, including me.”
May was completely warm. Warm and full of contentment. Just being in Mary’s arms made her feel so safe. Just like with her grandfather, with Hannah, with the nice cows on Yodel Farm. Sure, Mary wasn’t her mother, but May liked her nonetheless. Any sadness she had in her heart was pushed away by Mary’s gentle love, and she didn’t want this moment to end. In a way, she was almost sad that Barley was coming back to get her tomorrow. Mary knew all too well that May’s insecurities wouldn’t be completely gone, but it was a start. She definitely wouldn’t give up until she helped the child realize how important she is. To her, to everyone in Mineral Town.
“If Grandpa goes to heaven…” May suddenly whispered. “Would you be my big sister?”
Again, Mary’s heart broke for this child. May didn’t need to worry about such grim matters. It was true that Barley was getting on in years, and raising a child was probably difficult for him. But he was always fit and healthy. Barley didn’t look like he was going to die anytime soon. At the same time, Mary’s heart swelled when May suddenly called her a big sister. She wasn’t sure how to take that.
“I don’t know,” Mary told her honestly. “But if anything does happen, I’ll always be here if you need me, and I would love to be your pretend big sister.”
That answer seemed to be satisfactory to the little girl, because she took her favorite sheep doll and crawled underneath the bed sheets. Not long afterward, Mary joined her, and they both drifted off to dreamland together. But sleep didn’t come as easily to Mary this time around. The tales May told of her mother haunted her dreams. Questioned lingered in her mind. Was May’s mother truly abusive, or did she have mental health problems that crippled her so much that she was unable to care for May properly? Was Johanna under such duress that whatever circumstances she endured changed her from the inside out? Did she love May and give her up so she could give her the happy life she couldn’t give her, or did she simply want nothing to do with her?
No answers came, and Mary knew there was no point in dwelling on what she heard. She did know that May was going to grow older. She would want to know the reasons behind her mother’s actions. She would want to ask questions--questions about why everything happened, and why she felt she had to leave May with Barley. Only Johanna Kendall knew the answers, and she wasn’t here to provide them. As of now, she wouldn’t be able to provide them anyway, as she was far away, someplace where neither Mary nor May could reach.
***
The day of Barley’s return was framed with the sun’s golden light, making the colorful autumn trees shine with glorious splendor. Mary wanted to write about such beauty in her notebook, but she pushed those fancies aside to keep May occupied. Unlike the night before, May didn’t have nightmares about her mother this time, nor did she wake up crying so piteously. This was a great relief to the bespectacled girl. When Barley’s stagecoach pulled in front of the Boatwright house, May immediately lit up.
“Grandpa!!” As soon as Barley put his feet on the floor, May jumped right onto his skinny legs with a squeal.
“May, my dear!” Barley bellowed with hearty laughter. “How’s my girl? I said I’d be back, and here I am! Have you been a good girl?”
“Yep!” May grinned so wide, her cheeks turned pink. “I had lots of fun! Mary and I read lots of nice books! I wanna read more!”
Hearing this at the entrance, Mary could hardly contain her joy. She had no idea that May having read one of her own books would inspire her to read more. Initially, she was afraid that the book would worsen May’s insecurities regarding her mother. She exhaled a sigh of relief, happy that such a scenario did not come to pass. It didn’t take long for Anna and Basil to greet him as well.
“Thank you so much for taking care of May while I was gone,” Barley said.
Basil waved a hand back and forth. “It’s no biggie. She can come by any time. She’s a delight.”
“Indeed,” Anna giggled. “She simply adores our Mary.”
Mary’s cheeks turned pink at the statement. She wasn’t sure if May adored her. At least, not that much. But then May suddenly announced, “Grandpa! I’ve decided that Mary’s gonna be my pretend big sister!” Everyone’s mouths fell agape.
“Well, consider that her highest honor,” Barley told her. Mary blushed furiously. “Now then. Go get your stuff, sweetie. We’ll be back at the farm real soon. I’m sure Hannah will be very happy to see you.”
Basil and Anna kept Barley occupied, and Mary helped May get her things together. “Thanks, Mary. I had a lot of fun.”
“Me too. Feel free to come by the library any time if you want to read.”
“I will! I’ll tell Hannah and Stu all about it!” May squealed, her rosy cheeked face lighting up like a Christmas tree.
It didn’t take long for May to leave the Boatwright household, but she left with a light heart. “Bye, Mary!” She waved before racing toward the farm with her grandfather by her side. Mary watched the little girl leave with a smile, waving right back at her, but more slowly. Still, her heart was heavy with the tale that May told her the night before. She found herself stepping into the library, her heavenly sanctuary. A silent audience of books greeted her with their leather bounds, their orderly shelves, and their elegant presence. Full of content that Mary was sure to take her to new worlds she had never been to before.
But her mind lingered elsewhere as she sat against the wall. She reflected on the short but blissful life she lived. Her mother had always been kind to her. Anna raised her from an infant, showering her with love and affection, and was firm in her discipline, but not excessively so. In short, Mary led a privileged life. Still, her heart went out to anyone who were less fortunate. In a way, May was fortunate to have Barley, but it couldn’t be denied that his time on Earth was short. He could easily pass on, and what would happen to May? Her good fortune could easily be snatched away at a moment’s notice.
No. Mary shook her head, pushing those awful thoughts out of her mind. She couldn’t think like that. Barley was still here, and May was being well taken care of. Whether May’s mother was here or not, it didn’t matter. May was still May, the sweet girl whom everyone adored. She couldn’t imagine why anyone, even a mother, could hate May, or their own child. Mary wasn’t exactly endeared to the idea of motherhood herself. She wasn’t sure if she could be a good mother, and she had dreams she wanted to fulfill. She wanted to write books and make people happy. That was her biggest priority as of right now. In fact, just before May left, she told Mary that she liked Wilting Flowers even if it was sad, and that she loved that June got her happy ending, even though her mother would never love her.
Although she didn’t want to become a mother as of right now, Mary made an oath. If she were ever to have a child of her own, born from her own body or adopted from someplace else, she would shower it with love, and never hate them. No child deserved to be hated, hurt, or discarded for any reason, especially things that aren’t their fault. Inspiration struck her mind like a flash of lightning. Mary raced to the nearest desk, pulling out her pen and notebook before she began scribbling, the pen creating dark colored magic that came to life on the page.
“This will be the story I will tell,” Mary mused as she wrote the first lines of what would be her novel. The library was warm, illuminated with golden light that bathed Mary in its effulgence. The window had been left open. A gentle breeze carried a single crimson leaf into the library, placing it softly on the white pages of an open book.
Yes, this was the story she would write. She hoped that May would be one of the many who would read it and find joy in the thread she spun.
***
“Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.” -- Malala Yousafzai
***
And that's Open Book. What'd you think?
Content Warnings:
Very very mild and implicit discussion of child abuse. That's pretty much it.
***
“One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives.” -- Euripides
***
Torrential rains drowned tiny Mineral Town, coming down in sheets, pounding on the glass windows and soaking whoever would be foolish enough to tread through the rain to the bone. Only the tears of a thousand weeping angels could produce such a dreadful downpour. It wasn’t enough to flood the entire town or cause any casualties, but it was enough to make everyone want to stay inside their warm, comfortable homes. After all, who would want to go anywhere in such a downpour, and in autumn, no less?
Luckily for Mary, the library was not only her refuge, but connected to her house, so she could always walk through the door on the side that led straight into her living room. That was of no interest to her now, as she was leaning against the wall, completely absorbed in a new book that had just arrived last week. The pitter-patter of raindrops against the glass windows were a combination of white noise and music to her, as she read the passage where a brave warrior princess saved three fairies from cages of thorns set up by the beautiful but evil butterfly queen.
Just as Mary reached the page where the princess and the fairies dodged an arrow, the side door opened, and a woman with thick black hair done up poked her head in. Mary didn’t even hear the creaking of the door, as she was too absorbed to pay attention.
“Mary?” The woman called out. “Mary, dear?”
“Oh!” Finally, the woman’s voice reached Mary, as she finally pulled herself out of the book. “What is it, mother?”
“You’re not going to believe this,” Her mother explained. Mary slid a bookmark in her book and stood up, taking some time to straighten out her aqua blue dress some. “Barley’s here.”
Mary raised an eyebrow. “Barley?”
“Yes, from Yodel Farm,” Her mother clarified. “Your father’s going on and on about plants with him right now.”
Barley? The old man who owned the cow farm? Coming to a library? That was quite unlike him. It must be confessed that Mary didn’t know the man too well. She had seen him a couple times in Mineral Town, but more often than not, he was at his cow farm with his granddaughter. Sometimes, when she and her family would go to Mother’s Hill, the meadow just below the mountain, she would see him bathing in the hot spring, right near the mine. His little granddaughter would sit outside, either playing pretend or gathering flowers for herself.
“What’s Mr. Barley doing here?” Mary asked, her cobalt eyes already twinkling with curiosity.
“I don’t know. But dinner will be ready soon, so would you set the table, please?” Her mother asked kindly.
“I’ll be happy to!” Mary put the book back on the desk and ambled into the living room. Two men, one of them with thick glasses, snow white hair, and a raspy voice, sat on the couch. Mary looked over at the other man, who had short hair and was considerably younger than his friend. The two were laughing merrily, like they were having a good time just chatting about whatever was on their minds. Leaving them alone, Mary went into the kitchen and set the table, right as her mother pulled the doria out of the oven.
“Basil! Dinner’s ready!” Mary’s mother called out.
“Thanks, Anna! I’m starving!” Basil, the younger man, immediately stood up from the couch.
By six, everyone was at the table, munching on Anna’s freshly cooked doria. Basil, Mary’s father, was the first to strike up conversation, as usual. “So Barley, toy flowers have been growing like crazy up on Mother’s Hill.”
Anna raised an eyebrow, shooting a somewhat disappointed look at her husband. “Honey, enough with all this talk about plants,” She told him gently. As much as she loved her husband, his love for plants could get a little exasperating. All Mary did was chuckle as she ate some peas and gratin. “I apologize, Barley. May I ask what you’re doing here by any chance? You almost never come to the library.”
Right as she finished, the man fell silent. Mary saw his normally cheery expression suddenly turn dark, his smile bending into a frown. Whether it was pain from his arthritic knees or thoughts of the past, she wasn’t sure, but seeing Barley sad was as likely as her beloved books and stories becoming real. Even Anna and Basil found themselves silent with concern. His white hair and mustache seemed to droop downward, and Barley kept staring at his doria. He hadn’t taken one bite.
“Listen, I was wondering if I could ask a favor of you,” Barley began, his raspy voice trembling some. “I got a letter from one of my old friends. His wife died, and he wants me to come to his funeral.”
Funeral. Just the mention of the word made the atmosphere in the house turn somber. Mary continued to eat, not wanting to let her mother’s doria go to waste. But she did listen to the rest, as did her parents.
“It’s not something I can ignore, so I’ve decided to go. I won’t be here for about three days,” Barley continued on. “I found someone to help watch the farm, but he doesn’t know how to raise a child, so I can’t leave May with him. Manna’s busy with the winery, Sasha is out of town, and Elli has her hands full taking care of her grandmother and Stu. Lillia’s not an option since she doesn’t have the best constitution, and I don’t want to make her illness worse than it already is...” The spoon trembled in his hand.
Anna had heard enough to put two and two together. “So you want us to watch May while you’re gone?”
The more Mary heard, the more she realized Barley didn’t mention one other person: May’s mother. It was no secret that Barley’s daughter left the farm long ago, before suddenly having a child and then leaving her here for seemingly no reason. No one, not even Barley, was able to figure out why she would just abandon her flesh and blood, never coming back for her. Mary could think of a few possible reasons, but none of them excused leaving May like that. Of course Barley wouldn’t ask her mother for help.
“Would it be possible for you to look after May for three days?” Barley finally asked. “I apologize if this is short notice, but I have no one else to turn to.”
Basil spoke up, and there was no hesitation. “Don’t worry, Barley. We’d love to take May for a few days.”
The old man lifted his head up, eyes wide like he heard a thunderstorm. “Really? You will?”
Anna smiled. “I don’t see why not. Mary could use the company,” Hearing that, Mary’s face turned red. “She’s shy and as much as I love that she likes reading, I do think spending some time with someone else might be good for her.”
“Mother!” Mary shot her mother a look that said, “Really? Did you have to say that right in front of him?” Anna could only smile and wink at her daughter. But Mary did see where she was coming from, and she didn’t find herself objecting to the idea. She liked little May, and the little time they did spend together was relatively nice, if somewhat short. Plus, she always did want a little sister. Maybe her mother was right. This might be a good idea.
“I don’t mind at all,” Mary agreed with her mother, once her embarrassment faded. “We would love to have May here.”
A smile as big as his nose painted itself on Barley’s face. Some of his teeth had turned yellow and old with age, but nobody paid any mind. “Ohhh, thank you kindly! I don’t want to leave May all alone, and I can’t take her with me, so this is wonderful!” Barley exclaimed, his raspy voice brimming with joy as he clasped his thin hands together. “You have no idea how much I appreciate this.”
“It’s no problem at all,” Anna replied. “So when are you leaving?”
“Saturday, at noon. If things go as planned, I’ll be back on Monday at six in the evening, maybe earlier if possible,” Immediately, he began scarfing down the food that Anna prepared, realizing he hadn’t eaten since he got here.
Mary found herself lost in thought. Three whole days with May. It seemed like a pleasant enough thought. May was a nice little girl, from the few interactions she had with her, and wasn’t a troublemaker like Stu could be sometimes. Already, Mary could imagine some things they could do together. Reading books. Throwing autumn leaves around or leaping into the piles. Watching funny shows on TV. Going on walks around town to give May some fresh air. Today was Thursday, so Barley would be leaving in two days.
Enough time to prepare for a little girl to stay here for a while.
“We’ll make sure she has a good time here, Mr. Barley,” Mary reassured, her warm, gentle gaze already making Barley sigh with relief. “Please, don’t worry. We’ll do what we can for her.”
But could she do it? Mary wasn’t sure. She didn’t have brothers or sisters, like Elli and her rambunctious brother. Still, she promised herself to do right by Barley.
***
The day May would come to Mary’s house was nothing short of a brilliant display of autumn trees and their canvas of wild, vivid colors that never ceased to be amazing. Golden yellow, sunset orange, shimmering bronze, vermilion red, and many other obscure mixtures of the above colors all made a patchwork quilt of a forest that spread all over Mineral Town, wrapping it in the beauty and comfort of its warmth. The air had become chilly with autumn frost, but not so much so that it would make anyone’s lungs burn from too much cold.
Mary made sure to write about autumn’s beauty in her notebook, hoping to use it for real, should she ever publish a book on her own. It didn’t take long for Barley to arrive at the library, his granddaughter’s hand in his own. The entire family greeted them warmly, with smiles and bows. May looked just as cute as Mary remembered. A little girl of about seven years old, with thick black hair tied into tiny, Eastern-style braids, wearing a red dress with long sleeves to protect her from the cold. Her shy, dark eyes gazed up at Mary, sizing her up.
“Hello May,” Mary bent down to put herself at little May’s level.
“Hello, Miss Mary,” May flashed a shy smile in the older girl’s direction.
Miss Mary. She wasn’t quite sure how to take that. Did May see her as a full grown adult, like a teacher? Whatever the case, Miss Mary made her feel somewhat old, and she was only sixteen. Of course, she knew May was only trying to be polite.
“You can just call me Mary. We’re very happy to have you here. Want to come inside?”
“Yes, please!”
After a short while, Barley left Mineral Town, happy that May was in good hands for the next three days. For the most part, the first few hours were uneventful. May and Mary simply talked about various going-ons in Mineral Town and watched TV. It was yet another episode of My Dear Princess, a very popular children’s show that Mary couldn’t quite get into. But she endured the cheesy episode for May’s sake. May’s eyes were wide with delight as the princess managed to get herself out of yet another predicament. In fact, little May was throwing her fists in the air, cheering like she was at a baseball game.
“You did it, princess!”
When the episode ended and the credits began to roll, Mary decided to take the initiative. “May? I was wondering...I have some books in my room that we can read together,” She told her kindly, in a soft, mature voice. “Would you like to pick one?”
May flashed a bright grin in the older girl’s direction. “Sure!”
The two girls trotted off into Mary’s room. Since May was only seven, Mary had already pulled out some children’s books and brought them to her house the day before her charge was to arrive. She was sure May wouldn’t be interested in either adult books with complicated words and stories nor any of her father’s tomes about plants. Basically, fairytales and whatever kids book series she could find. She didn’t know of May’s specific interests or book preferences, so she simply winged it and hoped May would find something that she liked. May did pick one fairytale book out, and Mary read it to her. She took care to read slowly so that May could comprehend and understand what she was saying.
“Fear not, my dearest princess,” Mary recited after a few pages. “For I will see to it that you are free from this prison!”
May sat on the edge of Mary’s bed, listening attentively as the latter read the book to her, word for word, taking it all in. However, as Mary glanced at her charge as she read, she noticed that May kept glancing over at one of her bookshelves. Was she interested in a book from one of her own shelves? Or did she notice something that Mary didn’t? The bespectacled woman wasn’t sure, as she couldn’t read May’s mind. Still, this was a signal that she couldn’t find it in herself to ignore.
Once she finished reading, Mary asked, “Do you need something? A snack or a drink before bed?”
Without a word, May stood up and walked over to Mary’s shelf, pointing to the second shelf from the bottom. “I wanna read this book,” May told her.
It didn’t take long for Mary to see which of her books she was talking about. The book in question was titled Wilting Flowers: The Biography of an Unwanted Daughter. It was an autobiography about a woman who grew up during the rapid industrialization period eighty years ago, and the authoress was often the subject of abuse and neglect from her rich, well-off family, especially her mother, who had no use for a daughter. Mary put a hand on her chin, perplexed. Why would May want to read something like this? As far as Mary knew, it definitely had some content that she didn’t think would be suitable for seven-year-olds, and big words that May might not understand.
“I read a little bit of it when I was in school,” May explained upon noticing the confused look on Mary’s face. “I like it. But then it disappeared, and I want to read the rest and see what happens. Can I read it, Mary? Please? I’ll be super careful,” May was polite with her request, but Mary could hear the subtle pleading in her small voice, like she really wanted to read that book.
“It’s great that you want to read such a big book,” Mary began. “But I’m not sure if it’s anything you’d be interested in. There’s a lot of complicated stuff in there that might not be good for little girls to read just yet.”
It must be confessed that it hurt Mary’s heart to say this to little May. She was always one to encourage people of all ages to read and find joy in books. In some way, she did want to allow May to read that book. The fact that May was interested in it at all said a lot about the little girl’s character, and she certainly didn’t want to say no and disappoint her. At the same time, however, she did have some concerns about the book’s content. Mary herself read some adult books when she was younger, and she wasn’t traumatized one bit. But every person was different, and she didn’t want to risk it with May. Still, she hated the condescending tone she took with her. She didn’t mean to sound that way, but she couldn’t think of a more delicate way to put it. May was a child, yes, but children could be smarter and more perceptive than people gave them credit for.
Plus, Mary did have an idea on why May wanted to read it. But maybe now wasn't the right time to bring it up.
“Really?” May cocked her head to one side, her braids drooping. “I won’t be scared. I promise.”
“I’m sure you won’t,” Perhaps changing the subject would be a good idea. Mary was quick to suddenly say, “But I think now’s the time to brush our teeth. We better get to bed soon.”
Hearing this, May didn’t press the subject further. She smiled and chirped, “Okay!”
Barley made sure to pack May’s favorite toothpaste and toothbrush so she could have something familiar to use while at Mary’s house. There was no way she could stand the harsh minty taste of adult toothpaste, Barley had reasoned. Once the girls brushed their teeth and changed into their pajamas, they were asleep when the comforting embrace of darkness wrapped all around them.
***
It was still dark when the sound of soft sniffles and sobbing made Mary stir. At first, they were quiet in the stillness. Gradually, the sobs grew subtly louder. Not so loud that they turned into full-on crying, but enough to pull Mary from dreamland. She rubbed her eyes, still weary from sleep, wondering just what was making that sound. Even in her weary state, Mary could tell she wasn’t the one crying herself, as she didn’t feel any tears on her face or eyes.
“Mwaah?” She was in no mood to try and sit up, as she wanted to get back to sleep right away. Groggily, Mary turned over on her side to face the side of the bed that May slept on. That was when she saw it. Both of May’s arms were covering her face. Wretched sniffles and sobs escaped the young girl’s lips. Her tiny fists were shaking.
Now this was alarming. Suddenly alert and wide awake, Mary sat up, dark eyes wide with worry. Was May having a nightmare? Even in the darkness, she could see May’s small body trembling, the sobs completely wracking it.
“May?” She gently pressed her hand on May’s shoulder, shaking it. “May. Wake up.”
“Mommy…” A small, weak, broken voice kept choking words out. “Mommy...don’t leave me...don’t go! I don’t wanna be all alone!”
Definitely a nightmare. “May. Please wake up,” Although her grip was gentle, Mary began shaking May just a little bit harder. “Wake up, May!” Mary tried to keep her voice low so she wouldn’t wake everyone else up, to no avail.
“Why are you...leaving…? No! Mommy!”
“May!”
“Uh!” Finally, May’s brown eyes shot wide open. Her lungs in dire need of air, May suddenly found herself breathing heavily, like she had ran a marathon. Tear tracks soaked her cheeks, with some of them having melted into the pillow she laid her head on. Breathing a sigh of relief, Mary ran a gentle hand through May’s black locks, stroking her hair reassuringly.
“It’s okay now, May. You were having a nightmare,” Slowly, Mary used her other hand to pull the girl close, pulling her into a hug. “It was just a dream. Just a dream, sweetie.”
May could feel herself melting into Mary’s touch. She buried her face into Mary’s torso, allowing the rest of her tears to fall. “It was real.”
“Hm?”
“I dreamed that Mommy left me all alone,” May finally confessed through her quiet sobs. “She looked so angry. I don’t know why she was mad. I said come back over and over, but she never came back.”
So that was it. Mary could hear her heart break right inside of her chest. It was no secret that May’s mother had been out of the picture. What exactly happened before May came to Mineral Town, no one knew. That was something only little May knew and kept to herself. Why her mother left May here and never returned was a question that seemed to have no answer. Not even Barley seemed to know why. Perhaps even May didn’t know why her mother left.
Mary decided against asking her any questions. She could see right away that being abandoned was definitely hurting this poor, sweet child. What good would asking her questions do? For all Mary knew, May might not remember her past clearly. She was only seven years old. Besides, Mary told herself, even if she did remember some details, or even the very reason why her mother abandoned her to begin with, May might not want to disclose anything she wasn’t comfortable speaking about, and that was fine with her. Still, she had a right to mourn what she went through.
“It’s okay, May,” She whispered in a soft, dulcet voice, using her other hand to stroke May’s back ever so gently. “I’m here. I won’t leave you all alone. Mr. Barley won’t either. He’ll be back soon. I promise.”
Gradually, May’s sobs quieted down. Her black hair had turned a soft shade of navy blue in the moonlight coming through the window. Mary then kneeled closer to May’s level and peppered her forehead, nose, and cheeks with soft kisses, as if those kisses could erase whatever unhappy memories she had. She knew they couldn’t, obviously, but May giggled at the gesture, so they at least made her happy for now.
“Thank you, Mary. You’re nice.”
“You’re welcome. Let’s go back to sleep now, and dream nice dreams this time.”
That proved to be enough for May to fall fast asleep, her favorite sheep doll wrapped around one of her arms. After a few extra minutes, Mary herself then fell back asleep, happy that May was going to dreamland with a smile on her face this time.
***
The next day was a fairly pleasant, if somewhat uneventful day for the two of them. Since the last remnants of the rain had finally been dried off thanks to the morning sun, Mary thought it’d be nice to take May out for a stroll through Mineral Town. Plus, May was anxious to know how her dog, Hannah, and the cows on Yodel Farm were doing. First they went to Rose Square, and May mostly trotted about the area as Mary sat down on a bench, reading yet another book. She had barely gotten ten pages in when May suddenly ran right back to her, eyes gleaming and smile radiant.
“Mary! Mary! Look what I found!” In May’s hands was a bundle of pretty little blue flowers, bunched together into a makeshift bouquet. “I found lots and lots of them!”
“They’re so lovely, May!” Mary chirruped.
“Here!” Happily, May pulled one out and handed it to her older friend. “This one’s for you!”
Touched by the kind gesture, the bespectacled girl gratefully took the flower and put it behind her ear. “Thank you very much, May. This is wonderful.”
“I’m gonna put these in a vase when we get to my house!” May announced, her cheeks rosy red with delight.
Since Yodel Farm was right near Rose Square, it didn’t take long for them to get there. The cows were out grazing in their pens, and a little dog kept an eye on them. Hannah, May’s precious dog, was only too happy to see her precious human friend, and didn’t hesitate to jump on her and lick her face. May fell on her rear, giggling as Hannah showered her with kisses, her tail wagging back and forth faster than anyone could see. Oddly enough, Mary kept herself at a distance. She was about ten feet from the two of them, and May could see her older friend shaking and her face was white as a ghost, eyes wide like she saw something scary.
“What’s wrong, Mary?” May asked, confused as to why Mary would be all the way over there. “Don’t you wanna play with Hannah?”
Mary shook her head. “No thank you. I’m...not very good with dogs. I’m sorry.”
Little May couldn’t understand why Mary wouldn’t want to play with Hannah. She was such a nice dog. But Barley had told her that there are some people who don’t like dogs no matter how nice they were. Disappointed but not too bothered, May dropped the issue and showered Hannah with love and attention. It felt good to be back with her furry friend, even if it was only going to be for a short while. Mary was fine where she was, and allowed May some time to play. Honestly, she didn’t want to touch that dog with a fifty-foot pole. Already, she wished she was back at her book-filled sanctuary. Dogs definitely weren’t allowed in libraries.
Thankfully, much to Mary’s eternal relief, they didn’t stay at the farm for very long. The person Barley hired to care for the cows did allow the girls to pet them for a short while, but that was it. Then they went to the church, one of May’s favorite places. Neither Mary nor May fidgeted over their wooden pews during the congregation, and Father Carter’s sermons were short. Mary watched as May kept eyeing the beautiful golden sunbeams coming in through the stained glass windows, making the colors shine and come alive, like they were a glass painting created by an otherworldly genius. Little beauties like this always made Mary want to write about them. In her mind, they deserved to be shared with the world.
When the church services were over at about eleven, May suddenly announced, “Can we go to Stu’s house, please?”
“Stu?” Mary asked, blinking once to process what her little charge just said. “Sure. I don’t mind. How come?”
May flashed a cute smile in her direction. “I wanna give him, Elli, and Granny Ellen some of the flowers I found!”
It was Mary’s turn to smile. May was such a sweet girl. “Alright. I’m sure they’d love that. Let’s go.”
The tiny cottage where May’s friend Stu lived was only two blocks down from the church, so they had no problems getting there. It was easy to find as well, since Ellen lived right next door to the mayor. It also helped that both the library and Stu’s house were on the same street. Mary knocked on the door, and the two of them waited a couple seconds. Soon, the door was pushed open, and out came a pretty young lady in a frilly yellow and white pinafore-apron. Her very short, chocolate brown locks were arranged in a boyish bowl cut, matching her light, kind eyes.
“Oh! Hello, Mary!” The woman exclaimed, tugging at the red and black ribbon tie around her neck “What a surprise to see you!”
“Good morning, Elli,” Mary greeted her friend politely, as she always did.
“Hi, Elli!” May chirruped.
Flashing a smile in the girl’s direction, Elli kneeled down to May’s level. “Good morning, May. How are you today?”
For as long as Mary had known her, Elli was always a kind, patient young lady. With her puffy light blue shirt, long navy blue skirt, fair skin, and motherly nature, it seemed natural for her and May to converse like they were best friends. Plus, she was a trainee nurse at the clinic, so she spent a lot of her time taking care of people, whether it be putting band-aids on a child’s scraped knee, giving medicine to a sick patient, or simply offering a friendly word of advice. Elli always gave off a warm, friendly, comforting atmosphere that always seemed to draw people to her, even someone as timid and bookish as Mary. Even her soft, inviting smile was a wonderful sight for sore eyes and sore hearts.
“I’m good!” May replied.
“We’re sorry to intrude if you’re busy,” Mary told her.
Elli shook her head. “Not at all. Don’t apologize. I always enjoy good company.”
“Can Stu come out and play?” May suddenly inquired.
It was here that Elli’s smile immediately turned downward. Even her normally kind eyes suddenly became hard. “Sorry, but Stu can’t play today. He’s grounded.”
Disappointed, May looked down at the bundle of flowers in her hands. “Oh? How come?” Mary asked, suddenly curious.
“It was dreadful!” Elli exclaimed. She explained that yesterday, she had taken Stu to the inn so they could have some lunch and get him out of the house for a while. But when she wasn’t looking, Stu had taken a bug he found and slipped it down Anne’s back. Oh, how the red haired tomboy shrieked! Thankfully, the scene didn’t last for very long, and Anne managed to get the nasty beetle out from underneath her shirt before it could go any farther down. It helped that Elli had managed to catch Stu redhanded in the act, even though she was slow to stop him.
“Oh my,” Mary’s mouth fell agape, and a hand almost flew to cover it.
A sigh escaped Elli’s lips. “I’m only too grateful that Anne didn’t think too much of the incident, thank goodness,” An uncharacteristically stern expression spread across her round, kind face. Mary couldn’t help but think that such an expression didn’t suit her. “Even so, Stu is forbidden from playing outside today and tomorrow, and he has to do all of his chores. He can’t have any desert either.”
“Elli!!” There was no mistaking little Stu’s shrill voice. Everyone could hear his shrieking, even though he was way in the back of the house. “This is boring!! I don’t wanna clean my room!! Lemme go out so I can eat Father Carter’s cookies!!” He whined petulantly.
Good thing Elli was not going to submit to her brother’s tantrums. “No, Stu. You brought this on yourself. Now finish cleaning!” She called back.
“Umm…” Before Elli could go on, May pulled three flowers out of her bundle and handed them to the older woman. “Will you give one to Granny Ellen and Stu? One of them’s for you, too.”
Just like that, her smile returned, and Elli took the flowers with gratitude. “Thank you. You’re very sweet. I’ll see to it that they get their flowers.”
May smiled back at her, which in turn made Mary grin. Oh, how quickly the atmosphere around them changed. After a few more minutes, Mary and May left Elli to her own devices, not wanting to overstay their welcome. It wasn’t long before the two black haired girls made their way back to the library without much trouble. Along the way, Mary couldn’t help but thank her lucky stars that she didn’t have any siblings to worry about. She wasn’t sure what she’d do if she had to deal with someone as rambunctious, energetic, and naughty as Stu. Elli certainly had her work cut out for her.
Then again, having May around was like having a little sibling in and of itself, so perhaps the thought of having a brother or sister wasn’t all bad. May proved herself to be a very sweet child. Obedient, quiet, and polite when she needed to be, but still energetic in her own way. Especially not at the obnoxious level like Stu could be. For the most part, May didn’t mind having some time to herself, which allowed Mary some freedom for when she wanted to go to the library, the kitchen, or her own room. However, being the observant girl that she was, she did notice that May often went into her room. Nothing was out of place or missing, but still...something was going on in there that May obviously didn’t want Mary to know about.
Just what was it?
***
She found the answer later in the evening.
“May!” Mary called from downstairs. “Dinner is ready! Mother made your favorite stew!”
“Stew?!” That was enough to make little May race right down the stairs, her dark eyes gleaming with delight. “Yay! Stew! Does it have carrots?”
“Yep. Lots and lots of carrots. I need to go put this back,” Mary showed her charge a small pink wallet the size of her whole hand. “I’ll be down in just a minute.”
Satisfied, May raced to the dining room, happy to have her favorite dinner. Mary ambled up the stairs, like she always did her whole life, right into her room. Her legs didn’t feel drained from the exertion, as she had walked those stairs every single day. She was used to it. When Mary put her wallet on her desk, she noticed a book on the floor. It had a flat piece of paper tucked into the very last two pages, like a bookmark. Mary kneeled down to pick it up. Books didn’t belong on the floor.
It was the book that May said she wanted to read. Wilting Flowers. Mary turned to look toward her bedroom door. Had May been reading this? It was the only logical conclusion she could come up with. May must have snuck into her room a few times to read it when Mary wasn’t looking. Of course, Mary wasn’t angry. In a way, she was relieved. There was no way May would do something bad like rip her things or do something else that she shouldn’t. Still, Mary couldn’t help but wonder why May would want to read this book at all.
Wait a minute...a potential answer flashed through her mind. The answer that had lingered in her mind since May told her she wanted to read the book. May’s mother was gone. The main character’s mother was cruel, abusive, and often left her alone in order to do things that she shouldn’t. Did May identify with the main character? May and the girl from the book had problems with their mothers. At that moment, Mary’s stomach roared a rather undignified rumble. She made a mental note to discuss this with May after dinner.
As she came downstairs to eat, May was in the middle of telling her parents about the cows that her grandfather would raise. “Caramel is my favorite cow. Her fur’s all brown and soft, and she always likes to snuggle with me. Grandpa says she’s a jersey cow. Do jersey cows make chocolate milk?”
“Nope,” Mary answered right away, sitting down and helping herself to warm, fresh stew. “Jersey cows make milk that has a lot of this stuff called butterfat in it. Butterfat is the part of the milk that has fat, carbohydrates, and protein, all of which are important.”
Dinnertime was pleasant and full of merriment. Even May was joining in on the Boatwright family’s conversations. She even ate all of her food, vegetables and all. Mary could barely hide her surprise. No child she met ever ate all of their dinner, especially vegetables. She could vaguely remember her early childhood, but knew that when she was younger, about six or seven, she absolutely hated curry and absolutely refused to eat it no matter what, making it loud and clear for anyone who could hear. Even now, she didn’t consider curry to be a favorite, but she could tolerate it at best. That was as far as it went.
When night time came, Mary finally decided it was time to talk to May. “Do you mind if I ask you something?”
“Yes, Mary? What is it?” May cocked her head to one side, her bangs drooping, following suit.
Mary pulled the book out from her coverlet. Seeing it made May jump back a little. Her eyes went wide, like she was thinking, ‘Oh no! I’m in big trouble!’ That was not an expression that suited the little girl at all. Mary simply smiled and used her free hand to stroke the child’s shoulder.
“Don’t look so frightened. I’m not angry at all. I saw it on the floor before dinner,” Mary pointed to the piece of paper that had been hastily shoved into the final two pages. “You’ve been reading it.”
The little girl averted Mary’s kind gaze. To say that she was relieved that Mary didn’t fly into a volatile temper or yell would be the understatement of the millennium. But she still didn’t like having to confess to doing something she wasn’t supposed to do, even though it was the right thing to do.
“I’m sorry, Mary,” May apologized. “I did read it. Way early in the morning before you woke up. I made sure to put it back where it was. I know it’s rude to touch someone’s things, but…I really wanted to read the rest of it…”
There was no anger in Mary’s eyes. Only kindness and sympathy. This time, Mary stroke the little girl’s hair, petting her like she was an adorable kitten. “It’s alright. I understand. Do you mind if I ask why you wanted to read it? Is there something you like about it?”
At first, Mary received no answer. May simply shifted herself onto the bed, clutching her favorite sheep doll. The lack of response made Mary worry that she crossed a line.
“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. It’s alright. You don’t have to say anything you don’t feel comfortable--”
“June’s mommy...is a lot like my mommy. Sorta.”
Mary found herself taken aback. She was silent, but her eyes suddenly widened. It was rare for May to talk about her mother, especially in front of other people. But she knew that May saw the way her grandfather’s expression changed when she mentioned her mother. Then he would pat her head and tell her she was a good girl. She had seen her try to converse with him about it once before out on their farm. Mary had to wonder how May felt about all of this. She was certain that in some way, May could feel the effects of her mother’s disappearance.
“Mary?”
“Yes?”
“Is it true...that there are mommies who hate their kids? Even for no reason at all? Who hurt them, don’t let them eat or wear nice clothes or who are never nice to them?”
The sound of her heart breaking into pieces was the loudest sound she heard and felt. Even louder than May’s unprecedented question. She could feel her eyes beginning to blur with oncoming tears. What could she tell her? How could she possibly answer that question? On one hand, she wanted to tell the truth. She was not so naive as to think that the world was all sunshine and rainbows, even if she herself had a nice life and loving parents. May’s mother was the perfect example of that. At the same time, she didn’t want to make May sad or burden her with things a child shouldn’t have to bear. May was only a little girl. Her childhood deserved to be full of fun, happiness, and innocent joy. May deserved nothing more than endless love.
Didn’t she?
But Mary couldn’t deny the fact that May would want an answer. May wasn’t stupid. She confessed to reading the book, which was an autobiography. It depicted real events. Perhaps...being truthful in a delicate way wouldn’t do much harm. The practical, worldly side of her gradually began to come forth.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Mary confessed. “There are mothers and fathers who don’t love their children. Sometimes there’s reasons for it, and other times they do it for no reason at all. Why some of them don’t love their kids, sometimes there is no real answer. There are times when not even they know why they hate their own children.”
For a short moment, May was quiet. Mary could see a solemn, unchildlike expression on her face, like she was deep in thought. There was a strange depth in her eyes. A grim, thoughtful expression that told Mary that little May was in the process of searching through her memories. That was what she thought.
“I wonder if...Mommy hates me?”
“Can I ask why you think that?”
Mary couldn’t bring herself to say something like, “Your mother doesn’t hate you! Not at all!” But that would come off as hollow or superficial. Mary didn’t know what May’s mother was like, nor the reason she never came back for the child she bore in the first place. Again, she reminded herself that only May knew her own mother. It wasn’t her place to judge a situation she didn’t fully understand. But curiosity still overrode every other emotion in her heart. May was opening up little by little. Perhaps she needed someone she could talk to about this.
“You can tell me if you want. It’s alright,” Mary gently reassured.
Finally, May spoke again.
“Mommy was angry all the time,” May began softly, talking very slowly like she wanted Mary to hear every detail. Her voice was still low, but clear enough for the older woman to hear. “She...yelled a lot. If I was hungry, she got mad. If I was thirsty, she got mad. If I wanted a toy, she got mad. When I was just looking at her, she got mad. She yelled on the phone a lot. She said lots of bad words. I can’t say them because they’re bad. Sometimes strange men would come by and Mommy would yell at them. She threw a tea cup at one big guy with a long, frizzy beard. She hit me a few times.”
The more May told, the more Mary listened. No, that was definitely not the best kind of environment for a child. May’s story was still vague enough that Mary couldn’t form a complete picture of the child’s life before Mineral Town. Even so, as far as Mary was concerned, no child deserved that kind of treatment. No child even deserved to be hit for any reason. Surely, May did nothing to warrant such cruelty.
“June’s mommy said that she was a bad kid who had bad blood and should be sent away forever...who shouldn’t...exist. Do I have bad blood? Am I a bad kid?”
Now the tears suddenly came forth. With a sniffle, Mary pulled the little girl into a tight embrace, resting her face into the girl’s black hair. The raven strands tickled her nose, but she barely felt it.
“No. Don’t ever say that about yourself,” Mary’s voice was still soft, but under that softness was stone hard conviction. “You’re not a bad child at all. There’s no such thing as bad blood. You are a wonderful child. I don’t know why your mother did what she did, and why she never came back for you. But you’re here now, and we all love you. Me, your grandfather, my parents, Hannah, Stu, and everyone in Mineral Town...we all love you very much. How could we ever hate you?”
She could feel a small fist tighten around the fabric on the back of her pajamas. May wrapped her tiny arms around Mary, holding her tight like she didn’t want to let go.
“I won’t lie. There are lots of bad people in this world. But there are just as much good people as there are bad people, maybe even more. Even if your mother doesn’t love you, and I don’t know why she could possibly hate such a sweet little girl like you, don’t ever forget that all of your friends love you, including me.”
May was completely warm. Warm and full of contentment. Just being in Mary’s arms made her feel so safe. Just like with her grandfather, with Hannah, with the nice cows on Yodel Farm. Sure, Mary wasn’t her mother, but May liked her nonetheless. Any sadness she had in her heart was pushed away by Mary’s gentle love, and she didn’t want this moment to end. In a way, she was almost sad that Barley was coming back to get her tomorrow. Mary knew all too well that May’s insecurities wouldn’t be completely gone, but it was a start. She definitely wouldn’t give up until she helped the child realize how important she is. To her, to everyone in Mineral Town.
“If Grandpa goes to heaven…” May suddenly whispered. “Would you be my big sister?”
Again, Mary’s heart broke for this child. May didn’t need to worry about such grim matters. It was true that Barley was getting on in years, and raising a child was probably difficult for him. But he was always fit and healthy. Barley didn’t look like he was going to die anytime soon. At the same time, Mary’s heart swelled when May suddenly called her a big sister. She wasn’t sure how to take that.
“I don’t know,” Mary told her honestly. “But if anything does happen, I’ll always be here if you need me, and I would love to be your pretend big sister.”
That answer seemed to be satisfactory to the little girl, because she took her favorite sheep doll and crawled underneath the bed sheets. Not long afterward, Mary joined her, and they both drifted off to dreamland together. But sleep didn’t come as easily to Mary this time around. The tales May told of her mother haunted her dreams. Questioned lingered in her mind. Was May’s mother truly abusive, or did she have mental health problems that crippled her so much that she was unable to care for May properly? Was Johanna under such duress that whatever circumstances she endured changed her from the inside out? Did she love May and give her up so she could give her the happy life she couldn’t give her, or did she simply want nothing to do with her?
No answers came, and Mary knew there was no point in dwelling on what she heard. She did know that May was going to grow older. She would want to know the reasons behind her mother’s actions. She would want to ask questions--questions about why everything happened, and why she felt she had to leave May with Barley. Only Johanna Kendall knew the answers, and she wasn’t here to provide them. As of now, she wouldn’t be able to provide them anyway, as she was far away, someplace where neither Mary nor May could reach.
***
The day of Barley’s return was framed with the sun’s golden light, making the colorful autumn trees shine with glorious splendor. Mary wanted to write about such beauty in her notebook, but she pushed those fancies aside to keep May occupied. Unlike the night before, May didn’t have nightmares about her mother this time, nor did she wake up crying so piteously. This was a great relief to the bespectacled girl. When Barley’s stagecoach pulled in front of the Boatwright house, May immediately lit up.
“Grandpa!!” As soon as Barley put his feet on the floor, May jumped right onto his skinny legs with a squeal.
“May, my dear!” Barley bellowed with hearty laughter. “How’s my girl? I said I’d be back, and here I am! Have you been a good girl?”
“Yep!” May grinned so wide, her cheeks turned pink. “I had lots of fun! Mary and I read lots of nice books! I wanna read more!”
Hearing this at the entrance, Mary could hardly contain her joy. She had no idea that May having read one of her own books would inspire her to read more. Initially, she was afraid that the book would worsen May’s insecurities regarding her mother. She exhaled a sigh of relief, happy that such a scenario did not come to pass. It didn’t take long for Anna and Basil to greet him as well.
“Thank you so much for taking care of May while I was gone,” Barley said.
Basil waved a hand back and forth. “It’s no biggie. She can come by any time. She’s a delight.”
“Indeed,” Anna giggled. “She simply adores our Mary.”
Mary’s cheeks turned pink at the statement. She wasn’t sure if May adored her. At least, not that much. But then May suddenly announced, “Grandpa! I’ve decided that Mary’s gonna be my pretend big sister!” Everyone’s mouths fell agape.
“Well, consider that her highest honor,” Barley told her. Mary blushed furiously. “Now then. Go get your stuff, sweetie. We’ll be back at the farm real soon. I’m sure Hannah will be very happy to see you.”
Basil and Anna kept Barley occupied, and Mary helped May get her things together. “Thanks, Mary. I had a lot of fun.”
“Me too. Feel free to come by the library any time if you want to read.”
“I will! I’ll tell Hannah and Stu all about it!” May squealed, her rosy cheeked face lighting up like a Christmas tree.
It didn’t take long for May to leave the Boatwright household, but she left with a light heart. “Bye, Mary!” She waved before racing toward the farm with her grandfather by her side. Mary watched the little girl leave with a smile, waving right back at her, but more slowly. Still, her heart was heavy with the tale that May told her the night before. She found herself stepping into the library, her heavenly sanctuary. A silent audience of books greeted her with their leather bounds, their orderly shelves, and their elegant presence. Full of content that Mary was sure to take her to new worlds she had never been to before.
But her mind lingered elsewhere as she sat against the wall. She reflected on the short but blissful life she lived. Her mother had always been kind to her. Anna raised her from an infant, showering her with love and affection, and was firm in her discipline, but not excessively so. In short, Mary led a privileged life. Still, her heart went out to anyone who were less fortunate. In a way, May was fortunate to have Barley, but it couldn’t be denied that his time on Earth was short. He could easily pass on, and what would happen to May? Her good fortune could easily be snatched away at a moment’s notice.
No. Mary shook her head, pushing those awful thoughts out of her mind. She couldn’t think like that. Barley was still here, and May was being well taken care of. Whether May’s mother was here or not, it didn’t matter. May was still May, the sweet girl whom everyone adored. She couldn’t imagine why anyone, even a mother, could hate May, or their own child. Mary wasn’t exactly endeared to the idea of motherhood herself. She wasn’t sure if she could be a good mother, and she had dreams she wanted to fulfill. She wanted to write books and make people happy. That was her biggest priority as of right now. In fact, just before May left, she told Mary that she liked Wilting Flowers even if it was sad, and that she loved that June got her happy ending, even though her mother would never love her.
Although she didn’t want to become a mother as of right now, Mary made an oath. If she were ever to have a child of her own, born from her own body or adopted from someplace else, she would shower it with love, and never hate them. No child deserved to be hated, hurt, or discarded for any reason, especially things that aren’t their fault. Inspiration struck her mind like a flash of lightning. Mary raced to the nearest desk, pulling out her pen and notebook before she began scribbling, the pen creating dark colored magic that came to life on the page.
“This will be the story I will tell,” Mary mused as she wrote the first lines of what would be her novel. The library was warm, illuminated with golden light that bathed Mary in its effulgence. The window had been left open. A gentle breeze carried a single crimson leaf into the library, placing it softly on the white pages of an open book.
Yes, this was the story she would write. She hoped that May would be one of the many who would read it and find joy in the thread she spun.
***
“Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.” -- Malala Yousafzai
***
And that's Open Book. What'd you think?