Cowboy and Indians!
A lit candle takes me back to memory as a child at my Uncle's house. It was Thanksgiving and all the children were playing cowboy and indians. I tied up my cousin on the hammock and looked around for a way to start a fire, because in our game I had to kill the enemy. I was 7 at the time.
I grabbed the candle that sat on the table and ran outside with it. I wrapped a piece of paper towel and lit the end. Placing it on the dry weeds under the hammack, it instantly caught fire. I stood back for a split second admiring my work. Only when my uncle came running did I realize I tied my cousin into the hammock so well he couldn’t get out and the flames were real!
The adults scrambled outside to help put the fire out and untie my cousin who was screaming. My uncle focused on getting my cousin out of the hammock while my tipsy aunt threw her whiskey on ice onto the growing fire, in hopes to put it out. It didn’t put it out, thankfully she missed.
I stood there watching my drunk family scramble around looking for the garden hose that wasn’t where it was supposed to be. My aunt yelled out “where the hell is the hose!” My other aunt ran over to help, but accidentally pushed my aunt into the swimming pool.
Finally, my grandfather came out cool as a cucumber with two large pitchers of water and put out the fire.
Needless to say, I wasn't invited over ever again.
Call Them
I don't trust him to just leave and not bother me again. If you find my desk empty, he kidnapped me, or worse. Please call my family and ask about me, call the morgue and ask about me, call my work and ask for me. He might be planning my demise.
Don't forget about me, please check on me if you don't hear my keys typing.
The Favorite Flower
"I see the flowers just ahead! Tell them full steam ahead!"
Ernie and his army of ants headed towards the green cake with white flowers around the edge. "I'm so excited, we haven't had sugar in a long time!" said an ant.
"We must gather all we can for the winter ahead! No eating on the job!" said Ernie to his crew.
A little voice yelled out, "but dad those are my most favorite flowers in the world!"
"I'm sorry Anne, we must move in and out fast! The birthday party will start as soon as those kids are done playing."
The army of ants attacked those pretty little flowers planted perfectly around the cake, marching their stash back to their nest.
"Ok, lets see if we can get a whole flower back for my daughter! Said the dad as he eyed his sad daughter. "Ralph, Dwight, Stanley, let's get one quickly!"
The four strong men ants plucked one single flower off the cake and carried it gently through the line of the others busy collecting little nibblets.
"Make way!" yelled Ernie as they pulled the pretty little flower through the dirt hole and down through the tunnel. Anne followed them the whole way.
The flower was put inside their living room area. "oh Daddy, thank you for my pretty flower! I've always dreamed of having one of these!"
"You are most welcome my little girl. Every girl deserves the flower of their dreams."
Slans!
Allen sees a bunch of people staring at him, sitting in a circle.
"come in and sit down." said a man sitting at the head of a circle.
Allen was still out of breath from ditching the cops. "ok" he said, not having any other options. He sits down and looks at all the other people sitting in the circle. The man looks at Allen and says, "what's your name, young man?"
Allen, not sure what he just stumbled upon said, "my name is Allen."
Suddenly everyone in the group said in unison, "Hi Allen."
Allen thought maybe he had stumbled upon a AA meeting, not so bad, it could be worse. Allen figured he would just sit it out and play along.
A man around his same age started talking to the group, "My wife doesn't seem to understand why I want to castigate myself. She just doesn't understand me."
The man leading the group said, "It's hard coming out of the closet, we all are experiencing that. It's important what you want, not her."
Another man chimed in and said, "I can tell you were supposed a Slan! We are born to be slans!"
A lady started crying, "my husband doesn't understand my need to be castrated. I am also supposed to be a slan! I just feel it! "
Allen tried not to look shocked, castrated! Like in removing his best friend?"
What the hell is going on in this room! A woman castrated? What was a slan?
The man leading the group looked at Allen, "How did you hear about our group? Did you come to chop night to become a Slan too?"
Before Allen could answer a group of people walked in carrying what looked like medical cases. "Ah! Looks the the carvers are here!" said the lead man.
People started cheering and one man started a chant, "come cut it off, come cut it off!" Others joined in with the chant.
Allen stood up without a word and bolted for the door, yelling "Cops, I'm right here!"
Marbie Not Barbie
Vera was standing at the register with her family, as her husband paid the bill.
They had just finished a barbeque rib and corn on the cob dinner at the local restaurant, when Vera’s husband handed her a toothpick.
The bill was paid so the family walked out to the parking lot and got in their car. Driving home Vera was silent, still holding her toothpick. The kids were talking among themselves and Dave, her husband, was listening to the news on the radio.
Vera looked down at the toothpick in her hand and it took her back to a time as a young child in a foster home. The memory was engraved in her mind like it was just yesterday. Vera found herself, mentally leaving the current car ride and she found herself back in the small bedroom of her foster home.
It was Vera’s third foster home, with a mom, dad and their biological daughter named Judy, who was the same age as Vera. The parents thought having another girl their daughter's age would keep her company.
On the second day there, Judy barged into Vera’s room and grabbed the Marbie doll that Vera was playing with on her bed. Vera stood up and said, “give her back!”
The foster mom came to the open door and asked, “what’s going on here?”
Judy said, “she took my Marbie and I am taking it back!”
Vera said, “that’s my Marbie doll, I got it from a fire station a long time ago. It’s mine.”
The foster mom said, “Please don't tell lies in front of my daughter, you will teach her bad habits,”
Vera said, “I’m not lying, it's mine. The fire dept had a party for foster kids and they gave her to me.”
The mom said sternly looking at Vera, “We can’t have you stealing from us while you are here, do you understand me?”
Vera didn't say anything but watched Judy walk out of the bedroom with Vera’s Marbie and the foster mom said to Judy, “we have to be nice to Vera, she doesn’t know how to live with a normal family’ and then she shut the door.
Vera was heartbroken. She had always put Marbie to bed with her and they would talk until Vera fell asleep. Vera knew she would not be able to sleep without Marbie.
Vera sat on the bed staring at the floor, then she noticed a toothpick on the carpet, Vera bent down and picked it up.
Vera said looking closely at the toothpick, “well hello my friend Marbie!”
Marbie said “hi Vera!”
Vera looked around on the carpet and saw a crumpled silver gum wrapper and a small piece of red fabric. She bent down and picked them up.
She walked over and laid down on her bed and pulled the blanket up around her, positioning her blanket to make a small cave and then Vera laid down her 3 items inside the cave.
Vera asked Marbie “Are you ready for bed?”
Vera imagined her response in her head, “Yes, I’m so tired”.
Vera propped Marbie up next to the opening of the cave as she smoothed out the silver gum wrapper very gently.
Vera heard Marbie ask “is it going to rain today?”
Vera answered Marble Inside of her head, “Indeed Marbie it’s definitely going to rain and be very cold tonight. That’s why I am creating a little bedroom for you to sleep in!”
Marbie said, “my very own bedroom! How grand!”
Vera smiled looking at Marbie, “that’s what friends are for!”
Marbie smiled back and said, “you are definitely my best friend Vera”.
After smoothing out the gum wrapper, Vera set it down inside Marbie’s bedroom created with her blanket.
Vera picked up Marbie, “I am terribly sorry Marbie, I hope it doesn’t hurt when I pick you up, you are so skinny.”
Marbie said, “not at all!”
That made Vera smile, “good! Because I’d never ever want to hurt you!”
Vera laid Marbie down on the silver gum wrapper mattress. Then she took the small bit of red cloth and covered Marbie.
Vera said, “it’s time to go to sleep. I hope you’ll be all warm and snuggly tonight.”
Marbie said, “thank you for taking such good care of me!”
Vera said, “Of course! That’s what friends do for each other!”
Marbie said “goodnight.”
Vera tapped gently on Marbie's red blanket, and said, "goodnight .”
Vera laid down and pulled a corner of the blanket over her. It was definitely not enough blanket to cover even half of Vera’s body, but she did not want to disturb Marbie's bedroom.
Vera laid there trying to sleep. It was only 7 PM and it was still daylight outside. She wasn’t even tired.
Vera lifted her head and whispered, “ are you still awake Marbie?”
Marbie said, “But of course my wonderful friend!”
Vera asked, “would you like to dance?”
Marbie said, “Yes of course! What a grand idea!”
Vera gently pulled off Marbie’s little red blanket and stood her up on the white bedsheet.
Vera started humming inside her head as she moved Marbie around to the music that could only be heard by Marbie and Vera.
Marbie said, “you are such a divine dancer Vera! Where did you learn ballroom dancing?”
Vera said, “I don’t know” and giggled.
Suddenly it started to rain! Vera moved Marbie back inside her room quickly, under the canopy of Vera’s blanket.
The rain was coming down hard and it was getting cold! Vera was concerned about Marbie.
“I’m going to have to make you a fire, you’ll freeze tonight!” Said Vera. “I’ll be right back!”
Vera checked the walls of Marbie's bedroom, making sure the walls would not collapse when she got out of bed.
Vera made a few adjustments to her blanket and then got out of bed. She tiptoed over to the small desk in her bedroom.
Vera picked up the handle with 2 fingers very gently and pulled the drawer open. Then she set the handle back down against the drawer very quietly. She didn’t want to make any noise.
Vera looked inside the drawer for something to make a fire with, Vera saw a pink eraser, some plain white lined paper, a few pencils and a ruler. Vera grabbed the ruler and then looked around the room for more items.
Her room was pretty empty, it only had the barest of necessities. A bed, a desk, and a few clothes hung in the closet.
Vera looked down inside the trashcan and there was a hairball from her hairbrush!
Vera grabbed it and headed back to her play area and Marbie.
Vera told Marbie, “I found something to make you a fire with, so you won’t be cold.”
Marbie said, “How splendid!”
Vera put the hairball down outside Marbie’s bedroom but then she realized that wasn’t going to do at all! It was still raining, and it would be impossible to have a fire in the rain.
Vera said to Marbie, “Looks like I will have to adjust your room to make a bigger ceiling for you.”
Marbie seemed concerned, “why is that?”
Vera replied, “Well, you need a fire to keep you warm, but I can’t be out in the rain so if I make your ceiling taller than the walls of your bedroom, you can still have a fire.”
Marbie said, “You are absolutely correct and such a genius!!”
Vera picked up Marbie and moved her away from the blanket, then Vera took the ruler and placed it under the blanket, making the ceiling extra tall. It looked a little bit like the opening of a teepee.
Vera laid back and admired her new creation. It was a bit bigger than what she had hoped for and it wasn’t as cozy anymore.
Just then, her bedroom door flung open, and there Judy was!l
Judy marched into the bedroom and said, “you are supposed to be asleep!”
Judy came to the side of Vera’s bed and looked at the little tent that Vera had made.
Judy leaned over and snatched the ruler, “this is mine too!”
Vera didn’t say anything as Judy walked towards the door with the ruler. Judy paused before leaving and said, “I’m telling my mom that you stole my ruler and that you aren’t asleep! You are going to be in so much trouble! We may even have to call your social worker!”
On that note, Judy slammed the door closed.
Vera looked at Marbie’s bedroom, it was destroyed.
Suddenly Vera realized Marbie was somewhere in her blanket and she couldn’t see her anywhere!
Vera jumped out of bed and started looking for her play items.
She found the hairball, the small red cloth, and the gum wrapper, but she was still hunting for Marbie when her bedroom door opened again.
Vera’s foster mother stood there, “ Judy just told me that you are not asleep. Now I find you out of bed. If you are going to live in our house, you have to follow the rules.”
Vera just stood there next to her bed holding her play items.
The foster mom looked at Vera‘s hands and realized she had something. The mom entered the room and walked up to Vera and said, “Let me see what you have!”
Vera opened her hands flat exposing the 3 items.
The foster mom said, “throw that trash away and get back into bed and stay there. You are supposed to be in bed!”
The foster mom said as she walked towards the door, “ we have rules in this house for a reason. If you don’t follow them, I will have your social worker pick you up. "Then she shut the door behind her.
Vera frantically hunted for Marbie, she pulled the blanket off the bed and shook it. There she was laying on the sheet!
Vera hugged Marbie and said, “I’m so glad I found you!”
Vera laid back down and re-did Marbie’s bedroom and bed. Then she placed Marbie back in her bed with her red blanket.
Vera looked closely at Marbie “I hope you didn’t get hurt when I tossed the blanket.”
Marbie said, “not at all!!”
Vera smiled and said, “good!”
Vera placed the hairball right next to Marbie’s bed and said to her, “ the fire might be a little close to your bed, but I’ll keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn’t get out of control. “
Marbie smuggled down in her gum wrapper bed and said, “goodnight my best friend. I love you.”
Vera smiled and said, “goodnight friend, I love you too.”
The garage door opened and Vera snapped back to the current world, her husband said, “you were awfully quiet on the car ride home, are you ok?”.
Vera said, “oh, yes. I’m fine. I was just thinking.’
Vera walked into the house and walked up to the living room mantel and stood her toothpick up against a vase of fake flowers in the middle of the mantel and said, “I missed you Marbie, my very first toy. Most people have stuffies, but not me. I love you.”
Roxanne
Roxanne. She digs for gophers, traps rats, and brings them to us. She never leaves our property if she is off leash. She’s known for jumping up in the air and grabbing birds in flight.
She warned my son of a rattlesnake while hiking, sat by my stove barking furiously because there was a fire starting on the stove top. If I say to her, “who is it?” she runs the entire property line looking for intruders. She sits when told and she is potty trained for outside only.
I know what each bark means. She barks one time when she wants to go outside, she kicks her dog bowl if it’s empty, she barks furiously nonstop if there is somebody on the property, her bark is more of a growl if there’s an animal on our property.
Her communication with humans is phenomenal. One call out and she comes running as fast as she can.
We adopted her from a shelter, and I knew the second I saw her she was for us. All the dogs were barking and running around, but not Roxanne, she sat down and just stared at us. She was the calm in the eye of the storm.
Roxanne is an amazing dog! She is super dog! We LOVE her SO much.
Sadie
Suddenly water came rushing in, Jenny had remembered where she had just been.
Out of the car and up on land, rescuers now have taken command.
Jenny watched as a team of firefighters went in, to look for others possibly within.
The driver, her boyfriend made it to land, coming over to take her hand.
A policeman asked “did you come from a bar and is there anyone else in your car?”
Jenny and Mike were not very clear, they had both consumed way too much beer!
She shook her head and said, “it was just us, is there really a need for all this fuss?”
Then the rescue men started running around, one setting something down on the ground.
Getting closer, Jenny could see it was a baby, then she realized it was her daughter Sadie!
She fell to her knees and started sobbing, her heart was broken and violently throbbing.
Jenny went out for a little fun, now look what happened, what has she done!
The baby was left in her seat to fend for herself, the couple only remembering themselves.
Jenny’s head was spinning, Going to jail is only the beginning.
Never to forget the events from that night, Jenny will never be alright.
Jenny will have to live with terrible regret, never ever able to forget.
The Unwanted
Loneliness is an orphan watching a mother snuggle their biological child, singing them lullabies.
It's a child making a fathers day gift at school that has no father or a child unwanted by their parents.
It’s never knowing what it's like to have a hug from a parent who loves you.
It is nobody celebrating you, but sitting in the back seat of a workers car, going to another foster home.
Loneliness is nobody to protect you from bad people, crying when nobody rescues you.
Loneliness is a home you will never have.
Loneliness is having to step out into the world alone with nothing to your name.
Loneliness is being alone but not by choice.