Beyond This Window
…is a whole world, waiting…Archive for Series
Little Bunny – Hopes
Little Bunny, two years old, just finished her bath. She climbs out of the tub, grasping the sides to keep from slipping, and finds Mommy waiting with a towel spread over outstretched arms. Mommy scoops her in her arms as the baby runs, well waddles, toward her. The towel feels soft and warm, as Little Bunny begins to shiver from the wet. She feels Mommy’s arms hug her tighter and rub the towel slightly against her slicked skin.
Mommy laughs as she pulls up the towel and plops it onto Little Bunny’s head. She ruffles the towel covering Little Bunny’s hair as Little Bunny giggles and undulates with the drying movements. Mommy quickly picks up the edge of the towel covering Little Bunny’s eyes and smiles. She covers Little Bunny’s eyes and peeks under the towel once more. Little Bunny erupts into fits of laughter at the silly game.
While Little Bunny rubs the towel over her arms and legs, Mommy reaches for Little Bunny’s favorite pajamas. The green pjs are trimmed in Little Bunny’s favorite shade of purple and thoughtfully dotted with images of Thumper, the rabbit from Bambi. Little Bunny hops toward her one piece pajamas and squeezes her feet into the slipper-like end. She likes to get dressed by herself, but she always needs Mommy’s help zipping up. Mommy grabs a hold of the zipper and looks at Little Bunny, waiting for the magic word. Zzzziiiippp. The zipper comes up an inch. Zip. Zip. Zip. Zip. Zip. All the way to the top.
After snatching the brush from the drawer, Little Bunny and Mommy walk hand-in-hand to the bedroom. Together, they plop onto the bed. Little Bunny immediately begins to discuss the books they would read that night while Mommy runs the brush through her daughters soft tufts of black hair. Little Bunny wants to hear about Precious, the puppy, and Connor, the teddy bear.
Little Bunny – Memory
Little Bunny, three years old, opens her eyes one bright sunny morning. She looks around her small one-room house and finds it empty. The bed she shares with her papa is bare, except for herself; the small, dual dial television is turned off, and the sun is beaming through the closed shutters. She runs outside excitedly hoping to find Papa, but the street bustle with neighbors and other, older children; his cycle gone, as it usually is when he has gone to work. Tears spring to her eyes, as she wanders back inside. The room seems bigger. She does not see the bright sun coming through the shutters now, only dark shadows creeping through the room. She runs back to the bed and hugs the pillow to her.
Why did Papa leave without her? He always took her on his delivery trips. Did she do something bad? Did she ask for too many things when they were out? He told her that they didn’t have money for toys and snacks. Maybe she asked for too much last time. Maybe he didn’t want to take her any more.
Little Bunny is afraid to close her eyes. She heard the stories of little boys and girls being taken. She could not wander outside without Papa knowing where she goes. With Papa gone, anyone might be able to come into the house to take her. She has to make sure that no one steals anything from their home and that she fights if someone comes for her.
The day seems to drag. She does not know how long it has been. It feels like hours. The sun is not as bright anymore. Rain starts to patter on the metal roof. She likes the rain. Slowly, she creeps toward the door and opens it. Maybe Papa knew it was going to rain, and he would be right outside. He would not leave her at home alone in a storm.
She opens the door a crack. The rain bounces against the dirty ground outside and into the house. She peers around the open door and sees the neighbors running with newspapers over their heads into the shelter of their homes and stores with their shutters propped open like awnings. Papa is nowhere to be found.
Little Bunny feels her spirit fall again. Maybe he is just around the corner. He could be on his way home. She knows the neighborhood. She knows his delivery route. Maybe if she walks down the streets he would take on his way home, she would find him. She smiles slightly to herself thinking of how happy he would be to see her, how proud he would be of her to know that she is brave. He would want to take her on his deliveries again. He would know she could be good and useful, knowing where the turns are.
She closes the door behind her and begins to walk down to the end of the street. She looks back toward the house one more time before turning right down another street. The rain grows heavier, and she can feel it swishing between her toes and slipping around her sapatos. She passes her friend’s house as she turns another corner. Street after street, turn after turn, she looks for Papa. Nowhere.
She stops and looks up and down the dirt street, now flooding with murky water, realizing suddenly that nothing looks familiar. Did she turn left or right at the last corner? She walks back to corner and looks right, then left. Neither side looks right. She does not remember having been here before. She does not remember that street on Papa’s route.
Panic-stricken, she begins to wade down the street, tears streaming down her face. Maybe if she shouts for him, he will hear her. He will come. He would not leave her alone in a storm.
She begins to shout, her cries mingling with words. Papa! People dash around her, making their way home. Papa! No one comes. She continues to walk down one street, then another. Lightning strikes followed by a loud crash of thunder.
Little Bunny freezes in fear and wails. Tears flow heavier than the rain, as she realizes she is lost. She cannot find Papa, and now she cannot even find her way home. A Lola comes and takes her by the shoulders. She asks where she lives. The tears are coming too heavily to answer, Little Bunny simply cries. Lola takes her by the hand and begins to walk toward her own house.
Suddenly, as if answering her cries, Papa comes running around a corner, and takes her up in his arms. He came home to find her gone. He was worried. He was looking for her. She is safe in his arms now.
