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Ted Reynolds
Member

since 1999-12-15

Posts 331

0 posted 2000-01-30 12:24 PM

Her small fingers stroked my forehead, lightly.
      "Open your eyes real wide."
I made like an owl.
      "What are those?"
   "What are what?"
      "Those lines."
   "Worry lines."
      "What's that?"
I calculated rapidly.  I was fourteen and a half times her age.  It was my duty to share my experience.
   "Every time you worry about something you don't have to, you get another line up there."
      "You got a lot of them.  Now squint."
Day rose upon the owl.
   "Are they gone now?"
      "No.  You got a lot of them."  She stroked my head again.  "You got a lot of hair too."
She had to be speaking of someone else, but I didn't mind.
   "Well, every time a pretty girl pats my head and says I've got a lot of hair, a worry line goes away."
      "Turn your head away from me," she ordered sharply.  She tugged at the skimpiest pigtale in Washtenaw County.  "You got a lot of hair."  Pat, pat.
   "Well, thank you, Katie.  I feel the lines going away now."
      "No, they're all still there."  Now *she* looked worried.  I didn't want to cause her own first worry line, so I hastily said,
   "It takes a little while.  By morning they'll be gone."
She wasn't listening.  She knew I was covering up.
      "Maybe you should take a bath."
Hey, wait a sec, you little . . .
   "Why, Katie?"
      "You might wash 'em away."
   "You take a lot of baths?"
      "Umm-hm."
   "And *you* don't have lines on your forehead."
She grinned.  See how it all makes sense?
   "You use lots of soap?"
      "Yeah."
   "And bubbles?"
She looked blank.  A clear miss.
   "Well, I don't think that's the answer.  I already take lots of showers."
She looked indignant.  Obviously, that wasn't the same thing.  Her fingers kept rummaging absently through the almost absent hair that she somehow found so abundant.
      "But you do have lots of hair."  Suddenly she leaned close to my ear and hissed, "And I love you."
I looked at her startled, and she crowed merrily.
      "*Now* they're gone!"
And they were.  But how did she learn to do that?
In four days is her birthday.  Then I'll be only eleven and three-fifths times as old as she is.  She's catching up fast.  I'm obviously doomed.
But in the short term, at least I know what she's getting from me on her birthday.  Bubble bath.

Dusk Treader

Moderator

Senior Member

since 1999-06-18

Posts 1187
St. Paul, MN

1 posted 2000-01-30 02:22 PM

Cute little story, well written. I hope to see you around here more, you seem to have good advice too

In flames I shall not be consumed, but reborn. -- Abrahm Simons

Poet deVine

Administrator

Member Seraphic

since 1999-05-26

Posts 22612
Hurricane Alley

2 posted 2000-01-30 06:00 PM

What a sweet story! I loved it! Glad I came in for a read!!!

Marilyn
Member Elite

since 1999-09-26

Posts 2621
Ontario, Canada

3 posted 2000-01-31 08:50 PM

This is absolutely priceless Ted. I am also very glad I came over to prose.

[This message has been edited by Marilyn (edited 01-31-2000).]

Christopher

Moderator

Member Rara Avis

since 1999-08-02

Posts 8296
Purgatorial Incarceration

4 posted 2000-02-05 04:12 AM

Very cute! LOL
Brought a smile, there is that!

CrEaTuRe
Member

since 2000-01-01

Posts 260
Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia

5 posted 2000-02-05 02:07 PM

Such a lovely story ..... hope to be seeing more of your pieces

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