Fryaway Dream Pt. 4
To find out what happened earlier on Fryaway Dream, read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
Penji the Potato would wake up sweating like a seahorse out of water at midnight and midday. He would see Lace's face far, far, far above him. Her eyes were red, and they glowed like the sun at the end of the day. Her mouth would be filled with sharp teeth and she would be screaming at him:
"You are fat and round and dumb and ugly and dumb and fat and round and ugly and ugly and ugly and ugly and ugly!"
And Penji would say, "I beg of you, don't say that to me! Please, have mercy, Lace my Lady! I'm sorry I loved you, I didn't think it was wrong."
And Lace would say, "Charlie is red and oh-so-hot and cool and strong!"
So, to Mother Potato Penji went to complain. He knew she had made him, but why? All he'd got in his life was pain. It would have been so much better if she had made him a French fry! Mother Potato was looking at the photos of her and Father Potato. They had been together for many years, and seen many things. But before he could see Penji, Father Potato had to go. He had said "I have to try. I shall sail to France to be a French fry!". When Penji would ask her where Father Potato was, she would tell him "He's an angel now, with wings."
She saw Penji coming and put the picture down. My, my the boy seemed angry! He had such a frown!
"Penji, dear, do you want to talk to me?" said Mother Potato.
"I told Lace the Lady Finger that I love her, you see." said Penji.
"Oh, my boy, I'm so proud of you! That's so lovely!" said Mother Potato.
"Mother, she said that she didn't love me. She said that I was round and fat and ugly. She said I was nothing beside Charlie. Oh, why didn't you make me a French fry? I pined and prayed and hoped and dared, but all I do now is cry and sigh. Why did you make me in this way? Now, for your mistake, I must pay!"
Hearing such cruel words from her son, tears came to Mother Potato's eyes. She remembered a time long ago, when Penji had come to her. She felt she could again hear the sound of his cries. She saw that Penji, indeed, was weeping again, and it made everything else a blur. Hurt, sad and teary eyed, Mother Potato told Penji:
"Penji, my boy, please understand: when you say such things, they hurt me! Don't do that, because, after all, we're a team, aren't we? And listen now to my words very carefully. The reason Lace doesn't love you is your body. We think that that only vegetables like Pat and Lace and Charile are beautiful, but that's how God wanted them to be. God created everyone like you and me. And in God's creation, there is nothing ugly."
And then Penji said to Mother Potato:
"Don't blame him: you made me! And there is no worse way I could be! Why did God make Charlie hot? And why am I not? I think it's all unfair and cruel, too."
"Oh, Penji, this isn't you!" said Mother Potato to Penji, "You are beautiful as you are. To me, you shine bright as a star! Think of how you helped me all these years, your father was away. I think of him everyday. But, you Penji, you did every little thing a potato can. Remember how in my fever, all night you sat beside me waving your fan? Remember how you helped your old Grandma Potato with her groceries even when you were this high? Why would you ever want to be a French fry? If Lace thinks you're ugly, she can't see the kindness in your heart and the courage in your many eyes. It is her loss and not yours, know that and be wise. When you hurt me with your words, it's that kindness in you you hurt. Penji, my dear, you're still young, you don't know your worth."
Penji heard all this and he felt something inside of him. And then, he heard a voice, that sounded rather a lot like his in his right ear. The voice said to him, "Hear, hear! You have made your mother feel very bad. Doesn't it make you sad? Penji the Potato, say sorry to her. We call it 'apologise' and you should apologise to your mother."
Penji felt the starch inside him twist and turn and knot and twist some more. His mother was looking down and her eyes were watery. Penji, nervous, looked down at the floor. "Mother, I'm sorry " he was about to say, but then he heard another voice, which, too sounded rather a lot like his in his wrong ear. And the voice said "Oh, Penji, but that's so queer! Listen to me, my dear. You were right all along! Why should you apologise if you weren't wrong? The fault is all her's. And now, you must live in sadness for a hundred and sixty seven years!"
And so Penji the Potato's heart bled. But, he didn't apologise, torn between his right and wrong ears. He went back to his room and locked it. And then, again, he began his prayers. He would be slick and long and fit! He knew that he had to try. He would sail to France to be a French fry!
Penji the Potato would wake up sweating like a seahorse out of water at midnight and midday. He would see Lace's face far, far, far above him. Her eyes were red, and they glowed like the sun at the end of the day. Her mouth would be filled with sharp teeth and she would be screaming at him:
"You are fat and round and dumb and ugly and dumb and fat and round and ugly and ugly and ugly and ugly and ugly!"
And Penji would say, "I beg of you, don't say that to me! Please, have mercy, Lace my Lady! I'm sorry I loved you, I didn't think it was wrong."
And Lace would say, "Charlie is red and oh-so-hot and cool and strong!"
So, to Mother Potato Penji went to complain. He knew she had made him, but why? All he'd got in his life was pain. It would have been so much better if she had made him a French fry! Mother Potato was looking at the photos of her and Father Potato. They had been together for many years, and seen many things. But before he could see Penji, Father Potato had to go. He had said "I have to try. I shall sail to France to be a French fry!". When Penji would ask her where Father Potato was, she would tell him "He's an angel now, with wings."
She saw Penji coming and put the picture down. My, my the boy seemed angry! He had such a frown!
"Penji, dear, do you want to talk to me?" said Mother Potato.
"I told Lace the Lady Finger that I love her, you see." said Penji.
"Oh, my boy, I'm so proud of you! That's so lovely!" said Mother Potato.
"Mother, she said that she didn't love me. She said that I was round and fat and ugly. She said I was nothing beside Charlie. Oh, why didn't you make me a French fry? I pined and prayed and hoped and dared, but all I do now is cry and sigh. Why did you make me in this way? Now, for your mistake, I must pay!"
 |
| "Now for your mistake I must pay!" |
Hearing such cruel words from her son, tears came to Mother Potato's eyes. She remembered a time long ago, when Penji had come to her. She felt she could again hear the sound of his cries. She saw that Penji, indeed, was weeping again, and it made everything else a blur. Hurt, sad and teary eyed, Mother Potato told Penji:
"Penji, my boy, please understand: when you say such things, they hurt me! Don't do that, because, after all, we're a team, aren't we? And listen now to my words very carefully. The reason Lace doesn't love you is your body. We think that that only vegetables like Pat and Lace and Charile are beautiful, but that's how God wanted them to be. God created everyone like you and me. And in God's creation, there is nothing ugly."
And then Penji said to Mother Potato:
"Don't blame him: you made me! And there is no worse way I could be! Why did God make Charlie hot? And why am I not? I think it's all unfair and cruel, too."
"Oh, Penji, this isn't you!" said Mother Potato to Penji, "You are beautiful as you are. To me, you shine bright as a star! Think of how you helped me all these years, your father was away. I think of him everyday. But, you Penji, you did every little thing a potato can. Remember how in my fever, all night you sat beside me waving your fan? Remember how you helped your old Grandma Potato with her groceries even when you were this high? Why would you ever want to be a French fry? If Lace thinks you're ugly, she can't see the kindness in your heart and the courage in your many eyes. It is her loss and not yours, know that and be wise. When you hurt me with your words, it's that kindness in you you hurt. Penji, my dear, you're still young, you don't know your worth."
 |
Penji felt the starch inside him twist and turn and knot and twist some more. His mother was looking down and her eyes were watery. Penji, nervous, looked down at the floor. "Mother, I'm sorry
And so Penji the Potato's heart bled. But, he didn't apologise, torn between his right and wrong ears. He went back to his room and locked it. And then, again, he began his prayers. He would be slick and long and fit! He knew that he had to try. He would sail to France to be a French fry!
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