There is hope for everyone, Indeed!

“Mary! Polish my shoes!” Shouted Margaret Brown, Mary’s stepmother.

“I’m coming Mrs. Brown” Replied Mary. Poor Mary took the dusty shoes from the rack, dusted it , wiped it with a piece of cloth and polished it.

“Here you go Mrs. Brown.” Mary said. The posh lady snatched the shoes from her hand and examined it.

“Not bad. But you only get a penny for this ugly girl!” Margaret said.

Mary was given a penny or two for every work she did. Mary was happy with the penny she had. She slid it in her pocket and went upstairs in her room, The uncomfortable attic. Mary was indeed ugly but, beautiful from her heart. She opened her homework. She did her work and placed her sleeping bag on the cold floor. That was the most comfortable bed she had ever been in. She had dozed of to sleep. But poor Mary, does she know her stepmother is doing something evil in her evil world?

Downstairs, Margaret had been making plans to sell Mary and secretly kill her. Who on earth would do that!?Margaret had dialed Bruce Johnson, A person who buys and sells children.

“Howdy grumpy old Bruce!” Margaret said.

“Hey fine lady Margaret! Whats up with you now?” Bruce asked.

“Nothing much. Just wanted to ask weather you can take Mary.”

“Why not?! Lets see how she is and deal.”

“Certainly! Tomorrow at 5 at Melbourgh?” Margaret asked.

“That would be fine! Okay Then catch ya later!” Bruce hung up.

Margaret was glad with her evil ideas.

“Mary will be away and I’ll have all the money worth her by Bruce. I’m glad that I will see that girl away !” Margaret thought.

She dozed off to sleep in her luxurious bed.

Meanwhile Mary had bad dreams about her friends calling her ugly. She woke up all of a sudden. It was freezing cold as the window was open. Mary got up from her sleeping bag and reached to the window and closed it. She started crying and thinking about all her friends and neighbors calling her words like ugly. She started thinking about her mother and her father who separated away months ago. How they loved Mary until Her father had married Margaret. Mary felt so lonely. Poor little Mary, how would she know she’ll be sold?

It was the next morning. Mary got up so soon and freshened up. She wore her worn out clothes and looked at her broken mirror. She looked like a pale girl with worn out clothes. She smiled at the mirror and said , “Love you mother where ever you are!”.

She went downstairs wore her torn shoes.

“Bye Mrs. Brown!” Said Mary to her stepmother.

“Whatever you rebel. Just go away!” Said Margaret in anger.

Mary felt bad but she didn’t care and walked further to her school. In her way to school she saw the market. What a rush! She had seen a shopkeeper selling toys and puppets. She saw her pocket. She only had 9 pennies. She had eyed on a cute little doll with improper eyes. That looked just like her. She just loved it! She went down to the shopkeeper.

“Um- sir, how much is this doll?” Mary asked the shopkeeper.

“Nothing here is for you ugly girl!” The shopkeeper replied.

“I do have money. Please I want that doll so much.” Mary pleased the shopkeeper.

“Oh so you have money huh? Well each doll over here is 10 pennies.” The shopkeeper said.

“Can I please buy it for 9 pennies?” Mary asked.

“Not a penny less or more you rebel!” The shopkeeper shouted back.

“Please.” Asked Mary.

“Get out of here at once!” The shopkeeper said.

Mary started weeping. She was walking further. A lady with scarf had seen the drama and went straight away to the shopkeeper and bought her a doll prettier than it. She went to Mary.

“Hello my little child!” The lady said and knelt down to Mary.

“Who are you and why do you want to talk to me?” Mary asked crying.

“Don’t cry little girl,” The lady said and handed her the doll to Mary, “Here you go.”

“I don’t want it , because I have no money to pay back to you.”

“You don’t have to pay me a penny or two, you can have it.”

“Really? But what about your daughter or son? ”

“I don’t know where my daughter is now, but wherever she is I love her!”

“Where did you lose her?”

“I didn’t lose her. Somebody stole her from me.”

“I’ll try and find her for you!”

“That’s so sweet of you, my child”

“You are just like my mother. You remind me of her. Even my mother was taken away from me.”

“Oh. Where do you live now?”

“I live in that house. In Mrs. Brown’s house, she is my stepmother.”

“Oh. You live in a fine bedroom, I guess.”

“No, I live in that attic over there and sleep in my sleeping bag.”

“Oh. Is your stepmother rude to you?”

“She is very rude to me. She gives me a penny for every work I do.”

“She makes you work?”

“Yes. Very much.”

“That is unfair and bad!”

“But nothing can be done. Father is far away from me. I miss him but he passed away due to an accident.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry.”

“No. Its fine but he deserves that for betraying my mum.”

“I guess, we’re friends now right?”

“Yeah. We are! We can be best friends. Where do you live?”

“I live far away. I had come here in search of my daughter.”

“Oh. Hope you find her soon!”

“And what’s your name my little one?”

“Mary Brown.”

“Oh! That sounds- like- um- never mind.”

“What is your name?”

“Um- my name is- um- you can call me Mrs. Carter”

“Okay then catch you later Mrs. Carter. I have to hurry to school!”

“Okay my little one, you better hurry!”

“Bye Mrs. Carter!” said Mary

“Bye Mary!”Said Mrs. Carter.

Mary was off to school. When Mrs. Carter sat on a bench nearby. Mrs. Carter was not only a mother but Mary’s mother! She was not Mrs. Carter at all, she was Mrs. Sarah Brown!

“Oh how I wish I can tell my sweet little child that she’s mine! That Margaret! How can she even do that to my child! I must do something immediately! That wicked Margaret is planning something really evil! But what on earth is she planning?” Sarah thought.

Soon Sarah went to Margaret’s house. She knocked on her door

“Come in!,” Shouted Margaret. Sarah entered. “Well, well, well! What do we have in here now?!”

“What on earth have you been planning Margaret?!” Sarah asked.

“Where do I start from? Oh ya well, I’ve been planning something good for me and-” Margaret said and was interrupted by Sarah

“How on Earth did my husband die? What did you do to him?”

“Oh. So you want to know how he died? I’ll tell you! Edward was in England . He was off and I was alone with this ugly girl. I sent my men to kill him. Now he’s left rotten in some mountain or something. Now I’ll Have all his property! But how? When everything is on his poor old daughter’s name!”

“No Margaret don’t do anything to my daughter!”

“Let me finish with my story! Now this time I’m gonna get a double profit by selling that rebel! And she’ll secretly die!”

Margaret chuckled. Sarah couldn’t take it anymore.

“No. please don’t do that to my daughter!”

“Sorry. But the deal is done my dear. I have told Bruce to meet me at 5. Nothing can happen now!”

“You are an evil wicked stepmother!”

“Thank you for the compliment dear!”

“What can i do now? I’m hopeless! I think all I can do is disguise myself and follow her.” Sarah thought

“Curse you Margaret! Why do you do everything for money?”

“Because money is much more important than anything in life for me!”

“But why don’t you just rot in hell for a while?!”

“Ha ha. Why don’t you do the same? You may leave now!”

“Certainly I am leaving this house and soon you’ll too” Sarah said.

“Whatever lady! Just leave!” Margaret shouted.

Sarah left the house at once. She had gone back to the Inn in which she stayed. She was upset and unhappy but in said she was screaming for help!

It was 15 mins to 3. Sarah was out looking for her daughter. She saw Mary coming down the market. She saw her skipping happily. Sarah went down to her.

“Hello Mrs. Carter!” Mary waved.

“Hello my little one! So how was your school?” Mrs. Carter (Sarah) asked.

“It was fun. But as usual people call me ugly”

“you’re the prettiest girl I have ever seen!”

“Really?”

“Yes you are!”

“Look at Catherine!” She took the doll out of her bag.

“Wow! She is so pretty like you are”

“I know shes pretty and Thank you Mrs. Carter for buying me this doll. I’ll pay you the next morning. But first to earn one more penny I will have to do a task told by Mrs. Brown”

“No. It’s okay you can keep your pennies”

“Really?”

“Yes, of course”

‘Thank you Mrs. Carter!”

“You’re welcome dear!”

“I’ll have to hurry Mrs. Carter otherwise my stepmother will get angry”

“You better hurry up!”

“Yes, I should. Good bye Mrs. Carter” Mary said and left.

It was too late. Sarah had to do something. She had to think of something quick. She had a plan that would work out. All she had to do was pray for hope. It was nearly five. Sarah was in her disguise. She had put a scarf and a hat. Nobody could barely make her out.

Meanwhile in Mary’s Attic she was arranging her table and placed Catherine her doll. She touched her hair and her eyes were the prettiest.

Downstairs Margaret called up Bruce to confirm. He said he was ready.

“Pack up your stuff Mary!” Margaret shouted.

“Where are we going Mrs. Brown?” Mary asked excitedly. Thinking it was for a camp.

“We are going for another place to stay. Pack up everything of yours including your sleeping bag!”

“Okay Mrs. Brown!”

Mary packed everything in her bag. She had taken her books and her sleeping bag and at last carried Catherine along. She had come downstairs with all her stuff.

“Okay now, we shall move” said Margaret with an evil smile.

Mary followed Margaret to Melbourgh. Sarah was following them. They had reached melbourgh. It was a dreaded place. Old and worn out. Bruce was waiting at the park. The park had no flowers or bushes. It only had algae in the pond and fountain. Mary was scared.

“Here you go Bruce!” Margaret handed Mary to bruce roughly.

“Such an ugly lad i see” Bruce said

“How much do i get for this girl”

“35 pounds and not a penny more”

“Thats it?”

“Yeah. Look at her condition. And 35 pounds is too much for you.”

“whatever. But remember to finish her off when she’s of no use!”

“As you say fine lady! But if somebody buys her well and good.”

“Yeah. As you wish. But in keep it as she’s dead” Margaret said.

“Okay” Bruce replied.

Mary was crying. Bruce slapped her. She cried harder. Margaret left. Sarah was unhappy and upset. The next day Sarah had gone to the place where Bruce kept all the kids and sold them.

“Hello young lady” Bruce said.

“Hello. I am here to adopt a kid” Sarah said

“You can’t adopt but you can buy ’em.”

“Okay. Can I see them?”

“Certainly!”

Bruce yelled at his assistant to get all the kids down. There were so many kids crying. She saw Mary with her head down.

“I’ll take this kid” She said pointing at Mary.

“Ok. She’s 65 pounds.”

“60?” Sarah asked.

“She’s all yours” Bruce said. “Pack up all your stuff girl! And go away”

Mary packed up all her thing and headed to Sarah. Sarah gave Bruce 60 pounds and quickly came out of the place.

“Who are you now?” sobbed Mary.

“I’m your real mother my dear little daughter!” said Sarah and pulled out her scarf and hat.

“Oh! Mrs. Carter. Thank you for saving me from that creepy man!”

“I’m not Mrs. Carter anymore dear! I am Sarah Brown. You’re mother!”

“Oh mother!” said Mary and hugged her mum.

They quickly went to the Inn in which Sarah stayed. Mary unpacked her things as her mum said.

“Mum. What is this?” asked Mary handing Sarah a file.

“Where did this come from ?” asked Sarah

“My bag.”Replied Mary

Sarah opened the files. It was Law papers! It said all the properties, money and houses are under the name of Sarah and Mary Brown! And nothing can be handed over to Margaret Paul Brown or any other person!

__END__