The gracious Rochelle at Friday Fictioneers is challenging us to write something creative in 100 words or less to go with this photo. This is my response to that challenge.
Iâve been married so long, Betsy Ross was my maid of honor!
Our first house was an impressive five-bedroom Colonial with loads of property. Fifty-two years ago it cost $68,000; today that money can buy a car.
The house was white with navy blue trim and a red door. As an excited new homeowner and proud American, I planted red and white impatiens and coral red begonias in all the window boxes.
There was no white picket fence but we did have a proper flagpole and hoisted Old Glory every morning …. much to the chagrin of my communist next-door neighbor.
From our kitchen window I can see my little girl Nell playing with her new best friend Elena. Since moving to Atlanta two months ago, the girls have become inseparable. They are both four years old and about the same height but thatâs where the physical similarities end.
Nell is a green-eyed lanky Irish redhead covered in a profusion of freckles while Elena is a slightly plump Spanish beauty with brown doe eyes, smooth tanned skin and lustrous black hair.
As I stand at the kitchen sink I can see the girls frolicking in the yard with Elena’s puppy, Pongo. Their energy is boundless as they dash back and forth from the swings to the trampoline to their bikes. They like to play a funny game where little Pongo is a scary monster chasing them around the yard …. and Pongo is always happy to oblige.
Moving around the kitchen doing my chores, I can hear Elena counting, followed by an excited âready or notâŠ.here I comeâ, then the hysterical giggles as Nellâs secret (but usual!) hiding place is discovered.
The yard is fenced in and Iâm completely aware of the girls and what theyâre doing …. most of the time. Occasionally theyâll wander into a concealed corner of the garden to pick wild flowers for me and Elenaâs mom. Even though I canât see them, I can clearly hear their conspiratorial mumblings as they go from one blossom to the other.
âButtercups, Daisies and Lillies of the Valleyâ whispered Elena.
All was quiet and I presumed the girls would come dashing into the kitchen and present me with a freshly-picked bouquet; instead Pongo bounded in, yipping and yapping like crazy …. an omen that all is not as it should be. To my relief, there’s no sign of anything unusual in the dining room. The front door is locked and my handbag is still resting on the desk where I left it. To my amazement, on the crisp white tablecloth sat a short blue glass vase brimming with Daisies, Buttercups, Lillies of the Valley and ivy. It was breathtaking.
I stood there admiring the green, white and golden cluster when suddenly I heard woeful whimpering and sobbing nearby. Pongo gave a little tug on the end of the tablecloth and there, huddled closely, were Nell and Elena, their little bodies covered in itchy red rashes. Only then did I realize the vine in the vase with flowers was poison ivy!
âCome with me, my sweet girls. Itâs nothing a little calamine lotion wonât fix. Thank you for the flowers …. the most beautiful Iâve ever seen! Wonât daddy be surprised when he comes home tonight!â I said, smiling and chuckling to myself.
And tomorrow we will rid the garden of all the pretty shiny ivy.
The Elephant's Trunk 