"Cinderella always had a hard life,” said Crystal to Penny, several days later. “Do you think she ever ran away from home?”
“Cinderella? Why are you asking that, Crystal?”
Penny looked at the sad expression on Crystal’s face. She was serious.
“Penny, all I ever do now is work. When I am not taking care of my grandparents, I have to do all the housework, at home. My grandmother just sits in her wheelchair, watching television. My grandpa sits beside her, in his big, leather chair and smokes his pipe. I have to wait on them and take care of everything else, too. Then, I look after the twins and clean up their place. Dana and Dani never do anything, but play. It is like having two step-sisters.”
“They are such cute little girls, though,” replied Penny, with an understanding smile. “Don’t you just love them?”
“Sure, the twins are sweet, but I am only twelve. I am not a servant. I need to find a prince to take me to a ball, like Cinderella. Maybe then, he can rescue me from my horrible life, with some horses, a carriage and a pair of glass slippers,” she said wistfully.
“Sounds like a modern day Cinderella story to me,” said Penny, after a few moments. “I think you should be allowed to have some fun.”
“I do have fun when I am with the twins,” replied Crystal, who was tired. “When I get a moment to myself, I write. I sit under the old bridge, at the end of the lake and put my feet in the water.”
“Do you want to show me what you have written?” asked Penny, seeing the sheets of crumpled paper in Crystal’s hands. “I would love to read it.”
Crystal hesitated for a moment and then handed it to her.
Penny was stunned and shocked, at what she read.
“Half of something is nothing. I am nothing. Maybe I should jump into the swirling water and let my life go wherever it will,” Crystal had written on the first couple of lines. Her words were poetic, but seemed almost suicidal. “I do not know my purpose in life. Maybe it is only death.”
“Life is sacred, so you cannot just let go of your life,” said Penny, after reading the first paragraph. “That would be like ending your life intentionally.”
“You mean like committing suicide? A lot of young people in our community do that.”
Penny nodded and gazed at her intently.
“Crystal, everyone has a reason to be born and we each have a purpose in life. Maybe you are destined to become a writer, because you write well.”
“You meant that I might become a famous writer, someday?” asked Crystal, amazed at what Penny had just said. “Do you really think so?” Her expression changed from one of despair to that of sheer joy.
Just then, the twins stopped by to invite Penny to a family picnic, scheduled for Saturday night.
“We are going to have a bonfire with hotdogs and marshmallows, down by the lake,” said Dana, excitedly. “We want you to come, too.”
“Our dad said we could invite you because you are our friend,” said Dani. “Then, he can get to know you better, too.”
“Crystal, you can bring your grandparents, if you want,” said Dana. “Do you think that they would like to join us?”
“Maybe, but I will have to ask them,” replied Crystal, with a smile. “Thank you for inviting us.”
“Crystal, we also invited Franklin and Irene, an older French couple who live across the hall, so your grandparents won’t be by themselves”, said Dana. “Tell them that they are coming.”
“Thank you, I will do tell them.”
“What is the special occasion?” asked Penny. “May I ask?”
“Our dad is turning forty-five,” replied Dani. “We are having a birthday party for him.”
“Penny, would you make a birthday cake for him, please?” asked Dana.
“I could help,” said Crystal. “If my grandmother says it is all right.”
“Ask her,” suggested Penny. “She will probably be fine with it.”
“Thank you,” The twins said, at the same time and giggled heartily, as they headed out the door.
“We did it!” said Dana. “Our dad and Penny are going to spend the evening together.”
“She is going to be our mother yet,” replied Dani. “I just know it!”
“I hope so,” said Dana. “Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
Penny smiled at the thought of going to a picnic on Saturday night, but had no idea that the twins were setting her up, or that the three children were stealing from her, every time they visited. As her ‘sisters’, Crystal was teaching them ‘first nation, first portion’ principles, too.
“A picnic with all three families might be fun,” thought Penny, trying to decide how to decorate a birthday cake for Terry.
“Maybe I should bring my guitar along,” she suggested to Crystal, who agreed heartily. “Then we can have a sing-a-long.”
“Would you teach me how to play the guitar?”
“Sure, I can do that. Maybe you could even write a song and sing it for everyone.”
Crystal smiled at the thought of being able to play a guitar and sing songs she had written.
“Crystal, keep on writing. Put your name and the date on everything that you write. Number your pages and never throw away what you write. It is really important.”
“Thank you, Penny, I will do that,” said Crystal, as she headed home. “And thank you for reading what I wrote.”
“Maybe I won’t run away after all,” she thought to herself. “But, I still have to find my prince.”
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