With the Bond's moved to Germany, just what do the gang get up to back in Warsop? Stan offers an insight.
Five
With the Bond's moved to Germany, just what do the gang get up to back in Warsop? Stan offers an insight.
Five
It was weird being here in Drew's old room with Helen. All this time she has been a meek and mild girl That I hated because she had invited Drew to a party so she could dance with him and then she and her Mum had the audacity to rent their place while they were in Germany. But worst of all, she moved into Drew's room!
I was missing Drew and was all out of sorts until I decided to befriend her, it all started with a weird dream. Then things started to change, no longer was I acting like Drew and having accidents or dressing like Gaby, I was being more myself.. Then I called Drew and had another weird dream that Mummy helped me to see that I wanted Drew over Gaby. Now, I am no longer wanting to be Drew or Gaby, I am myself again and my friends and family all are glad that I am back.
And here I am about to listen to Helen tell me one of the fairy tales from her collection of books. She sure has changed from the Helen that arrived here. I guess that all that she needed was to be accepted. Now she is a Cheerleader and is cycling with me. I think that we will be god friends now.
"Ah, here is a good fairy tale Maddy."
"As in *happily ever after?" [giggle]
"Yes, those are the best." [sigh]
"You are a romantic aren't you?"then I put my hand on her shoulder.
"Yes I am, aren't you?" [giggle]
"Ready for me to begin?" [giggle]
"Please do Mistress Of Fantasy." [giggle]
~~~~~~~~"Once upon a time, a Grandfather led his grandchild up to an old tree. This tree had no leaves and was gnarled with many a broken limb, but the Grandfather went up and lovingly tended to the tree.
"Grandpa?" The granddaughter began to set up the picnic
"Yes?" [ She is so sweet, this is the first time that she has come here when I have tended the tree.] thought the Woodsman.
"Why are you doing what you are doing?" She had completed her task and wanted to eat and play.
"I am tending to the tree." [ Raising her alone has been such a Joy, a Joy and aBittersweet Heartache.]
"But why?" She stood with both of her hands upon her tiny hips ]
~~~~~~~~~
"She sound like me," [giggle].
"More than a bit." [giggle]
"I resemble that remark." [giggle]
"Shall I continue?" [giggle]
"Please do." [giggle]
~~~~~~~~~.
"This tree although barren is still living." [All because of me, my Joy and Heartache]"So? I thought that we came here for a picnic." [sigh.]
"We have young whipper snapper, just be patient while I tend the tree." [I should not have been angry with her. She is expecting a picnic with me.]
"What shall I do till then?" She now went over to him and knelt down by him.
" Set out the picnic for us." {That will keep her busy]
"If my cousin Drew were there, he's have scarfed down the picnic by now!" [giggle]
"I take it that he like to eat a lot." [giggle]
"Yes, he hasn't met a meal that he didn't like." [giggle]
"With all that he eats I am surprised that he isn't any bigger."
"It all goes into his cycling."
"Thanks Maddy. Shall I continue?'
"I already have Grandpa." [sigh]
"Oh, I did not know that, I guess that I am getting a bit forgetful in my old age" [chuckle]
[it is time to tell her]"Want to know why I am doing this for this old tree"
"Oh yes Grandpa, pretty please!!" Then she kissed and hugged him.Then , the Grandfather began his tale. "You are wondering why I tend this tree."
"Well, it does seem to be a bit silly." [giggle].
"I guess it does at that," [sigh.] " But the reason that I tend the tree is that I almost killed it long ago in my ignorance."
"Years ago,[sniff]] I was a Woodsman and I had chosen to chop it down for firewood. [sniff],sniff] But as I was chopping it down, [sniff] a Wood Nymph appeared and tried to stop me."[sniff]
"She must have been too late." [sniff] "I feel sorry for the tree now."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh, that poor tree!! The Woodsman didn't know!! I hope that it has a happy ending!" .
"Don't worry Maddy, it does."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"That she was and do not sorrow for the tree, it lives."
"What happened next?" She settled down upon the grass by him.
As the Woodsman was chopping into the tree, a Woodland Nymph in a green dress appeared before him, her body glowed in anger. "Why are you molesting my tree human?"
He stopped chopping and leaned upon his ax in respect for her. "I did not know that it was your tree, where were you?"
Seeing that he meant her no harm, her anger abated and her glow dimmed."I was visiting my sister deep in the forest."
"I will stop chopping down your tree." Then he began wiping the blade of his ax.
Then she felt great pain from her tree an felt its strength begin to fade away."It is too late, already its life drains away."
He looked at her in dismay and his Heart was captured by her simple beauty. "What can I do, can I help?"
Looking at him, her Heart sang within her for him and gave her the answer. "My powers are almost gone, but if you take me as wife, our bonding will heal the tree."
He was ready to wed her. "What of our children?"
Sadly, she knew that she must tell him the bitter truth. "We will have only one child. After I give birth, you must raise our child."
The idea of raising a child alone frightened him. "But why?"
She wept has she admitted the full impact of what must happen. "I must merge with the tree to keep us both alive."
"What can I do?" He felt his youth drain away as the tree absorbed it and began to heal up from his ax strokes.
"Come and tend the tree and when our child reaches puberty, bring our child here."
"Grandpa, am I that child?" She asked in insight.
"Then you are really my Poppa!!" She hugged him as she realized the Love that he had for the Tree and her.
"Because I gave my youth to the tree to help heal it." [sigh]
"Is that why I am so different?" She had lived knowing that she was not like other girls.
"Yes." [I never knew that our child would be so different, but I Love her the same.]
"That is why I am a girl with a boy bit?"[sniff, sniff]
"Yes, that is why I have loved you and let you be the girl that you are. But now that you have reached puberty, you must choose who you will be now." [She chose to be a girl and her Mother gave her the ability to be a lad or a lass as she chose in her heart. From the very beginning, she chose to be a girl.]
"I will be the tree's Wood Nymph." {It feels so right as if I was born for this purpose]
"Are you sure?" {once she commits, there is no turning back]
"Yes Grandpa." [As much as I love him, the tree is now calling to me.]
"Why do you choose to be the tree's Wood Nymph?" [She must commit knowing why]
"She has given up her Life for the tree and I love trees."
Then the tree grew hale and hearty and the Wood Nymph appeared before them wearing a green gown. "Thank you my child, your choice has healed us. Now your Father and I and the tree can live here in peace."
Then the granddaughter hugged her Mother and looked her in the eye. "But what about me?"
Then a special magic engulfed the lass and faded. "Look at your new self my daughter."[giggle]
Then she felt what the magic had done for her. "Momma! I am a girl now!!" [giggle]
"Yes, [giggle] now we can build a cottage here so that we that we can raise you as our Princess." Then she hugged the Woodsman to her.
"Am I also a Wood Nymph?" seeing that she now wore a green dress like her Mother.
"Yes my daughter and part human, that gives you your strength."[sigh]
"Your Love for trees will be passed on to your children." [ And i will hopefully be a Grandmother many times over.]
"Well, I do have a boy that likes me, is he the one?"
"Yes my daughter, he too has been here and he too loves trees."
Then they built the cottage and the Woodsman and Wood Nymph helped their daughter to raise her children in the ways of the forest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"[sniff]What a sweet story.[sniff]"
"Thank you Maddy." [sigh]*I am glad that I was able to share one of my favorite stories with her, she really seems to have liked it too.*
"Where did you get it from? I never saw it in the bookstore."
"[sniff,sniff] My Daddy got it for me back in Holland. [sniff,sniff]We were in a book store that sells second hand books. [sniff, sniff] Then Helen dabbed her eyes with the hem of her night dress.
"I'm sorry Helen,*Hugging her to me*" I didn't mean to make you cry."
"[sniff]That's O.K. Maddy,[sniff, sniff] I love my Daddy and I know that he is in Heaven looking after me and Mummy. And I know that he likes you too." [sigh.]
Then I dabbed both of our eyes because we were both crying. "I wish that I had your kind of faith, but I guess that I am too cynical."
"Why do you say that? you are one of the most positive people that I know."
"Well, I was a positive type girl until Drew left, [sigh] After that, I just couldn't see the bright side." then I smiled at Helen. "But now, thanks to you and Drew, the old Maddy is returning. Just give her a chance because I am still a bit down."
"Maybe if you come with me when I talk to my Daddy before I go to bed, you can see how I do it."
"Sure thing Helen, I'd like that, i mean that I never have chatted with a, Oh Sugar!!"
"What's wrong?"
"I don't want to offend you about your chatting with your Daddy."
"That's alright, [giggle] Daddy understands if you call him a ghost."
"That's nice of him, but what should I call him?' [giggle] This was getting fun, I never had such a wacky chat before.
" Well, he says that you can call him Ghost Daddy." Maddy should like that with her sense of humor.
" Ghost Daddy it is then. " Then I gave Helen a kiss upon each cheek. She is so sweet the way she talks about her daddy.
Then Helen blushed, "Why did you do that?"
"Because for some reason, I felt that was how your Daddy kissed you."
"You're right, that's how he kissed me Maddy," then she kissed and hugged me, "thanks."
Then we turned out the lights and I heard sweet, soft music as Helen sang softly to herself. Under the spell of her singing, I had another dream.
In the dream, Drew was once again Gaby. He e was becoming Gaby and had decided that he would become Gaby, but this time, instead of Gaby being hurt by Dan's rumors, He was caught and punished for trying.
In my dream, Gaby and I were best friends and everything went as it did in real life and I handed that fateful gift to Drew away from the party. I didn't want for that terrible scene from the other dream to be repeated in this dream.
When I awoke, Helen saw that I was crying in my sleep. "Hi Helen, morning yet?"
Then she sat by me as I sat up. "Why were you crying Maddy? Was it a bad dream?"
"A bad dream? [sniff] HARDLY.[giggle] In fact,[sigh] it was one of the best dreams I've ever had Helen." Then I got up and started dancing around.
Helen smiled at my antics, " So I see, want to tell me about your dream? Or do I have to tickle it out of you?'
Then I tackled her on the bed and we spent a few minutes in a tickle fight until her Mum interrupted us. [GRRR]
"O.K. you two, time to get ready for school. No time for any tomfoolery, she laughed as she pulled the bed clothe off of us.
"Sorry Mummy, but I wet myself just now."
"Me too Maggie."
"Then it's a good thing that you two are the same size."
"I'm sorry about the tickle fight, it was all my fault."
"Nonsense Maddy! You two were just being girls! I'm happy to see that Helen has made a few friends here. She was lonely."
"Oh Mummy!! I wasn't THAT lonely," Helen blushed.
Then Maggie went over to Helen and cupped her chin in her hand, "My child, you have always been a shy and sweet girl. Now that you're growing up, you need friends like Maddy here."
Then she turned to me, "Maddy, thanks to you, my daughter is coming out of her shell."
"Thanks, but it was really my boyfriend Drew that started it."
"Drew Bond?"
"Yes ma'am."
"No wonder you two wee always fighting, Helen likes Drew too."
"MUM!!"
"Now Helen, I'm sure that Maddy knows."
"I went over to Helen and hugged her, " I knew that you fancied Drew too. that's a big part of why we fought. But now that I'm over my jealousy, let's be friends."
"O.K. Maddy."
"Besides, I still need to borrow some knickers from you," I giggled.
Then after we got ready for school and had brekkie of porridge, toast and tea, Helen and I walked to the bus stop. We were th first ones there.
As we sat down, Helen looked at me with a grin, "O.K. Maddy, you've still to tell me about that dream."
"Oh! Well, it's nothing really." [I couldn't help but wind her up a bit.]
"Maddy, if you don't tell, I'll start tickling!!" She was grinning as she started at me with her hands ready to tickle.
"O.K.,No need for that!!"
"Go on then."
"Well, I dreamed about Drew turning into Gaby."
"Like you have before?"
"Close, This time, it was like when we went to America, except that Gaby was not hurt by the American kids for liking me."
"Why would they want to hurt Gaby?"
"Because Dan, the guy that was sent back for causing trouble with Rhod/Em and kissing Gaby at the farewell party did not get a chance to spread rumors."
"Why would he do that?"
"Because Gaby slapped the snot out of him for being so fresh."
"Frankly, I don't blame Drew for slapping him. I hope that he was stopped before he hurt Gaby."
"In my dream, he was. And Drew had fun as Gaby and went on to become Gaby."
"Sounds as if your doing better about Drew."
"Thanks Helen."
Then the rest of the gang showed up along with Em, " Hey Em! Where have you been? School's been in session this week."
"Sorry about that," she blushed.
"Well Em, as your best friend, I'd like to know."
"Ally, we were stranded and couldn't get back till yesterday and the phones were out too."
"Where did you go?"
"We went to visit Chery's 'rents. Unfortunately, there was a storm that overflowed the only bridge and knocked out the phones as well. It even took out the telly."
"Sugar!! You must've been bored to tears."
"Actually, no. I had my games with me and my collection of C.D.'s Brit."
By that time, the bus pulled up and we boarded for school. At the school, Mr. Woods had a surprise for us. " Greetings students. I am pleased to announce that we have two new students attending this year. Mfwany Morgan and Seth Miller, please stand. Both are in the 6th form."
I could see Em blushing as she stood, and Seth looked quite dashing too. He looked like Drew except that he was a bit taller. All of the girl's were scoping out Seth just as the boys were oggling Em.
The rest of the day went by fast and we were at cheer practice when Em showed up wearing her kit. Mrs. C was quite pleased to see her back too.
"Welcome back Em. We missed you."
"Thank you Mrs. C. It's good to be back."
Practice went well and Em was really limber too. All of that ballet had really helped her out. After practice, we went to Bern's to catch up and have dinner. Her Dad was doing another barbecue to celebrate Bern being accepted at the uni. What we weren't expecting was to see Seth there too.
Stan 03.09.08 © 2008
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