Just a fun, short story. A little moment in time with my adult daughter.
"Why don't people pick those? They're
pretty."
"I don't know. Maybe they wilt
really fast. Or maybe they're difficult to pick."
"Well. I'm going to pick some and see. I like them," CJ said.
My daughter. A young woman now. 24. But, she still lives at home while finishing her degree. Saving a little nest egg. Getting ready to get out on her own. I missed her already. But, I didn't mind the thought of not having to pay tuition anymore. Watching her become an adult, and adjusting to an adult relationship with her had been challenging. But, now we had the relationship that I always prayed we would have.
I watched her in the early morning sun as she picked small yellow Sunflowers with chocolate brown centers, leaving the stems as long as possible. They grew wild in the vacant lot where we walked our dog. We live in an urban area. They looked so damned cheerful against the sometimes harshness of the inner city. We both smiled.
The sunrise behind the skyline was a dramatic backdrop as we strolled along in our downtown neighborhood. I spotted an abandoned flowerbed that likely was part of the landscape of a house that stood on the large lot long ago. The lot was big enough for 10 houses to comfortably fit on. There were scattered reminders of dwellings laying about. Concrete porch steps. Bricks. Pipes that came up out of the ground and were capped off.
White and coral Spider Lilies crowded in the flowerbed with amazing Amaryllis. Probably planted there over a hundred years ago. It was a long settled area.
I decided to pick some of the Lilies to go with the Sunflowers, making a darned unlikely mix.
Back at home, my daughter found a vase and trimmed our flowers and configured them into a pleasing arrangement. We passed a little brass cup, sipping chamomile to calm our nerves. Right?
Now calm but slightly hungry, we grabbed a twinkie and stood back to admire the flower arrangement, trying to decide if it was just too weird, or if we liked it. And that's when we saw it. A SPIDER!
"EEeeek!!!" we both shrieked like little girls.
It was a tiny bug.
"One of us is going to have to look at it and see if it's a Brown Recluse!"
"I'll do it." Being the protective mother, I steeled myself to investigate.
"He's awfully little. I can barely see him. He's either really shiny, or he has a little streak of white on him, like a common house spider. Well, let me move him into the light. Why don't you check him. You can still see up close. Have pity on your mother."
"No."
"Rotten child."
I picked up the vase, with the suspect clinging for dear life to a bright yellow Sunflower petal. I held the vase under the light over my sink. Just in case he ran for it. I inspected him as carefully as my vision would allow.
"Hell. I still can't see him very well. But- you know what? I'm starting to think he may be a tick."
"A TICK?! Eeeew!!! Kill it!!!"
We both turned and scrutinized the little insect, eyes only inches from him. Suddenly, the tiny speck of a bug made like 007 and produced a thin silver thread of silk. We were amazed as he suddenly hung suspended about an inch below where we first saw him on the flower petal.
"Well he is obviously definitely a spider."
We looked at each other, blinking. The spider hung there. Not trying to get away.
"Was that weird, or what?"
"Let's put the whole vase outside. Maybe he'll go away."
"Yeah. That was weird. It's like he understood what we were saying." I laughed. "It's like he was saying, 'I ain't no TICK! Bitch! I'm a SPIDER!' "
totally cute. we live rural...spiders and other critters abound and so...i am smiling...to think about the adrenaline produced by a little spider. too funny-really enjoyed it.
well done,
jch
Reviewed by Robert Cosmar
5/17/2011
Hahahaha, way too funny, Blue. Very nicely done, a well written story.
Bob
YOU are way too funny "Blue" and I see you both having a bond as close as any mom to her daughter! What memories, is this all true? If made up you wrote it with such believable imagery!
I love spiders but don't know the difference from good ones and bad ones,
Love the feelings of looking into your fam! I see the femininity and female in both your spirits ~ through your expressive personalities...
WRITE ON!
STAY SAFE! In all YOU do! My friend....
Warmest Blessings of Peace and Love, Warrior Purple Lady SHEExooo
There are moments in time that can only be captured through the heart's eyes, the eyes that look from a mother to the grown woman born of her soul. The simplest moments become profound in the emotion and the details expressed, here in the delightful way you share time and space where one can see the beauty of what you both have and the humor you share. If anyone doubts whether there is still magic in the world, they only have to read these words to believe again. They warm the heart and bring a light hearted smile, something of great value to all. Keep writing. You make our home brighter every time you do. Please, write on....
Wonderful human interest story and I felt almost as if I were there with you or perhaps sitting at the kitchen table watching the conversation take place and trying not to let my smile break into a laugh.
hugs
Fee
Stamp of approval for mother and daughter. This one goes into the web of archives with the paper roses and lavender drink napkins from Chances, neatly tucked away on stationary paper in between the jelly jars and pictures of strays and an old 45 of Spiders and Snakes by Jim Stafford...from my country vase, BlueSage...I love you...
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