Joke-Knife

Tell me. Go on; I won't get mad. Tell me! I want the answer -- come on, we're the bestest of best friends, aren't we? 'sides, we promised each other a long time ago that there would be no secret between the two of us.1

...oh. So we're using silence as a shield now, are we? They say the best defense is a good offense, but I won't relent until I get my answer. We understand each other best -- or at least... we used to, didn't we?2

Look. No, listen to me. We were the bestest of best friends, and teacher often told us how she dreaded the day she saw us apart; we promised there would be no secret between us, remember? You were the only person I told when sister got pregnant. Don't you remember how mom was so angry when she found out, and how you were the only one who comforted me when mom got sent to jail and couldn't make it to the party where sister hid herself inside a box and slept forever, like Snow White did? We laughed and wondered when the prince was coming to kiss her and take her away, but the curse never broke.3

And there's --4

Remember Teddy? You gave me Teddy, because sister wasn't there to hold on to me through the nights. Remember? Can you remembe --5

Come on, it's just a nod, or even the shake of your head. Not as if it's going to take much out of you anyway! And I... I won't get mad, I promise. Please, just... Just tell me you remember that much?6

Wait, I know! There was the time daddy started wearing that hard, white sock thing after he paid a visit to the doctor. He said he couldn't play with us anymore, so we took those things he used to push himself forward and hid them inside the bathtub. Daddy fell, and we ran over to your house to play with the new dolls you had.7

Kitty and Ken married after Kitty had his child, and they kicked Barbie out of the house. Kelly was sent to jail because she took drugs and there was also... Also... Teresa! Teresa was... in India. Getting stomped upon by the elephants -- wait, no, China...?8

Was it India or China? Do you remember?9

Oh! And there was that joke-knife that had been a gift from the strange man on the train, because he thought it was funny and he liked us. We had fun enacting out some scenes from plays (et tu brutus and o happy dagger, remember?)... The way the knife blade slid into the hilt when pressure was applied -- we tried stabbing teacher, remember? She went away screaming 'bloody kids these days', and we never heard of her again.10

Bloody... hell.11

You still won't talk to me. Why not? Are all those fun times too long ago for you to recall? Oh, wait! how about when mother came back? Remember how she looked so positively green when we told her daddy was in some white bed, two streets down the road in that Hospice... tal. Hospicetal.12

Wait... You're mad, right? I mean, you're not talking to me, and you once said you always would. Was it something I did? I guess it must be, since you're keeping so quiet unlike yourself, and your face so pale -- your clothes damp.13

You're not moving.14

Don't... don't be mad at me. Please. Don't turn your back on me...15

It’s not my fault. I never really meant to put glue in the joke-knife and stab you with it.16