autonomous and yet linked, and Ameesha, lost in the dream, rested her chin upon her folded arms and simply looked out, unable to feel any anxiety or fear, only enchantment.
In time, the mist became fog, stark white and thick. The girls tried to navigate and see their way through, but nothing could be vindicated in the sea of white. So, trepid but accepting, they allowed the current to take them, further and further, deeper and deeper into mystery.
When they came upon the water lilies, that towered above them and emitted heavenly scents, with stamens that glowed as bulbs and in the breeze shook loose fireflies that danced as yellow gems in the cloud white, they reached with their hands and felt the soft gentleness of their petals, the cool lap and tickle of the water; they stood up, one at a time, and breathed in the aroma of pollen, so large it dusted their hair with gold. Nargis, slapped her hand on top of a pad, and watched the ripple cast out, a vibration that shivering the blossom gleefully. And when the fireflies began to take formation, and whirled around them, lifting their wonderboat from the waters and taking them to the sky, they could only wave farewells, calling warm wishes and take cares into the fog that began shrinking below them, their hearts full and free.
And then their boat tipped over.
Ameesha exploded out of the water, gasping and wiping her eyes frantically as she tried to gather her bearings. Her life jacket stuck to her. Her feet were on solid, though mucky ground. She could feel weeds lapping against her legs. She coughed, and stood, waist deep in water, and pushed her hair out of her eyes. What had happened? Were they -?
She stood absentminded in a swath of green lily pads, mere meters from the shore. The lake shore. She saw a hill and a road and her mother’s truck parked, and from there she saw her mother and grandpa hurrying down the hill, arms waving madly.
“What! Are you alright? Oh! Oh!” Her mother cried, “We’re coming! We’re coming!”
Ameesha, still confused, turned and saw behind her her sister Nargis, standing just as absentmindedly as she was, and right next to her, and a capsized paddle boat, bobbed Shammi, his head turtling in his large life jacket, his hands slapping the water like a deranged dolphin. “Mooom!” He cried, spitting up a bit of water, “Mooom! We talked to a newt!”
“AH!” Their mother cried, as she plunged into the water, striding forward and seizing Shammi. “Oh! Are you alright?” She asked fitfully, brushing his large bangs from his eyes.
“We talked to a newt! We went up on this wave and over and splashed down and there were all these big trees and super many fireflies picked us all up! We went flying and there was a big turtle and - !”
As Shammi spilled the adventure from his lips, Nargis racing up, water splashing around her to join in, Ameesha could only stand in silence, and joy, and shock, of all that had just happened. Her heart was giving the strangest flutter; that of overwhelming happiness and sadness and confusion and hope, all at the same time. She stood there in the green water, with the lilies lapping, her eyes cast downward and far away. It was then, a gold glint caught her eye beneath the water, and reaching down, her face touching the pool, she grabbed and untangled Grandpa Om’s necklace from off a weed. Pulling it from the lake, she raised the pendant to her face, and gazed into the jade eye of the turtle. She felt her grandfather’s hand upon her shoulder.
He stood there in the water next to her, and smiled.
“So, did Chuck show you a good time?”
Ameesha smiled, her heart now overflowing, and with grimy wet fingers, she put her grandfather’s pendant back into his outstretched hand.
“Yeah, Grandpa Om,” she said. “He did.”
THE END
About the Author
An avid reader and longtime woman of letters, A. Marie Kaluza is the author and publisher of several ebooks, including poetical works Bare Bones and The Red Robe. She blogs at Larkspurhorne.net, and currently resides in Seattle, WA, with her best friend and her best books.
About Tea Stories
Tea Stories is an idea that came about through my many conversations with friends and loved ones about their harried lives and busy schedules. Believing that crunched time shouldn’t hamper compelling, fulfilling reading, Tea Stories came to be. Never spanning over 3000 words, the Tea Stories collection contains compact stories of adventure and magic, wisdom and philosophies, designed to be complete and whole tales one can finish in under 10 minutes.
There should always be time for great reading; squeeze Tea Stories into your jam-packed life and learn big things can come in small packages.
Thanks for reading.
Learn More
Other Works by A. Marie Kaluza
Tea Stories Series
The Blessing of the Hare Spirit (The Night Two Girls Caught the Dog Star)
A Chance Meeting in the Night (Joy and the Devil)
Poetical Works
Bare Bones
The Red Robe
Find A. Marie Kaluza Online at
www.larkspurhorne.net
www.goodreads.com/mariekaluza
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