Young Writers Society

“Oh but don’t you see, darling? He does love me! He does! He’s going to ask me to marry him someday, you’ll see. Now don’t you go on frowning at me like that; you used to do the same thing when we were youngsters and you thought I was lying to Mother about ruining her garden, but I always told you that it must have been the neighbour kids, ratty things they were, always snooping around and stomping on Mother’s flowers. Father would believe me, but he had to go and fight in the war, didn’t he? You’re supposed to be proud of me – you always used to say that I was too flighty, that I needed to settle down and find myself a husband. Well look at me now! I’ve got myself a nice gentleman who loves me and can afford to buy me a diamond engagement ring – yes, diamonds, darling! Can you believe it?

‘He really does love me; he always says so, and I love him ever so dearly, can’t you hear it in my voice? You see the way my cheeks flush when I talk about him? That’s love, now. Not that you would know, you’re too afraid to touch a girl. Why is that? Are you afraid that we’re brittle and you’ll break us with those tough hands of yours, like you broke mother’s china? That isn’t so, darling – just look at me, look how tough I am; nothing could break me. You never used to be so shy around girls, remember when you used to become ever so angry with me when you caught me in your bedroom? But you never could catch me, could you? I was always too quick and nimble for you with your awkward knees and fumbling hands. Don’t you frown at me like that, darling, I’m only being honest. Mother always says you grew too quickly for your own good; you’re always having to mind that big head of yours when you walk through doorways, especially in Mother’s house, with its low beams and those swinging light bulbs that are always flickering on and off.

‘Father would be proud of me, I know he would. He used to sit me up on his lap when I was learning to read all those silly fairy tales – you know, the ones where the princess always sits around waiting for her handsome prince to come along, and he always does, even though she does nothing but lay about and look pretty. Those silly girls don’t deserve to live in a big castle; if it weren’t for those foolish princes they’d still be trapped in their towers or sweeping floors!

‘Oh, you’ve let me get off track again, darling, you know you’ve got to stop me when I do that. Where was I? Oh yes, Father used to sit me up on his lap and tell me that I wasn’t allowed to wait for my prince to come along, like the girls in the stories. He told me to go out and find a nice strong man to cut firewood in the winter; a nice kind man to love me and give me lots of nice strong children who would have the same pretty blue eyes as mine. Now, that’s just what I’ve gone and done, isn’t it? I’ve found myself a nice strong man who loves me and will give me lots of nice strong children with pretty blue eyes. Father would be proud of me, but he had to go and fight in the war, didn’t he? He went to fight in the war and didn’t come back, he did. So that means it’s your job to be proud of me for finding myself a nice strong husband who loves me.

‘You need to take care of Mother now, alright darling? She needs taking care of, not like me – I know how to take care of myself. Stop it with that frowning business, darling, you know Mother always says that your face is going to stay like that if you keep on frowning too much. No! Don’t say it! I know you think that wouldn’t be so if I didn’t give you so many reasons to frown, but really darling, I am capable of taking care of myself, you know. Father always said so, his ‘big, strong girl,’ he used to call me. But then he went and fought in the war, didn’t he? Went and fought in the war and never came back, he did.

‘Oh, darling! Won’t you just smile for once? If you smiled more, maybe a nice pretty girl would come and find you to be her husband someday. I know that you’re lonely, I can see it in those big dark eyes of yours. Mother’s lonely too, which is why you need to take care of her, darling. I would take care of her myself, but she says I’m too flighty and make her feel dizzy.

‘But you... you should be proud of me, darling, I’m trying not to be flighty anymore – I’ve gone and found myself a wonderful man who loves me ever so dearly and is going to ask me to marry him soon. Oh, I do wish you would stop frowning, darling, it won’t do well for that handsome face of yours. Please stop frowning, darling, I would like it ever so much if you would just smile for me. Please, darling, just tell me that you’re proud of me. Father would be proud of me, I know he would. But you and Father had to go and fight in the war, didn’t you? You both went and fought in the war and never came home, you did.”