Legacy of NeverLand 1950
Chapter One-Introductions
Jane is now a common grown-up with identical twin daughters. The older twin is called Margaret; everyone says she takes after her grandmother Wendy, which may be true as they share the interest of a boy who never grows up and his adventures in a distant land with pirates, Indians, and fairies. The younger twin is called Jillian; unlike her sister, Jillian refuses to listen to such petty fairytales and insists on growing into a fine young lady. Seems appropriate, as the girls are reaching adolescence and need to know those things any young woman needs to know (I will not list those things, since not every reader is female or mature enough to hear them). Margaret (sometimes addressed as "Maggie"), Jillian (sometimes addressed as "Jillie"), Jane and Adam (Jane's husband/the girls' father), all live in the same house Jane grew up in, which is the same house Wendy grew up in.
Even after 57 years, they still live there, and the girls, in that same nursery their grandmother once shared with their two grand-uncles, Wendy's two brothers, as you may remember John and Michael. Alas, Michael is no longer with us, as he lost his life in World War Two; and John can never remember who he is and was put into a home a few years back.
Now I know what you are thinking: "What does Jane think about letting the girls grow up?" Well, dear reader, as much as she wants to see her daughters grow up and get married, she doesn't want them to so soon. When it comes right down to one's childhood and one's youth, why rush?
Oh, what's this? It seems the girls are almost ready for their bedtime; let's listen in as their grandmother tells Maggie one of her own stories while Jillie stands in the hall, waiting for the story to be over:
"…then there was a 'tick tick tick tick' I knew at once it wasn't the crocodile; it was Peter. I knew he would not leave us in the situation we were in. He soon snuck into the Captain's quarters and stabbed at least six of the pirates and crowed six times before coming back out and switching places with me, hiding under my cloak to make it look like me…"
Now Jillie gives her complaints: "Are they ever going to be done?" Jane simply replied, "Now Jillian, be patient with your grandmother and sister, only three more weeks until Christmas. I'm sure you can hang on until then. The two of you go back to school after New Year's, why don't you make the most of it?" Jillie simply glared away at the wall across from her, she did not want a single part of it; not Grandmother, not Maggie, and certainly not those stupid little fairytales; Jillie's initial thought was "Grandmother is clearly senile, including herself in those bedtime stories! Only a crazy woman would ever do such a thing!"
Maggie was soon heard saying: "What happened next, Granny?" Wendy simply replied: "That is a story for tomorrow night. Now it is bedtime, Maggie darling." The two shared a goodnight hug, and Jillie entered the room as soon as Wendy was exiting: "Good night, Jillie darling." Jillie's only reply was: "Good night, Grandmother." And once again, came along the girls' nightly argument: "I still don't see how you can be so naïve, Margaret." Jillie stated. "You know those stories are completely phony!" Maggie, instead of ignoring the rude comment, replied: "You're not that much younger than me." Jillie interrupted, "I should've been the elder twin." Maggie finished, not listening to her sister: "By 4 minutes!" Jillie, not listening to her sister, went on: "But no! You had to push me out of the way! All the way to the back! That's what took me so long! Mother was not having any trouble, nor was the doctor!"
Wendy and Jane listened outside the door in concern, debating if they go in or not:
"Should we intervene, Mother?" Jane asked.
"They won't go to sleep at this rate." Wendy said, agreeing with her daughter.
"You and Daddy never had this trouble with me and any of my cousins!"
"Ay. But believe me, darling. Not every night was a lovely one for your uncles and me."
"You mean before or after Peter?"
"After. We were never the same after NeverLand."
"I know what you mean."
"Let's go talk to them, Jane. Maybe they will calm down, if we are both there."
Jane nodded in agreement with her mother, as the two came right back into the nursery. "Now what's the argument about?" Wendy asked, "I could hear you from downstairs."
Maggie started with her case: "Jillie's nagging me again!"
Jillie soon stated her case: "Maggie is 12! She is far too old for these stories Grandmother is telling her!"
"I am not and neither are you!"
"We are so!" Jillie shouted so loudly, she awoke her father and grandfather.
"What is going on here?" Adam had demanded to know.
"Must be another fight, son!" replied Grandfather.
"Oh, Edwin darling." Wendy stated her case, "This is the eighth time already that they have been fighting! At this rate, they should each have their own room! Anything to make this fighting stop!"
Jillie, in pure excitement upon hearing "own room", shouted: "My own room?! Really?!"
"Perhaps, if you like." Wendy replied to her granddaughter, "But it will take about a week or so…"
"I don't care! That will be the best Christmas present I had ever gotten! "
"Alright. So it is settled. Margaret, you get to stay here. Jillian, you shall have your own room downstairs with the rest of us."
Maggie was somewhat confused at first, but quickly realized what her grandmother was doing: A little thing called "guilt". Father will only pretend to set up a room for Jillie, and as the week goes by, Jillie will feel guilty for leaving her sister, and quickly change her mind. "Genius!" Maggie thought to herself. She and Wendy shared one last goodnight hug as Maggie whispered into her ear: "I know what you're going to do Granny!" "So you figured it out?" Wendy whispered back. Maggie simply nodded as Wendy tucked her in and turned out the light. Wendy quietly shut the door behind her with a look on her face, as if she knew something would happen. Something that would start off good, but unsure how it would end.
