I pushed the door open and the bell above it rang. I saw a kitchen in front of me and a couple booths for sitting in on the sides of the rooms and near the doors. There was a woman—oddly pale—who was chopping something that looked like dough. Why would you chop dough? I wondered.
She wore a long, Victorian dress with fingerless gloves and her hair messed up into two ponytails.
She spotted me and her eyes glistened. "Ah, A customer!" She shouted. Before I could respond, "Sort of", she started singing.
"Wait what's your rush what's your hurry, you gave me such a, fright I though you was a ghost half a minute," She said. She walked towards me and grabbed me by the shoulders and guided me towards a booth. "Can't you sit, sit you down! Sit!" She gently pushed me into one of the booths. I had no reaction to this.
She closed the door, "All I meant is that I haven't seen a customer for weeks. Did you come here for a pie, miss? Do forgive me if me head's a little vague… what was that? But you think we had the plague, from the way the people—keep avoidin' no you don't. Heaven knows I try, miss. But there's no one comes in even to inhale"
She walked towards me with a bottle of ale. "Right you are miss would you like a drop of ale? Mind you I can hardly blame them… these are probably the worst pies in London." She placed one on the table. I glanced at it. Why would you be giving it to me if it was the worst pie in London? I thought.
She sighed and leaned against the kitchen counter. "Ah, miss. Times is hard. Times is haaaaaaaard!" I looked at her with glee and confusion at the same time.
She smiled at me. "What brings you 'ere miss?"
I stood up from the table and walked towards the counter.
"Well, I thought you would know—but I'm your new daughter." I told her.
Her face instantly lit up with joy as she strolled over to my side of the counter. "Splendid!" She cried out. She pulled me into a death-crushing hug—but also loving at the same time. I hugged her back. New home, new home. My mind repeated. We both pulled away from the hug.
She kept her hands on my shoulders and ran her fingers through my long, light brown hair. "You beautiful.. What's your name?" She asked.
I laughed. "Thank you. I'm Amanda. What's your name? Or I can just call you mom…" I trailed off.
She cackled, "Mine is Mrs. Lovett, but 'es, you can call me Mum." She replied.
My eyes wandered around the room. I noticed a doorway on the right side of the room, leading to some place that looked like a family room. Then there was a flight of stairs—going down—right next to it. To the left, was just a door leading outside.
She noticed my curiosity and asked, "Would you like to see the 'ouse, love?"
"Gladly."
"Come love." She started towards the room with the open doorway—the family room as it looked. I followed behind with a smile on my face. My new mom was wonderful and so nice. I wonder who my dad is….
The room wasn't so pleasant, but at the same time it wasn't too shabby—it was cozy. Cozy enough to call it home.
She turned around in the middle of the room, "This is the family room.. well room as I call it, 'ince I don't have much of a family." She sulked just a bit.
I walked up to her and gave her a hug. "It's okay, me neither."
"Aw, love. We have somethin' in common." She continued. "Then, there's three rooms with beds and that stuff. Also a bathroom, we don't use it much, no urges to urinate 'round here."
I chuckled when she said urinate. She walked into another doorway—in which the door was already open. "C'mon love." She said as she walked through the door.
I was greeted by an old looking bed with white sheets and one white pillow. Next to the bed was a nightstand and a dresser on the opposite side of the room. There was a window just above it.
I half-smiled at this room—it wasn't what I expected but again it was suitable. I sat on the bed, which creaked a bit when I did so. "Thank you.. Mum. I like it." It was better than my grandma's house. I had to sleep on the small couch.
She smiled, "Ah, no problem love. I'll be in the kitchen." She wandered out of the door and into the kitchen. I watched her disappear past the door. I sighed. Then a voice inside me somehow said, 'Welcome home.'
After unpacking my clothes and all that jazz, I strolled back to the kitchen. My mom was there, finishing up her meat pie that I interrupted when I walked in. She was putting some type of meat in it. Of course, it was a meat pie—but it looked mushy.. ew. My nose wrinkled at the smell.
She looked up at me and I unwrinkled it immediately. "Hi, mom."
"Hello Amanda.. would you like me to call you Amanda? Or wot?" She wondered.
"Doesn't matter!" I exclaimed happily. I went up to the counter, right next to her. I looked at her body features. She had long, skinny fingers and long nails. She was very pale, it was like she was a ghost—that pale. Her hair was red-brown and curly up in two ponies. She looked very Victorian, but with a grungy edge to it. I liked it. A lot.
She noticed me studying her features. "Somethin' wrong, love?" I shook my head,
"No.." I giggled. I barely knew her, but I loved her. I loved her very closely. "I love you mom.. even though we just met, I love you."I pulled her into a tight hug.
She started crying, I could hear and feel her tears. "Aw, love. I haven't been told that in ages."
I rubbed her back lovingly. She pulled back and wiped her tears with the back of her palm. "Thank you." She said.
I smiled and a tear rolled down my cheek. I haven't felt like this before, about a human. Of course I loved my parents dearly, even though I only remember their appearance by pictures.. but something about my new mom was special. Something special.
I sat in the booth and watched my mom make meat pies. No customers though. She hummed a lullaby whilst doing this. She repeated the song many times so that it was glued into my brain. I started humming along with her. We hummed in sync, with no mistakes.
I got up and walked into my room with the humming still coming out of my lips and hers. My mom never did that to me.. I thought. I had no memories of my parents, but I would remember if they sang me a song. Songs are perfection to me, I love them dearly.
Later that day, at about dinner time, my mom walked into my room as I was writing in my journal. I was sitting at the edge of my bed, with my back to her and facing the dresser.
She sat next to me. "Can I read, love?" I nodded. The entry I was on read,
Dear Journal (or diary, if your name wants to be classy),
I just arrived in London this morning. I was approached by a man named Judge Turpin He was a strange man, looking at me like a pervert. Pushing aside that thought, today I met my new mom. Her name is Mrs. Lovett and she works in a meat pie shop, which she owns. The shop also is attached to the house we live in. I have a small room, but it manages. My new mom is surprisingly very nice and sweet, she sings too. All I could wish for a mom. She is so comforting and thoughtful, it's unbelievable. I wonder if I have a dad…
Amanda
My mom froze after ten seconds of reading. I looked at her with curiosity and fear.
"What is it?" She didn't say a word. I started to get frightened. "Mom, please! Talk to me."
She looked at me for ten seconds, then replied, "Don't talk to Judge Turpin. Stay away from him." She got up and looked at me with serious eyes. I got up too, and scratched my head.
"Don't worry, I will. He's a freak." She nodded. "You see…" She started to read the rest of my entry for today.
"I forgot! Mistah T!" She exclaimed after she read.
"What?"
"Mistah T! 'e's in the room upstairs, 'e's a barber. Mr. Todd's quite a thing… though 'e don't talk much, 'e don't. " She said.
"Is this.. my dad?" She half nodded. "I'm not married to him though.." she told. She had a sad look on her face, as if she wanted to be married to this so-called Mr. Todd.
I held her hand. "I know how you feel…. To want someone or something that you can't have." She looked at our hands and smiled, then frowned.
"There's something I have to tell you about Mr. Todd now. He don't talk much. He seems quiet, but he has a long story behind him." Mrs. Lovett told me about how he lost his wife Lucy and his daughter Johanna from Judge Turpin (the one that I met this morning). She also said how he transformed from Benjamin Barker to Sweeney Todd.
My jaw dropped "I-i… I'm sorry to hear that." Judge was a terrible man! Avoid the judge, I thought.
"Yes, me too. But don't tell him I said that."
"Am I going to meet Mr. Todd? Er… dad?"
She hesitated then replied, "Yes. Let's go now! Don't want to upset him in his dark 'ours." I wondered what she meant by 'dark hours'. She walked out of the room and motioned for me to follow. New dad, here I come. I got up and followed my mom.
She opened the door to expose a warm, gloomy day in London. She turned right and started up a flight of stairs. I watched her walk up, with a waddle but also stylish walk. She held the sides of her dress slightly up to keep it from getting caught as she stepped up higher. I went behind her, following the steps.
As soon as I got up, a door greeted me. I looked at it, noticing inside was something like a barber shop—but more depressed looking. It had a chair in the middle of the room, with a vanity behind it and a chest and random furniture around the room.
My mom peered inside, cautiously, as if she was scared.
She looked back at me, "Love, Mr. Todd isn't the most charming man, just 'on't get scared." I wondered how Mr. Todd would be—nice, mean, harsh, strict, funny… hmm.
She slowly opened the door and walked in. I followed after her with fear. "Mistah T? Where are you, love?" My mom asked. We looked around the room, finding Mr. Todd in the corner of the room sitting, stroking his razor blade.
I found this kind of creepy, considering he was saying something to them, in a muffled volume.. something like "My friends…".
"Mistah T! Our daughta is 'ere." She told him.
He looked up at Mrs. Lovett with hate.
Harsh, I thought. Mr. Todd had midnight black greasy hair, with a white stripe across the right side of it. He was pale—very pale. He wore clothes that matched his hair. His eyes had dark circles under them—maybe indicating he was tired.
He growled quietly. "What?"
"Our daughta', Amanda. Amanda's 'er name. Say 'ello, Mistah T. I'd be nice."
He looked at me. I half-smiled to try and release the tension. He still seemed mad. He got up and walked towards me.
I started to shake out of fear, "Hello… dad…" I courageously mumbled.
He nodded at me and looked back at Mrs. Lovett and gave her a look like 'what-have-you-done'.
She shrugged and took me by the shoulder. "C'mon love. Let's go, he'll come down later," My mom said, then turning to my new dad, "Right Mistah T?" She asked. Mr. Todd just looked at her with pity.
She sighed. I walked out of the room with my mom.
"Why was he stroking his razor blades? And why is he so mad?" I asked. The curiosity was killing me. Of course he was sad because of his wife and daughter and all.. but it's been fifteen years, as Mrs. Lovett told me. I feel his pain, because of course I miss my parents and brother (wherever he is now). Shouldn't he lighten up though? Maybe…? I pranced down the steps alongside my mom. All the questions danced in my head;
Is Mr. Todd going to like me?
Is he nicer than he makes himself appear to?
Do Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett like each other?
Am I going to be happy here?
