A/N: I realize the Pet Me Poppa is from the original movie, and that 1948
is the time of the revival. Just work with me here.
My given, Christian name was Sara-Anne Elizabeth Sulley. Most of the people I knew called me Sara, or Anne, or Miss Sulley. And then I moved to New York.
I had always lived in a little farming town in Canada. I never really went into the city because my town was really far away, due to the many farms. So, I was used to living in a place where everyone knew me. But then I got older, and felt like a big fish in a small pond. I had to be famous. I had to go someplace where I could be famous. New York.
"Mom, I'm leaving today." I held a suitcase in my hand, packed with clothing, dance supplies, and the occasional book.
My mother looked up from the eggs she was cooking. "What? Oh. Well hello Sara. You're awake. Why don't you sit down and eat some eggs?"
"I'm leaving."
My mother turned all the way around on this. "Where are you going? Why do you need that big suitcase?"
"I'm going to New York."
Her eyes narrowed. "Sara I won't allow it! You'll stay here and-"
"I'm leaving."
"Well then don't expect to be welcome in this house when you come crawling back. Dig cities change girls Sara. In bad ways."
"Fine. I'm still leaving." I had never had the best relationship with my mother.
She turned her back to me. "Good-bye then."
That was the last I heard of my mother for a long time.
I boarded the train, full of hope. 1948 was a very good time to be out in the world, I decided. I could rent an apartment, get a job, then start auditioning. Broadway. I shivered with pleasure and anticipation, then pressed my forehead against the cool glass of the window.
First things first, get a place to live...but all the places I went to wanted money in advance, so I decided to try and find a job first. I figured I could just waitress. I walked into the first place I saw with a help wanted sign.
"Hello. I would like to apply for a job."
"Can you dance?" A man with a bushy mustache and dark, dark hair asked. What kind of a question was that? I only wanted to waitress. Oh well, if it gives me a better chance.
"Yes I can." I held my head up.
"Let's see it then." The man pulled out a big pad of paper.
"Al-alright." I took off my shoes and danced a few steps.
"It'll do. Welcome, newest Hot Box Girl. What's your name?" His pen was poised over the paper like a cobra about to strike.
"Sara-Anne Elizabeth Sulley."
"Well hello then, Sara-Anne. I'm Charlie, Charlie Dawson."
We shook hands. His next few words told me that I had found the perfect job.
"I assume you'll in the Hot Box apartment over the stage with the rest of the girls? It comes free, a perk of the job. Come with me, I'll show it to you." He pulled a key out of his pocket. It was on a pink silk rope. "This is yours."
I slid it around my neck. As I followed him, he talked.
"You'll be the perfect replacement for Candy. She was just your size. Absolutely perfect. Doubt I'll even have to have wardrobes take in the costumes too much. You're a little wider though....but you'll lose it I suppose."
We reached the top of the stairs. "Here we go." He pulled another key out of his breast pocket and opened the door. I thought I had entered another world, one of pink, gold and sequins.
"We have our newest girl," Charlie roared. "Everyone give a warm welcome to Sara-Anne!"
Girls in matching pink silk robes with names sewn on the pockets filed in from what looked like a large dormitory. "Hello!" They chorused.
Someone pushed past the group of girls. Her bathrobe was longer, and black to their pink.
"She'll do." She said, sniffing, then blowing her nose in a matching hanky. "She IS Candy's size. We just have to teach her the dances and then do something with her hair."
"My hair?" My hands immediately went to protectively fluff my chestnut curls.
"Yes dear." The woman sniffed again, then sneezed. "Blonde will suit you better honey, but the style is fine." She fingered some of my hair. "Could use a trim though." She blew her nose. "I'm Adelaide."
"Our star." Charlie beamed. I had forgotten he was there.
"Oh Charlie!" I noticed Adelaide spoke in the same high-pitched nasal tones as the rest of the girls. "Anyway Charlie, we all know you love us, but you had better leave us so we can clean her up."
"Good-bye now!" The girls squealed and waved in unison.
"Good-bye." I said, looking away. I still wasn't sure what they were going to do to my hair.
"Erm..." I said after he left, and the girls had once again vanished into the room from which they had come. "Is Charlie your...um...lover?"
Adelaide laughed so much that tears sprang into her eyes. She wiped them off her cheeks with a hanky, not even smearing her mascara. "Oh, poor dear. You're not from around here, are you?"
I shook my head.
"Of course you aren't honey!" Adelaide was shaking with mirth, causing her blonde curls to fly out from under it's black silk wrap. "All of the girls and I absolutely cannot STAND him. But, he pays us, so we put up with him. But you better watch out. He tries-well, funny stuff. So watch out."
"Funny stuff?"
"Yes dear, funny stuff. Fortunately, my Nathan-"
"Your Nathan?"
"Nathan. Nathan Detroit?" My blank look spoke volumes. "You really AREN'T from around here, are you? Where are you from?"
I whispered it quietly.
"CANADA?" She sneezed violently, then blew her nose loudly. "You mean you aren't even AMERICAN?"
"No. I'm not. Is that bad?"
"Of course not. What's your name again honey?"
"Sara-Anne Elizabeth Sulley."
"That's a mouthful! You're just Sara-Anne now dear. Just Sara-Anne.
My given, Christian name was Sara-Anne Elizabeth Sulley. Most of the people I knew called me Sara, or Anne, or Miss Sulley. And then I moved to New York.
I had always lived in a little farming town in Canada. I never really went into the city because my town was really far away, due to the many farms. So, I was used to living in a place where everyone knew me. But then I got older, and felt like a big fish in a small pond. I had to be famous. I had to go someplace where I could be famous. New York.
"Mom, I'm leaving today." I held a suitcase in my hand, packed with clothing, dance supplies, and the occasional book.
My mother looked up from the eggs she was cooking. "What? Oh. Well hello Sara. You're awake. Why don't you sit down and eat some eggs?"
"I'm leaving."
My mother turned all the way around on this. "Where are you going? Why do you need that big suitcase?"
"I'm going to New York."
Her eyes narrowed. "Sara I won't allow it! You'll stay here and-"
"I'm leaving."
"Well then don't expect to be welcome in this house when you come crawling back. Dig cities change girls Sara. In bad ways."
"Fine. I'm still leaving." I had never had the best relationship with my mother.
She turned her back to me. "Good-bye then."
That was the last I heard of my mother for a long time.
I boarded the train, full of hope. 1948 was a very good time to be out in the world, I decided. I could rent an apartment, get a job, then start auditioning. Broadway. I shivered with pleasure and anticipation, then pressed my forehead against the cool glass of the window.
First things first, get a place to live...but all the places I went to wanted money in advance, so I decided to try and find a job first. I figured I could just waitress. I walked into the first place I saw with a help wanted sign.
"Hello. I would like to apply for a job."
"Can you dance?" A man with a bushy mustache and dark, dark hair asked. What kind of a question was that? I only wanted to waitress. Oh well, if it gives me a better chance.
"Yes I can." I held my head up.
"Let's see it then." The man pulled out a big pad of paper.
"Al-alright." I took off my shoes and danced a few steps.
"It'll do. Welcome, newest Hot Box Girl. What's your name?" His pen was poised over the paper like a cobra about to strike.
"Sara-Anne Elizabeth Sulley."
"Well hello then, Sara-Anne. I'm Charlie, Charlie Dawson."
We shook hands. His next few words told me that I had found the perfect job.
"I assume you'll in the Hot Box apartment over the stage with the rest of the girls? It comes free, a perk of the job. Come with me, I'll show it to you." He pulled a key out of his pocket. It was on a pink silk rope. "This is yours."
I slid it around my neck. As I followed him, he talked.
"You'll be the perfect replacement for Candy. She was just your size. Absolutely perfect. Doubt I'll even have to have wardrobes take in the costumes too much. You're a little wider though....but you'll lose it I suppose."
We reached the top of the stairs. "Here we go." He pulled another key out of his breast pocket and opened the door. I thought I had entered another world, one of pink, gold and sequins.
"We have our newest girl," Charlie roared. "Everyone give a warm welcome to Sara-Anne!"
Girls in matching pink silk robes with names sewn on the pockets filed in from what looked like a large dormitory. "Hello!" They chorused.
Someone pushed past the group of girls. Her bathrobe was longer, and black to their pink.
"She'll do." She said, sniffing, then blowing her nose in a matching hanky. "She IS Candy's size. We just have to teach her the dances and then do something with her hair."
"My hair?" My hands immediately went to protectively fluff my chestnut curls.
"Yes dear." The woman sniffed again, then sneezed. "Blonde will suit you better honey, but the style is fine." She fingered some of my hair. "Could use a trim though." She blew her nose. "I'm Adelaide."
"Our star." Charlie beamed. I had forgotten he was there.
"Oh Charlie!" I noticed Adelaide spoke in the same high-pitched nasal tones as the rest of the girls. "Anyway Charlie, we all know you love us, but you had better leave us so we can clean her up."
"Good-bye now!" The girls squealed and waved in unison.
"Good-bye." I said, looking away. I still wasn't sure what they were going to do to my hair.
"Erm..." I said after he left, and the girls had once again vanished into the room from which they had come. "Is Charlie your...um...lover?"
Adelaide laughed so much that tears sprang into her eyes. She wiped them off her cheeks with a hanky, not even smearing her mascara. "Oh, poor dear. You're not from around here, are you?"
I shook my head.
"Of course you aren't honey!" Adelaide was shaking with mirth, causing her blonde curls to fly out from under it's black silk wrap. "All of the girls and I absolutely cannot STAND him. But, he pays us, so we put up with him. But you better watch out. He tries-well, funny stuff. So watch out."
"Funny stuff?"
"Yes dear, funny stuff. Fortunately, my Nathan-"
"Your Nathan?"
"Nathan. Nathan Detroit?" My blank look spoke volumes. "You really AREN'T from around here, are you? Where are you from?"
I whispered it quietly.
"CANADA?" She sneezed violently, then blew her nose loudly. "You mean you aren't even AMERICAN?"
"No. I'm not. Is that bad?"
"Of course not. What's your name again honey?"
"Sara-Anne Elizabeth Sulley."
"That's a mouthful! You're just Sara-Anne now dear. Just Sara-Anne.