Ella - The World According To A Disney Doll

Chapter 12 - "More Than A Woman" - September 11th 2012.

Whilst visiting my cowgirl pal, Calamity, I discover a little more about her past history.  However, when our intimate chat switches it's focus onto MY personal life instead, somehow I find it a tad harder to open up and talk myself ...

You can find the FULL story on my facebook blog here ... https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.151031821718193.35134.150797015075007&type=3

You can check out the music slideshow to this chapter on Youtube here ... http://youtu.be/_fSeFKpyOxs

Chapter 12 - "More Than A Woman".

I was still feeling in a bit of a dream world the day after Rocky had asked me out. I could not help it, I was thinking about our little chat and trying to imagine what Friday night was going to be like every waking hour, well lets be honest here, I am pretty much convinced that I had dreamed about him last night aswell. The only trouble was that today is only Tuesday, so there are still 3 whole days left !! … 3 whole days, that sounded like an eternity to me, what one earth was I going to do with myself until then ?

I knew that I was getting far too carried away with the whole thing, and if I continued to build it up in my mind like this it was never going to reach my lofty expectations that my over-imaginative brain had started to conjure. I needed bringing back down to earth and there was only one person that I could think of who could help me with that, and that was Calamity. She was the most grounded doll I had met since I had arrived at Holly’s home, well probably apart from Rocky, but its not like talking to him was going to be much help in this situation was it ?

And so I ventured out into the conservatory hoping to find her there, as I knew that’s where she kept her wigwam house.

Calam spotted me crossing the room coming towards her and immediately started to wave as she yelled in her usual fun loving manor

“Heya Ella .. what yous be doin ouwt in theyse ere parts?”

I was overjoyed by my friends cheery greeting, and just knew that spending some time with her was sure to help me forget about all my over active imaginings.

I waved back to her but had to wait until I was a bit closer before responding to her enquiry, I did not quite have such a booming voice like Calamity did, she had a resonance that could carry across and entire room, which for a 12” doll is no mean feat.

“I thought it was about time I payed you a visit at home Calam, now that I know where you live” I said, hoping that it had not been too long since she had asked to wonder why I was answering that question.

“Weyll thayts mighty nice of ya Ella … mighty nice indeeyd” I could see she was a little moved by my visit, and I started to wonder if perhaps she didn’t really get many of the dolls coming to see her that often ?

“They’s nowt much to it, but makes yourseylf at howme” she grinned and invited me to sit with her at the entrance to her makeshift house.

I was curious about the wigwam and her cowgirl way of life and decided to ask if her interest in such things was just because she was made as a cowboy style doll or if there was another reason ?

“Weyll Ella, thayts kinda a lowng stowry” she started, I could tell by the look on her face and general demeanour that this was a subject dear to her heart and was greatly enthralled to hear more about her tale.

“It awll started abouwt, ooh must be amost 30 year ago now. It were the 80’s an Holly were jus a itty bitty owld thiyng, no more an knee high to a grass howppa …”

As Calam continued I found out that she had been a birthday present to Holly when she was very young, she was also given Dallas and a matching Jeep and Horse trailer at the same time. Holly had loved playing with them and spent endless hours with Calamity either riding on her beloved horse or driving the jeep around, of course not forgetting to tow Dallas in her trailer box when driving. It was clear that she missed that jeep, Holly still had the horse box but for some reason the jeep, just like Rockys VW Golf convertible car, had gone missing at some point throughout Holly’s childhood. I couldn’t help bust wonder why all those doll cars had gone missing? But that was getting me side tracked.

“Couwrse, when ma bowdy broke thayt was te eynd of bein able to ride Dallas prowperly” she continued. This abrupt statement sort of took me by surprise as I had seen Calam on her horse many times and as far as I could see her body seemed to look, well for better use of a word, look unbroken.

“Broke?!” I blurted is a startled tone “I didn’t know you were broken Calam ?”

“I’m nowt now am I” she replied, looking as though she had found my comment rather amusing “But thayt first body a mine done snaypped, so I had to hayve a body traynsplant, like many a Holly’s chiyldhood dowlls did” Did I hear that right? Did she really say body transplant ???!! “the riginal one were unmeyndable, such a shayme too as it had prowper leygs that were designed to sit astriyde a howrse, and haynds that could grip ontos reins” she shook her head, slightly sorrowful as she thought about it.

By this point I was far to distracted and rather disturbed about the idea of a body transplant that I was not really paying much attention to what else Calam had been saying. I decided to ask her about it as it probably was not as bad as it sounded and if I didn’t find out the truth I imagined having nightmares about it. Calamity explained that when dolls get played with a lot by children, especially very young children, they are much more prone to getting damaged and so the dolls got repaired with parts from other dolls. Infact, as it turned out supposedly most of Holly’s childhood dolls did not have their original bodies, they had been swapped around so many times that no-one knew who’s was who anymore.

“Does it … hurt” I meekly enquired.

“Heyll no, ya downt feel a thiyng” she chuckled “downt worry Ella, Holly’s nowt a child nomore, sbeen years, prowbly decades, siynce theys been any breakages … I thinks youwll be safe for now hehehe” Calam nudged her elbow at me and winked as she was saying this, I think she was trying to make me feel better about worrying about something so silly and unlikely.

“Anyways, I’s getting ahead o myseylf” she continued “Now, ther reason Holly was bourght me an Dallas was so she could play af her browther an hiys Lone Ranger Cowboy dowlls” suddenly Calam’s face did not look quite so cheerful, her expression went much more dreamy and her eyes glazed over in a stare as she looked off into the distance and remembered.

She told me all about the Lone Ranger dolls that were much older than she was as they dated back to the early 70’s. There were several cowboy dolls, a few native American types, the obligatory bad guy doll, also many horses and cowboy props including a campfire, and a lovely sounding wagon that had a real fabric top to it. As she talked Calamity sounded as though she was describing what her idea of heaven was.

Then her face started to fill with sorrow as she talked about one particular cowboy doll, he was a duplicate doll that they had of the titular character from the range “The Lone Ranger” and he was someone clearly very special to Calam

“Hiys name were Reid, an thiys is all I hayve left te remeymber hiym by” she whispered as she pulled out a small toy cowboy gun from her belt. I hadn’t really ever noticed before that she was carrying it, but then it was probably not the sort of thing she wanted to draw attention to.

Calamity gently placed the gun in her lap as Dallas’s head popped down, as if she had instinctively known that her mistress was feeling sad.

“Weyll I stiyll gowt you, hayven’t I ole girl” she said, softly petting her trusty steed in condolence.

I know it probably wasn’t appropriate but I had to know so I asked Calam what had happened to Reid ? I was wondering if he had suffered the same fate as Jackson lost love ?

“Owe snothin liyke thayt” she responded “all em Lone Ranger dowlls went with Holly’s brother, so when she moved ouwt an, he moved ouwt, I dunno what happened really … we jus neyver saw each owther agin”

My heart went out to her, she had lost the love of her life, but seemed such a strong and independent doll. And then I compared her to Jackson, they both had suffered heart brake but whilst he had let it consume him, Calamity had never let it change her one little bit. I admired her all the more, and wondered if I would be capable of such grace and dignity in the same situation ?

I think the conversation had turned a little too serious and sorrowful for Calam’s taste so she suddenly turned to me with a big sneaky grin on her face, leaned over and slapped me on the back playfully with a rather abrupt change of subject.

“So, I hears thayt someone hays a dayte with a certain tall dark an hayndsome Ken dowll, thiys Friday a comin!?!”

I was startled by her statement and, felt my face start to blush as she looked at me intently, waiting for some kind of response. But I had none to give at that moment, as I tried to think I started to wonder how on earth she had found out? as Rocky and I had been completely alone during out intimate conversation yesterday. And then I also realised something else, I had not thought about Rocky the entire time that I had been with Calam, well up until now that is, so on a side thought, at least coming to visit her had done the job in bringing me back to reality.

But now he was in my head again, and I really did not know what to say ?

I could not even make eye contact with Calamity as I looked down shyly and nervously fiddled with the folds of my dress. I knew that I should say something, after all Calam had been so open an honest about her feelings when talking to me just a few moments ago and yet I clammed up and couldn’t find a word to say to her. For some reason that made things even worse as I then started to feel guilty, and the longer the silence went on the more I was unable to speak.

Calamity seemed to have taken pity on me, seeing what a state I was in, but still could not resist adding.

“Gowsh amighty Ella, I’s thiynk you two’s as be as thiyck as mollases” The lilt of her voice made that statement sound rather teasing, but knowing Calam as I do, I really don’t think she meant it that way. Sensing my ever growing discomfort she finished with “Theys nowthin to worry abouwt, yous two ‘ll hayve a sweyll tiyme I’s sure”.

Feeling the need for another change of subject Calamity promptly sprang to her feet and grabbed Dallas exclaiming “I thinyks its tiyme for a riyde, blow ouwt the ole cowbwebs an all!”

I glanced over to her, still feeling tense about my shyness and inability to talk when questioned about Rocky, but I could just tell that Calam knew to drop it. She was so good to me, I had been nosey and prying about her past and love life, and she had acted with composure and grace. I on the other hand fell to pieces at the mere mention of my love interest, and not only acted, lets face it, a little child like, but also rude as I never even managed to answer or acknowledge her during that one sided discussion. I felt a little ashamed of myself and realised that I had a lot to learn when it come to dealing with talking about my personal feelings.

Calamity hopped up onto Dallas’s back and I stood up and stroked her mane and petted her head

“Would ya liyke to come alowng Ella?” asked Calam gently.

Part of me wanted to say yes but I didn’t want to put a downer on her positive spirit, and I felt like I needed time to compose myself before I was able to face the other dolls inside.

“I’ll be fine here Calam really, if that’s ok with you?” I replied with a croak and squeakyness to my voice that almost made me sound like Millie! “I’ll just hang around here for a little bit and then make my own way back to the house”

“Okey dokey” she replied, and with that Dallas galloped away.

I could see how happy the two of them were whilst dashing away at breakneck speed together, they began so quickly that Calamity’s hat flew off the back of her head, lucky she had a string around her neck to hold it on! I could hear her belting out “Yeeee hawww” even from across the room as they continued.

In a way, I realised that Calam is sort of my hero, she is exactly the sort of kind, brave, adventurous, friendly, passionate, funny, thoughtful and deep person that I would like to be, it seemed that whatever situation life threw at her she could handle it with the poise of a Lady and the heart of a lion. I hoped that if I could grow to be even half the doll that she was then that would be a wonderful thing to aspire to.