A small hand caressed a smooth porcelain cheek of a China doll, the
fingers sliding gently down the frilly laces of the dress, and then, at
last, the black shiny shoes that the doll sported.
"Grandpa… It's beautiful!" a girl's voice sighed out.
Charles Lawrence chuckled.
"Joie, Darling, let me take that from you. It's very fragile and I don't think you're old enough to play with it," her mother said.
"No, it's okae," Charles said, chuckling again, enjoying the excitement that was shining through those big green eyes of his granddaughters'.
"Honey, it's late. Let's take you back up to your bed now," the girls' father said gently, prodding her lightly with his cane that he always carried with him.
The green eyes looked up at her father and smiled, extending her arms out to be picked up.
"Thank you, Grandpa," Joie mumbled into her father's shoulder and yawned.
"You're welcome my sweetheart," Charles said, his eyes gleaming with happiness. "And look, it looks just like you, too!"
Charles pointed out the olive colored skin of the doll, the rosy cheeks, the black curly hair, and the green eyes delicately decorated with thick, lush eyelashes. It truly resembled Joie.
"What were you thinking, giving something as fragile as that to a child!" Ellen hissed at her father as soon as her husband and daughter were out of earshot.
"It was just a little something from her favorite grandpa," Charles protested. "It's nothing to be scared about."
"Oh, but father! You know children at this age, especially her! They like to break things!" Ellen sighed, exasperated.
"Oh, just calm down for a minute, Ellen! Look at yourself! You're panicking over something so…trivial," Charles said, eyeing her beadily.
"Fine. I'm going to bed," Ellen said, climbing up the stairs, shaking her head, clutching the doll gently with her fingers.
Charles simply stared after her, shaking his head as well. He couldn't believe her daughter was overreacting to something like this. He was on his break from his job from Jersey City and he wanted to come home to a relaxing environment.
"This…this is not relaxing," he muttered, making his way toward the spare bedroom beyond the large kitchen.
"Becky! Becky! Look what my grandpa brought me!" Joie said, running down the sidewalk that connected the Thelens' mansion to the Batty's.
A small red-headed girl looked up and blinked twice. Her hair was in braided pigtails, and she had the rosiest cheeks ever, her face bespeckled with freckles. Her face broke into a smile when she saw her friend Joie run down the street, a rather large china doll clutched in her hands.
"What is it?" Becky asked, her mouth opened in awe as she saw the doll. "But that – that looks exactly like you!"
It was, uncanny as it may be. The hair fell in all the places exactly where Joie's hair fell around her face, the lips were the exact replica and those eyes. Those eerie, hollow green eyes that belonged to the doll, just staring back at whomever cared to look at it.
"Want to hold it?" Joie asked, holding the doll out to Becky.
Becky smiled and nodded, reaching her hands out and taking the doll gently in her hands, running her fingers through her hair.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Joie asked softly, looking down lovingly at the doll.
Joie, though not spoiled, got everything her way. When her mother told her not to take the doll outside, she turned to her grandpa, pouting. Unexpected, her grandpa had let in, convincing her mother to let her take the doll.
"What harm will it do?" Charles had said to Ellen. "She's careful with it. I saw her this morning with it."
Ellen threw up her hands.
"Fine, fine. Be as it may. But if something happens to her and that doll, remember this," Ellen said, slapping her hand down on the table, "I told you so."
And now, there they were. Two little seven year old girls gaping over a simple china doll.
"It's so…I love her dress," Becky said, smiling as she fingered the laces on the edge of the dresses.
Suddenly her smile faded and she dropped the doll.
"Why did you do that for?" Joie shrieked, picking up the doll, cradling it. "Oh look, the arm's broken now."
Joie's eyes welled up with tears.
"My mother is going to be so mad!"
"It … just … moved," Becky said, staring at the doll in horror.
"Don't be stupid. It couldn't have been! This thing isn't real!" Joie said, turning to Becky.
Becky shook her head. Maybe she was imagining things.
"You're right. I probably was just imagining it."
"It's okae, Becky. I'll just go to Grandpa before I see my mother tonight and he'll fix it," Joie said, stroking its head. "Say, you and your mother should come over for afternoon tea."
Becky's eyes lit up.
"Yes! I sure would like that! I'll go fetch my mother. I'll see you in awhile!" Becky said, running up the porch stairs and entering her house.
Joie smiled to herself as she slowly walked back to her own house. She went up to her room, carefully wrapped a thin cloth just tight enough to hold the torso and the arm together and put the dress back on the doll again.
"Good as new until Grandpa can fix you," Joie said, smiling.
The doll seemed to smile back at her, the vacant eyes staring back unblinkingly. Joie narrowed her eyes at the doll, then shook her head. Must be the light, she thought to herself and gently placed the doll back on her shelf.
Afternoon tea passed quickly just as it had come, and Charles and Joie were in the kitchen, putting away the teacups and saucers. The maid was preparing a hearty meal, humming softly to herself.
"Margie, what is it that your singing?" Joie asked the maid.
"Oh, it's von of ze songs my mother sang to me," Margie said, smiling at her.
"Can you teach me?" Joie asked, her eyes twinkling.
"I vill when you are older. Right now, I am busy cooking ze dinner. Run along now, little Joie," she said, smiling warmly at her.
"Come now," Charles said, taking Joie's hand and leading her out of the kitchen.
Joie kissed her grandpa on the cheek and ran upstairs. From her pocket she drew the biscuit she had saved from afternoon tea and sad down on her bed, nibbling at it. She opened a book and began reading.
The sky was beginning to darken and the air chilly as last of the sun's rays disappeared, illuminating the city for one fantastic moment.
"It zis dinner," Margie said, knocking on her door softly.
"Coming!" Joie said.
She placed her book beneath her pillow and bounded down the stairs, in high spirits. She hadn't noticed that her doll was gone from the shelf.
"Good evening, Mother, Father," she said, placing a kiss on each of their cheeks before seating herself next to Charles.
"Tonight's dinner iz roasted turkey and ze cranberry sauce I have been saving," Margie said, smiling. "There iz also rice pilaf, and vegetablez."
It was her mom's favorite. Joie smiled at her mom, but quickly stopped, her mother returning a cold look at her.
"What is this?" her mom said, taking out the doll from beneath the table.
"What, do we have to talk about this now? I thought we talked about it last night!" Joie's father said, looking at Ellen.
"Yes but look what she did!" she said, pulling the dolls arm out from the sleeve of the dress.
Joie gasped, letting her fork clatter onto her plate. How did she get the doll? Joie thought to herself.
"Ellen – " her father started.
"No, George. We are going to talk about it!" Ellen said, her eyes fiery with madness. "How many times, Joie, have I told you not to take this doll out! I knew something was going to happen! Father, I can't believe I let you convince me into –"
"No, Ellen, there's no need to be over –"
"Overreacting? Overreacting?! Why do you always say that about me! I am the perfectly sane one here! Hasn't anyone seen? I knew this – child – would be breaking this thing!"
Joie flinched at the word 'child'. Her mother had said it, not in a way that would comfort her, but in a disgusted tone that even made herself cringe.
"Calm down, Ellen," George said gently, looking at Joie's expression.
"I will not – !" Ellen slammed her hand down on the table, causing the whole table to shake.
To Joie's amazement, the glass of wine by her mother's hand tipped over ever so slowly, the wine spilling out, right on the doll's dress. A dark, burgundy stain began to creep along the pearl colored dress.
"Mother!" Joie screamed.
"I – "Ellen started, horrified. "Oh, dear, I – "
Ellen started rocking back and forth, wrapping her arms around herself.
"I can't believe I just did that. I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to…" she muttered repeatedly to anyone who would hear.
"Mom!" Joie said, staring at her mom. A chill crept up her spine. "Grandpa!"
Joie was scared. She had never seen this side of her mother before.
"Margie, take Joie to her room right now," Charles said quietly, amazed and shocked at Ellen's behavior.
"Stop it right now!" George said to Ellen as Joie exited the dining room.
"I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to, you know that," Ellen said, turning her tear stained face to her husband, still rocking back and forth.
"You need to stop it right now. You are scaring Joie!" George said sternly.
"Joie, Joie, Joie…" Ellen said softly, as if trying hard to remember who this Joie was.
"Now," George said again.
At this, Ellen burst into tears again.
"We better get her into bed," Charles said, stunned.
George nodded, picking Ellen up gently and the two carried her into the bedroom and into the bed. As soon as Ellen was calmed and slept soundly in bed, Charles led George out into the hallway, shutting the door quietly behind him.
"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Charles said, quietly but urgently.
"I didn't want to worry you," George said.
"But she's my daughter!" Charles said, fumbling for the right words. "I have a right to know how my daughter is! Now, I know you mean well, but please…"
"Look, it's nothing we can't handle. If something had went horrible wrong, we would have contacted you right away," George said, trying to keep his voice down.
"Fine, but I should have know anyways," Charles said, rubbing his forehead.
"I'm sorry," George said. "I was wrong. But you're here now and you know what is going on. Maybe…just maybe it's time for you to help."
"What did the doctors say?" Charles asked, his voice considerably softer now.
"Well, Dr. Himes told us that it was just caused by too much blood in the brain. He hasn't yet determined what the disease it."
Charles nodded, rubbing his forehead more, and with that, the two went down to the library. Joie, listening intently, shut the door to her room quietly and crawled back into bed.
"Grandpa… It's beautiful!" a girl's voice sighed out.
Charles Lawrence chuckled.
"Joie, Darling, let me take that from you. It's very fragile and I don't think you're old enough to play with it," her mother said.
"No, it's okae," Charles said, chuckling again, enjoying the excitement that was shining through those big green eyes of his granddaughters'.
"Honey, it's late. Let's take you back up to your bed now," the girls' father said gently, prodding her lightly with his cane that he always carried with him.
The green eyes looked up at her father and smiled, extending her arms out to be picked up.
"Thank you, Grandpa," Joie mumbled into her father's shoulder and yawned.
"You're welcome my sweetheart," Charles said, his eyes gleaming with happiness. "And look, it looks just like you, too!"
Charles pointed out the olive colored skin of the doll, the rosy cheeks, the black curly hair, and the green eyes delicately decorated with thick, lush eyelashes. It truly resembled Joie.
"What were you thinking, giving something as fragile as that to a child!" Ellen hissed at her father as soon as her husband and daughter were out of earshot.
"It was just a little something from her favorite grandpa," Charles protested. "It's nothing to be scared about."
"Oh, but father! You know children at this age, especially her! They like to break things!" Ellen sighed, exasperated.
"Oh, just calm down for a minute, Ellen! Look at yourself! You're panicking over something so…trivial," Charles said, eyeing her beadily.
"Fine. I'm going to bed," Ellen said, climbing up the stairs, shaking her head, clutching the doll gently with her fingers.
Charles simply stared after her, shaking his head as well. He couldn't believe her daughter was overreacting to something like this. He was on his break from his job from Jersey City and he wanted to come home to a relaxing environment.
"This…this is not relaxing," he muttered, making his way toward the spare bedroom beyond the large kitchen.
"Becky! Becky! Look what my grandpa brought me!" Joie said, running down the sidewalk that connected the Thelens' mansion to the Batty's.
A small red-headed girl looked up and blinked twice. Her hair was in braided pigtails, and she had the rosiest cheeks ever, her face bespeckled with freckles. Her face broke into a smile when she saw her friend Joie run down the street, a rather large china doll clutched in her hands.
"What is it?" Becky asked, her mouth opened in awe as she saw the doll. "But that – that looks exactly like you!"
It was, uncanny as it may be. The hair fell in all the places exactly where Joie's hair fell around her face, the lips were the exact replica and those eyes. Those eerie, hollow green eyes that belonged to the doll, just staring back at whomever cared to look at it.
"Want to hold it?" Joie asked, holding the doll out to Becky.
Becky smiled and nodded, reaching her hands out and taking the doll gently in her hands, running her fingers through her hair.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Joie asked softly, looking down lovingly at the doll.
Joie, though not spoiled, got everything her way. When her mother told her not to take the doll outside, she turned to her grandpa, pouting. Unexpected, her grandpa had let in, convincing her mother to let her take the doll.
"What harm will it do?" Charles had said to Ellen. "She's careful with it. I saw her this morning with it."
Ellen threw up her hands.
"Fine, fine. Be as it may. But if something happens to her and that doll, remember this," Ellen said, slapping her hand down on the table, "I told you so."
And now, there they were. Two little seven year old girls gaping over a simple china doll.
"It's so…I love her dress," Becky said, smiling as she fingered the laces on the edge of the dresses.
Suddenly her smile faded and she dropped the doll.
"Why did you do that for?" Joie shrieked, picking up the doll, cradling it. "Oh look, the arm's broken now."
Joie's eyes welled up with tears.
"My mother is going to be so mad!"
"It … just … moved," Becky said, staring at the doll in horror.
"Don't be stupid. It couldn't have been! This thing isn't real!" Joie said, turning to Becky.
Becky shook her head. Maybe she was imagining things.
"You're right. I probably was just imagining it."
"It's okae, Becky. I'll just go to Grandpa before I see my mother tonight and he'll fix it," Joie said, stroking its head. "Say, you and your mother should come over for afternoon tea."
Becky's eyes lit up.
"Yes! I sure would like that! I'll go fetch my mother. I'll see you in awhile!" Becky said, running up the porch stairs and entering her house.
Joie smiled to herself as she slowly walked back to her own house. She went up to her room, carefully wrapped a thin cloth just tight enough to hold the torso and the arm together and put the dress back on the doll again.
"Good as new until Grandpa can fix you," Joie said, smiling.
The doll seemed to smile back at her, the vacant eyes staring back unblinkingly. Joie narrowed her eyes at the doll, then shook her head. Must be the light, she thought to herself and gently placed the doll back on her shelf.
Afternoon tea passed quickly just as it had come, and Charles and Joie were in the kitchen, putting away the teacups and saucers. The maid was preparing a hearty meal, humming softly to herself.
"Margie, what is it that your singing?" Joie asked the maid.
"Oh, it's von of ze songs my mother sang to me," Margie said, smiling at her.
"Can you teach me?" Joie asked, her eyes twinkling.
"I vill when you are older. Right now, I am busy cooking ze dinner. Run along now, little Joie," she said, smiling warmly at her.
"Come now," Charles said, taking Joie's hand and leading her out of the kitchen.
Joie kissed her grandpa on the cheek and ran upstairs. From her pocket she drew the biscuit she had saved from afternoon tea and sad down on her bed, nibbling at it. She opened a book and began reading.
The sky was beginning to darken and the air chilly as last of the sun's rays disappeared, illuminating the city for one fantastic moment.
"It zis dinner," Margie said, knocking on her door softly.
"Coming!" Joie said.
She placed her book beneath her pillow and bounded down the stairs, in high spirits. She hadn't noticed that her doll was gone from the shelf.
"Good evening, Mother, Father," she said, placing a kiss on each of their cheeks before seating herself next to Charles.
"Tonight's dinner iz roasted turkey and ze cranberry sauce I have been saving," Margie said, smiling. "There iz also rice pilaf, and vegetablez."
It was her mom's favorite. Joie smiled at her mom, but quickly stopped, her mother returning a cold look at her.
"What is this?" her mom said, taking out the doll from beneath the table.
"What, do we have to talk about this now? I thought we talked about it last night!" Joie's father said, looking at Ellen.
"Yes but look what she did!" she said, pulling the dolls arm out from the sleeve of the dress.
Joie gasped, letting her fork clatter onto her plate. How did she get the doll? Joie thought to herself.
"Ellen – " her father started.
"No, George. We are going to talk about it!" Ellen said, her eyes fiery with madness. "How many times, Joie, have I told you not to take this doll out! I knew something was going to happen! Father, I can't believe I let you convince me into –"
"No, Ellen, there's no need to be over –"
"Overreacting? Overreacting?! Why do you always say that about me! I am the perfectly sane one here! Hasn't anyone seen? I knew this – child – would be breaking this thing!"
Joie flinched at the word 'child'. Her mother had said it, not in a way that would comfort her, but in a disgusted tone that even made herself cringe.
"Calm down, Ellen," George said gently, looking at Joie's expression.
"I will not – !" Ellen slammed her hand down on the table, causing the whole table to shake.
To Joie's amazement, the glass of wine by her mother's hand tipped over ever so slowly, the wine spilling out, right on the doll's dress. A dark, burgundy stain began to creep along the pearl colored dress.
"Mother!" Joie screamed.
"I – "Ellen started, horrified. "Oh, dear, I – "
Ellen started rocking back and forth, wrapping her arms around herself.
"I can't believe I just did that. I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to…" she muttered repeatedly to anyone who would hear.
"Mom!" Joie said, staring at her mom. A chill crept up her spine. "Grandpa!"
Joie was scared. She had never seen this side of her mother before.
"Margie, take Joie to her room right now," Charles said quietly, amazed and shocked at Ellen's behavior.
"Stop it right now!" George said to Ellen as Joie exited the dining room.
"I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to, you know that," Ellen said, turning her tear stained face to her husband, still rocking back and forth.
"You need to stop it right now. You are scaring Joie!" George said sternly.
"Joie, Joie, Joie…" Ellen said softly, as if trying hard to remember who this Joie was.
"Now," George said again.
At this, Ellen burst into tears again.
"We better get her into bed," Charles said, stunned.
George nodded, picking Ellen up gently and the two carried her into the bedroom and into the bed. As soon as Ellen was calmed and slept soundly in bed, Charles led George out into the hallway, shutting the door quietly behind him.
"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Charles said, quietly but urgently.
"I didn't want to worry you," George said.
"But she's my daughter!" Charles said, fumbling for the right words. "I have a right to know how my daughter is! Now, I know you mean well, but please…"
"Look, it's nothing we can't handle. If something had went horrible wrong, we would have contacted you right away," George said, trying to keep his voice down.
"Fine, but I should have know anyways," Charles said, rubbing his forehead.
"I'm sorry," George said. "I was wrong. But you're here now and you know what is going on. Maybe…just maybe it's time for you to help."
"What did the doctors say?" Charles asked, his voice considerably softer now.
"Well, Dr. Himes told us that it was just caused by too much blood in the brain. He hasn't yet determined what the disease it."
Charles nodded, rubbing his forehead more, and with that, the two went down to the library. Joie, listening intently, shut the door to her room quietly and crawled back into bed.