by John White

Created on: September 08, 2010

Aunt Penny was Beatrice’s best friend and most favorite relative in the whole world. Mother said it was because Beatrice and Aunt Penny were so alike. They dressed in unusual clothes, did odd fun things, and wore their beautiful blond hair all the way to their hips. Father thought they were both so odd they must have come from another planet.

When Aunt Penny visited, the first thing she would say is, “It’s time for my favorite niece and I to explore!” And that’s what they did, Aunt Penny in her purple outfit of purple jeans, purple shirt and purple beret and Beatrice in her orange shorts, orange shirt and an orange straw hat.

At the great fountain, Aunt Penny held Beatrice’s hand as Beatrice danced along the edge, jumping over small marble dolphins.

“Why do they call you Penny?” Beatrice asked, trying to reach for a coin in the fountain.

“It’s short for Penelope, but I never felt like a Penelope, so I answered only to Penny.”

“Well, I always felt like a Beatrice,” Beatrice said.

“That’s because you are, silly” Aunt Penny pulled Beatrice back before her odd niece fell into the fountain.

The rest of the day they spent doing Beatrice’s favorite things: throwing sticks under the river bridge, making faces at the monkeys in the zoo, racing each other up and down in the glass elevators at the downtown hotel, and watching jets land over the highway near the airport. Beatrice liked to try to touch the wheels of the planes as Aunt Penny lifted her high in the air, but the planes were too far away.

Beatrice loved her aunt and that’s why she was sad when Mother and Father told her Aunt Penny was sick. Beatrice hardly recognized her Aunt Penny at the hospital. She was skinnier and looked tired, and worst of all, her beautiful long blond hair was gone!

“How is my favorite niece?” Aunt Penny said softly to Beatrice.

Beatrice climbed onto the bed, laid her head on Aunt Penny’s shoulder—and cried.

“That’s enough of that, young lady. I’m going to be fine,” she said as she hugged Beatrice close.

Beatrice touched the top of Aunt Penny’s head. “Why did they cut your hair?”

“Oh—the medicine does that, Beatrice. It will grow back, you’ll see.”

Mother and Father let Beatrice stay the night and she fell asleep as Aunt Penny sang soft songs to her. Days later, Mother reminded Beatrice her

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