“Polly, not everyone is as concerned as you about getting to the bottom of everything. In fact, most of us prefer to hide our heads in the sand and just hope a problem will go away,” he said, looking directly into her eyes. For he hoped she would just accept that this was the way things were and always had been throughout the history of mankind. She wouldn’t!
“Mr. Beloski,” she cried very despairingly. “How will we ever learn to change this world for the better if we do not face the mistakes of the past, even choosing at times to deny that certain events even took place?”
“Oh, Polly,” Mr. Beloski rather drily replied. “For the bright young student that you are, you ask too many questions. But listen to me, one thing I can assure you is that lies may last a lifetime, but truth comes in a day.”
Polly had never forgotten dear Mr. Beloski or those powerful and unforgettable words of hope, for they had entered deep into her being and seemed permanently engraved on her heart. Those few words regarding the uncovering of lies had given her such comfort many times when she witnessed grave injustices.
But now, as she thought back to those powerful words of consolation, she found it hard—if not impossible—to believe that they held any truth. If they did, how was it that her guardians had managed to get away with deception all these years without ever being discovered, and were still deceiving all around them? She did not think that any history book would ever record the tragic events that had taken place in children’s homes up and down the country, hers included. And if that was the case, how would the social services ever recognize that mistakes had been made? And more to the point, would they, like kings, ever seek to put their mistakes right? For if the social services were supposed to protect them from further pain in their damaged and seriously troubled lives, she felt they had much explaining to do.
Uncle Boritz had always made it perfectly clear that no one would ever listen to a child, especially if the story in question came from the mouths of children in care. They were all deemed to be not only the lowest of the low but also compulsive liars who made up fanciful stories for no particular reason other than to get attention. He had been proven absolutely correct in his assessment that to spill the beans was a complete waste of time, and this infuriated her further. She was very angry with a body of people whom she had never met, as they held her life and many other children’s fragile lives in their hands. They seemingly used little more than a nod of their head, and their official rubber stamp when making life-changing decisions that so often bore very serious consequences.
Unless they fully acknowledged their guilt, changed their ways, and took their heads out of the sand, history would feel free to repeat itself time and time again. To Polly’s way of thinking, nothing made any sense at all. She was extremely wearied and tired of living in a world that made no sense…a world that seemed upside down…a world filled with injustice and prejudice…a world that appeared to say that right was wrong and wrong was right. What sort of world was that? Polly felt certain that mankind was heading for the deep abyss unless it woke up and turned from all that was threatening to destroy it. She seriously wondered if this could possibly ever happen. She truly hoped so.
When Polly walked through the front door she was greeted by her extremely upset guardians. Their very posture immediately told Polly that both of them were very angry indeed!
“And what time do you call this, girl?” hissed Aunt Mildred, her thin lips twitching and both hands hugging her hips.
Polly looked up and immediately noticed that a few remaining small feathers were still caught up in her tight locks, and this made her want to break into a smile. However, she forced herself to remain not only straight-faced but also equally tight-lipped about where and what she had been doing that day. She was far too sad to care and much too tired to reply.
“Well, you sniveling little wretch, you’re really in for the high jump now,” sneered Uncle Boritz. “In fact you will be severely punished for your downright impudence. Take my word for it, young lady! Your troubles are only just about to begin, for a little birdie told me you left the school early today,” he said with an air of all-knowing pomposity.
Polly felt certain she knew exactly who the little birdie was. Still she kept silent, and this only served to make her guardians more furious than ever.
“Get upstairs now, and that’s an order!” yelled a red-faced Aunt Mildred. “You’re far too late for any food; tea-time finished hours ago. So for part of your punishment you can go to bed hungry, and we will see you in the office tomorrow morning without fail. Do you clearly understand? Our office first thing!”
Although Polly had not eaten a thing since breakfast, she had become so used to being hungry that to go without tea was no big deal to her. She was just very relieved and happy to be dismissed and sent straight to her room. Her day had, in many ways, been most grueling, and she needed the space to be alone with her thoughts. Polly went to the bathroom, and after cleaning her teeth she got into her pajamas and wearily made her way back to the dormitory. She tiptoed past all the other beds that were occupied by young ladies deep in their slumber and picked up Langdon from the floor where he lay before pulling down the bedclothes to get into bed. As she turned on the small lamp on her bedside locker, her eye caught something sitting on the top of the locker. It was a plain brown package tied up with string. She sat on her bed and proceeded to open it. As she tore open the packaging, a small white feather fluttered onto the bed. Polly picked it up and smiled, for she assumed it must have got itself trapped in her clothes earlier in the day at the graveyard. She placed it on her locker before continuing on somewhat cautiously to unravel the brown string that was tied tightly around the package. As she pulled away layer after layer of brown paper packaging, a bright, shiny object fell to the floor. Polly picked it up and immediately realized it was a signet ring that on closer inspection bore a strange, regal coat of arms. Polly placed it to one side as she continued to unravel the parcel. The gift revealed itself to be yet another book.
“Oh, no. Not another book to make me feel worse than I already do,” she moaned.
Polly sat and stared at the book cover for quite a lengthy period of time, for this book seemed different from the others she had previously been given. One difference was there was no title on the cover to tell her what the story might be about. This book was a lavish gold in color, and its cover was embellished with tiny delicate gold sequins. Polly thought it looked most expensive. Precious was the word that sprung to mind. Finally, she took a deep breath and opened it up only to discover, much to her surprise, that all the pages were blank. There were many pages, but none had any print whatsoever. Polly leafed through the pages from beginning to end many times just to make sure that she was not imagining it all. But still she came to the same conclusion that this strange little book contained no story. Perhaps it was a mistake, and the defective book had slipped through the printer’s net without being discovered! Polly felt very puzzled. What was the point in a book if there was nothing inside to read?
As she flipped through blank page after blank page for one final time, a little note slipped to the floor and came to settle by her feet. She picked it up and read it. It was from Ralph.
Dear Polly,
I know that today has been most trying for you, and you must be feeling pretty terrible. But I want you to know that you are not on your own, even though you may feel like you are at this most difficult time. Hodgekiss asked me to pop in and invite you to come to tea at his house. As I was flying by—oops, sorry—came by the castle, I was informed by a young girl who brought me tea and my regular sandwich that you were not in. (I have to tell you that neither the tea nor the sandwich were anything as nice as when you make them.) I was most disappointed not to have our regular chat. I have come to look forward to them. Anyhow, I took the liberty of asking the young lady if she would kindly leave my little package on your bedside locker.
Polly, by the time you get to read my note, you will have discovered that thi
s special book holds no words. This is meant to be. You no longer need other people’s fairy tales to give you hope (or discouragement in your case), for it is time for you to embark on your own personal journey of self-discovery.
So this book is your book. Yes, you, dear sweet Polly Brown, are being given the wonderful opportunity to rewrite your life. That is, if you are willing and courageous enough to take the risk and make the journey to Hodgekiss’s house for tea. If you decide to come, I would be no true friend if I did not warn you from the start that there will be dangers involved, some of which might even be considered perilous. For the pathway is at times very narrow and hazardous, and most give up long before they have Piadora in their sights or within their grasp. Yes, I need to be honest and up front with you when I say that without a shadow of a doubt, you will face giants—many of them from within. But in the time I have come to know you, Miss Polly Brown, I have seen that there is great courage and determination within your spirit. There fore, I feel certain and confident in my conviction that if anyone can make it, it will be you.
I’ve enclosed a small map with details of how to get there, along with a gold signet ring that you will need to be wearing. It will ensure your entry into Piadora. But be warned! It is vital that you do not lose this ring, for it is a most essential item. Without it, the gates of Piadora will remain firmly shut, refusing to allow you in.
There is only one thing left to say. Because the terrain is at times treacherous, with many mountains that will be necessary to climb, you cannot bring any baggage—oops, I mean luggage—with you. It will hinder your progress and might even prevent you from reaching your destination. However, you are allowed to pack your schoolbag with small, essential items such as a toothbrush and flannel, hairbrush, a couple of changes of underclothes, and any other necessary items.
I must also inform you that you have permission to bring one nonessential item that you consider very special. However, I cannot stress enough the importance that you make sure that you choose one item and no more. We both look forward to seeing you for tea, and I promise you that this will be the best banquet you will ever attend. I know you will find this extremely hard to believe, but just think of it, Polly: all the pizzas, pastas, and knickerbocker glories you can eat! In fact every imaginable delight that your heart has ever wished for will be available to you! I might take this opportunity to add that even more wonderful than the food is the atmosphere of pure joy and contentment that fills the hearts of all who get to attend. I promise you, hand on heart, that the difficulties you may face getting here will be well worth it. It will be the experience of a lifetime that you will not wish to miss. I leave it with you to make the choice of whether to stay at the castle and continue to suffer a very painful and slow death with the very life force being sucked out of you, or risk all and come in search of Piadora.
Love,
Polly’s stomach began to rumble at the mention of all this most wonderful food. She thought back to Uncle Boritz’s New Year’s Eve banquets and how she had always longed to be invited. Now finally she was going to taste scrumptious food beyond her wildest imaginings, and she could hardly wait.
Polly read the note over and over to herself. But as she considered what the journey might mean, such as leaving all her toys behind, and worse still, leaving her little brother James to the mercy of her guardians, the shadowy doubts began to rise within her. She really wanted to go, but she admitted that she was very afraid. What if Gailey Gobbstopper or, worse still, her guardians followed her and caught up with her? Polly could not imagine what fate would befall her in this instance. She felt certain that, were she to be caught, they would think up the worst punishment imaginable. Fear gripped her heart at that possibility. What if Piadora turned out to be a load of nonsense? Yes, that was possible too! And what if she died on the way from influenza due to extreme cold or, worse still, from terrible hunger? She found herself smiling at that one, for what was she thinking? She was always cold, as well as hungry!
Polly sat for a long time, one minute deciding to go, the next minute changing her mind. She felt she was going crazy. Where was her daisy when she needed it so badly? It would make her decision-making process a whole heap easier if she could just keep picking off tiny petals while chanting, “Shall I? Shan’t I?” allowing the last petal to determine the outcome, whether favorable or not.
She was about to turn off the light and continue her decision-making in the morning when her eye caught hold of the book still sitting on top of the locker. She paused and thought, “What have I got to lose? There is nothing for me here except more pain and heartache. I will never know for certain what I will have missed if I do not make this journey. And more to the point, I would love to rewrite my life and change my life forever; especially since my dear brother Thomas is no longer here and in need of my support. And James, well, unless I get the help I need, I am in no position to help him either. Polly knew she would just have to hope that he would survive until she returned. After weighing up all the pros and cons, Polly came to the firm conclusion that it was now or never.
She once more picked up the book and opened it up at the first page. She blinked and looked again. Surely she was not imagining it. Her eyes were not playing tricks! There was definitely some writing on the first page. She flicked the page over, then the next, until she reached the last page. She discovered that all other pages were still blank. She went back to the first page and read.
The princess, whose name was Polly, sat on her bed, most anxious to make the right decision: should she leave on her journey of discovery or not? Eventually she chose not to listen to the many murky whisperings that came from within and were getting louder and louder by the minute. They challenged her decision to break free from the castle and embrace the journey, for these cruel and ugly fears had gripped her by her heart and were now screaming their orders as they forbade her to leave. They also warned her of the terrible consequences that would befall her if she disobeyed their strict orders. These demons had indeed plagued her over the years and were not willing to leave and abandon ship without a fight. They had, after all, lived with her and become her only friends when no one else was prepared to befriend such a pitiful loser. They alone had rightful ownership of the princess.
Eventually, after much deliberation, the princess stood up from her bed and declared, “I have had enough of all the pain living in this castle brings, and as I am a girl of much strength and great determination, I must make plans to leave. I cannot stay here forever. If I do, I will surely die. This may be dreaming the impossible dream, but I must follow after it with all my heart and soul. And if the worst happens and I die on the way, then at least I will have tried.” With the right decision made, she got up from the bed to get dressed before taking her book from on top of the bedside locker. She then slipped the signet ring on her finger, and with her schoolbag slung over her shoulder, she picked up her chosen and most prized possession before heading toward the door of the castle and freedom. The start of her journey had just begun.
Polly turned over the page. Nothing! This page and all the rest of the pages still remained blank. She closed the book and got up from the bed to get dressed and make the necessary final preparations for her journey.
Polly had no problem deciding which of all her possessions she deemed to be the most prized. It was, of course, Langdon, her blue elephant. He held all the tears that she had ever cried. Besides which, she reminded herself, an elephant never forgets, which was very important as Polly believed herself to be an extremely forgetful person. She therefore considered Langdon to be a most dependable elephant and one on whom she could truly rely to see her through any storm in life that she had to face.
That night Polly had the most difficult, if not unpleasant, task of saying good-bye to all her friends. She had never found good-byes easy, and this time was to be no exception. For her toys were the only friends she had ever known in her disappointingly cruel world. Therefore, Polly felt an immense and overwhe
lming sense of grief at the prospect of parting with any of them. There was Suishi, the one-eyed crocodile. He was really a doorstopper. And there was also Cecil, her giraffe, who always sat alone, decidedly aloof, as he perched on her pillow, his main job being to guard her pajamas, lest they be taken by another child! He would need at least two hugs, as well as a kiss good-bye.
Oh, and she nearly forgot Percy and Petunia, her stuffed penguins who had just got officially engaged. They stood entwined in each other’s flippers on the windowsill. Rather than separate the loving couple, Polly embraced them both, and before placing a lace hanky on top of Petunia’s head she carefully explained to both of them that it was necessary to bring forward their wedding ceremony, as she had to go away and it might be for quite a while. She went on to assure them that one day soon they would have a real celebration, complete with confetti. But for the time being all wedding plans had to remain on hold. So she quietly whispered, “I pronounce you man and wife,” before turning to Percy to suggest, “You may now kiss the bride.” She turned both their heads to face one another and brought their beaks together. “Oh, how I love weddings!” she declared, breaking into a hushed little giggle.
Polly left the dormitory and headed for the bathroom to grab her flannel and toothbrush. She then made her way back into the dormitory and gathered up her friends one more time for a final session of hugs and wet kisses. She then placed the little gold book and the envelope containing the map and note into her schoolbag along with her flannel and toothbrush and some spare red ribbons before reaching into her pencil case to choose a pen. This item was necessary so that she could write down her many thoughts and feelings on the blank pages of the little gold book that Ralph had given her. She put the pen in the pocket of her white smock overdress before finally placing the signet ring on her middle finger as a final act. It fit perfectly. As she twisted the ring on her finger, she looked down at the unusual royal crest and wondered what the coat of arms stood for. With everything she required now securely stowed away in her schoolbag, she picked up Langdon and crept on tiptoe out of the dormitory and then stealthily along the landing before creeping as quietly as she was able down the creaky oak staircase, heading for the front door. She had quite a struggle on her hands as she attempted to unbolt the stiff lock on the front door. Thankfully it finally gave, and as quietly as she could she slipped out of the castle, not forgetting to close the door behind her.
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