Saying Goodbye

Marty went down the back staircase and entered the kitchen. Stealthily she approached Megan who was washing the vegetables to be used in the stew. "What are you doing, Marty?" Megan asked, seeing Marty was carrying her suitcase.

"I am going away forever," Marty said quietly so only Megan could hear.

"Where are you going?"

"Far, FAR from here... away from mean Miss Priscilla and the evil Dragon, my Aunt Kiki," Marty explained.

"But who's going to take care of you?" Megan asked.

"I have to take care of myself and Sara Beth," Marty stated.

"Marty, where will you get money from?" Megan questioned. "You can't go away. Why can't you just apologize and stay here?" Megan was worried that her friend would get in trouble all alone.

Marty shrugged. She didn't know all the answers. She just knew that she had to get away.

"I'm going to Heaven... to be with Mommy and Daddy. I miss them... and Aunt Kiki is bad to me. Miss Priscilla is mean to me, too. I'm sorry, Megan, but I have to go."

Marty kissed Megan's cheek and hugged her. "I will miss you," she said. "You were my only friend."

"No, Marty. Don't go... please!" Megan begged, but Marty didn't listen. She hurried out the backdoor.

Once outside, Marty walked behind the chicken coop, to the crack in the slats which made up the iron gate surrounding the boarding school. Marty was just slim enough to fit through. She managed to squeeze her body between the slats, then she ran off down the street as fast as her little legs would carry her. At that point she didn't care where she was going; she just HAD to get away.

Marty ran far away from Miss Priscilla's school and her mean Aunt Kiki. She didn't know how to get to Heaven but she was hoping to find a way. She had Sara Beth and maybe that would be all she would need to get into Heaven, where she would be happier.

Marty walked for well over an hour. She wanted to put as much distance between herself and her angry aunt as possible. She came upon a beautiful park in the middle of the city and decided to stop and rest. She was cold, so she wanted something hot to drink. Sadly, though, she didn't have any money. Suddenly she realized she was penniless and didn't know how she was going to get food. It was her birthday, and she really wanted some hot chocolate and something good to eat.

She saw a vendor selling apples and peanuts. She was so hungry, her stomach started to ache. "Excuse me, Mister, how much are those apples?" Marty asked.

"Three pennies each," replied the man.

*How will I ever get three pennies?* Marty thought.

With sadness in her eyes, Marty walked away.

She continued walking along the sidewalk and soon enough she was passing a shoppe that sold nice things. Compared to what she had everything seemed so grand.

"Happy Birthday to Me," she said mournfully.

She decided to go into the store. She saw someone working behind the counter. They were selling items to a lady. A little girl stood with the lady behind the counter, holding her hand. The little girl was dressed the way Marty used to be. She was wearing a very nice dress and a bow in her hair. She waited patiently as the sale was being conducted.

Marty cautiously looked around. She couldn't afford anything, not a single item. The candy in the glass jars on the counter made her stomach growl. "Hello, little girl," said the woman. "Is there something I could get you?"

"I- I don't have any money," Marty said softly.

The woman and the little girl looked at each other. Marty thought they were going to yell at her, but instead the woman gave her a small smile. "Would you like a job?" she asked Marty. "I don't have much to spare because sales are down, but I could offer you a couple of meals each day and a place to sleep in the back room, if you could help us out around here at the store."

Marty nodded, but she was afraid. She didn't want the lady to be mean to her like Miss Priscilla and Aunt Kiki. "Y- yes," she said softly. "What would I have to do?"

"Dusting, sweeping, keeping the items on the shelves in neat order, washing the windows, wrapping the items in brown paper and tying them with a string," the woman explained.

"I can do that," said Marty. She was a good worker. She had completed many chores at Miss Priscilla's. How bad could it be?

"Can I start today?" Marty asked hopefully. "I have no food and no where else to stay."

"Sure, you can start immediately... but maybe you'd like something to eat first," said the woman. She turned to her little girl. "Please go get some food for ..."

She paused. "What is your name?" she asked Marty.

"I'm Sara Beth," Marty said as suddenly the name slipped off her tongue. Maybe it was better if no one knew that she was Margaret Saybrooke. She couldn't very well use her middle name, so she was going to borrow Sara Beth's name for now.

"Well, Sara Beth, it's nice to meet you," the woman said with a smile.

She then turned to her daughter. "Dear, please go get Sara Beth something to eat."

The little girl with the bow in her hair did as her mother requested. After she left, the mother spoke. "My name is Melinda. My aunt Dorian owns this shoppe."

"It's nice to meet you, M'am," Marty said.

A moment later, the little girl returned, carrying a small apple and a piece of buttered bread. "For you," she said, handing the food to Marty.

"Thank you," Marty said gratefully as she accepted the food.

In between bites of the delicious food, Marty asked the other girl's name. "My name is Blair," the child stated.

Marty swallowed the bite of food in her mouth. Would she and Blair get to be friends? She hoped so, because the only true friend was now gone. Megan was still at that awful Miss Priscilla's Boarding School for girls. "Do you go to school?" she asked Blair.

Blair shook her head. "I'm not in school. My mama teaches me."

"As soon as Sara Beth finishes her food, you must continue with your lessons," Melinda told her daughter. "And Sara Beth, I will need you to sweep the floor and tidy all the shelves."

"Yes, M'am," Marty agreed.

Marty wished that she could have lessons, too. She wanted to an education. She finished eating her food and cleaned up as Blair showed her where to put the dishes after having eaten. Then she found the broom and started to sweep the floor meticulously like she had done at Miss Priscilla's. This time it was different. She hoped she would find time to make some friends when she wasn't working.

After the floor was swept and the shelves were tidied, Melinda told Marty she was doing an excellent job. She gave Marty a little pat on the head. "I will show you where you can clean up for the night," she said. "It's getting late, and we are about to close the shoppe."

"Thank you, Miss Melinda," Marty said, extremely happy that Melinda was kind and cheerful, just like Mrs. Mendalhall had been. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad here after all. She liked being on her own. She hoped she could make friends with Blair. After they became friends, maybe Blair would let Marty read her books.

"Come with me, Sara Beth," Melinda said, leading Marty to the washroom. Marty was shown a fresh basin of water she could use to wash up for dinner.

"After you get cleaned up, come into the kitchen for the evening meal," said Melinda.

"Thank you, Miss Melinda," Marty said politely. Her parents had taught her to always be courteous and to remember her manners.

After she had washed her face and hands, she entered the kitchen just like Miss Melinda had asked her to for the evening meal. It was so nice to be somewhere that was not that awful place she had just escaped.

"Sara Beth, would you please say the blessing?" Melinda asked as soon as they had all sat down at the table. A small feast had been laid out before them, consisting of pork roast, buttered vegetables and freshly baked bread. There was even apple pastries for desert. It looked and smelled absolutely delicious.

Marty hesitated. She hadn't said a blessing over a meal since her parents had died. Her mother and father had always taken her to church. They had taught her about God and all His blessings. Marty knew it was a blessing that she now had a nice place to stay and that Miss Melinda was kind to her.

"Dear God, thank you for this food we are about to receive," Marty spoke up as she folded her little hands in prayer. "And thank you for bringing me here to Miss Melinda and her daughter Blair. I know I will be much happier here in this nice place. Thank you for your blessings, God. Amen."

"Amen," echoed Melinda and Blair's voices.

After a nice dinner, Melinda served the apple pastries. Marty enjoyed every bite. After eating dessert, Marty was feeling stuffed. "Time for bed," Melinda announced. "Blair, please show Sara Beth to the spare bed in the store room."

"Yes, Mother," Blair agreed.

"Good night," said Marty as she sat down on her little bed in the store room. After Blair had left, Marty opened up her suitcase and withdrew her precious doll.
She cradled her doll close as she whispered. "Told you we'd be okay, Sara Beth. You and me; we're going to be just fine."