Chapter 10: Recollection
"Alright darlings!" Mrs. Judson said walking into the bed room where Jeremy and Anita were getting ready for bed. In her hands she carried a tray of milk along side a large green book. "Lets get ready for bed. I'm sure your aunt wouldn't be pleased if she found out how late I've allowed you to stay up."
Hopping on the bed, Anita took a glass of milk in her hand with a smile. "Do you really think that Mista Basil is gonna ask Aunt June to marry him?"
Mrs. Judson sighed. "Well I'm not sure if he's going to ask her that tonight. But I truly hope that it's soon."
Over in the corner, Jeremy sat on a wooden chair with his arms crossed. "Well I hope he'd hurry up and do it. The sooner she gets married, the sooner we can go back to Louisiana."
"Jeremy!" Mrs. Judson said in shock. "You know your not going back there. Your Aunt said that as soon as this is all straightened out that you three are going to New York City."
Jeremy just smirked. "Yeah, but if she gets married then she'll have to stay here and we can go back to Louisiana with Aunt Pearly and Aunt Charlotte."
"Yes dear, but even if she does marry here, you still are going to be taken to your mother in New York."
Anita gulped down her and wiped her mouth with her wrist. "But we don't wanna go see Mama. We wanna go back home to New Orleans."
"Yeah. What she eva do for us anyway? I don't remember her eva being there. Why they makin' us go live with her?" Jeremy finally blurted out in frustration.
Mrs. Judson was silent for a moment. She looked at Jeremy and then Anita back and forth over and over again. "So...you two...don't wish to see your mother?" She asked in a confused tone.
Anita slowly turned around and looked at Jeremy who was shaking his head. She then turned and face Mrs. Judson and Began to shake her as well.
"Oh my." Mrs. Judson said in a sad voice. "I-I'm sorry that you two feel this way." Taking out a handkerchief and wiping her forehead, Mrs. Judson's sad face suddenly turned into a bright smile and she pulled the covers up from the bed so that the two children could lay down.
"Now!" Mrs. Judson said trying to lighten the mood. "How about a story before bed, hmm?" She asked.
Anita happily crawled underneath the blankets. Jeremy, however remained in the chair with his arms crossed. Seeing that Jeremy wasn't moving, Mrs. Judson patted the bed, gesturing him to come over.
"Come on now, love. Plenty of room."
"I don't like stories." Jeremy answered coldly.
Anita gave him an angry glare. "Jeremy get ov-
"Shhh!" Mrs. Judson hushed with a smile. "Boys his age don't like baby stuff anymore. You don't have to listen if you don't want to, dear." She said sitting beside Anita in the bed. "I guess I'll just read to you then, Anita dear."
Opening the book, Mrs. Judson skimmed through the pages until she reached a book marked page with read. "The Flower Maid."
"Oh Anita, I think you will really like this story. It's a beautiful story about happiness, friendship and beauty...."
"*Sigh*" Mrs. Judson and Anita both sighed in unison.
"Bleh!" Jeremy grunted from over in the corner. He folded his arms and closed his eyes, trying not to listen to the two other mice.
"Once upon a time. In a land where flowers bloomed all year round, there lived a lovely young maiden by the name of-
"Anita!" Anita shouted in happiness. Mrs. Judson chuckled at the child.
"Oh well, I don't know." Mrs. Judson said pulling the book closer so that they could see the picture of the young maiden better. "I would say that looked somewhat like your Aunt June. Anita then gasped. "It does!"
Mrs. Judson couldn't help but smile as Anita looked at the maiden in awe. "Is this a love story?" she asked Mrs. Judson.
"Yes...err...well...a rather unusual love story..." Mrs. Judson said with a small smile.
Jeremy laughed a little from where he sat. "You mean like Aunt June and Mista Basil?" Hearing this, Mrs. Judson nodded and agreed. "Yes exactly."
Before Mrs. Judson even got a chance to start reading the pages, Anita closed the book. "I don't wanna read a story." She said placing the book aside. She had a sad look upon her face.
Mrs. Judson looked at the child confusingly. "What ever is the matter, dear?"
Anita sighed sadly and brought her knees up to her chest. "I'm really want Mista Basil to like my Aunt June." Said sadly.
"Oh Darling." Mrs. Judson said in a sigh. "I think we all do." She hugged Anita closely and patted her head.
"But if they do get married, what would you do?" Anita asked, looking up at the plump housemaid.
She sighed. "Sleep." She said in a laugh. "My dear, I have been taking care of Mister Basil for a long time, even when he was a child and I think its just about time I moved on." Seeing that Anita wasn't quite as sad, Mrs. Judson pulled away and smiled at her. "When he was a little boy he used to never want to go to bed. Always reading or experimenting."
"Didn't he have any brothers or sisters?" Anita asked.
Mrs. Judson shook her head. "No. He hardly played with any of the other children. Always inside occupying his time by practicing chess, or studying school work. At night he would never go to sleep, so I would have to come up to him and sing."
"Why didn't his Mama come up?" Anita asked hugging a pillow close to her.
Mrs. Judson smiled weakly. "His mother died, darling, when he was little. She was very sick when he was young."
Anita gasped in sadness, then lowered her eyes. "Oh...but why did he have to study all the time? Why didn't he eva wanna go out side and play?"
"It was hard for him." She sighed. "He would have loved to play with them...but at the end of the day when their mothers came to bring them home...Basil was often left alone."
"Oh" Anita said sadly. "What 'bout his daddy?"
Sitting back a little, Mrs. Judson thought for a moment. "His father was always away on business. Always working. I guess you can say that's where Mister Basil gets his work ethic from. His father was a hard worker, but he was very sad inside and Basil knew this."
Mrs. Judson eyes closed, remembering years back. "I can never stay angry at Mister Basil for what he does. He leaves book after book, new paper clipping after news paper clipping, finger print after finger print scattered all through out the house. Even to this day, when he's alone he studies. Even if it's a book he's read hundreds of times, he'll still find something new. That is all he knows how to do. That is all he could do when he was young."
There was a long silence in the room. Anita sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Poor Mista Basil..." She said in a tearful voice.
"Yeah..." Jeremy agreed from across the room.
"Could you sing us the song you used to sing to him?" Anita asked.
Chuckling, the house keeper began to tuck Anita into bed. "Well it's been along time but...I'm sure I could manage."
Mrs. Judson then turned and looked at Jeremy. "Your more than welcome to come over here, dear."
Jeremy just turned the other way. Shrugging, Mrs. Judson smiled at Anita who was waiting patiently.
"It was actually a song that his mother sang to him before she passed away." Mrs. Judson said clearing her throat.
Singing (Mrs. Judson)
Darling, sweet darling
Lay your head to sleep
I will be your Angel
And I am yours to keep
Baby, little baby
Time to say goodnight
You will be right here with me
And I will hold you tight
Morning waits
And Heaven's gates
Is where I shall sing
And in your dreams
Like heaven beams
You will see my wings
And when dawn breaks
And you awake
Although you won't see me
In your heart is the memory
And that is where I'll be
Anita grew sad listening to the words. Finally standing up, Jeremy slowly made his way over to the bed where Anitawas lying.
Darling, sweet Darling
Don't you cry tonight
I will be your Angel
Your sunshine to shine bright
Don't you grow weary
Of the coming day
Look at me and remember
With you I will always stay
I will send you sunshine
I'll glisten through the trees
And you can hear my voice
Whispering to you in the breeze
And when dawn breaks
And you awake
Although you won't see me
I will be your angel
and I am yours to keep
And when dawn breaks
And you awake
Although you won't see me
In your heart is the memory
And that is where I will be.
Kissing the two sleeping children, Mrs. Judson tucked them both into bed and slowly made her way towards the door. Turning and look at them one last time, she turned off the light and closed the door behind and walking out into the living room, Mrs. Judson was startled as June burst through the front door.