Okay, I felt like typing this because I totally HATE what happens in this story. You'll have to guess what though. It'll be pretty easy. Oh, and this song, I just about flat out break down whenever I listen to it. IF YOUR EYES DON'T STING AFTER THIS, THEN YOU HAVE NO HEART.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hamtaro. Or the song "Alyssa Lies". That belongs to Jason Michael Carroll. AND I CHANGED SOME OF THE LYRICS, TO MAKE IT RHYME AND MAKE MORE SENSE.
This song is based off of a true story.
Pashmina Lies
My little girl met a new friend
Just the other day
Penelope happily skipped to school that Monday morning. She was ecstatic to enter those doors of Hamrise Elementary and enter a completely new chapter of her life. It was a bright, happy day as the sun's rays flashed down with full force at the school, making it look welcoming to the newcomers for the year. Penelope held her lunchbox closer to her and took a good look around. Many of the students were on the playground before school started and most of them were the older kids. The little ones sat on the sidewalk and looked longingly at the swings or the slides while the older ones chatted, not paying attention to any of the newbies of the school curriculum. Except for one little girl.
Penelope was a little worried for the girl because she was swinging on the monkey bars with ease, swaying back and forth as she moved past the older kids to the shock of the younger ones. Penelope smiled and took a step towards the girl. The little girl noticed Penelope staring at her and she smiled. Penelope beamed. The girl was wearing a frayed pink scarf, ripped jeans, and an old, musty tee shirt. Despite the new, shiny dress that Penelope cloaked herself in, Penelope was comfortable with this new girl. The girl was a little taller than her and had dirty blonde hair and striking, beautiful golden eyes.
The only thing that was odd was that this amazing and strange girl was all alone, as if everyone was avoiding her.
On the playground at school
Between the tires and the swings
"I'm Pashmina," the girl introduced with a huge grin and held out her hand like a grown up would.
"M-My name's Penelope," Penelope said shyly as she gently shook Pashmina's hand. Pashmina didn't seem to mind and jerked her head towards the swings.
"Do want to swing with me?" she asked. Penelope meekly nodded and the two were off like rockets. Soon enough, Pashmina managed to get a third grader off of the swings. But, there was only one seat, surely not big enough for two kindergartners so Pashmina let a reluctant Penelope ride the swings while Pashmina herself pushed the swing. And soon enough, Penelope didn't feel so shy around this strange girl. Just a few minutes later, the two were laughing and playing like they had known each other all of the their lives.
But she came home with tear filled eyes
And she said to me,
"Daddy, Alyssa lies."
Penelope's father was typing on the computer and having a cup of coffee when he heard the door slam open and then close with a thump. Knowing that this was probably his daughter, he made an attempt to get out of his chair, but was almost thrown backwards when Penelope came him a bone-crushing hug. Penelope's father patted her head and heaved Penelope up, cradling her. To his surprise, Penelope was crying.
"What's wrong, Penny?" her father asked gently, brushing a strand of her hair away. Penelope buried her face in his chest and cried a little more before looking up.
"Pashmina lies."
Well, I just brushed it off at first
'Cuz I didn't know how much my little girl had been hurt
"Well, who's Pashmina?" her father questioned. "Did you meet a new friend?"
Penelope hiccupped and rubbed her eyes with two little hands. "Pashmina lies."
All the things that she had seen
I wasn't ready when I said, "You can tell me."
"You know that you can tell me," her father assured and set Penelope down on the leather couch they had gotten recently to celebrate Penelope's first year of school.
And she said,
"Alyssa lies
To the classroom
Alyssa lies
Everyday at school
Alyssa lies
To the teachers
As she tries to cover every bruise"
"Pashmina lies, daddy," Penelope repeated. "She lies to everyone except me."
Her father raised an eyebrow and said, "Now is Pashmina is a nice girl?"
Penelope nodded immediately, as if by instinct. "She's the best girl and friend in the world, but she shouldn't lie."
"No, she shouldn't," her father shushed and carried Penelope up the stairs.
My little girl laid her head down to go to sleep
As I stepped out the room,
I heard her say a prayer real soft and sweet
Penelope hopped into bed that night and stopped crying after a dinner of spaghetti that her mother had cooked up to not only stop Penelope's constant tears, but to also announce that Penelope had become a big girl. The little kindergartner even got to take away the phone books on her seat and sit like her parents did, even if meant that Penelope had to lift her chin up above the table to put the food in mouth. Penelope sighed and closed her eyes as her mother kissed her forehead. Her mother walked out of the room and left Penelope and her husband alone. Penelope giggled as her father tickled her and then sent a trademark kiss on both of her cheeks and then her nose.
"Good night, sweetie. School's tomorrow so don't forget to wake up," her father teased and opened the door to leave the room.
"Oh, wait! I forgot something," Penelope realized and slid off of her bed and walked over to the window without knowing that her father was listening carefully.
"God bless my mom and my dad
And my new friend, Alyssa
And I know she needs you bad."
"Please take care of my mommy and daddy. And please don't forgot my new best friend Pashmina," Penelope started and then looked up at the stars with teary eyes. " 'Cuz she can't tell anymore lies."
Because Alyssa lies
To the classroom
Alyssa lies
Everyday at school
Alyssa lies
To the teachers
As she tries to cover every bruise
Penelope's father staggered into his room to see that his wife was already ready for bed and she was tucked into bed. She looked agitated that her husband was so late when it was a busy and rough day and as her husband wobbled into bed, she gave him a suspicious look.
"What's wrong?" she asked. Her husband just shook his head and turned the lights off.
I had the worst night of sleep in years
As I tried to think of a way to calm her fears
I knew exactly what to do
"You ready to go to school, Penelope?"
It was a new week and Penelope rushed out the door that Monday morning. Her father chuckled and remembered to call up the police this morning, but he'd have to explain it to Pashmina first. Penelope tugged at her father's raincoat as she hurried him out the door and into the shower of rain. Penelope didn't even want to put her hood on even though her mother kept telling her to or she'll get a cold.
"I can't wait to get to school today!" Penelope squealed and hopped in the puddles of the rain.
"Why is that, Penny?" her father inquired as he tried to avoid the puddles of water, but was splashed with water anyway whenever Penelope jumped.
"Because, daddy," Penelope said. "Pashmina promised that she wouldn't lie today."
But when we got to school on Monday
I heard the news
When they got to school, they found that no one was swinging on the swings or sliding down the slide. Not a soul was in sight and it felt eerie to get inside the front entrance. Penelope didn't seem to notice and still rushed her father to go to school, looking forward to seeing Pashmina again. Her father felt the opposite, however, and shrugged his jacket off slowly. While he was hanging up his coat and ready to help Penelope with her raincoat, he stared wide-eyed at the silence in the air. He noticed that the flag was half raised, but couldn't figure out why since he never read in the paper of any huge disaster.
Penelope's father held Penelope's hand and gripped it tight, still not saying a word. Penelope was humming and had a certain way of walking, like it was a kind of code for dance class. The atmosphere in the classroom was the same as the dreary day outside. Everyone managed to avert their eyes and the children didn't talk or move. They bowed their heads in silence and only looked up when Penelope and her father walked into the room. The room grew tense as Penelope's eyes drifted over to Pashmina's seat.
It was empty.
My little girl asked me why everybody looked so sad
The lump in my throat grew bigger
With every question that she had
"Daddy?" Penelope asked while tugging on her father's dress pants. "Why is everyone crying? And where is Pashmina?"
Until I felt the tears run down my face
And I told her that Alyssa
Was in a happier place
Penelope's father gulped and bent down to look at his daughter face to face. Penelope looked scared and her breathing grew heavier and heavier. Her father didn't let go of Penelope's hands, but held them tighter. He took in a deep breath before letting out the truth.
"Pashmina won't be at school today."
But she doesn't lie
In the classroom
"She won't be at lunch today," her father continued and led Penelope to her seat.
She doesn't lie
Anymore at school
"She won't be at recess today," he said as he set his daughter down in her plastic seat and he retrieved Penelope's mini coloring book from his pocket. Penelope was known to color in it whenever she was sad and her father didn't want to make this harder.
Alyssa lies
With Jesus
"She won't?" Penelope whispered. Her father jerked his head up and down. Penelope sighed before looking up and smiled like that smile when she first met Pashmina. "But she kept her promise."
Because there's nothing anyone would do
"Yes, she kept her promise," her father choked out. He started to walk out of the classroom, but a piece of paper hung on the wall caught his eye. On it was a picture that he assumed was Pashmina. He felt the guilt rise up in his chest as he tottered towards the pink piece of paper. Before he could read what the caption printed, his daughter called him over.
Tears filled my eyes
When my little girl asked me why
Alyssa lies
"Daddy?" Penelope cried. "Daddy, why does Pashmina lie?"
Her father turned towards her and bit his lip, tears streaming down his face and unable to control his feelings.
"Because there's nothing anyone would do."
Oh, daddy
Oh, daddy
Penelope's lip trembled and she wiped her eyes with her hands before setting her head on the desk, remembering what Pashmina had said to her on Friday of last week.
"We'll always be friends, right?" Penelope asked Pashmina on the tire swing.
"Of course, what makes you say that we won't?" Pashmina giggled and continued to push the tire swing while Penelope screamed with joy and excitement.
"We'll always be the best of friends," Pashmina told her proudly.
Tell me why
Alyssa lies
Penelope's father looked back at the paper and squinted to the see the caption through his tears that Monday morning.
Pashmina Mafura,
WE HOPE THAT THIS CHILD ISN'T IN ANY PAIN ANYMORE
MAY SHE REST IN PEACE