James and the Giant Peach: A Musical Novelization

Ch. 4

"Dover Station! Next stop, Dover station!"

The conductor's voice rang through the crowded train and Matron jerked awake.

"Dover already? My goodness, I only just shut my eyes. Oh, what I wouldn't give to be able to go on a real vacation right now! But after I drop you off with your aunties, I must return right to the orphanage."

"You mean you're not going to stay?" James asked.

"Don't be foolish, James! Of course I'm not going to stay. Your aunties will be waiting for you at the station."

"But-"

"What now?"

"But I don't know them. I never met them before and Mum and Dad didn't-" James couldn't finish.

"You'll have plenty of time to get to know them, James," Matron said firmly. "I know it's sudden, but you simply must learn to make the best of a bad situation. Whether you like it or not, your aunties are your family. Plenty of the other children back at the orphanage don't even have that, so you must be grateful and not complain."

"But... what if they don't like me?" James asked softly.

"They're taking you in; that should be enough. If you want your aunties to like you, you'll do what they say and behave yourself. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Matron."

"Good. Then let's have no more of this kind of talk. You're about to start a brand new life in a brand new home. You should be happy."

James kept silent, turning to look out the window again. Despite the reassuring sight of the early morning sun, happy was the last thing he felt right now. If anything, he felt more heartsick than ever before. Oh, how he wished his mother and father were here right now. James closed his eyes and tried to imagine his mother's soft gentle arms around him, her wispy red scarf tickling his cheek. And his father would be sitting right next to him, immersed in a book or going over some papers for his business. But he would always take the time to smile down at James and ruffle his hair or pull him close for an affectionate hug. James bit his lip to stop himself from starting to cry; Matron would be angry if he cried, of course, and his aunts...?

Well, he didn't know. Covertly wiping his eyes, James sat back in his seat as he tried to puzzle out the mystery of these new relatives. His parents had never once mentioned having siblings before and both of them had lost their parents when they were young too. He knew that because one of his assignments in school had been to write about his family and he had been the only one in his class not to mention any relatives other than his mother and father.

"My father died when I was eight and my mother went soon after," Dad had told him that night when James had brought up the subject. "After that, I went to live with my aunt Mary, my uncle Richard, and my three cousins. We got on alright, but... well, we grew apart as we got older. I wanted to get a good job and start a family and my cousins each went their own ways in the end. Uncle Richard got sick and died when I was away learning how to captain a fishing boat and Aunt Mary died not long before I met your mother. A shame you never got to meet her, Miranda."

"I remember you saying that," James's mother had said. "I would have liked to meet her. But at least you were with her when the time came. I know she must have been grateful for that, Henry."

"Did you live your auntie and uncle too, Mum?"

"I was raised mainly by my great-aunt, my late grandmother's sister. She had a few relatives, but we weren't close, so I didn't really know them. I don't even know if they're still alive."