Author's Note -2

It's been 2 days since I've last updated the story on 'The Doll, the Witch and the Scarecrow' otherwise DWS. But hopefully that should be underway soon. However, Popo and Jonathan have continued with their own conversation in the Story Bar so by all means, have a read and find out a little more about strange Popo.

I have however, put a few pretty pictures in to make it easier on the eyes and to create a nice story telling atmosphere. It's not Picasso but it'll suffice.

Enjoy!

Popo And Jonathan -4

(…continued)
‘And do you know what the dolls looked like?’ Popo asked, interrupting the story.
‘No,’ Jonathan replied.

‘Well, they were those kind of porcelain dolls with painted china faces, big eyes and soft bodies,’ Popo described. ‘You know, those lifelike ones you see in the movies? Like Chucky?’

‘I don’t know Chucky but I know what you mean,’ Jonathan said.

‘Yes, like this! Bwah ha ha!’ Popo brandished an ugly looking doll quite suddenly, its face cracked and grinning awkwardly.

Jonathan jumped in fright. He scowled.

‘Ha! Got you! You got scared by this little doll!’ Popo cackled.

‘No I didn’t!’ Jonathan defended himself.

‘Yes you did!’

‘No I didn’t!’

‘Yes you did!’

‘No I didn’t! You just surprised me that’s all,’ Jonathan said. He was slightly cross now. He had been scared when Popo had whipped out the doll. Where had she been hiding it though? It hadn’t been with her when she began telling the story. He eyed her suspiciously.

Popo was looking quite pleased with herself. She was stroking the doll gently, giggling to herself. Jonathan sighed. He couldn’t help it. Most people would have thought her a senile old woman playing with ugly dolls, but as he watched her, he couldn’t help but smile. She looked like she was recalling some pleasant memory from her past.

‘Anyway, where did you get that from?’ he asked.

‘Who? Gerta?’ she said, referring to the doll. ‘She was a gift from a friend when I was in Germany.’

‘You were in Germany?’ Jonathan asked in surprise.

‘Yes, in 1945. I was a little girl at the time. Things were different then. So noisy with all those bombs dropping all the time.’

‘Huh? You mean that you were in World War 2?’ Jonathan asked in amazement. ‘You actually saw bombs falling from the sky?’

‘Yes yes. I lived there for a while.’

‘Wow! You must be really old!’

Now it was Popo’s turn to scowl. ‘Years are nothing if you haven’t lived my boy. And I have lived. Oh yes, I have lived a very long time. I don’t know if I’m ever going to stop!’

‘Who was your friend Popo?’

Popo smiled then. Her fingers caressed the doll’s hair.

‘Her name was Adamina,’ she said. ‘She was only 6 years old at the time.’ Her face turned sad then. ‘Her parents were killed in the war and for six days and nights, she hid in a barrel with this doll. It was then that I found her and we stayed together until we managed to leave the country. It was this doll that saved her life.’

Jonathan looked at the doll again. It really didn’t look very nice. It was old and faded, its face had a tiny hole in it and its clothes were tatty and dirty. It looked like it had been through a lot.

‘How did the doll save her life?’ he asked.

Popo sighed. ‘It was very painful for her. But,’ she looked at him suddenly, ‘-that’s between me and her. And she’s left this world already so there’s just me and Gerta now. Perhaps one day Jonathan, I will tell you.’

‘Anyway, back to the story. Don’t you want to know what happened to Marianne?’

‘Uh huh. But Popo, are you sure this story is for kids?’ Jonathan asked.

‘Why? You scared of dolls?’

‘Well no but -’

‘Then why you ask?’

‘Well, it doesn’t seem like one of those happy fairy tales that’s all.’

‘Hmph. Coming from you who wanted to hear about monsters and dragons! Oh well, it’s true that this story has made adults scream in fright -’

‘Really?’

‘Yeah. I went easy on you on the bit where the witch clobbered her mother in the back of the shop!’

‘Oh,’ Jonathan said.

‘Yeah, especially when the lights went out and-’

‘Ok Po, you can tell me the next bit of the story,’ Jonathan said hurriedly.

‘Well…ok then. The next part. So Marianne’s a doll and-’

‘What? You didn’t tell me she turned into a doll!’

‘Oh I didn’t? Couldn’t you have guessed anyway? Ok ok, I will go back to that bit then….’

(……to be continued)