Matilda
from my VHS collection
No one believes us when we talk about Matilda, but that’s how it is with grownups. They think just because you’re little you don’t know anything.
That’s so dumb.
Matilda was our friend. She could do things, magic things. She got rid of the Trunchbull. But the grownups always say it was something else.
Except for Miss Honey. She loved Matilda. That’s why they’re together now.
Matilda saved all of us and that’s why we love her too.
But her story is pretty weird.
Did you ever see her parents? How could someone like Matilda have parents like hers? In the morning, her father would drop her off at school in that beat-up old car, yelling at her and saying things that weren’t very nice!
When her mother came after school, she cared more about her makeup and her clothes than how Matilda did in class — and Matilda was smart! She must have read all the books in the library. We bet she read more books than anyone in the whole world! But her parents didn’t care.
And neither did Miss Trunchbull. We would’ve eaten spinach for dinner for a year instead of going to her class! Her room was dark and the chairs hurt and she was always mad at us for something — even if we didn’t do anything! She never smiled — no, wait. She did smile, but—
You know how other people smile because they got a hug, or you gave them a cookie or because they’re playing with their dog?
The Trunchbull didn’t smile like that. The only time she would smile was when she put one of us in the chokee — and none of us wanted that.
Miss Honey was different. We couldn’t wait to go to her class. She was fun and she knew all kinds of things and when she smiled it didn’t make you want to hide under your desk. We loved her and so did Matilda.
Then one day Matilda could do magic. We don’t know how! But she could make things float in the air and spin around like they were on strings. We saw her do it when the Trenchbull got mad at us again — and Matilda realized she could make it so the Trunchbull would go away forever!
We bet you know the rest — all the stuff Matilda learned about the Trunchbull and why Miss Honey was so scared of her. Boy, were we surprised about that! Matilda figured out what to do all on her own and her magic powers made it happen. She even got Miss Honey to help. The best part for Matilda was getting away from her parents for good.
It all sounds crazy, but it really happened.
But no one ever believes us.
Things are better at school now that the Trunchbull is gone, but so are Matilda and Miss Honey. We wish we had magic powers like Matilda, but we know one way we can be like her. The day after she left, we begged our teachers to take us to the library so we could get cards.
Boy, they have all kinds of books there!
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Previously:
Sheriff Marge Gunderson
Thank you for telling me your story. I believe you!
ReplyDeleteWell, of course you would!
DeleteI adore this, Rich. I love the perspective of a classmate, and how they are filled with awe and wonder of Matilda. But I also like that this person doesn't like Matilda just for her magic abilities, they also like her for her smarts and reading ability.
ReplyDeleteIt's time to see this film again. Such a great cast, and Mara Wilson is completely believable (and charming) as Matilda. She can definitely hold her own against any adult cast member, no?
Thank you for joining the blogathon with this delightful tribute. I really love it.
Thanks, but I was going after a “first-person plural” angle with this post (I’m not sure if that’s the proper name for it). It’s a style I’ve seen before, where the first-person narration speaks for a collective, a group of people with a shared experience. Think of the Borg in Star Trek. It seemed appropriate here, where I could have Matilda’s classmates speak as one about her. The idea came to me the other day and I was eager to try it. It’s not a familiar practice, I know, so perhaps it’s not surprising you didn’t recognize it at first. Maybe I could’ve made it more obvious?
ReplyDeleteThat was so nice! You made me laugh in many moments, remember in others (even though it's been a while I got to know Matilda) and I even saw myself in that last sentence! I loved how the story was narrated, congratulations.
ReplyDeleteCheers!