I'll Never Forget
Thanks for downloading I’ll Never Forget! If you’re new to my books and this is the first thing you’ve read by me, you should know that this story is a prequel to This Point Forward, book 5 in The Rosewoods Series.
You’ll probably want to start with Taking the Reins, which you can download for free at your favorite retailer.
Happy Reading!
xoxo
Kat
I’ll Never Forget
A Short Story – prequel to
This Point Forward
by
Katrina Abbott
Over The Cliff Publishing, 2014
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places or events are entirely coincidental.
September, 2014
Copyright © 2014 Katrina Abbott
Written by Katrina Abbott
Also by Katrina Abbott
The Rosewoods
Taking The Reins
Masquerade
Playing The Part
Reading Between The Lines
This Point Forward
Making Ripples
Acting Out
Hitting the Target
Turning the Page
Crossing the Line
New Beginnings - The Rosewoods Series - Books 1 - 3
Fresh Start: The Rosewoods Series Prequel
The Rosewoods - Bonus Content
I'll Never Forget
Risking it All
The Rosewoods Rock Star Series
Along for the Ride
Going on Tour
Working for the Band
Watch for more at Katrina Abbott’s site.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
I'll Never Forget (The Rosewoods - Bonus Content, #1)
Some Ten Years Ago
“Mama?” I said from the doorway to my parents’ bedroom. They were packing their enormous suitcases in preparation for their trip. Papa was in the bathroom, and by the clattering sounds, he was packing his many bottles of shampoos and other manly bathroom things into his big kit.
My mother stood by the bed with her back to me, which made it easy to see her spine stiffen at my one word. She knew why I was there as much as I knew she was going to refuse me. Again.
But I had to try one last time.
“What is it, Emmeline?” she asked without turning toward me.
Whining hadn’t gotten me anywhere, so I’d needed a different strategy. I walked toward the bed and around her so she could see me. I held out my hand.
“What is that?” she said, looking down at the small handful of bills.
“If I give you all my birthday and Christmas money, can I come? Please, Mama. I don’t want to be alone again.”
Mother exhaled and pushed her stack of folded blouses to the center of the bed so she could sit down. “You won’t be alone; you’ll have Nanny here with you.”
“I want to come with you and Papa. Please, Mama. Maybe it’s not enough money, but I’ll give you my next birthd...”
She cut me off with one of her firm head shakes. “Emmeline, honey, it’s not about the money. Believe me,” she said with a chuckle, “We can afford to take you. It’s just not that kind of trip. It’s not for children.”
“Are there no children in Africa?” I asked, confused.
She laughed again, even though I didn’t understand why what I’d said was funny. “There are plenty of children in Africa, but not any you’d ever want to play with. It’s just that this is not the kind of trip for young children. You’ll understand someday.”
I wanted her to explain it now, but the phone rang and she stood up to step around the bed to pick it up. With her hand on the receiver, she looked at me and said, “Go ask Nanny to read you a story before bed and don’t forget to brush your teeth. I’ll come in and say goodbye before we leave.”
I thought about going to talk to Papa to make my case, but knew I would get nowhere with him, either. I turned to leave and heard her answer the phone and greet her friend Lori, who I was supposed to call Aunt Lori, but who wasn’t really my aunt.
Instead of searching out Nanny, I left my parents’ bedroom and turned right toward the bathroom. I went in and locked the door behind me before I opened the linen closet and climbed in past the sheets and towels to the back where I could hear my mother’s voice clearly.
“...seven a.m., if you believe it. It is absolutely uncivilized if you ask me, Lor. It means we have to leave here by three.” There was a long pause and then she said, “She wants to come with us...I know we could have, but you think I want her tagging around on an African safari for three weeks with no nanny? God, can you imagine? Better she stay at home and not miss any school.”
My heart felt like it stopped when I realized Mama was talking about me.
“It was cute, though,” she went on. “She came in here five minutes ago with all her savings and said she’d pay her own way...I know. Sometimes she’s adorable. But you can’t tell me a six year old who is hot and tired in the middle of the African desert would be adorable.” Then she laughed.
I thought about staying in the closet so they wouldn’t be able to find me when they were leaving for the airport, but I didn’t want to hear any more of my mother’s conversation, so I wiped my eyes and nose on one of the towels and left the closet and bathroom.
I went and found Nanny after all and even though she read me my favorite story, it didn’t help cheer me up one bit.
~ ♥ ~
I woke up to hear my father saying my name in his deep voice. It was mostly dark in my room, except for my nightlight that lit up the one side of Papa’s face, and I knew it was very late.
He had come to say goodbye.
I pushed myself up against my headboard and yawned. “Are you leaving, Papa?”
“Yes, Sunshine,” he said.
“Please let me come,” I said, one last time.
“Sorry,” he said, squeezing my hand. “Not this time.”
“Not last time or the time before, either,” I said. Wondering if there would ever be a time.
“I wouldn’t whine, I promise.”
“Sorry, Sunshine.”
“Is it because of the other kids?”
He cocked his head. “What?”
“The kids. The ones Mama said I wouldn’t want to play with. Are they bad kids or are they sick or something?”
He looked at me for several long moments, but I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Finally, he nodded. “Yes. The children are ill and hungry. It is not a nice place for children to live and many of them are poor and can’t afford food and medical care, I’m sorry to say.”
“And you’re going to help them? Is that why you and Mama are going on this trip?”
Papa smiled. “Yes, of course.”
“You’ll buy them medicine?”
He paused, but then said, “Yes. Medicine and food.”
Despite still being tired, I got out of bed, sliding my feet into my slippers before padding across the room.
“What are you doing?” Papa asked, but I ignored his question and reached up inside my rabbit puppet to where I hid my money (except for the coins that I saved in my piggy bank). I pulled out the bills and returned to the bed, handing them all to Papa.
“What’s this for?” he asked.
“I would like to buy some food and medicine for them, too.”
He pushed the money back at me. “That’s not necessary, Emmeline.”
I folded my arms, refusing to take the money. “I want to help. I want you to buy food and medicine so that next time I can go with you. I don’t want to be left at home anymore and I want the children in Africa t
o get better so I can go.”
Papa made a face, but put the money in his pocket and reached out his arms. “Give me a hug and say goodbye. Mama will be in in a second to say goodbye, too.”
I hugged him and then at his urging, I climbed back into bed and he read to me while Mama finished getting ready. Finally she was done and came to say goodbye a few minutes later.
They each kissed me on the forehead, told me to be good, and promised they’d see me in just a few weeks.
Just a few weeks felt like forever.
~ ♥ ~
I waited at the front door. I’d been waiting there for hours, even though they weren’t supposed to arrive until late. There was nowhere else I wanted to be than in the foyer, waiting for the second I could see my parents. I even refused to go to the kitchen for dinner, assuring Nanny that I wasn’t hungry until she sighed, put my dinner in a bowl and brought it to me so I could sit beside the door and keep watch out the window.
Finally, when I was so bored and tired I was rethinking the wisdom of this plan, two headlights turned into the driveway, beaming across my face.
“THEY’RE HERE!” erupted from my throat. I repeated it countless times hearing Nanny’s chair squeak as she got up from watching TV and came to the foyer.
I danced from foot to foot, my impatience like a physical thing causing my limbs to keep in constant motion while my parents unloaded the bags out of the trunk. It was like they were trying to torture me on purpose by moving so slowly.
Then they were walking up the path, and I looked back at Nanny who gave me the nod that meant I could unlock and throw open the door.
“Papa, Mama!” I yelled, trying to get them to hurry so I could hug them.
They both smiled, so wide that I knew they’d missed me maybe as much as I’d missed them. Papa dropped his suitcase and opened his arms for me to run into. “There’s my sunshine!” he said as he scooped me up, making me giggle. He spun me around four times and then squeezed me tight before he put me down on my feet.
“I need to bring in our bags,” he said, nodding toward the door. “Go on, let’s get inside.”
Once we were all inside and they’d put down their suitcases, Mama led us into the kitchen so they could get a drink after their long day of travel. She had a shiny pink bag in her hand and I knew it was my present; they always brought me back something when they traveled.
Once the milk was poured and I was positive I could not wait even one second longer, Mama handed me the bag. “For you, Emmeline,” she said, smiling.
“Thank you,” I said, minding my manners as I took the bag. I pushed past the tissue, the crinkle of the paper almost deafening as I reached in and felt something soft.
I pulled it out and it was a stuffed elephant—the most beautiful one I had ever seen—with soft fur and shiny brown eyes. I pulled him to my chest for a squishy hug. “Thank you,” I said again, this time really meaning it. I ducked my head down toward the elephant’s face. “He says his name is Henry.”
“You’re welcome,” Papa said, his hand on my shoulder. “Why Henry?”
I shrugged. “That’s just what he says.”
Papa smiled.
“How are the children?” I asked him while Mama sorted through the huge stack of mail between sips of her juice.
“What’s that, sunshine?”
“The children. Are they all better?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mother look up at him and they exchanged one of their secret looks. “What children?” Mama asked.
“I gave Papa all of my money to help with the medicine and food to make the children better.”
Father pinched his lips together into a line as he exhaled through his nose.
“What is it?” I asked, looking between the two of them. Then I was struck by a sense of horror. “Did the children die?”
“No,” Papa began, crouching down so we were eye to eye. “I mean, I don’t know, Emmeline. I have to admit, I forgot about it while we were there. We were on safari and it slipped my mind. We were very busy and...” he stopped just as the first tear left my eye.
“You left them to die? What about their food and medicine? I thought you were going to save them?”
He glanced at Mama, who then said, “Come now, Emmeline. There are many, many sick children, we give to charity all the time, but we can’t save them all.”
Tears still fell as I looked up at my mother wide-eyed. “We didn’t save any. You forgot about the children. How could you forget the children?” Worse, I thought, how could they forget me? The promise he’d made to me. I was only one child, their child, but so easily forgotten?
“I’ll give you the money back,” Papa said, reaching into his pocket.
“NO!” I yelled. “You send it to the children. I didn’t forget them; I thought about them every day.” With that proclamation, Henry and I stomped away to our room.
And I vowed that day that even if my parents forgot me and the ill, hungry children in Africa, I never would.
~ ♥ ~
Read more of Emmie’s story in the next installment of The Rosewoods:
This Point Forward
Available now!
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The Rosewoods Series
TAKING THE REINS
MASQUERADE
PLAYING THE PART
READING BETWEEN THE LINES
I’LL NEVER FORGET (Short Story)
THIS POINT FORWARD
RISKING IT ALL (Short Story)
MAKING RIPPLES
ACTING OUT
HITTING THE TARGET (August 2015)
Find me online at http://katrinaabbott.com, follow me on Twitter @abbottkatrina and come check out my Pinterest board to see some of the inspirations behind the characters (girls and guys!) and the costumes for MASQUERADE.
xoxo
Katrina Abbott
Also by Katrina Abbott
The Rosewoods
Taking The Reins
Masquerade
Playing The Part
Reading Between The Lines
This Point Forward
Making Ripples
Acting Out
Hitting the Target
Turning the Page
Crossing the Line
New Beginnings - The Rosewoods Series - Books 1 - 3
Fresh Start: The Rosewoods Series Prequel
The Rosewoods - Bonus Content
I'll Never Forget
Risking it All
The Rosewoods Rock Star Series
Along for the Ride
Going on Tour
Working for the Band
Watch for more at Katrina Abbott’s site.
Katrina Abbott, I'll Never Forget
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