Wishes Do Come True
At least once in a while…
Warm sunlight glinted off the key into her eyes. Roused from slumber she stretched to the titter of birds in the tree outside her window. Then she bounced out of bed and dressed as quickly as her tiny hands would let her.
It was today!
Bubbles seemed to creep from deep within her out to every extremity, vibrating with anticipation.
She hurried through her morning ablutions, pocketed the key, then raced down the stairs to the smell of frying bacon and pancakes… her favorite.
“Happy birthday, princess!” Her daddy set his paper down to sign to her.
She beamed, and gave a quick hand gesture of thanks.
Her mama set down the towel she had in her hands so she could ask, “Did you sleep well?” The little girl nodded vigorously as she sat down at the table.
She ate quickly then ran out the back door where she stopped dead in her tracks.
There it was.
Just like every year before in her memory.
The first time she remembered, it was a little glimmer in the fence. Each year the definition of it had grown and this year… This year, it was a tiny door. Not just a shimmer but a true little door gleaming in the morning sunshine.
With eagerness she pulled the key from her pocket and slipped it into the door that was no bigger than her just-turned-eight-year-old hand.
Like before, she heard the trees start to sing while the wind tossed leaves and flower petals in her face. The scent of roses flooded her nose. The wind built and built until… it was still. This was the first year she had been brave enough to keep her eyes open. She still didn’t know how it had happened, but she was now on the other side of the tiny door… Only, it was much larger than her.
Slowly she turned to see the beauty behind her.
A soft glow emanated from every living thing… and it was all living.
“Good morning Miss Arlena,” A nearby birch said.
“Good morning!” She squeaked with glee!
She reached up and placed her hand on her throat just to be sure, “Is it working?”
The birch nodded as only a tree can, “You sound older this year. A young lady has replaced the girl I knew so well.”
Arlena didn’t know what to say… She skipped deeper into the wood breathing in the sweet grasses, and chatting with everything she came to. The bunny wished her a happy year. The magpie remarked that her hair had grown.
The doe met her just before the meadow. She nuzzled Arlena’s hand and said, “We have a treat for you!”
Arlena bounced up and down in excitement! “What is it?”
The doe nodded toward the meadow where she saw a long table set up. Arlena raced to it and began inspecting.
There was every confection one could imagine and she tasted as she went. The table cloth was the most brilliant white she had ever seen and the lace woven throughout was as delicate as snowflakes.
“Come with me,” husked Beaver. He folded her fingers into his rubber like paw and led her to the head of the table. The seat of honor.
Falcon floated by and dropped an exquisite and intricate flower crown on her head. “For the princess,” He squawked. The scent of the wildflowers hit her nose… It was so delightful.
Fox came trotting into the clearing carrying several strings with balloons attached. But these balloons were special. The brash colors she was so used to were softened and beautiful. Fox was tricky. His gifts were never as they seemed. Last year, he gave her a rose that sang to her in the night in the weeks that followed. Arlena studied the balloons but nothing looked out of place.
Last came Mama Bear carrying a beautiful birthday cake. It was two layers and intricately decorated in pastel frosting. Adorned with 8 flaming candles, she knew no one else had ever had a birthday like this ever before and no one would ever again.
Her forest friends gathered around her and started to sing.
They ate cake. Played games and sang.
Arlena had always wanted to sing. But in her world, she couldn’t utter anything much less sing. So here, once a year, she would sing and sing.
The day drew to a close and Arlena knew she must go… even if she would rather stay here for the rest of her life. Memories she made today would have to serve her for the next year. She had laughed and spoken as much as possible doing all she could to burn the feel of having a voice into her memory. Memorizing the feel and more specifically what her voice sounded like. She wished dearly that her mother and father could hear her speak. Maybe one day. One day if she was really good, a little of this magic could follow her home.
“It is time, dear,” Mama Bear came up beside her and placed her muzzle on her small shoulder.
“I know,” Arlena sighed reaching her arm up around Mama Bear’s head in a half hug. “Thank you all… for everything.” She gave her friends a sad smile. They knew all that she didn’t say.
She walked to the door and bravely put the key in its slot. The same wind blew. The same scent of roses. And when it stilled the door was shrinking and she was in her yard. The key… nowhere to be found. She knew for sure because last year she had searched high and low for it for weeks.
The next morning she awoke to the same sunshine flowing through her bedroom and the titter of birds outside her window. She rose with less enthusiasm than the day before. She looked out her window and in the rubbage on the curb she saw her bundle of balloons from Fox. That sly fellow. They weren’t the same vibrant yet soft colors as they were behind the door… but they were undoubtedly the balloons that Fox had given her.
She smiled. It was real.
Image Credit: “Light” by Aidan O’Sullivan is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
