It was the first cool evening in weeks. The sky was a wash of setting sun salmon to evening eggplant swirled with colors that don't even have names. The first bonfire of the season filled the air with a delightful glow and a nostalgic smokey smell. Fire flies delighted a handful of children as they ran and chased the mysterious creatures.
"Mommy! Mommy! I caught one!!" A little girl with braids called out in triumph.
"Look! Awe it's gone. No! There it is!" a boy in blue shorts shrieked.
Two other girls ran with no direction and another boy jumped in the air. Off near the woods a tall thin girl with messy hair stood looking into the darkness.
"Ronnie, there's no fire flies in the woods! Come over here, I'll help you catch one!" a woman's voice called out joyfully, but the little girl didn't seem to hear her and she stood transfixed on the woods. "Sweety come over here, there's poison ivy in those woods, I don't want you going in there." She looked concerned and started walking towards the darkness.
"Okay! Auntie Natalie!" The little girl turned around and ran back to the party.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Natalie was cleaning up the last of the plates as her guests filed out the door, a chorus of goodbyes and see you laters filled the small house.
"Where's Ronnie?" One mom asked absently.
"Probably in the car" a middle aged man smiled "she looked tiered."
"I think she went out with Emma." another woman suggested.
But Natalie immediately looked out the kitchen window and saw Ronnie staring into the woods again. "Oh, I forgot my phone outside, I'll be right back" and she hurried out the back door. "Ronnie, your mom and dad are looking for you. Let's get away from those woods, I don't want you to get..."
Ronnie turned around slowly, intently looking into her hands. As her Aunt walked up she whispered "It's not a lighting bug Aunt Natalie."
"No it's not" Natalie sighed quietly and knelt down so she was at Ronnie's level "Listen Ronnie" Natalie paused waiting for the little girl to pull her eyes away from her hands and to look at her. "You know you should never keep secrets from your parents right?" The little girl nodded "but this is one secret that you need to keep from everyone." Her eyes begged the little girl to understand "We can't let anyone know they are here. Do you understand?"
Ronnie looked back down at her hands, almost surprised that the tiny little person with glowing wings was still there. "Its a fairy isn't it?"
"Yes she is."
"She was in a spider web and couldn't get out." She looked up at her Aunt, her eyes pleading this time "Will she be ok?"
"Yes. She will be fine." Natalie held out her hand and Ronnie gently placed the delicate treasure into her hand.
"Ronnie!" Both Ronnie and Natalie jumped "Ronnie where are you?" her mom called with a hint concern creeping in.
"Mommy! I'm right here!! Guess what!" the little girl cried. Natalie's heart sank, her hands got cold, she knew trusting a six year old was a long shot, but she had to try. "I caught a fire fly mom! All by my self!!" She ran a few feet and turned to see her aunt sitting on the ground "You'll take care of my fire fly right Auntie Natalie?"
Choking back tears she whispered "Yes, yes I will Ronnie."
"Mommy! Mommy! I caught one!!" A little girl with braids called out in triumph.
"Look! Awe it's gone. No! There it is!" a boy in blue shorts shrieked.
Two other girls ran with no direction and another boy jumped in the air. Off near the woods a tall thin girl with messy hair stood looking into the darkness.
"Ronnie, there's no fire flies in the woods! Come over here, I'll help you catch one!" a woman's voice called out joyfully, but the little girl didn't seem to hear her and she stood transfixed on the woods. "Sweety come over here, there's poison ivy in those woods, I don't want you going in there." She looked concerned and started walking towards the darkness.
"Okay! Auntie Natalie!" The little girl turned around and ran back to the party.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Natalie was cleaning up the last of the plates as her guests filed out the door, a chorus of goodbyes and see you laters filled the small house.
"Where's Ronnie?" One mom asked absently.
"Probably in the car" a middle aged man smiled "she looked tiered."
"I think she went out with Emma." another woman suggested.
But Natalie immediately looked out the kitchen window and saw Ronnie staring into the woods again. "Oh, I forgot my phone outside, I'll be right back" and she hurried out the back door. "Ronnie, your mom and dad are looking for you. Let's get away from those woods, I don't want you to get..."
Ronnie turned around slowly, intently looking into her hands. As her Aunt walked up she whispered "It's not a lighting bug Aunt Natalie."
"No it's not" Natalie sighed quietly and knelt down so she was at Ronnie's level "Listen Ronnie" Natalie paused waiting for the little girl to pull her eyes away from her hands and to look at her. "You know you should never keep secrets from your parents right?" The little girl nodded "but this is one secret that you need to keep from everyone." Her eyes begged the little girl to understand "We can't let anyone know they are here. Do you understand?"
Ronnie looked back down at her hands, almost surprised that the tiny little person with glowing wings was still there. "Its a fairy isn't it?"
"Yes she is."
"She was in a spider web and couldn't get out." She looked up at her Aunt, her eyes pleading this time "Will she be ok?"
"Yes. She will be fine." Natalie held out her hand and Ronnie gently placed the delicate treasure into her hand.
"Ronnie!" Both Ronnie and Natalie jumped "Ronnie where are you?" her mom called with a hint concern creeping in.
"Mommy! I'm right here!! Guess what!" the little girl cried. Natalie's heart sank, her hands got cold, she knew trusting a six year old was a long shot, but she had to try. "I caught a fire fly mom! All by my self!!" She ran a few feet and turned to see her aunt sitting on the ground "You'll take care of my fire fly right Auntie Natalie?"
Choking back tears she whispered "Yes, yes I will Ronnie."
No comments:
Post a Comment