New Short Story: Bella My earliest memory is not a happy one. It's of waking up and hearing my father sobbing in the bathroom. When I went to him, he told me that while I had been sleeping, my mother had died while taking a shower. He didn't know how it happened, he had been outside painting at the time. We buried her under her favorite Weeping Willow in the backyard. Daddy said that she would not like being buried in the church-yard or in the big cemetery downtown: She would have wanted a solitary grave. Besides, if everything I've heard about my Momma is half true, she wouldn't have been comfortable spending eternity close to a church. My Daddy was a wealthy, popular man. He happened to be the mayor of our little town of River Valley. After Momma died, he moved us into the mayor's mansion. It was huge!! I had my own bedroom, bathroom, and playroom! My area alone was bigger than Momma's entire trailer! I asked him why he hadn't moved us in there before, and he told me that Momma hadn't felt comfortable there. He hid his face when he told me that, so, looking back, I wonder if that was the truth. I loved living in the Mayor's Mansion for the short time we lived there. Daddy, being a politician, always had people over. It was then that I first met the Dawsons. Jack and Rose were Daddy's best friends. Daddy joked that Rose was the only woman from college he hadn't seen naked. At the time, I had a mental image of Daddy in one of those public showers with a whole bunch of women, and I thought it was funny. Now I know that Daddy and Momma were just two birds of a feather, exactly alike in every way. I made friends easily with my school-chums. I fondly remember playing with the Yokel girls, Penny Lou and Darla. Both of them were red-haired like me, and I'm sure that we three were a sight to see as we ran about the yard, playing tag and pushing each other on swings. I recall people telling me that Darla and I looked enough alike to be sisters. We even have the same shade of green eyes. I would mention this to Daddy and laugh and laugh! One day Daddy had planned a huge Christmas Party. He invited everyone in River Valley Society. The Dawsons were there, as well as the Warners, The Marleys, and the Moores. I had wanted to invite my friends, but Daddy wouldn't hear of it. He told me that these were the finer people of society, and that it just wouldn't do for me to invite my rough and rowdy friends from the trailer court. When I became sad, Daddy cheered me up by telling me I could play the piano for everyone. I'm a rather good piano player, and I love being the center of attention! I put on my party dress and started playing in the great room as the guests arrived. The house was decorated so festively! We had two Christmas trees, one in the great room and one in the Parlor. Candles glowed from every corner of those rooms, and fresh wreaths of pine perfumed the air. All of Daddy's friends were well dressed, and everyone loved listening to me play. I can even remember them singing and cheering for me. I was having a wonderful time. Then I heard someone yell, "Fire!" I stopped playing and turned around to see what was the matter. My Daddy had lit the fireplace in the great room, and an ember had caused the rug to quickly be engulfed in flames! My Daddy, unfortunately, had been standing on the rug, poking the fire. Even as he tried to beat it out, and even as his friends rushed to save him, He burnt to death right before our eyes. The grim reaper soon carried his soul away, not caring about my pleas to save my Daddy. I stood there, shocked and weeping, as most of Daddy's friends began to leave. Rose and Jack Dawson stayed and comforted me. Rose made me eat a little dinner while Jack tidied up the house. Rose then encouraged me to take a shower to get that horrible smell of burning flesh out of my hair. The smell washed out of my hair, but no amount of scrubbing will ever be able to wash it out of my memory. When I emerged from the shower, a lady was standing there waiting for me. She was a tall, thin, somber lady who introduced herself as Miss Hanigan, the Social Worker. She explained to me that since I was now an orphan, I must come with her until I could be adopted by a family. Jack and Rose pleaded with her to let me come stay with them, but she informed them that they must go through the proper channels and apply for adoption just like everyone else. Rose hugged me hard, trying to fight back tears. "Bella, honey, don't worry. You won't be at the orphanage long. I promise! I have always wanted a little girl like you, and I would love for you to come and live with me." I nodded, trying hard not to wipe my tear-stained face on her pretty dress. I knew the Dawsons well, and knew that Rose was a great mother to her boys. While it wouldn't be the mansion that Daddy had provided me, it would at least be a home. "Come along, Bella", Miss Hanigan ordered. She didn't even allow me to bring any clothes or toys! I even had to leave my pink teddy bear that Daddy had bought for me when I was born! That was hard. I climbed into the blue mini-van, and I remember hiding my face into the back of the bucket-seat as we drove away. I couldn't look at the house, because I was in too much pain. Miss Hanigan did not say a word of comfort, she just put the van into "drive" and pulled away.
The orphanage had not been a happy place. I had been forced to sleep in a room with ten other little girls. One of them named Marsha talked incessantly about nothing at all. Another one named Julia kept teasing me about my red hair and about my last name of "Bonypart." When I told her that "Bonypart" was a fine name, at least it was something that I could pronounce, unlike hers, she pulled my hair! Never in my short life had I been so miserable! At least when Momma died, my Daddy had been there to love me and give me comfort. Now I was alone. I didn't even have my pink teddy bear to hug! Two days later, I followed Miss Hanigan up the long staircase that lead to the Dawson's home. I was happy and relieved to be leaving that horrible orphanage, but also a little nervous. I hoped that everyone there would like me and that I would fit in just fine. I didn't have any brothers or sisters, so I didn't know what that would be like. Rose met us at the door carrying her baby, Benjamin, in her arms. She quickly sat him down on the floor and swept me into her arms. "Welcome home, Bella," she whispered. The first thing she did was take me upstairs and show me to my room. The house, she explained, had been her labor of love. Before River Valley had been incorporated, it had been empty farmland with the exception of this huge farmhouse. When she and Jack had first married, they had renovated the house and turned it into a showplace. She sadly apologized for not having yet repainted my room, but since her boys had been born, her free time was very limited. "Seems like I send one off to school and another one is born to take his place," she chuckled ruefully. I had my own room! That was a relief. I had been afraid of sharing a room with yucky, smelly boys! The room was painted in earth tones, but I had a pretty white bed with a flowered comforter, and matching dresser and desk. And, in the center of my bed, was my pink teddy bear! I think, at my young age, I couldn't handle all the emotions that were running though me. I believe that I collapsed from sheer exhaustion. I don't remember changing into my nightgown and being tucked into bed, but when I awoke sometime after dark, there I was. My teddy was beside me on the pillow, comforting and supporting me. I realized that my stomach was growling, and that I smelled food off in the distance. I got up, changed into some clean clothes, and then ran downstairs to the kitchen. There, seated at a long table, was my new family. Baby Ben was in his highchair happily smearing mashed potatoes in his hair. "There you are! I was just about to come upstairs and wake you, but Rose told me to let you sleep." Jack got up from the table and gave me a gentle hug. "We've got plenty. Come and join us." I sat down to a plate piled high with turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, and vegetables. For desert, Rose had baked a layer cake. I ate with total abandon, relishing Rose's great cooking. My Daddy hadn't been much of a cook, and usually we ate spaghetti or hamburgers for dinner. A feast of this magnitude was not something I was used to eating. "Mom, you said that girls have better manners than boys, but Bella's a pig!" a little strawberry-blonde boy across from me complained. "Hush, Thomas! Bella is just hungry." Rose scolded him. She then winked at me and said, "But, it would be nice, Bella, if you would please chew with your mouth closed, and take smaller bites. " "Yesh, ma'am." I nodded, and shot Thomas a "tattletale!" look across the table. Jack informed me that tomorrow I would enter private school with his sons. Daddy had not put me in private school because, as a politician, he had not wanted to appear non-supportive of public schools. As a doctor, Jack Dawson did not have any such restraints. After dinner, he sat down with me and Thomas's math homework to help catch me up. The next day, dressed in a snappy school uniform, my hair curled and styled by Momma-Rose, I boarded the bus to private school with my new adopted brothers Thomas and Andrew. Thomas was in the same grade as I was, and Andrew was just two years behind. "Who's the skirt?" A little boy named Jake hissed at Thomas. "Our new sister," Andrew replied, snarling up his nose to show his own disgust. "Your new sister? Humph. I would have rather had a puppy." Jake said sarcastically. The other children began to laugh, and I felt angry and ashamed at the same time. How dare he speak that way to me! I was the daughter of Napoleon Bonypart, Late Mayor of River Valley, and, darn it, I was going to be respected! So, I slugged him. I spent my first morning at Private School in the Headmaster's office. Momma-Rose came to school and explained to Headmaster Soto gingerly that I had just went through a terrible trauma, that my father had died tragically, that I was probably acting out to mask my grief. "I forgot, Mrs. Dawson, that you were an A+ psychology student. Why did you not enter the field after graduation? We could sure use a good school counselor." "My children are my career, Headmaster. Maybe when I get that empty nest syndrome I've heard so much about, I'll give you a call. But, right now, we need to take care of Bella." I was let off with a warning and told that if I struck any more students, I would be expelled. Rose assured me that she would speak to Jake's mother about the incident and smooth everything over. When I finally got to class, Thomas had saved me a seat. "I saw Mom's mini-van in the parking lot. Everything Okay?" He whispered. "Yeah, fine. I can't help what I do, I'm traumatized or something like that." I crossed my eyes and stuck out my tongue. "Brain damaged." Thomas laughed, "Crazy in the head" he agreed. "But, it was cool to see Jake Marley get punched in the mouth by a girl! You might be okay, Bella Bonypart Dawson." Hearing him say that, I instantly felt better. I might be okay. I thought so, too.
Yeah, and all their children are named after the more famous victims of the Titanic. Oldest son is Edward after Captain Smith, Then we have Thomas and Andrew after Thomas Andrews the Archetect, Benjamin after Benjamin Gugenhime ("We are dressed in our best, and prepared to go down as gentlemen.") and their last son is John Jacob after John Jacob Astor. He's not come into the story yet. They never had a girl, so no Molly. :(
Hummmm. I'm leaving all that alone. At least she liked my story. My first few weeks in the Dawson Household were fairly peaceful. One weekend we all painted my room pink and orange. I love bright, happy colors. When we were done, I spent an entire evening dancing in the middle of her bedroom and singing pop tunes in front of her mirror. I loved my room, loved my new life. Things were pretty good, even though I missed my parents terribly. My new brothers were a loud, rough bunch. Their favorite activities were singing to heavy metal music and playing cops and robbers. Many nights they brought other boys over from school, and there would be a whole tribe of yelling, wrestling, rough-housing little boys. Two boys that were over regularly were Larry Thompson Jr. and Raidon Gray. Larry Jr. was a tall, chubby, oafish boy who talked funny and always smelled. Raidon was a dark-haired, handsome, quiet creature that I kept thinking I knew from somewhere. When I asked him if he had always attended the Private School he laughed at me and said, "Haven't you, rich girl?", which made all the other boys laugh.
