Chapter 11 - Mary Anne IV

I don't know what time I finally fell asleep because a few hours later, I was tossing and turning in bed when the dream started up.

I was twelve and I was on a ferry boat with Mom, who had just came back to life, to get know her better. Two to three hours later, when I turned, I noticed she was gone.

"Mama?" I asked.

Then someone called out, "Someone's cut in half in the snack section!"

When I went there, it was Mom.

"Mama!" I called out.

I saw a shadow and when I turned, it was MacBeth. I screamed as the dream ended.

"No!" I shouted as I sat up in bed.

That was when Dad came in and said, "It's okay, honey, you had a bad dream. Was it from MacBeth?"

I nodded while I was crying and hugging him.

"It'll be alright," said Dad while he was stroking my hair,

"I'm going to excuse myself the next time you guys watch MacBeth so I can get rid of him," I said.

"I don't blame you," said Dad.

The next day, we were getting ready to do scenes one and two.

"Take your places, everyone!" announced the director.

"Mama! Mama! Mommy!" called Mallory from the script.

"Shut up," said Marci.

"Can't anyone get any sleep around here?" asked Cokie.

"Mama! Mommy!" continued Mallory.

"I said shut your trap, Molly," said Marci pushing Mal aside.

"Don't push that poor kid. She did nothing to you," said Claudia.

"She's keeping me awake, ain't she?" asked Marci.

"No, you're keeping us awake," said Claudia.

"Wanna make something out of it?" asked Marci.

They started fighting.

"Oh, my goodness. They're fighting," said Jessi.

I came from the curtain.

"Pipe down! All of you! Go back to sleep!" I called to them as I went to Mallory. "It's alright, Molly, Annie's here."

"It was my mama, Annie. We were riding on the ferry boat. She was holding me up to see all the big ships. And then, she just walked away and I couldn't find her no more. Anyhere," said Mallory.

"It was only a dream, honey. You have to get back to sleep now. It's after three o'clock in the morning," I said.

"Annie, read me your note," said Mallory.

"My note? Again?" I asked.

"Please?" asked Mallory.

"Sure, Molly," I replied as I took it out.

"Here it comes again. Ahh," said Marci.

"Please take good care of our little darling. Her name is Annie. She was born on...," I started.

"She was born on October 28. We'll be back to get her soon," interrupted Cokie.

"We have left a half-sliver locket around her neck and kept the other half," Marci joined in.

"So, that when we come back for her, you will know she's our baby," said the rest except Mallory, Claud, and Jessi.

They were laughing.

"And now they're laughing," said Jessi.

I folded my fold as I got up to Marci.

"Alright. Do you want to sleep with your teeth inside your mouth or out?" I asked angrily as I went back to sit with Mallory.

"Gee, Annie, you're lucky. I wish I'd have my parents again, but you really got them," said Mallory.

"I know. Somewhere," I said as the song started. "Maybe far away or maybe real nearby. He may be pouring her coffee. She may be straightening his tie. Maybe in a house, all hidden by a hill. She's sitting playing piano. He's sitting paying a bill. Betcha they're young, betcha they're smart. Bet they collect things like ashtrays and art. Betcha they're good. Why shouldn't they be? Their one mistake was giving up me. So, maybe now it's time and maybe when I wake. They'll be calling me baby. Maybe."

The song continued as I pretended to put Mallory to bed and sat on her side of the bed.

"Betcha he reads, betcha she sews. Maybe she's made me a closet of clothes. Maybe they're strict as straight as a line. Don't really care as long as they're mine. So, maybe now this prayer's the last one of its kind. Won't you please come get your baby?" I sang as she laid in bed. "Maybe."

I pretended to hear the clock chimed for four am. I got up, looks out the window, and went to under the bed to pack a bag.

"Now what?" asked Marci.

"Annie, what are you doing?" asked Kristy.

"I'm running away," I replied.

"Oh, my goodness," said Jessi.

"My parents aren't coming back for me, so I'm going to find them," I said.

"Annie, you're nuts. Miss Hannigan will catch you," warned Claudia.

"And hit you with the paddle," added Jessi.

"I don't care. I'm getting out of here. Okay, I'm ready. Wish me luck," I said.

"Good luck, Annie," said the others.

"Good luck, Dumbbell," said Marci.

I was pretending to head out when Mrs. Boyd came.

"Ahh. I caught you! I hear you. I always hear you. Bend over," said Mrs. Boyd as I stood still. "I said bend over."

I did as Mrs. Boyd pretended to hit me with the paddle.

"Now what do you say?" asked Mrs. Boyd as I remained silent. "What...you...do...say?"

"I love you, Miss Hannigan," I replied.

"Rotten orphan," said Mrs. Boyd.

"I'm not an orphan. My folks left me with a note saying they love me and they'd come back for me," I said.

"That was 1922. This is 1933. Get up, everyone!" said Mrs. Boyd. "Annie was trying to escape again. You're all going to strip the beds for the laundry man."

"But it's four o'clock in the morning," said Jessi.

"Oh, I know. Then you'll get down on your knees and clean this dump until it shines like the top of the Crysler Building," said Mrs. Boyd.

"Yes, Miss Hannigan," said the rest of us.

"Get to work. Now," said Mrs. Boyd. "Why a kid wants to be an orphan? I'll never know."

The song started as we started cleaning.

"It's the hard-knock life for us, it's the hard-knock life for us," we sang.

"Instead of treated," I sang.

"We get tricked," we sang.

"Instead of kisses,"I sang.

"We get kicked. It's the hard-knock life," we sang. "We got no folks to speak of, so it's the hard-knock role we hoe."

"Cotton blankets," I sang.

"Instead of wool," we sang.

"Empty bellies," I sang.

"Instead of full, it's the hard-knock life," we sang.

"Don't it feel like the wind is always howling?" I sang.

"Don't it seem there's never any light?" sang Claudia and Kristy.

"Once a day, don't you wanna throw the towel in?" sang Mallory and Jessi.

"It's easier than putting up a fight," sang Marci and Cokie.

"No one's there when your dreams at night get creepy, no one cares if you grow or if you shrink, no one dries your eyes when they get weepy," I sang.

"From the crying you think this place's sink. Oh!" we sang. "Empty-bellies life, rotten-smelly life, full-of-sorrow life, no-tomorrow life."

"Santa Claus we never see," sang Mallory.

"Santa Claus, what's that? Who's he?" I sang.

"No one cares for you a smidge when you're in the orphanage," we sang.

"You'll stay up till this dump shines like the top of the Chrysler Building," said Mallory pretending to be Miss Hannigan.

"Yank the whiskers from her chin. Jab her with a safety pin. Make her drink a mickey finn," we sang. "I love you, Miss Hannigan."

"Get to work now! Strip the beds! I said get to work!" said Mallory.

"It's the hard-knock life for us, it's the hard-knock life for us. No one cares for you a smidge when you're in an orphanage. It's the hard-knock life, it's the hard-knock life, it's...the...hard-knock...life!" we sang as the song ended.

Then, Mrs. Boyd came and blew the whistle.

"Good morning, children," said Mrs. Boyd.

"Good morning, Miss Hannigan," we said.

"Well?" asked Mrs. Boyd.

"We love you, Miss Hannigan," we said.

"We love you, Miss Hannigan," said Mallory from the laundry basket.

Mrs. Boyd went there and said, "What are you doing in there?"

"Nothing," said Mallory.

"Get her out of there. Your days are numbered," said Mrs. Boyd. "Alright, breakfast."

"Hot mush," we choired.

"No, we're not having any hot mush this morning," said Mrs. Boyd as we cheered. "We're having cold mush. Then, you'll be on sewing machines until midnight."

"Yes, Miss Hannigan," we choired.

Mr. Lohan as Mr. Bundles arrives and said, "Laundry man. Good morning, kids."

"Morning, Mr. Bundles," we said.

"I got clean sheets every month," said Mr. Lohan.

"Thank you, Mr. Bundles," we said.

We got them. While Mr. Lohan was chatting with Mrs. Boyd, I climbed into the laundry basket lying in it while the girls covered me. They finished in time and Mr. Lohan left.

"You call this clean, Annie? This is still messy," said Mrs. Boyd with no respond. "Annie? Annie?"

"Annie ain't here," the orphans choired.

"What do you mean Annie ain't here?" asked Mrs. Boyd.

"She just left with Mr. Bundles," said Kristy.

"In the laundry basket," added Marci.

"Mr. Bundles! Help, police!" exclaimed Mrs. Boyd leaving the stage.

They did the reprise of It's The Hard-Knock Life.

"Very good, everyone, take a break then, we'll do the Tomorrow scene," said Mr. Jackson.

We took a short break and it was time for me, Rocky, and Mr. Lins to get ready. Then, I started walking.

"Apples for sell. Apples for sell," said Mrs. Young. "Do you want one, young lady?"

"Yes, please. Thank you, ma'am," I replied as I sat down.

"Have you seen a stray around here?" asked Mr. Gomes as the dogcatcher.

"No, sir," I answered as he left.

Then, I spotted a dog.

"Hey, here's one they didn't get. Come here, boy," I said as he came to her to lay next to her. "Aww, did they hurt you? They're after you, ain't they? They're after me, too. But don't worry I won't let them get me or you. Everything will be fine for the both of us. If not today, well."

The song started.

"The sun'll come out tomorrow bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there'll be sun. Just thinking about tomorrow clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow til there's none. When I'm stuck with a day that's gray and lonely, I just stick out my chin and grin and say, oh. The sun'll come out tomorrow so you gotta hang on til tomorrow. Come what may. Tomorrow, tomorrow I love ya tomorrow you're always a day away," I sang as the song paused.

"Hey, you! Little girl. Come here," said Mr. Lins.

I went to him and said, "Yes, officer?"

"That dog there. Haven't I seen him around here before? Isn't he a stray?" asked Mr. Lins.

"A stray? Oh, no, officer. He's my dog," I replied.

"Your dog, huh? So, what's his name?" asked Mr. Lins.

"His name? Oh, his name is, um, Sandy. Yes, that's right, Sandy. I call him Sandy because see, his fur is a nice, sandy color," I replied.

"Sandy color, alright. Let's see if Sandy answers his name," said Mr. Lins.

"Answer? You mean when I call him?" I asked.

"Right. When you call him by his name, Sandy," said Mr. Lins.

"Well, you see, officer, I just got him," I said.

"Call him," said Mr. Lins.

"Okay," I said as I walked away to the center stage and kneeled down. "Sandy. Here, Sandy. Here, boy."

Rocky went to her.

"Good, Sandy. Good old Sandy," I said Mary Anne.

"Maybe he is your dog. But the next time you take him out, I want to see him with the leash and the license otherwise he goes to the pound and they'll put him to sleep. Do you understand?" asked Mr. Lins.

"Yes, sir, I understand with the leash and license," I said.

"Now get on before you catch a cold in this weather," said Mr. Lins.

"Oh, I don't mind the weather," I said as the song started up. "When I'm stuck with a day that's gray and lonely, I just stick out my chin and grin and say...oh! The sun'll come out tomorrow so you gotta hang on til tomorrow. Come what may! Tomorrow, tomorrow I love ya tomorrow you're always a day away. Tomorrow, tomorrow I love ya tomorrow you're always a day...away!"

The song ended.

"Good, we can take a break. Then, we can do it again from the top," announced Mr. Jackson.

We did and the rehearsal went perfectly again.

"See you Wednesday," said Mr. Jackson.

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