Getting Hitched Fiction - Pammy

By Patricia Abernethy

"Pammy says she’s got to dress up ‘cause she’s gonna be a bridesmaid," James told his brother as he and Philip trailed slowly home.

"Bridesmaid?" Philip frowned.

"Yeah."

"What’s a bridesmaid?"

"I dunno." Because he was older James felt he ought to know and he continued. "But she’s gonna be one."

"She’s not gonna get married is she?"

"No! ‘course not silly! She’s only a kid. Grown-ups like Auntie Jill get married, not kids."

"I’m never gonna get married. Not if you have to dress up," announced Philip.

"Mum says we’ll have to look our best when we go to the wedding," advised James, "She says its Auntie Jill’s big day. You’ll have to dress up, so there! Race you to the corner!" James ran ahead.

"James, wait for me!"

But James didn’t wait and he reached the house first. Philip tramped in after him carrying the football they’d been playing with on the village green. Mum gave them a drink of juice and a piece of her lovely fruit cake. They sat at the table dejectedly, still worried about weddings and bridesmaids.

Pammy, their cousin and playmate, lived nearby. Pammy always had good ideas for games to play.

"Let’s get some chalk and draw a pattern on the footpath. We can play hopscotch!" she would say. Or, another time, "Bring your yo-yos tomorrow. We’ll have a yo-yos competition. I know some new tricks I’ll show you."

James and Philip liked their cousin. Pammy was great. They liked all her ideas. Life was very interesting with her around.

"I won’t go. I’ll tell Pammy not to go, too; then she won’t have to dress up!"

James was not impressed by his young brother’s ranting. "Dad’ll wop you! He says it’s Auntie Jill’s big day. Anyway, Pammy wants to dress up. I heard her talking to Auntie Jessica about it."

Philip gave in. "We won’t do nothin’ that day, will we?" he asked, " ‘cept go to the wedding all dressed up?"

"Nope. Dad says we’ll have to be good. So they won’t let us do much," James told him.

"Won’t Pammy play with us any more?" Philip fretted.

" ’course! It’s only a wedding. It’s only one day." James wished he felt surer of that statement.

They felt very unhappy about Pammy being a bridesmaid and getting dressed up. Usually she just wore jeans and a tee shirt, like them. She enjoyed splashing in puddles and was very good at climbing trees. She was great. But this news about dressing up was a worry. James and Philip were alarmed. It might change things and she might not want to play with them any more. In spite of his reassurances to his brother, James was really anxious. Without her their games wouldn’t be any fun.

The day of the wedding arrived. Looking very clean and wearing their best clothes, James and Philip went with Mum and Dad to the church. It was packed with people. Quite a few of them knew James and Philip and said ‘Hello’ or smiled at them as they went past. They sat down near the front and waited. After a while music started playing and there was an extra murmur of voices. People shifted in their seats and looked towards the back of the church. James and Philip looked, too. There they saw Auntie Jill coming down to the front with Grandpa. She was dressed in a beautiful white dress with flowers on her head and was carrying a big bunch of flowers. She looked very pretty and was smiling. As Auntie Jill and Grandpa passed their seats, Philip and James spotted Pammy.

She looked very serious. She was wearing a long, yellow dress and her curled and tidy hair had yellow flowers. Both boys were amazed at how different Pammy looked. This wasn’t their friend and playmate. This was a stranger. Surely this grand person would never again climb trees, play hopscotch, jump in puddles? James and Philip felt knots of disappointment in their stomachs. Now they knew that all their fears were true. Pammy was changed. All this dressing up was going to make a difference. Never again would they hear her calling out, "Come on you two, it’s my turn to be captain of the spaceship!"

Not this shiny girl in her yellow dress and flowers. Unthinkable!

Suddenly, as she came right to where they were sitting, James and Philip saw Pammy do an amazing thing. She grinned cheekily at them and produced from behind her back a yo-yo on a short string. She swung it around once, twice – and, still with a big grin, let it fly straight to James. Then her face was all serious again and she walked on, after Auntie Jill and Grandpa.

The boys looked wide-eyed at each other, James with the yo-yo in his hand now.  Pammy was still Pammy. There wasn’t going to be any change. They both grinned, knowing everything would be alright.

***

© Patricia Abernethy 2008

The short stories on this website are copyright and cannot be copied for any purpose. However, you are welcome to link to any story.

More Features

• Short Stories
• Subscribe to Newsletter
• Further Reading