Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness throughout the world.

Special Treat – David Wainland

Oct 11, 2006

STARRY VEGAS NIGHTS

By David Wainland

This past week my wife and I journeyed to Las Vegas on business and for a short visit with my three and a half year old granddaughter. Skylar is the daughter of my deceased son. Her mother remarried about a year ago and the three of them moved from Florida to Nevada.

On the last night of our visit, we took Sky and my daughter-in-law, Kira, to dinner at the Olive garden. The temperature, typical of the desert, hit one hundred and seven that day and as dinner ended, retreated to about ninety-five.

I decided to leave the women behind for the moment and get the car by myself in order to begin the cooling process. However, my granddaughter had a different idea and insisted on coming with me.

Here we were, an overweight, grey-headed, sixty-six year old man walking hand in hand with a blond-haired, blue-eyed imp through a dark, overheated parking lot.  Halfway to the car, Skylar paused.

“Look Poppy,” she exclaimed, “A star. Can I make a wish?”

Sure enough, the moon, in its quarter phase, hung just overhead. To the right and just below glowed what I assumed to be Venus, for the moment, the only visible star.

“Sure honey,” we stopped in the middle of the lot, “Go ahead and make your wish.”

“Star light star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have my wish come true tonight.” She did not say it exactly like that, but close enough. Then her eyes closed and her lips moved in a soft whisper.

“Now it’s your turn Poppy.” She spoke aloud.

“OK Sky, star light star bright…”

I finished, she smiled and spoke to me again. “What did you wish for Poppy?’

It was going to be one of those special moments. “I wished that I could see you more often.”  I said. “And what did you wish for Skylar?” I held my breath.

She did not miss a beat.

“A new vacuum

David Wainland

david@davidwainland.com