Eden had come to to the store to buy some lace for her daughter's new dress. She couldn't decide whether the hem of the dress should have dark or light pink lace. Then she noticed the little girl next to her.
It was obvious that the fabric store was not a place where the four? five? year old girl wanted to be. She looked tired. She was hot. She still had her woolen hat on, and the winter jacket was zipped tightly all the way to her chin. Her mom looked tired too. And nervous. Her flawless make-up couldn't cover the tenseness.
"I forgot to put the parking clock on the windshield. I'll go put it there quickly. You wait here," she ordered the daughter and headed toward the door.
The little girl followed. Mom turned around. The girl sopped.
"I told you to wait," mom scolded.
Mom moved. The girl followed. She almost ran, tears starting to roll down her cheeks, her face hot red, chin shivering. She caught her mom before she reached the door.
Frowning down at the little girl, mom's high pitched voice splatted: "Fine, I will not put the clock on, and we just have to pay for the parking ticket later. Why can't you just do what I say. Why do you do this?"
Eden couldn't stand it a moment longer. She walked to the mom, looked straight into her eyes, and said quietly: " She loves you. She just wants to be with you."
It was obvious that the fabric store was not a place where the four? five? year old girl wanted to be. She looked tired. She was hot. She still had her woolen hat on, and the winter jacket was zipped tightly all the way to her chin. Her mom looked tired too. And nervous. Her flawless make-up couldn't cover the tenseness.
"I forgot to put the parking clock on the windshield. I'll go put it there quickly. You wait here," she ordered the daughter and headed toward the door.
The little girl followed. Mom turned around. The girl sopped.
"I told you to wait," mom scolded.
Mom moved. The girl followed. She almost ran, tears starting to roll down her cheeks, her face hot red, chin shivering. She caught her mom before she reached the door.
Frowning down at the little girl, mom's high pitched voice splatted: "Fine, I will not put the clock on, and we just have to pay for the parking ticket later. Why can't you just do what I say. Why do you do this?"
Eden couldn't stand it a moment longer. She walked to the mom, looked straight into her eyes, and said quietly: " She loves you. She just wants to be with you."
We are never are best when we are tired and stressed. I imagine Eden's comment will ring in that Mother's memory for years to come. Hopefully she will see the love and have more patience and both of them will have better days.
ReplyDeleteI love the line "Her flawless make-up couldn't cover the tenseness". Also, the last line made me think about the fear that little children have when there mom moves from them. It's not just love, but a fear of being left.
ReplyDelete"Frowning down at the little girl, mom's high pitched voice splatted: "Fine, I will not put the clock on, and we just have to pay for the parking ticket later."
ReplyDeleteHow many times have we all seen theatrics like this in a grocery store? If the adult could only hear themselves. What does a 4 or 5 year old know about parking tickets and fines? Glad someone intervened.
Children are everyone's business, aren't they? What a good thing that that child was helped, & perhaps more than we can know. Really a great slice of life to tell, but sad also that it happens.
ReplyDelete