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Bluebonnets swayed back and forth in the breeze,
their petals filling the air with sweet fragrance. I lay
among them, eyes closed, appreciating every moment. Time
would fly and soon I would have to head for home. I thought
of Ginny, who had given me the gift of peace and
tranquility. Was I just dreaming or was this really
happening? As cotton ball clouds floated overhead, I thought
back to the events of the day.
Being the mother of five young
children, I rarely had time to be by myself or do the things
that brought me joy. Of course, my children were the lights
of my life, but I missed not being able to read a book, go
for a walk alone to ponder life, or to take a bath without
someone pounding on the door, demanding my attention.
I??™d awakened to a sunny spring morning.
After kissing my husband goodbye and sending him off to
work, I heard the stirrings of my children upstairs.
Sounding like a herd of stampeding elephants, they made
their way downstairs into the kitchen. For the next three
hours I was bombarded with noise and chaos. Dirty dishes
filled my kitchen sink. Milk spilled on the floor and the
dog licked it up, but not before my toddler crawled through
it, making a trail of white on the carpet. On my way to get
a rag to wipe it up, I stepped on an assortment of small
toys, from blocks to racing cars, stubbing my toes and
nearly falling flat on my face.
When the doorbell rang, I didn??™t have a
chance to get to the door before Jimmy, my son, threw it
open. It was one of my neighbors. She stepped inside and sat
down on the couch. I was amazed she found a place to sit.
Before I went to bed the night before, I??™d folded the wash
and piled it on the back of the couch. There she sat,
surrounded by faded towels, grass-stained socks, and my
husband??™s underwear. ???Hi Chris,??? Ginny smiled. I wondered
what she wanted. I hoped all she wanted was to borrow a cup
of sugar or a dozen eggs. I didn??™t have time just to sit and
chat. Realizing that she planned to stay for a while, I
slouched down next to a stack of dishcloths.
Between the screams of fighting
children and dishes dropping and rolling across the kitchen
floor, my friend reached over and took my hand in hers.
???Chris, I want you to grab your purse and go out that front
door. I??™ll stay here with the children for two hours. Go and
do something fun; something just for you.???
I felt my jaw drop. I??™m sure it was
hanging down to the floor. ???What did you just say???? I wasn??™t
sure I had understood correctly.
???I said I want to babysit your children
for two hours while you go and do something just for
yourself. I??™m going to come over once a week and do this for
you,??? Ginny repeated with a smile.
???Why???? I shook my head, not believing
she??™d just offered to stay with my unruly crowd, who at that
moment were taking the leftovers from last night??™s supper
out of the refrigerator and started decorating my newly
painted walls with cold, sticky spaghetti. My toddler was
scribbling with crayons on our expensive antique-finish
cabinets. Another child chased the dog, who had muddy feet,
on my just-cleaned carpet. I didn??™t have a chance to say
another word. Ginny grabbed my purse and pushed me toward
the front door. I knew she was serious when I heard it lock
behind me.
???Don??™t come back for two hours,??? she
shouted.
I stood on the front porch wondering
two things. How was Ginny going to cope with my energetic
children and what I was going to do with two hours to
myself? It had been twelve years since I??™d had time to do
anything I??™d wanted. As I walked to the car, I saw Ginny at
the window holding my baby, Heather, who was busy chewing on
a crayon. Stephanie and Sarah tugged at her pant legs. I
could see their spaghetti-covered hands staining Ginny??™s
pants and my drapes, but Ginny, with a smile on her face,
stood stoically, waving goodbye. Hesitantly, I waved back
and climbed in the car. The first thing I noticed were the
three empty car seats, and then I heard something I hadn??™t
heard in years, silence. I backed out of the driveway and
started driving, having no idea where I was going.
As I turned onto the main street, it
hit me that I had two entire hours to do anything I wanted.
I laughed out loud. ???Yippee!??? This meant I could go to the
library and read a book, or go swimming, or shopping, or out
to eat all by myself. I wondered what it would be like to
sit in a restaurant without food flying around me, my shoes
sticking to the floor, or having other customers give me the
evil eye because of all the noise and mess my children were
making.
I decided to stop at the bookstore
where I spent one of my precious hours looking at the latest
selection of best sellers. After purchasing one by my
favorite author, I headed for the park. On the way, I
spotted a field of bluebonnets. I pulled the car to the side
of the road, grabbed my camera, and walked through the tall
grass until I found the perfect spot. Sitting down among the
blooms, I began clicking away, photographing every
bluebonnet near me before lying down in the soft grass.
I enjoyed the sun shining on my face.
It was warm and I hoped it would give my cheeks a
much-needed pinkish tinge. Butterflies fluttered around me.
One landed on my hand and I raised it to eye level. ???So this
is what lemon yellow looks like without sticky fingerprints
on it,??? I chuckled. The butterfly??™s antenna bobbed up and
down in rhythm with its wings. When it flew away, I followed
it with my eyes until it disappeared inside one of the
bluebonnets. I heard no traffic sounds, no children crying,
and no dogs barking. Page after page turned as I devoured
the words in the book. Tossing my hair back and forth, I
relished being as free as the butterfly. My cell phone
ringing interrupted the peace and tranquility I felt.
???Hello.???
???Mommy, it??™s time for you to come home.
Ginny is pulling out her hair,??? Jimmy giggled.
???I??™ll be home shortly,??? I sighed.
My quiet rest had come to an end. Not
wanting to leave my bluebonnet heaven, but knowing I had to,
I stood up and looked around one last time. I took a deep
breath, hoping to capture the scent of the flowers in my
mind to remember throughout the rest of the day. I picked a
bluebonnet to give to Ginny and walked to the car.
Arriving home, I was relieved to see
that Ginny??™s hair hadn??™t really been pulled out. I hugged
her and gave her the flower. ???Did you enjoy yourself???? she
asked.
I felt a tear run down my cheek. ???Thank
you for the gift,??? I wept.
Within seconds my five children were
pulling at me with their sticky fingers. ???Mommy, you??™re
home! Did you have a good time????
???Ginny said you needed peace and
quiet.???
???Jessica pulled my hair and the dog
threw up on your bed.???
???I spilled my orange juice on the
couch. Are you mad, Mommy? It didn??™t get on the couch though
because of all the clean towels.???
???Mama!???
???Welcome home,??? Ginny laughed as she
walked out the front door.
After I developed my film, I hung
several photos near my bathtub. Whenever I felt the need to
escape, I simply looked at the bluebonnets and remembered
that day in the field. Ginny showed up every week from then
on to watch the kids, as promised. No matter what I chose to
do with my free time, I always ended up lying in the field,
surrounded by tall grasses, bluebonnets, butterflies and
tranquility.
?© 2003 by Margo Fallis |
