“Now then, where is young Lilly Rose sitting? Come on, Lilly, I know you’re hiding, but it’s your turn to come up and collect your award. So don’t be shy; there’s a good girl.”
Polly watched as child after child went up to have some form of honor bestowed upon them by her beloved Mrs. Bailey. It made Polly smile as she witnessed the incredible glow on the face of each child as they, proud as punch, headed back toward their seats. Gabriel had been right all along, as these classes were something out of the ordinary. In fact, they were so extraordinary that she felt she could easily remain seated in this classroom for the rest of her days, such was the atmosphere of love she was experiencing.
Finally, the award ceremony came to an end. And as each young lady finished the job of attaching their newly collected jewels to their personal tiara, Mrs. Bailey walked around to the front of her desk before turning to address the whole class.
“All right, my precious princesses, we have so many apples to use up that I would like to suggest we all pick up a basket from the corner of the room and start collecting up all the apples. Now hurry along, girls, for then we shall take them to Mrs. O’Brien for her to use in her wonderful cookery classes.” The young girls all nodded excitedly as, on hands and knees, they got back down on the floor to continue gathering up all the apples.
“Now, I wonder what Mrs. O’Brien will make today? Will it be April Crumble? Or will it be Appletude Pie?”
“April Crumble? Appletude Pie?” Polly echoed, furrowing her brow and looking very confused.
“Polly dearest, please unscrew your face immediately, for this will lead to deep lines on your forehead, and that will never do,” said Mrs. Bailey merrily.
“Yes, Mrs. Bailey, but who has ever heard of Appletude Pie or April Crumble?”
“We have,” chorused all the young ladies as in unison they popped up from the floor, still holding on tightly to their baskets of apples.
“Suzi, be a peach and tell Polly all about our rather heavenly Appletude Pie.”
“Yes, Mrs. Bailey,” responded Suzi, more than happy to oblige. “Appletude Pie is a wonderful apple pie made with the finest, juiciest apples and the lightest pastry, which is then sprinkled with sweetness and ladles of love. And, as we bind the ingredients together, we never fail to remind each other of just how important it is to have a good appletude, I mean, attitude toward everything we say and do. We all love making Appletude Pie,” said Suzi most informatively, her golden locks lighting up her pretty face until she was positively glowing from head to toe.
“Go on, go on,” Mrs. Bailey encouraged.
“And as for April Crumble, well, that reminds us that spring is here and with it comes the season of rebirth, when everything comes alive and the air smells deliciously sweet with fresh hope and purpose. So we all enjoy making April Pie almost as much as Appletude Pie,” she said, breaking into one of her highly contagious giggles that in no time at all had all the other young ladies following suit. Polly continued to look most bewildered.
“What is troubling you now, Polly?” Mrs. Bailey asked with a note of concern.
“Well, earlier on I thought I heard you mention another class that had a teacher named Mrs. O’Brien?” Polly said rather nervously.
“I believe I may have mentioned her,” Mrs. Bailey said rather mischievously. “Why do you ask?”
“Well, is that the Mrs. O’Brien who teaches at Snobbits Private School near the castle?” Polly rather cautiously asked, as she did not want to be disappointed.
“Polly, I do believe it is,” Mrs. Bailey swiftly replied. “And I have to say she is a truly remarkable teacher with an endless talent for cooking, deportment classes, and a whole host of other fun subjects. Yes, she does indeed teach the older girls. And then at the Royal Academy for Princes, Mr. Beloski teaches the young princes…”
“I did hear right then? You did say Beloski?” Polly gasped as she instantly felt completely overwhelmed with emotion.
“Of course dear, but he teaches the boys…”
“You mean, there are boys here as well?”
“Yes, of course there are boys here at our school, Polly,” Mrs. Bailey replied, pretending to be somewhat surprised that she was being asked such a silly question. “We cannot have a princesses’ training academy without having one for princes, too. No, that would be most unfair, and unfairness is not a welcome visitor in Piadora. No, it never has been, and I can state with much authority that it never will be,” she said in a very matter-of-fact fashion.
Polly found herself going quite weak at the knees at the prospect of meeting up with these teachers.
“Let’s not waste another moment to catch up with them while we still have the time before our fencing lesson begins,” said Mrs. Bailey brightly.
“Fencing classes? But I thought Piadora was safe and had no enemies?” said Polly, expressing great shock.
“Oh Polly, fencing classes are compulsory for all who visit Piadora. To answer your question more fully, you’re absolutely correct in your thinking; Piadora is a perfect haven with no threats whatsoever! All who reside here live in perfect peace and harmony. But for those who are just paying us a short visit, it is imperative to be fully conversant with defense strategies and the art of warfare,” she said informatively. “Yes, it is most essential that we all learn how to fight off the enemy effectively and win every battle and challenge,” she stated in her very matter-of-fact manner. “Please don’t panic, for not only are the classes great fun, but we already know that we are on the winning side. Now isn’t that rather brilliant?”
“I don’t wish to appear stupid Mrs. Bailey, but what’s the point of fighting if we already know we’re going to win?” Polly meekly asked.
“Well, Polly, now is not the time to go into the wheres and whys, for I really prefer to leave such delicate matters for dear Hodgekiss to deal with. But you have to understand that our fight is not with humans. Heavens no, it is not flesh and blood, but with dark and evil forces. Yes, principalities and powers that are most determined to take over the universe. Sadly, these terrifying forces of darkness cannot be seen with the naked eye, so at times it seems like a most unfair fight. Nonetheless, I assure you that not only are they real, but we wrestle with them much of the time.”
Polly instantly squirmed as she thought back to the day on the plane with all those hideous and slimy monsters. As pictures of Vanaspi and Soogara flashed through her mind, icy shivers started to run full length down her spine and she shuddered from head to toe.
“Mark my words, the day is soon coming when there will be a final battle between good and evil, and we must all be ready and fully prepared. For now though, Polly, we need to get these apples over to Mrs. O’Brien’s class straightaway. Girls, pick up your baskets and follow me.”
Polly followed Mrs. Bailey and her little band of troopers down a long stretch of marble floored corridor until Mrs. Bailey came to a halt outside another side room. After opening the door, she turned to face Polly and told her to not feel afraid. She then linked her arm through Polly’s and gently ushered her into the room.
“Polly, how wonderful to see you!” cried Mrs. O’Brien as she raced over and flung her arms around Polly’s neck to give her a very warm and friendly embrace. “Now, come and sit down next to me while I continue on with my lesson.”
Polly allowed Mr. O’Brien to quickly guide her to a vacant seat. She was beginning to feel as though her legs were about to give way completely! As she took her seat, she felt so overawed by everything that was happening to her that she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry; as it turns out, she did both.
Once seated, Mrs. Bailey turned to her girls who were still standing huddled together with their baskets of apples and said, “Right then, girls, go and place your baskets on the table, and then make your way in an orderly fashion to the changing rooms, for do believe it’s time for fencing classes to begin.” The girls all rushed to obey her order, placing basket after basket of large, juicy apples
on Mrs. O’Brien’s desk. “Amanda Collins, I do believe your apples are as rosy as your cheeks,” declared Mrs. O’Brien rather loudly.
“Mrs. O’Brien, I think you’re right,” said Mrs. Bailey with a giggle. Crimson-faced, Amanda reciprocated with a highly contagious giggle that immediately set all the other girls off into hoots of laughter.
“I’ll catch up with you later on at the banquet, Mrs. O’Brien. And I will be looking forward to some lovely Appletude Pie topped with your delicious creamy custard,” Mrs. Bailey called out as she took hold of the door handle to exit the room.
“And cream,” added Mrs. O’Brien with a wink. “Why, we have such an abundance of apples that we will indeed be able to make plenty of pies for Mrs. Bailey, won’t we girls?” cried a very delighted Mrs. O’Brien.
“And, I hope, April Crumble,” chipped in Mrs. Bailey as she proceeded to leave the room with her girls following closely in her footsteps.
With the classroom door firmly shut, Mrs. O’Brien then turned her attention back to the girls that were seated, ready and waiting to act on her every order, “All right girls, settle down and listen. Let me introduce you to Polly, for she has just arrived at our Royal Academy. I expect all of you will want to go over and introduce yourselves, and don’t forget to give her a nice big hug.”
All the girls without exception jumped up from where they were seated and swiftly joined the growing queue, which in no time at all extended across the whole length of the room. One by one they eagerly lined up to greet her. As Polly embraced girl after girl, she found herself completely taken aback by the sheer warmth of every greeting, for they all treated her as though she was their long-lost best friend. Polly soon felt as though she was about to crack up on the inside, and worse still, there was nothing she could do to prevent it from happening! Her tender heart felt like a volcano on the verge of erupting. Without warning, Polly burst into tears.
“There, there, sweetheart,” said Mrs. O’Brien as she placed a comforting arm around Polly’s shoulder, at the same time giving her a hankie. “We are only making up for all the hugs you have missed out on over the years, hugs that would have come from your mother and father had they been around to give them.”
Polly began to weep even louder.
“Carry on bawling, Polly dear. It’s perfectly all right, for I don’t think we’ve ever had a young princess attend this class for the first time who has not shed a few tears. It not only washes the face, but it’s good for the soul, believe me,” she insisted as she continued stroking Polly’s hair in an attempt to comfort her.
Before long, there was not a dry eye in the classroom. All the young princesses began to shed a few tears, forcing Mrs. O’Brien to hand out brightly-colored handkerchiefs to every single one of them.
“I’m so sorry, Mrs. O’Brien. I am to blame for all of this, but I feel so overcome that I can’t stop myself,” sniffed Polly.
“Polly, it’s perfectly all right. In fact, it was the best thing that could happen. Many of my young princesses need to shed a few tears every once in a while. It is, after all, an essential part of the healing process.” Mrs. O’Brien patted her shoulder comfortingly before continuing to address her class.
“Now girls, it’s time to pop those hankies away and be done with that most cruel and very wicked saying, ‘Laugh and the world laughs with you; cry and you cry alone.’” Mrs. O’Brien then paused to take a deep breath before going on. “Yes, those cruel, contemptible words only serve to reveal the true blindness that lurks within the human condition and, therefore this utterly contemptible saying should be left to rot on the mountainside along with the abominable snowman,” she angrily declared.
Every face in the room broke out into a smile as all present pictured her little analogy.
“For, in Piadora, love really does conquer all. And if we can’t weep with those who weep, bearing and carrying their pain, well, then we have no right to rejoice with those who are glad,” she said with the greatest authority, clasping her hands tightly at the same time.
Polly was finally able to stop the tears and once more compose herself. Mrs. O’Brien welcomed this opportune moment to invite Polly to join in the cookery class.
“Right, Abigail Collins. I will leave it to you and your dear sister, Emily, to organize the girls and make Appletude Pie. Before that happens, Polly, come and stand over here by the ovens.”
Polly dutifully obeyed, following behind Mrs. O’Brien. She only stopped when Mrs. O’Brien, without warning, halted to stoop down over a saucepan and, with her nose almost in the pan, drew in its delicious aroma.
“Girls, can you smell the delightful aroma coming from this pan of homemade Horse Rubbish sauce as it delicately wafts through the air. It will taste so wonderful when it is served up with roast rib of beef.”
As Polly stood next to her teacher, she found herself secretly wondering what was going to happen next, for she had begun to realize that in this special place the unexpected happened all the time!
“Right, Polly, stand up straight. For a true princess must have good posture. You will, of course, be attending my deportment classes before you leave Piadora,” she authoratively stated, shaking her head wearily to show she was clearly dissatisfied with Polly’s poor posture. “Polly, stand up straight and stop slumping. Right, now shoulders back and chin up. That’s a good girl. Excellent!”
As Polly stood still, trying hard to follow Mrs. O’Brien’s orders, a large book was then placed on her head.
“Splendid!” cried Mrs. O’Brien as she broke into a wide smile. “Right, Polly, now place your pan on the stove, and at the same time, open your mouth. You, my girl, are about to speak fluent French while cooking Crepe Suzettes, and all this with a book nicely balanced on the top of your head.” Polly burst into fits of the giggles. “Wonderful, Polly, wonderful! A happy cook is indeed a good cook,” exclaimed Mrs. O’Brien. “Now then, Belinda Collins, do kindly stop sucking the ends of your hair. Not only is it most unhygienic, but it is not the sort of royal etiquette that I would expect from one of my princesses. You could easily find yourself in the middle of a choking fit, and I firmly believe that this would be a truly unsightly thing to behold.” Belinda instantly stopped, but not before flashing Mrs. O’Brien a gentle smile. “Right, now, where is Kayleigh? Ah, yes, Kayleigh Simmonds, come over here and help Polly. There’s a dear.”
As the young girl rushed over to where Polly stood, Mrs. O’Brien could not help but look down in the direction of the young girl’s ankles.
“Kayleigh, be a dear and pull up your socks to the knee, for I do believe you’re beginning to take on the appearance of a Welsh Rugby player!”
“Yes, miss,” Kayleigh replied as she stooped down to pull both socks back up to her knees.
“Yes, that’s a great improvement Kayleigh, and I’m very happy to say that there is much evidence to suggest that given time and much effort on your part, you will indeed become one of my most graceful princesses.”
Kayleigh began to blush, for she was feeling very chuffed at being given such high praise.
“Girls! Girls! Girls! May I have your full attention?” shouted Mrs. O’Brien whilst clapping her hands very loudly together. “I want all of you to come up here and quickly gather around the stoves.”
The girls immediately abandoned their desks and eagerly made their way to huddle around the stove as they watched Polly cook with a large book nicely balanced on her head while speaking in French. The girls used the opportunity to brush up on their French conversation. They fired one question after another her way. Polly could hardly believe that not only could she answer each and every question, but she also was able to answer with perfect fluency.
“Those Crepe Suzettes look absolutely delicious, Polly. I have to say you really do have a natural flair for cooking,” Mrs. O’Brien stated very matter-of-factly as she plunged a teaspoon into the shallow pan and tried a small piece.
Suddenly Polly was startled by a rather loud knock on the
classroom door, and as she turned on her heels to look in the direction of the door the book she had been carefully balancing on her head tumbled to the floor.
“Polly Brown! Why, it’s true; you have made it!” cried Mr. Beloski as he quickly made his way over to where she was standing.
Polly’s jaw dropped, as did the cooking utensil she was still holding in her hand. Mr. Beloski immediately bent down and picked up the book and the utensil. He gently placed them back in her hand, at the same time giving it a little squeeze.
“I told you in my letter that dreams do come true, didn’t I Polly?” he said, still holding her small hand rather tightly.
Unable to find any satisfactory words and throwing all caution to the wind, Polly responded by throwing her arms around his neck to give him a big hug. “Mr. Beloski!” she cried breathlessly.
“Well, you’re obviously just as delighted to see me,” declared Mr. Beloski, giving a little chuckle as her demonstrative hug almost took the wind out of him. “But I think you’d better release me before you crack my ribs,” he added perkily as he broke out into a big smile. “Thank you, Mrs. O’Brien, for allowing me to interrupt your class to come and see for myself that the rumor circulating in the princes’ quarters is indeed true.”
“The pleasure’s all mine,” Mrs. O’Brien merrily replied.
“Well, young Polly, I’d better get back to my royal princes, for their music lesson is nearly at an end. I will catch up with you later at the banquet, for I’m more than certain that you have much to share with me,” he said, giving her a delightfully friendly wink.
Polly could only reply with a small nod of the head. She made a rather dreamy sigh as she watched him head out of the classroom, make a left turn, and disappear from view.
Polly Brown Page 69