CHAPTER 4: NO TURNING BACK
A few days after the car wash pledge drive, Penelope tragically passed away succumbing to her illness. Peppermint Patty was understandably distraught, as was the rest of the gang. Franco tried his best to comfort her, to no avail. She just had to go through the grief of losing a new friend. Because of her notoriety, it didn't take long for it to hit the news, local and nationally. Sparkyville, still a small Americana town with classic values, became a hotbed for paparazzi and news folks trying to find out what happened to the Hawkins family after the cancellation of "Sandra on the Side". As a result of her death, reruns of the show were starting to air again. Penelope's former manager, who had miraculously came into some money, was a target for the authorities to make sure he honored the previous court decision to pay back what he stole from the family. And even after that, Charlie Brown's father told Penelope's father that the job at his shop was still open if he wanted it, which Mr. Hawkins took him on the offer.
As for Peppermint Patty, she just watched the reruns of "Sandra on the Side", for comfort. Even if she only knew Penelope for a short while, she felt close to her. That's why it hurt Patty so much when she passed away. It was the second tragedy that year close to her and her friends, following the killing of Serpent Sister Margaux "Python" Holt back in January. Patty's father had let Charlie Brown, Frieda, Marcie, Hans, and Franco in. They were also saddened by Penelope's sudden passing as well, but was also concerned about Patty. When they saw her, she was sitting in a chair by herself watching Penelope as Sandra in the show. Somehow it brought her a little comfort, if only for a little while.
I will remember you, will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by,
Weep not for the memories
Remember the good times that we had?
I let them slip away from us when things got bad.
How clearly I first saw you smilin' in the sun
Want to feel your warmth upon me
I want to be the one
I will remember you, will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories
I'm so tired but I can't sleep
Standin' on the edge of something much to deep
It's funny how we feel so much but we cannot say a word
We are screaming inside, but we can't be heard
I will remember you, will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories
I'm so afraid to love you
But more afraid to lose
Clinging to a past that doesn't let me choose
Once there was a darkness
Deep and endless night
You gave me everything you had, oh you gave me life
I will remember you, will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories
I will remember you, will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories
The kids walked up to Patty, still sitting in the chair. She turned around to see her friends standing there. She knew they were worried about her. Marcie was the first one to speak.
"Sir, we're not going to ask if you're okay," she started. "We know you're not and that you are upset about this. We all are and we understand. We just want you to know that you're not alone in this."
"We share in your sadness, fraulein," said her boyfriend Franco. "I want to be here for you. We all want to be here."
"Franco's right, Patty," added Charlie Brown. "We're your friends. We know you probably are too proud to say so, but we can be some comfort to you in this. As Marcie said, we were all devastated by the sudden passing of Penelope."
"We want to be here for you, hun," said Frieda. "Let us comfort you." Then, a teary-eyed Peppermint Patty looked at her friends and knew that she wasn't alone in her grief. Finally, without saying a word (a rarity for her) she hugged all of them and started bawling. Her friends and boyfriend all comforted her. It was something she needed at that time. It was then that she realized that after this, things would be all right.
NEXT CHAPTER: THE CLOUDS WILL SOON PART
"I Will Remember You" written by Sarah Ann Mclachlan, Seamus Michael Egan, L Merenda David
© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC