“I Can’t Wait To Hear the Butterflies Sing”

[Ansamcw]

“I Can’t Wait To Hear the Butterflies Sing”

“I want to go see my cousin Rebecca,” Quiana said one Saturday morning while she was sitting at the kitchen table eating her oatmeal. “Not today,” said her Mother, “I am just too busy.” “We will have to plan a visit for another day.” “Maybe we can go next Friday, when I get home from work.” Quiana was not pleased and she lay her head down on the kitchen table as if to disapprove. She loved her Aunt Tea’sha. Her cousin Becca was her very best friend; her most favorite person in the whole wide world, besides her big brothers and sisters, of course.

“Lift up your head child and finish your breakfast, we are off to the grocery store,” said her Mother. Reluctantly, Quiana lifted her head and gave her mother a slight frown. “Don’t frown baby girl, we will get our chores finished and sit down and make a plan.”

Shortly thereafter, holding her Mother’s hand they crossed the street and walked toward Green’s Quick Market. Quiana let go of her mother’s hand and started to skip down the street until she was way too far ahead of her mother. Her Mother yelled at her to “stop!” which she did and as soon as her Mother reached her, she bent down to Quiana’s level and scolded her very seriously. “You mustn’t get so far ahead of me,” she said. “Be still now and let me tie your shoes!” All that skipping had untied Quiana’s shoes; luckily she hadn’t stepped on them, hadn’t fallen and busted her knees open again. It was not that Quiana was clumsy; she was just a beautiful happy little girl who loved to sing, skip and dance and just couldn’t be quiet! Her Daddy said she was like a butterfly, never staying in one spot for very long. She was always moving around, on the couch, in the floor, out the door, and now skipping and jumping to the store.

When they were finished shopping, it was a special treat to go home and have an ice cream cone. Then they would take out the flour, get out the pans and make a chocolate cake. That’s right, every Saturday they baked a delicious three layered chocolate cake for dessert after Sunday’s dinner. Quiana got to crack the eggs add the flour and sugar and turn on the mixer. She was the baby of the family. She just wasn’t big enough to pour the mix into the pans, nor was she big enough to put the pans in the hot oven. She watched her mother put on the gloves and carefully place the cake in the hot oven, wishing for the day when she would be big enough to do that part too. Then she could say she made the cake all by herself! Yummy! It was the best cake in the world!

Quiana loved Sundays, because that was the day she would put on her Sunday Go to Meeting dress, the beautiful white dress with the hot pink bow in front. Her Mother would braid her hair into all sorts of little pigtails and tie pink, blue, yellow, purple, green, and red ribbons on each end, until her back of her head looked like a rainbow.

Quiana loved Sunday school, but the long part wasn’t so special. She would sit between her parents, trying her best to look up above so she could read the hymn book that her parents held between them. I am going to bring a pillow one of these day, she thought to herself. Her little hinny got so sore from those hard benches. I want to sing she thought, but I can’t read so I guess I will just have to pay attention and learn the words by heart. So she sat about to do just that! On some Sundays she got to sing with her class and a few times she even sang all by herself. This made her very happy and her parents were so proud of her. The preacher asked her to stand right by him after church on the days she sang by herself and as all the people came out of church gave her hugs and kisses! She loved that!

After dessert, on Sunday afternoons, Quiana had to be really quiet. She hated this time of day because that was when her Mom and Dad would take a nap together. Her brothers and sisters got to play outside. She was all alone inside the house then but she could do whatever she wanted as long as she didn’t wander out of the house. She could take her new coloring book out of her desk and color with her new crayons, read a book, play with her butterfly collection, watch a movie, or TAKE a NAP HERSELF. Every Sunday she tried to think of fun things to do, but what usually happened, yes, you are right, what usually happened was she would eventually lie down on the couch and fall asleep herself? That is exactly what happened this Sunday.

She didn’t realize she was sleeping as it all seemed so real. It was night time, she was spending the night with her aunt; it was past 9 O’clock, she and Becca were sent to bed and told to get right to sleep. They were supposed to be sleeping but they were laughing and giggling like little girls do. Quiana stopped in mid laugh put her hand up into the air and said. “Listen Becca,” “What is that beautiful sound?” Becca didn’t answer and that was because she had fallen fast asleep. Carefully and very quietly, Quiana threw back the covers and opened Becca’s window. She could see lights flashing in the night. “Oh” she said to herself, “its lightening bugs.” When she looked closer, she discovered that there were hundred of butterflies swarming near the beautiful purple bushes in her aunt’s flower bed just outside Becca’s window.

The moon light was shining brightly on their wings making them look like thousand of little hearts, flickering in the air, all over the place. They are rubbing their wings together and making a funny humming sound quite similar to the sound bees make when they are buzzing around their hives. She bent her head down closer to the window sill to listen and at that point, she toppled right outside into the butterfly bushes underneath Becca’s window. She struggled to upright herself and before she knew it, she was higher that the window sill, then up! Up! Up! She was way Up above the roof. She was surprised when she realized that she was floating through the air! She looked to her left and noticed that a big beautiful yellow butterfly had attached itself to the puffed sleeve of her nightgown. She looked to the right and another butterfly, purple in color, had attached itself to her other sleeve. She shook her head and when she did, several beautiful differently, gloriously, colored butterflies had surrounded her face and head. The butterflies were flittering like glitter, and then quickly the butterflies disappeared out of site.

That’s when she realized that there were many butterflies all around her Whole self and not just her head and that they were even attached to each of her pigtails, pulling her pigtails high up above her head. They were attached to the hem of her night gown stretching the nightgown out like a ship’s sail. She realized she was flying, she was actually flying! When she looked down, she could see her aunt’s house, the pond in the back yard, and she could look into the window and see Becca fast asleep. She tried to yell, but no sound would come from her mouth. Yes, she was frightened but also happy at the very same time! She was scared of heights and she was flying and not of her own accord! The butterflies were carrying her away! They were flicking and flutter around her eyes, face and lips and Quiana was blowing kisses at them, laughing joyously! All of a sudden the sound of a dog barking broke the spell and PLUMP, she landed back in bed with Becca lying beside her. “Wow!” she said out loud “that was so much fun! I can’t wait to do it again.”

She reached over, touched Becca’s shoulder and shook her gently. “Wake up Becca,” she said, “I want to tell you about my exciting journey.” Becca woke up stretching and wondering what had happened that was so exciting. Quiana told her all about her adventure. Becca didn’t quite believe her. “Quickly,” said Quiana, “Come to the window.” They both rushed to the window sill and upon leaning out and over the bushes, they could see the flicker of the moonlight on the wings of thousands of butterflies and they could hear the beautiful musical sound of the butterfly’s wings as they rubbed back and forth keeping themselves floating in the air and making this Oh so beautiful sound! As Quiana and Becca listened closely, they could barely make out the sound of what they were hearing. They heard…….. and I…eee…. I…. will always love you,….oooh…uh... oooh,……… and I….. will….. always love you!

Quiana woke up from her Sunday nap just as her aunt and cousin were coming through the door. Quiana leaped from the couch and hugged her cousin tightly. “Come Becca.” she said, “let’s outside and play in the flower garden.” “I can’t wait to hear the butterflies sing!”

Inspired by Quiana Parler

Singing I will Always Love you

Jayne Poston

Brentwood, TN

Written Friday, August 12, 2005

[kc01]

I like it!!