Interview
With A Housemaid
I still blame myself for
what happened that night. I know it has been many years and the
children made it back safely, but they should of never gone in the
first place; I should of kept a better watch. Oh yes, you laugh at
the idea of a dog for a nurse for children. Many do. I don't see why.
For years dogs have been employed by humans; from pulling carts, to
helping hunt for dinner, guarding houses and so it makes perfect
sense for us to move up in the world and be the care givers for your
young. Now you wanted to hear my story about that boy.....'Peter Pan'
you call him? I don't see the fascination, he stole the mistress's
children and for months we were worried sick. The master even took to
living in my house while they were gone because he felt so ashamed.
How can anyone say the boy is great when he causes so much grief in
the world? But I'm getting ahead of myself. I can tell you want to
know how I came to be in service to the Darling family. Get
comfortable in your chair, have some more tea and I'll begin.
My parents came from
Newfoundland in Canada. My father was employed on a fishing boat
while my mother was a nursemaid to various families on the harbor. I
was the eldest of six and the only girl to boot. So it fell to me to
look after my younger brothers while both my parents worked. In time
my brothers grew and joined various professions from the church, to
military, one took to fishing like my farther, while to two youngest,
who were twins, went to the main land to work in the forests and
mountains. I have not heard from any of them in years since I came to
England, I do hope that they are doing well and maybe after you write
my story into the papers they will know how I have been getting
along.
Yes, my coming to England,
I was just getting to that, and the Darlings as well.
As I said my mother was a
nursemaid in the harbor, everyone came to her for aid. And I often
accompanied her in the winter when the fishing season was over and my
farther could watch over my brothers. Though they did not really need
much looking after. I learned much from following and assisting my
mother. The reason I left home for England was because of the war.
When we heard about all the solders who were being wounded in the
trenches my heart would bleed for them. After a while I could not
take just sitting by listening to the death count. I decided that I
was going to sign up and help in the field healing the wounded. My
siblings were grown up and my mother did not need me to stay home, so
I packed my bag and bought passage on board a ship and set off to
England.
I won't bore you with the
details of my travels; except to say that we encountered a few storms
and many of the young men who were on the ship with me did not deal
well with the sea sickness and I took care of them to the best of my
ability. Being the daughter of a seaman I never had an issue with
pitch and roll of the boat on the ocean. But we all arrived no worse
for wear.
No, no. No. I'm not going
to talk about all the broken bones I've set, the men I've stitched
up, and so forth. Yes it was hard, and at first I had a hard time
stomaching it. But I made it through. I saw a lot of the world, some
I did not want to see, of course, but some of it was pleasant as
well.
After the war I thought
about going back home to Newfoundland but that thought did not last
for long; I did not know what I would do if I go back and London held
such promise for me. The first few days I was in London I spent my
time looking around at all the sites and admiring the beauty of the
buildings and the parks. I had a hard time leaving the parks though;
everywhere I looked were prams with babies and nannies who were not
being very responsible. Often times a babe will cry and the nanny
will just move the pram back and forth and keep on talking with her
friend instead of looking in to see what is the matter. And I just
couldn't let a child go uncared for, so I would walk up to the pram
with the crying baby and poke my nose in too see what was the matter.
This would get the nurse to take action over her charge and sort
things out.
Now I'm not a gossip or
someone who constantly looks into other people's lives but way these
nurses treated the children they were watching over bothered me
greatly; and I took it upon myself to inform the parents of these
children how poor of a job the nurse has done. Some of the parents I
talked to were not very happy with their maids while others did not
listen to a word I said because I am a dog; but soon enough they
would see that I was right. It was in this manner of looking after
the children in the park that I discovered the Darlings.
I had overheard two nurses
talking about Mrs. Darling and how she just had her third child and
was in need a nurse. However no one who had applied for the job was
willing to take the small pay the Darlings could offer. Now I'm not
one to worry about money, I knew how to get by on very little, and
felt that the Darlings sounded like the perfect place for me to be
employed. Mrs. Darling took me in right way. Of course her husband
had some scruples with a dog as a nurse, but Mrs. Darling talked him
into it.
Oh I was so happy. Those
three children are my pride and joy! Its amazing to see how much they
have grown. The boys have forgotten their time away in 'Neverland'
but Wendy.....Wendy, she still holds on and waits for that wild one
to come and take her away for spring cleaning.
The night Peter Pan came,
and stole the Darling children from their beds, I'll never forget.
The master and mistresses were getting ready for a party and the boys
were playing while I was trying to get them ready for bed. The
children would fight against taking their medicine but I know its the
only thing can keeps them healthy. Mr. Darling, bless his soul, was
trying to be helpful. But the children called him out on his bluff
and instead he poured the medicine in my bowl. I was rather upset at
him for such a waste, and told him so. Mr. Darling did not like being
told off by me and raised a fuss. No I can't hold it against him, he
is a man who has his image to uphold. But the master's pride was hurt
by the the attention the children were paying me and just with the
stress of the night's event he thought he needed to “put me in my
place”. Yes I suppose I was a bit hurt by the fact that the master
locked me out of the house. He was not yet aware of the danger that
the children were in; the mistress and I tried to talk to him about
the boy but he would not listen.
The Darlings went out, I
kept my vigil watch over the house. Then I saw it, at first I thought
it was a shooting star, but it was too small and moved to fast. I
knew right then that it had to have been the boy. He was coming back
for his shadow. I tried everything I could to scare him off and began
to look for away to remove the chain that kept me in the yard. I
don't know how he did it, and I doubt I ever will, but the boy
managed to open the window from the outside and climb into the
nursery. It was all I could do to keep my wits about me. I did not
know what could of happened but I had no idea he'd take the children
way from the house. If only the maid Liza had minded me when I knew
the children were not asleep when she took me into their room. But
alas she would not, and again I was chained outside. I had to warn
the master and mistresses, get them to come home and chase away the
boy. I made it to the party and right away Mrs. Darling knew and we
ran as fast as we could, with no thought toward dignity all the way
to the house and to the nursery. But we were too late. They were out
the window and up in the sky following Peter Pan. Mrs. Darling called
and called for them to come back but they would not listen. He must
of bewitched them because how else can you explain why they would not
listen to their mother's voice and return home?
I don't know how long we
stood their watching, waiting, hoping. But after some time the
mistresses sat down on the rocking chair and sobbed her heart out.
The master and I both were at a loss of what to do. I knew the
master blamed himself for the kids being taken away, since he did not
listen to the mistresses or myself. That was why he stayed in my
house, as a way of ding penance in hopes that the children would come
back. But I do not blame him, for if I had not seen that boy come in
the first time I would not have believed it possible myself. I just
keep thinking of what would of happened had I moved faster, what if I
broke the chain sooner. What if....what if....what if....there were
so many thoughts going through my mind. All the awful things that
could of happened to the children kept going through my mind during
the months we waited and waited.
Months went by and when
the children did return, you cannot imagine the joy we felt at seeing
the dears again! It was all such a dream; I had a hard time believing
that they were back. Mrs. Darling was beside herself with joy, and
the master finally came out of the dog house to hug his children! And
Wendy, bless her heart, wanted to take care of all the other little
boys that had been taken by Peter Pan. I will admit I was not for the
idea a first, but it is very hard to say no to Wendy and the boys had
no where else to go. Though now I'm glad we did take them in; every
one of them have turned out to be such joys. They forgot about Peter
Pan and their silly games and grew up to be fine gentlemen as well.
The only one who holds onto the thought of Pete Pan is Wendy, and
even though she has grown into a find lady, and I no doubt we will be
hearing of her getting married soon, she will not let go of Peter
Pan, and he still sometimes comes for her. But the times are getting
farther apart and less frequent he must be forgetting about her and
soon I hope she will give up on him and the silly notion of keeping
his house.
Now you have heard my
story of Peter Pan. Do you still think him a good lad who has
marvelous adventures or do you really see the danger that he poses to
families? I hope someday someone will get him to grow up and then no
other family will have to go through what the Darlings have suffered.
