Chapter 6: Displaying the Peach

That afternoon, two carpenters finished building a sign and a tall fence around the peach. The reason why a tall fence was built was to prevent people from touching it or eating it. A huge line of people and all of them were eager to see the peach. A group of children were holding hands and they were dancing around a phonograph.

"Roll up, roll up!" Aunt Sponge yelled through a megaphone. "See the giant peach! The Eighth Wonder of the World, have your money ready, ladies and gentlemen! Chance of a lifetime! Ten bob only!"

As the excitement was going on, James and Penelope were sadly looking out of the window in their room. Tears were rolling down their cheeks, as James wanted to play with the children and Penelope wanted to sing, dance, and tell fortunes and palm read the people. Jaelle was lying on the floor in boredom. Sponge and Spiker sent the children and the goat up to their room, saying that they would only cause more trouble.

Outside, Sponge and Spiker were dressed in their finest clothes. They wore beige suits with crimson hats underneath their coats, golden earrings and had fancy green hats with red woven tassels dangling in front of the hats. They were charging people admission to see the peach.

"No peeking at the peach!" Sponge ordered. "Have your money ready, ladies and gentlemen!"

"In you go," Spiker said as she handed tickets to a family.

"Can we touch it?" a little girl asked innocently.

"Touch it?" Spiker asked glaring at her. "You want to touch it?"

"Huh! She'll be wanting to taste it next," said Sponge.

"Admission refused," said Spiker as she tore up the ticket. "This child has too many cheeky ideas. GO AWAY!"

The girl and her family walked away as Sponge said, "Quite right!"

Then a photographer dressed in black appeared with a camera in his hands. "Ooh, Sponge," Spiker said, smiling.

"A photographer," Sponge added. The sisters did a pose together, and the photographer took a picture. "And another," Spiker added as another picture was taken.

"Best side," said Sponge.

Once pictures were done and taken, Spiker snatched the came away and said, "Move on in!"

"No cameras allowed," Sponge added.

The photographer grew disappointed and went in to see the peach.

"Don't dawdle!" Spiker called to the crowd.

"Come along, ladies and gentlemen," said Sponge.

Then a priest dressed in black robes came up to them and paid his admission. But Spiker said to him, "Sorry, Father. It'll cost you double."

"May God forgive you," the priest said, as he entered to see the peach.

"Thank you, Father," Spiker said.

"Come along, children!" Sponge shouted into the megaphone. "Last chance of the day!"

Inside the house, Penelope couldn't bear to watch the people anymore, so she sat on her bed and dried her tears with her white handkerchief. James looked out of the window and still cried. The girl noticed James's distress, walked over to him, and wrapped her arms around him.

"Don't worry James. One of these days, I promise. We'll leave this place and be free," Penelope said as she used her handkerchief to dry the tears from his eyes.

"We may be stuck here, but there's only one thing those women didn't take away from us. That is our faith. Our faith will keep us going, no matter what and it will help us, even at our darkest moments. We will be free, for sure."

"Will we?"

"Someday James, someday."

The Gypsy girl could sense God was around her and looked at the window. Despite being a gypsy, she remembered when she and her parents met the Trotter family. They would go to church to worship God every Sunday, Penelope grew interested in their visits and began to learn of Catholicism. She would go there to pray to God, seeking for his guidance and wisdom to help her be accepted into society. She slowly began to sway and sing:

(Penelope):

I don't know if you can hear me,

Or if you're even there

I don't know if you would listen,

To a gypsy's prayer,

In your house of peace and beauty,

I don't know what to say.

Except you ask that peace and beauty,

May come to us out there,

Someday.

The raven-haired girl walked over to James, gave a small, tender smile, and took his hands. Jaelle stood up and walked up to her mistress. The girl looked up to see rays of sunlight breaking through the gray, dull clouds.

(Penelope):

Someday

When we are wiser

When the world's older

When we have learned,

I pray,

Someday we may yet live,

To live and let live

Not only was she worried about James and Jaelle, but also about the future. She remembered before James's parents died, she promised them with her soul and heart to protect James no matter what.

(Penelope):

Someday

Life will be fairer

Need will be rarer

Greed will not pay

Godspeed

This bright millennium

On its way

Let it come someday!

Penelope slowly parted from her adopted brother and pet goat and turned to the window. The sunlight grew bigger in the room, and they felt that God was hearing them and giving them a sign. The gypsy girl took a deep breath, walked straight towards the window, climbed up the chair and was entirely bathed in the sun.

(Penelope):

Someday,

Our fight will be won then

We'll stand in the sun in

That bright afternoon

Till then,

On days when the sun is gone,

We'll hang on,

And wish upon the moon

Penelope climbed down the chair and went back to James. She hugged him in her arms as the boy hugged her back, feeling sad and depressed, but he felt a sense of comfort from the girl, hoping for the best. Penelope finished her singing, looking up at the sun, and then down at her brother:

(Penelope):

Change will come!

One day, someday, soon.

However, both children and the goat had no idea that something was miraculous would happen to them. That event would change their lives forever, and for good.

Author's note: The song is a deleted song from "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" called, "Someday."