- Butterflies Are Free To
Fly
- by
Traci Poole
- November 2, 2000 ©
Colby took her
tiny hand and wiped away the condensation on the bus
window. "Mommy, how come that lady is sleeping on
the bench?" Colby looked up at her mother with big
brown eyes. "Isn't she cold?" Her eyes widened.
Her mother
looked down into the brown eyes of her daughter,
"Honey, sometimes people lose their jobs and then
they cannot pay their bills so the bank decides the
people cannot live in their homes anymore."
"But
Mommy," the tiny girl protested, "that isn't
fair!" The little girl looked back at the woman who
began to stir. "After we pick up our groceries, can
we come back to the park?"
Her mother
gently smiled. "I am sure we can. Let's have a
picnic!"
"All
right!! Let's have a picnic! We can pack peanut butter
and jelly sandwiches, and potato chips, and apples! Oh
Mom! We can bring a ball too!" The little girl was
so excited, she couldn't contain herself. The bus began
to pull away from the dirty sidewalk and Colby looked at
the woman sleeping on the bench. Colby silently wished
she could do something for the poor woman.
Colby and her
mother walked up and down the isles of the local grocery
store. Smells of baked bread and donuts made Colby's
mouth water. The aromas gently reminded Colby of the
picnic. She smiled to herself. Colby and her mother stood
silently in the checkout line. "Mom, can we make 5
sandwiches?" Her little eyes begging for her mother
to day yes.
"Five? Are
you that hungry?" Colby's mother gently tapped the
top part of her daughter's head. "Let's get go
straight to the park and have a picnic."
"You never
know Mom. I am growing up so fast!" giggled Colby.
Her mother only smiled.
The bus returned
back to the waiting mother and daughter. They took the 2
bags onto the bus and sat down. Finally, the bus pulled
in front of the park bench. The woman was now awake and
rubbing her hands. Colby carefully avoided the dirty
woman but managed to squeeze out a tiny smile for the
woman. The little girl hid her face in her mother's arm.
"Such a
pretty little girl," the old woman said to Colby's
mother.
"Thank
you," smiled the younger woman. "Have you eaten
lunch?"
The old woman
looked at Colby and her mother. "Nothing today but I
did manage to scrounge up some food yesterday." The
old woman looked away.
"We are
going to make sandwiches for lunch. We would like to
share our lunch with you," said Colby's mother.
"Really? I
do not want to impose on you," stammered old woman.
Colby's mother
interuppted, "Oh hogwash. We have plenty to go
around. Please join us." Colby could only listen to
her mother speak to the old lady. She would never talk to
the old lady. The old woman scared Colby.
The old lady
followed behind Colby and her mother to the picnic table
nestled near the park bench. Colby helped place the paper
plates onto the table while the old woman looked on.
"I used to have a daughter too," spoke the
woman. She adjusted her yellow sweater.
"You
do?" Colby said in a surprised voice. "Is she
my age?"
The old woman
began to laugh. "She was much older."
Colby was full
of questions. "Where is she? What is her name?"
"Honey, it
isn't polite to pry into someone's life." Colby's
mother tried to hush her daughter.
The old woman
began to remense again. "My daughter's name was
Mary. She was in a car accident."
Colby sat
quietly beside the old woman. "Is she ok?"
"I am
afraid not. She was hurt badly and now she is in
heaven." The old woman wiped away the tears.
Colby looked
down at her feet and shuffled them in a circular motion.
"I am sorry."
Her mother
finished preparing the sandwiches. Colby carefully picked
up the plate and handed it to the old woman. "I hope
you like peanut butter and jelly. It is my favorite kind
of sandwich in the whole world!"
The old woman
smiled at Colby. "It is my favorite too."
Colby took the
old woman's wrinkled hand into her own. "We have to
say our blessing first. Thank you for this wonderful food
and thank you for the birds in the sky. Thank you for
everything. Amen."
"That was
nice," smiled the old woman. Colby's mother looked
on. It made her feel good inside to know her daughter
understood how important it was to remember her manners.
The trio sat in
silence and finished up their meal. The old woman wiped
her mouth. "Thank you for lunch. It sure was
good."
With her mouth
full, Colby nodded, "You're welcome."
The old woman
stood up and smiled again. "Be good Colby."
The little girl
nodded again. The old woman walked away and disappeared
from eyesight. "Mommy, can we come here
tomorrow?"
"I am
afraid not. We have to go to the doctor's tomorrow,"
sighed the mother. "Help me clean up so we can go
home."
Colby gathered
the trash and ran to deposit it into the trash canister
near the tree. A bright yellow butterfly followed Colby
back to the picnic table. It softly settled onto her arm.
"Look Mom! A pretty butterfly!" giggled Colby.
"Hurry
honey. The bus will be back here in a few minutes,"
said her mother. Colby helped her mom put the food back
into the bags and they walked to the bus stop. The yellow
butterfly still followed Colby.
As her mother
and Colby stepped onto the bus, the butterfly firmly held
onto the little girl's shirt sleeve. "Looks like you
made a friend," smiled her mom.
The bus reached
the apartment building in which Colby lived. They got off
the bus and the butterfly flew out into the sunshine.
"Bye butterfly!" waved Colby. She didn't see
the oncoming car hit the butterfly. It laid motionless on
the dirty sidewalk.
The next morning
Colby and her mother readied themselves for the doctor's
appointment. They stepped onto the bus and again, it
stopped in front of the park bench. Only this time, the
old woman wasn't there. In her place was an ambulance
employee and a police officer. Colby caught the sight of
the yellow sweater. She remembered it belonged to the old
woman. Colby bolted from her seat and ran to the door of
the bus.
"Colby!
Stop!" yelled her mother.
Colby jumped
from the still bus and ran to the police man. "What
happened!"
The policeman
looked at the little girl. "Where is your
mommy?"
Suddenly yellow
butterflies appeared from out of nowhere. They seemed to
flutter around Colby's head. "She is there. What
happened to Mary's mommy?"
Colby's mother
finally reached her crying daughter. "Honey, please.
We need to go."
Colby broke free
from her mother's grasp and ran to the old woman. The
police officer caught the little girl. "Please. She
is my friend."
The police
officer looked into the teary eyed little girl. "I
am afraid you can't."
Colby's mother
knelt down and hugged her daughter. "Colby, listen
to me. The woman is in heaven now. She is at peace."
Colby wiped her
eyes and smiled. "Yes Mommy. She is with her
daughter now." She held tightly onto her mother's
hand and behind her were the tiny yellow butterflies that
had gathered around the old woman. One of the yellow
butterflies settled onto Colby's shoulder. "It will
be ok Mom. Butterflies are free to fly. See?"
Colby's mother
turned around, "Yes honey, butterflies are free to
fly."
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