Chapter 10 - The Looking Glass
The tramp awoke suddenly. He felt depressed after this last dream about Mabel. He was reliving that long ago time and it seemed so real. He thought about how badly he had treated Mabel and his eyes filled up with tears. He checked the alarm clock and it was two o'clock in the morning.
The bittersweet memories of Mabel had never left him. He had learned from the experience though. He had treated all of his subsequent girlfriends with much more respect. He made an effort to be polite. But Mabel was gone, years ago and Charlie had moved along with his life. He didn't want to think about that painful episode any more.
The next morning, after a fitful night full of snatches of dreams, awakening suddenly, and then falling asleep again, the tramp awoke as tired as when he had gone to sleep the night before. He awoke the children and they ate breakfast together while Maura the maid tidied their bedrooms. Then Denny's tutor arrived and Julie and the tramp retired to the cozy sitting room with the fireplace. It felt good on this chilly morn to sit near the fire.
Julie brought her music box into the room and wound it, watching the tiny dancer whirl. Charlie watched her with a smile. He knew the melody; it was a long-forgotten tune and took him a minute to recognize it. He retrieved his violin from his bedroom and began to play the melody along with the music box. When the music stopped, he said to Julie. "I know tha' song. It's called Th' Music Box Waltz. It was our song, me an' a lady I used t' know. Long toime ago."
Charlie put the violin aside and sat down on the large, comfortable sofa near the fire. Julie put the music box next to the violin on the table and sat beside the tramp. He put his arm around her and lulled by the fire, he fell asleep. Julie snuggled next to him and fell asleep too.
A short while later, they were both awakened as the music box began to play. Charlie rubbed his eyes, puzzled, and Julie picked up the music box.
Julie was holding the music box to her ear. She acted as if she were listening to someone and she nodded several times. Then she wrote out carefully, "What is your fondest wish?" and handed it to Charlie.
Charlie glanced at her. "If it could come true, I would wish tha' y'd be able t' speak, Julie." He hesitated. "An' if I 'ad another, I would wish tha' I 'ad n't been s' mean to me friend Mabel," he said wistfully.
Julie plucked the tiny dancing doll off the music box and set the box down on the table again.
There was a large, full length mirror on one of the walls. Julie, clutching Nanette, took Charlie's hand, pulling him out of the chair and led him toward the mirror. He wondered what she was going to do when she stepped into the mirror with one foot.
Suddenly Charlie and Julie were sucked into the mirror in a wild stream of colours and myriad sounds. They went rushing past things so fast that their senses could not understand any of it. Charlie pulled Julie toward him and held her close, for he was the more fearful of the two and didn't want her to be hurt. He had never seen anything like this in his life and the feeling of falling was exhilarating, but also frightening. Julie was smiling, enjoying the ride, trusting that Charlie would take care of her.
After a time, and neither of them could put a number on that period of time, they came to rest lightly, and on their feet in a bright, sunny and warm clearing. The grass was green and there were brightly coloured flowers everywhere. Every type of evergreen and deciduous tree you could think of grew near, surrounding the clearing like a protecting wall.
Nanette was still in Julie's hand and she asked to be set down. As soon as she touched the ground, she began to grow until she was the size of an adult human. She smiled. Nanette was beautiful. She no longer wore the pink tutu and painted hair. She had long golden hair, curling down her back and tied with long silver and gold ribbons. She wore a long pink and green gown of a filmy, yet opaque material which moved and floated with the slightest breeze, and streamers with tiny flowers growing on them.
She smiled at the confused and astonished looks of her companions. "Julie, my dear, come here." She crouched down in the grass and Julie came over to her. In the bright sunlight, Charlie thought Julie was an even prettier child than he had noticed before. She had almost a glow about her.
"Julie, Charlie has a special wish for you. I want you to speak to me…say my name…Nanette…"
Julie looked confused, but tried to speak. After her first attempt, the word came out. "Nanette…Nanette! How is it that I can speak?"
"I will explain later. Go hug your friend Charlie.
Julie turned to hug Charlie and then her eyes opened wide. "Charlie…you…look…." said Julie.
Charlie looked confused and glanced at Julie…"Wha'?"
"Wonderful!" said Julie, her eyes still wide.
Charlie glanced at Nanette in puzzlement. She bade them follow her to a small still pond nearby with a mirrored surface. "Look!" she whispered.
Charlie looked at his reflection in the pool, then moved the water with his hand, disbelieving. When the water stilled, he looked again. His hair was shiny, black and curly as it had been when he was twenty-five years old. His moustache was black again. His face was smooth with the glow of youth upon it. He looked at his hands and they told the same story. He glanced down at his clothes. Instead of his uniform, he wore his usual street clothes. But they were new and fit perfectly. Not a tear, tatter or patch was to be seen. He glanced up again in confusion. "How…" was all he could say.
"Let me explain," said Nanette. She bade them sit in the grass and they listened in rapt attention. "I am an alien to your world. This is my world. You may have heard about Alice's adventures in the Looking Glass?"
"Yes, I read it," said Julie. Charlie shook his head.
"Alice is a girl in the book, Charlie, who has various and strange adventures after entering a looking glass world. The story is obviously fiction, but the place is real, although skewed in its telling, for the author had never actually been there in reality. But this is the reality. This is the land behind the Looking Glass, albeit only a tiny part. I am one of its inhabitants. I often visit your world to bring a bit of gladness to those who would show real love.
"I had asked Julie a question earlier, when I was in the guise of the tiny dancer. I asked her to convey a question to you too, Charlie. I asked you both what your fondest wish would be." She smiled at Julie. "Julie had many wishes for other folk, and asked very little for herself. Julie, you are a very self-less child. Things will become much better for you.
"And Charlie, as you can see, one of your wishes has come true, Julie can now speak. As for the past, our race is incapable of changing it. I'm sorry. There are some wishes that cannot be granted."
"Julie, you will be able to speak, certainly here, and in your world, if you wish. My race has some special ways to help yours. You might call it "magic," but it isn't. It is simply a way that we have of manipulating currents…you call them the electromagnetic spectrum."
Charlie looked a little lost because he had never heard of that spectrum, or any other for that matter. However, Julie, although of a young age, had read many books at the library far above her age level for she was indeed of exceptional intelligence.
Nanette turned to Charlie. "Your appearance of youth can also stay with you, should you wish. You do not have to answer me now. I will give you as much time as you need to decide. For you see, our world is beyond your time. It is rather unfathomable to your race, although, should you stay here, you would understand. You are welcome to stay here as long as you like."
Charlie and Julie were more and more astonished. Julie couldn't think of anything to say.
"Maybe we cou'd 'ave some toime t' talk thi' over between ourse'fs…"
"Yes, certainly," smiled Nanette, who reminded Julie of a fairy she had seen illustrated in a book, except she didn't have wings. "Are you hungry? Would you like to join some of us in the village?"
"Village?"
"Yes, of course, Charlie," smiled Nanette. "We live in small villages, large cities, etc. just as you do. Would you like to come with me?" They both nodded.
Nanette took them to a village with houses that shimmered strangely and beautifully. The alien folk who came out from them resembled Nanette. They all gathered around a long table and enjoyed a feast of food that tasted and looked wonderful, but neither Julie nor Charlie could tell what it was. They had wonderful conversations about interesting subjects. After the feast, they were left alone by the natives.
"Charlie, what should we do?"
"Y' mus' make up yer own moind, Julie…an' I mus' make up moine."
"Charlie, you're very handsome now. You look like my older brother. I think you should stay that way."
Charlie laughed. "An' yer, me lady, y' sound won'erful. Y' mus' keep yer voice." They talked and talked for hours without getting tired.
Later, Nanette came back. "We talk'd it over, Nanette, we made our d'cision," said Charlie. They each, separately, told her what they had decided.
"You don't wish to stay any longer?" asked the alien woman.
"No, Chambers will wonder where I am," said Julie.
"Honey, I told you we are outside of your time. You will not be missed…"
"Still, we want to go…will you come and visit me in the music box again?"
"Perhaps, my dear. We will see." Nanette came over to Julie and gave her a kiss on the forehead. Julie closed her eyes and fell asleep immediately. Then Nanette kissed Charlie on his forehead and he also fell asleep.