“I like this day,” she thought
because she didn’t need to speak it. Before her eyes opened in the
morning, she felt the air touching her skin. She kicked her blanket down. She
heard her parents chattering, warm meaningless words. She smelled their coffee,
the eggs and toast and an unmistakable scent of hot butter. The smell of home.
She heard the old one
laugh.
Sending her mind out further,
animal sounds. Those chickens talking in
two tones. The dog’s sharp exclamations suddenly. The local small birds commenting
on their observations and intentions. High, high above she heard a piercing
hawk’s call once and again. Yes, it was good.
She heard breath nearby, light, small, quiet. Her hand touched the cat’s side. Right there immediately was the familiar soft assurance. The cat. Always near. When she touched Billy he began his familiar purr, insistently, comfortingly.
“Emmy, are you awake?” Her mother asked softly, just checking.
When Emmy opened her eyes and smiled, Beth said, “let’s go get some breakfast.” Her mother was the most beautiful thing in her world. Beth, brown haired, strong, sweet, and kind. But first, since Emmy was still just a big baby, Beth sat and nursed her for a few minutes. Then they went out to join Jessie and Julia in the kitchen.
When Jessie saw them he said, “Emmy, after breakfast let’s go out and visit the chickens and look at the garden.” That promise got her excited. Jessie plopped her into her highchair, as she giggled and wiggled, as if to escape.
Julia smiled on it all.
A short while later Jessie walked, and Emmy toddled outside to visit the chickens and give them some feed and water. They went inside the fence, so Emmy got close to the six hens. She loved them and wanted to hug them, but they gracefully evaded her grasp. She loved their voices and their fussy manner. Jessie showed her where their eggs were laid when he gathered four of them into a small basket for the house. Honda followed them around curiously but was not allowed into the chicken run.
Jessie put the pinkish-brown eggs in their little basket on the porch and then they went to look at the garden. When he turned back to Emmy she was looking up into the brilliant sky, stretching her hands up and saying, “happy, happy!” He prayed then, that no evil should ever come near her.
Between the rows of corn Emmy crouched down and looked through the stalks. It was an unfamiliar world. Mysterious, with muffled sounds and new smells.
She lay down on her tummy on the cool earth between the corn stalks, assuming a posture she had often seen Billy take. She lay her hands before her like he did his paws. Looking down the row she saw a mirroring image. A great cat lay also between the rows, paws forward. Bright yellow eyes regarded her. Emmy was not afraid. She was delighted to meet such a cat in such a place.
After watching Emmy for a few minutes, the puma rose to her feet, turned, and walked silently away.
Emmy came out of the corn stalks and found her father, who was picking green beans. “Big cat,” she said cheerfully.
“Yeah,” said Jessie, “he’s in the house! Let’s go see Billy!”
She heard breath nearby, light, small, quiet. Her hand touched the cat’s side. Right there immediately was the familiar soft assurance. The cat. Always near. When she touched Billy he began his familiar purr, insistently, comfortingly.
“Emmy, are you awake?” Her mother asked softly, just checking.
When Emmy opened her eyes and smiled, Beth said, “let’s go get some breakfast.” Her mother was the most beautiful thing in her world. Beth, brown haired, strong, sweet, and kind. But first, since Emmy was still just a big baby, Beth sat and nursed her for a few minutes. Then they went out to join Jessie and Julia in the kitchen.
When Jessie saw them he said, “Emmy, after breakfast let’s go out and visit the chickens and look at the garden.” That promise got her excited. Jessie plopped her into her highchair, as she giggled and wiggled, as if to escape.
Julia smiled on it all.
A short while later Jessie walked, and Emmy toddled outside to visit the chickens and give them some feed and water. They went inside the fence, so Emmy got close to the six hens. She loved them and wanted to hug them, but they gracefully evaded her grasp. She loved their voices and their fussy manner. Jessie showed her where their eggs were laid when he gathered four of them into a small basket for the house. Honda followed them around curiously but was not allowed into the chicken run.
Jessie put the pinkish-brown eggs in their little basket on the porch and then they went to look at the garden. When he turned back to Emmy she was looking up into the brilliant sky, stretching her hands up and saying, “happy, happy!” He prayed then, that no evil should ever come near her.
Between the rows of corn Emmy crouched down and looked through the stalks. It was an unfamiliar world. Mysterious, with muffled sounds and new smells.
She lay down on her tummy on the cool earth between the corn stalks, assuming a posture she had often seen Billy take. She lay her hands before her like he did his paws. Looking down the row she saw a mirroring image. A great cat lay also between the rows, paws forward. Bright yellow eyes regarded her. Emmy was not afraid. She was delighted to meet such a cat in such a place.
After watching Emmy for a few minutes, the puma rose to her feet, turned, and walked silently away.
Emmy came out of the corn stalks and found her father, who was picking green beans. “Big cat,” she said cheerfully.
“Yeah,” said Jessie, “he’s in the house! Let’s go see Billy!”
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