Peter Pantomime

Farewell, My Dear Friend

It was later that week when Mary-Ann came to say her last goodbye.

Gwen looked up and saw a figure standing in the doorway wearing a red coat and matching pillbox hat. "You're leaving now?" She stood up. "I can still remember our first few days together like they were last week." She blinked as she saw something wet on Mary-Ann's flushed cheek. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Mary-Ann replied sulkily. "I'm leaving now, and I'm not coming back. Not even to visit. I hated this place."

"Oh," Gwen replied, suddenly sorry. "Well, I wish you good luck. I hope your family takes good care of you."

Mary-Ann wiped her eyes. Gwen gently brushed her hand on her forehead, feeling heat.

"Oh, dear," Gwen muttered, "Are you sick? I should hope you haven't caught another cold-"

Wailing loudly, Mary-Ann jumped at her and wrapped her arms around her in a tight embrace.

"You never even asked Matron if you could come with me! I asked her to tell me and when she didn't tell me anything I asked Jane, too! She said you haven't even cried a tear, you silly silly fool!"

"I'm sorry," Gwen murmured, gently patting her back. It simply had not occurred to her. "I didn't think they would let me, though…"

"Doesn't matter! You can't even be a little selfish and ask for me to take you away with me?" Mary-Ann hissed, her hands on her hips. "You can't even remember that today's your birthday and you're going to lose me on the same morning! Isn't that even a little concerning?"

"I-" Before she could finish, she was enveloped in another bear hug

"What I mean is, I'm going to miss you so much. I want you to come too but I guess you can't. I wish I could visit you, but apparently my family's going to move far away."

"Where too?" Gwen blinked, confused.

"America," Mary-Ann muttered dully. "Imagine! I hope they're not planning to make me attend a school with mixed grades. I've had enough of runny little brats."

"I suppose we've all had a lifetime supply here," Gwen blinked, slowly deepening the embrace. "I wish you could stay, but it's not really nice of me to make you live in a place you hate. I don't think I should bother your new parents, either."

Mary-Ann rubbed her eyes, hiccupping slightly. "Is that really what you're worried about? I take it back. You're hardly smart at all. You're a fool."

Gwen smiled, hugging her tighter. "I guess."

"Why do you even like it here?"

Gwen paused, then murmured quietly, "I suppose I like thinking that people need me as an older sister here. I'm not sure about anywhere else."

"She really was crying hard, wasn't she?" Nurse remarked, balancing two tots on her lap as Gwen helped soothe a crying infant. "She really wanted to take you along as a sister."

"I know," Gwen replied quietly, looking at the tiny sock lying a few inches away from her. She picked it up and, despite the baby's protest, smoothly slipped it onto its bare foot. Staring at the wall, she picked up the baby and hoisted it onto her shoulder, gently tapping its back and adjusting the cloth on her shoulder. "I couldn't come with her."

"Why not?" Nurse asked. "No struggling, take your milk," she scolded one wailing toddler as the other yawned and sleepily chewed on Gwen's rag doll. "I'm sure they could arrange something."

"I don't think so," Gwen replied, not entirely lying.

"Hey, isn't it your birthday today? Why are you helping a boring old woman like me instead of chatting with the boys like Elsie or playing with your friends?"

"I just like helping," Gwen replied, still trying to burp the baby. It refused to let her. Sighing, she let it down so it could grab fistfuls of her skirt.

"Poor girl," Nurse shook her head. "Do you even have anyone to turn to? You haven't complained or stepped a toe out of line since Matron made you stand in the closet when you were six or seven."

"Six," Gwen corrected, feeling suddenly irritated. "And I do have friends," she replied, slightly tense. "I just would rather do certain things than bother other people to get them to entertain me. It's no big deal."

Nurse snorted. "Are you just going to surround yourself with little children's endless demands and worries all day? Go on, get out of here, I can handle them just fine." Before Gwen could protest, she stood up and put the baby in its cradle. Too sleepy to complain, it simply turned over and started a new wet stain on its pillow. "Go on!" Nurse urged her.

Gwen stared, unsure what to do. "If you don't mind, I think-"

"Oh, bother that!" Nurse rolled her eyes. "Don't make me send you to the closet again! Goodness, you must have incredibly boring thoughts in that head of yours, if you have any at all. Go run along with the boys or something. At least Elsie knew how to have fun."