The Attic
It was a rainy day and all her toys were stupid. Daddy was asleep and Jenny was bored so she decided to do something about it. After eating a bowl of Star Pops, Jenny crept up the stairs past Daddy's bedroom. Daddy had been crying lots last night so he would be sleeping for a long time. Still keeping quiet, Jenny went up another set of stairs to the attic where all the good stuff was.
Being careful not to make too much noise she opened the door. She stifled a gasp. There was all this cool robot stuff. How come she had never seen this things before? Then she saw a large box. It said Steven's toys. Maybe it would be better than her stupid dolls and games that she had no one to play with. Opening it, Jenny frowned . It was just stupid stuff for boys. There was no science or electronics kit just stupid old stuffed toys and dumb games like the ones she had.
She took another look around. There was a photo album, Jenny would look at it later, some grown up stuff and then she saw it. It was a package just for her. It said Happy Birthday Jenny from your two grandmas. Jenny only had one grandpa and her birthday was last month so she opened it. Inside was a large fuzzy ball. It was the teddy bot she always wanted.
Though it had no eyes, it seemed to stare at her. Jenny pulled it out and set in on the floor. Jenny always wanted one but now she had one she had no idea what to do with it. Jenny looked around.
"Teddy bot, I am Jenny Universe. Search the attic and find more toys," ordered Jenny.
Jenny opened the photo album. Inside were pictures of a happy looking boy. He was fat and round. There was grandpa looking younger, a big fat pink lady, a strange looking gem and the gem prime minister. Jenny recognized her from the news. Jenny flipped to a page where the boy was wearing a swimsuit. Jenny could now see his gem.
This was Daddy in the photos as a boy. He looked funny without all his hair. She flipped through more pages. Daddy with a pink lion. Daddy in the desert and Daddy with a strange girl. Was this Mummy? Jenny flipped some more pages. The girl transformed from a shy bookish girl with glasses to a sword wielding warrior. Jenny didn't like her.
She felt a nudge. The Teddy bot had pushed a box over to her. It said 'Jenny's baby things'. Jenny doubted there would be any good stuff but she opened it anyway. Inside was loads of cool stuff. Another Teddy bot, baby clothes with little alien faces on them and the perfect dolly. It was as big as her, was green and had big, huge eyes, not at all like the stupid dollies her Daddy gave her.
More alien themed baby stuff, souvenirs from a place called Rossmore. Jenny turned to the other Teddy bot.
"Teddy bot, find me more cool stuff," ordered Jenny.
She focused back on the photo album. Maybe she would get answers in here. There were more pictures. This time of two strange gems. One had blue skin. The other was short, green and had a stone in her forehead just like Jenny. Most of these were taken at a yucky barn.
Outside the cows were mooing. Daddy still wasn't up.
Then she heard a noise, the front door opened. Someone was downstairs.
"Hello?" called out her Grandpa.
She could hear her grandfather moving about. Jenny sat still and clutched her new dolly. If she was caught in the attic she would be in trouble and her new toys would be taken away. Still more movement, then she heard grandpa shout.
"Steven this place is a mess. What are you doing?" shouted Grandpa angrily.
"Just sleeping in Dad," said Steven drowsily.
"Steven it's ten o'clock. The cows need fed and milking. Where's Jenny?"
"She's probably watching TV or something."
"No she isn't. The kitchen is a mess and Jenny isn't in her room. So where is she?"
"I-I don't know."
"Steven this is serious. The house is a mess, the cows are wandering the fields and you don't even know where Jenny is. You need to get things together before Jenny gets hurt."
"I just need time. That's all."
"You don't have time Steven. Now help me look for your daughter."
Jenny heard Daddy call out her name. She sat still, not making a noise. She could hear Daddy and Grandpa thumping around the house. Behind her came a loud crash. One of the Teddy bots pulled out a picture of that Big Pink Lady. For a moment they stopped. Then Jenny heard Daddy and Grandpa shouting her name as they ran up the stairs.
Steven and Greg burst through the attic door to see Jenny sitting in the middle of the room still in her pajamas. The robinoids were out, as well as Peridot's plushie. Jenny was holding a painting of Rose Quartz. She turned to face the two men.
"Daddy who is that fat pink lady?" asked Jenny.
"Jenny that is your grandmother," said Grandpa. "Jenny do you know what a gem is?"
Jenny shook her head. Grandpa frowned. Everything happened so fast next. Grandpa and Daddy took her down the stairs. They plunked her in the big chair and turned on the TV. Then they left Jenny with a glass of milk as they went outside to take care of the cows.
From the outside Jenny could hear Grandpa shouting at Daddy. Not everything but enough "-irresponsible, Steven."
Jenny clutched her new dolly tighter. " -trying to protect her," said Daddy.
More shouting and bad words, "- protecting yourself. -not human -you're hurting her."
Jenny's vision blurred. It was okay, she wasn't really watching the TV. This was all her fault. If she hadn't gone looking for stuff none of this would have happened. She sobbed into Mr. Foo.
After a long time Daddy and Grandpa came back. Daddy started picking things up but Grandpa stopped him.
"Not yet, I want Pearl to see this," scolded Grandpa. Jenny scrunched into a little ball. "Oh sweetie are you crying?"
"No,"lied Jenny as she wiped her nose.
Daddy pulled her into a big hug. "Oh honey, what happened here wasn't your fault."
Jenny shouted, "But it is! I'm the one who was naughty at school. I'm the one who asked about Mummy and made you cry. I shouldn't have gone into the attic. I'm sorry."
"Jenny look at me. This is not your fault. You wanted to know what your Mummy was like?" Jenny nodded. "Your Mummy was brave, curious and brilliant. As you grow up you become more and more like her everyday. I miss her so much and that is why I am so sad."
"Is Mummy dead?"asked Jenny.
"Okay let's give you a bath and get some lunch," said Grandpa cheerily.
They marched her straight into the bathroom. As the tub was filling with water Grandpa searched her room for clean clothes. More bad words and Grandpa came in with the school uniform she wore yesterday. Then Daddy put in the bubbles and some toys. He and Grandpa scrubbed her clean.
After that Grandpa made soup and sandwiches which they all ate. After that there was a knocking at the door.
"That will be Pearl. Have a shower and get dressed will you Steven? Pearl's a head of state now," said Grandpa.
Daddy went up the stairs Grandpa opened the door. On the other side was a tall thin gem lady with a white stone on her head like Jenny and a short purple lady.
"I brought Amethyst with me," said the Gem Prime Minister as she strode into the house.
The purple lady leaned over and stared at Jenny, "Hey you must be Jenny. You've grown so big!" shouted the purple lady. Jenny cringed.
"Amethyst," hissed Grandpa.
"Oh I'm Amethyst. I was a friend of your Dad's while he was growing up. Say Jenny how about we go outside and play a game?" said the purple lady.
"She's got keen hearing," shouted Greg after them.
"I can guess from the ears. Let's go get some ice cream in town then," said Amethyst with a big stiff smile on her face.
Amethyst actually turned into a car with a face on it. Jenny clapped her hands and got in. They drove down into the little town and stopped off at the park. Amethyst got some ice cream as Jenny played in the sandbox with Mr. Foo.
"Yikes, you look so much like your mother now," said Amethyst.
She handed Jenny an ice cream cone and swallowed hers whole. Jenny took a little lick of her cone. It wasn't as good as Grandpa's.
"Did you know my Mummy?" asked Jenny.
"Sure did. What do you want to know?" asked Amethyst.
Jenny looked straight into Amethyst's eyes, "Everything."
"Hoo boy that's a big one. Well your mother was one of the bravest gems I ever met..." Amethyst told Jenny the story of how Peridot met her father and the time they spent together."
Time passed quickly and soon Amethyst's cell phone rang. The purple gem answered it and listened. When Amethyst hung up she turned to Jenny.
"Hey Jenny how would you like a helicopter ride?" asked Amethyst.
When they got back, Pearl, Grandpa and Daddy were waiting for them. Beside them stood Jenny's backpack. Daddy got up and hugged Jenny.
"Hey Sweetie, Daddy's going to be busy for a while. How would you like to spend a few days with your Grandmas?" said Daddy softly.
