James and the Giant Peach: A Musical Novelization

Ch. 7

The beach was golden in the late afternoon light. The ocean gleamed like a polished mirror and its surface was just as smooth. Tiny waves bubbled softly around James's bare feet as he stood at the shoreline, peering out over the horizon. Dad's boat would be here soon, laden with fresh fish. James knew he had been fishing for fluke today and the little boy felt his mouth water at the thought of the freshly cooked fish. Dad would give the best of his catch to Mum and then head down to the market to sell the rest. Maybe he'd take James with him this time and when they got back, Mum would have dinner ready. Mum would tell them to hurry and wash up because they needed to-

"Get up! Get up at once!"

James jerked awake at the sound of an all-too familiar voice. As soon as he did, though, he wished he hadn't. He was still laying by the peach tree and his whole body was sore from sleeping curled up on the ground. The sky was just beginning to lighten, but the stars were already invisible. A soft morning mist swirled around him and James felt himself shivering and damp all over. His stomach rumbled and his throat burned with thirst, but looking up to see Spiker and Sponge looming over him was easily his biggest concern.

"You lazy beast, where have you been?"

"I was-"

"Playing out in the garden all night? Ooh, you idle brat!" Spiker's face flushed with temper; not an easy feat as her face was already red and crispy from the sun. Sponge was in no better condition and though both women were garbed in light silk robes, James could see them wincing slightly as they moved.

"No, I-"

"Didn't you hear us calling you for help?"

"I-"

"Clearly you didn't, beast. Oh, no, never mind your poor aunties who spent hours in the sun! Thanks to your brilliant idea, we've been up all night nursin' our sun burns!"

"You didn't have sunscreen?" James asked timidly.

"Didn't have..? You cheeky little devil! No, we didn't have sunscreen!" Sponge raised her arm, but drew it back with a groan. James flinched, looking at his aunt with frightened eyes as she glared at him.

"'Why don't we go to the seashore?'" she trilled in a high-pitched mocking voice. "Hah, seashore, my sunburned patootie! OUCH!" Sponge had punctuated her last statement with a slap of her well-padded rear, clearing forgetting that said rear was now as red as a lobster.

"And look, you didn't to a single thing we asked you to do!" Spiker gestured at the still-standing peach tree as James shakily got to his feet. "Not only did you not chop down the tree, but the kitchen isn't cleaned, the beds aren't made and you didn't bother cooking any dinner! Huh, lazy waste of flesh you turned out to be. Maybe I should speak to Old Sue about auctioning you off."

"But I-" James's voice trembled as he tried to think of something to say. True, he hadn't chopped down the tree, but even without stopping to make a magic potion, he didn't think he'd have been able to cut the whole thing down. And even if he had, was he expected to just leave it laying in the garden? And as for the rest of Spiker's demands- making the beds, cleaning the kitchen, and making dinner- she hadn't asked him to do that! Oh sure, James knew how to make a bed and he could work hard to scrub the pots and pans and wash down the stovetop, but he'd never cooked a meal in his life! Helping his mother in the kitchen with measuring, mixing, and fetching the odd ingredient was one thing, but preparing a whole meal? He didn't know how to do that and Mum had even said she didn't want him using the oven or stove until he was at least ten!

And what did Spiker mean about auctioning him off? He was a person; you couldn't sell a person. James had learned in school that, long ago, some people had been slaves to others and sold like animals whenever their owners didn't want them, but that was against the law now! At least, that's what his history classes had taught him. But Spiker had said someone named Old Sue knew how to sell people. Or was she just making that up to scare him? James wasn't sure, but something in his aunt's eyes told him he'd better believe such a thing could very much happen to him.