John tucked Ariel in bed. By request, he told the story of the golden pegasus, as he had the night before and for several nights before that as well, with the same enthusiasm as if telling it for the first time. Likewise, Ariel listened with rapt attention and joyful animation as if she did not know every twist and turn in the story, of how her father had met her mother. In a simple bedtime ritual, father and daughter found reprieve, however slight, however unacknowledged, from a reality that followed them both as faithfully as shadows in a cloudless sky.
14 comments:
interesting blog
Bless your sweet and loving heart for posting so often of late. Wonderful it is that short or long, every chapter is a full chapter, remarkable that you are able to do that, perhaps that an image accompanies each time, and as I have said before though often times I am remiss in commenting directly upon the image it is as much a part of one of your posts as the words, is the reason for this completeness even when we have a one sentence or a one paragraph post.
A gem of a chapter this is, it is so gladdening to see father and daughter in these circumstances, something so usual and special as it is not something we have seen since Cait met her end. A special relationship they have always had, though there was a time when Ariel naturally was questioning of her father's absence, the loss that they have suffered lately could very well have further burdened them had John been so consumed with grief and guilt that he was not able to give of himself fully to his daughter. So relieved and warmed to see them this way.
Were it any different, we would not have the great pleasure of this ongoing, hopefully never-ending, story, but I do so love how you not only create these amazing images but how it ignites #1 and you visualize something as beautiful as this. Hopeful too, that though their grief is large, in each other they find comfort and that it shall carry them through and always. Smiling at your description of them respectively telling and listening as though it were the first time. :-) Loved this chapter.
Another heart warming post :)
The fractual is amazing - it always amazes me how different they can be!
I always loved hearing the story of how my parents met when I was a child and as an adult too. My father fell in love with my mother at first sight but it took nearly a decade before she married him... 3 proposals and 3 rings later ;)
Anneredlips, I'll take that as a compliment. ;-)
Sweetest, sometimes a paragraph is all that is needed, much like a fire needs only one more log to keep it going. Was nice to see John and Ariel this way again--warm and cozy and snug like bugs. :-D
Miladysa, my parents grew up living next door so there was no "great" story of how they met. :-D
Sounds like your mom was/is quite a woman. :-)
As always, thanks for the kind words. :-)
Growing up next door to each other is still a story.
A very cool one.
And I love this.
Reminded me of when I was a kid and my Dad would read Me stories at bedtime.
I still love a good story at bedtime...
xo, Tree
The image looks like it would go great on the inside of a large dome. Great work and love the stories.
Strump, I got some stories for you. You got the bed? :-D
Jeremy, thanks. :-)
...reality that followed them both as faithfully as shadows in a cloudless sky...
Love this line. Without a lot of words you described this scene with such richness, evoking an emotional response.
Deb, I almost rewrote that last line. Cloudless sky made sense to me but I was thinking it might not make sense to anyone else. At the end of the day I said screw it, I just liked the way it sounded, so I left it in. Glad you liked it. :-)
That reminds me of my own childhood. When my mother used to repeatedly tell me the same tales over & over. I would listen in rapt attention and felt something was missing even if there was a slight change in the intonation of her voice at the right places. I needed to hear them in exactly the same manner & tone!
I am Fussy at times :) specially with my loved ones!
Mona, when C was little, we use to watch the same videos (Lion King) over and over and over again and he would watch each time as if watching for the first time. Was really amazing to watch him at that stage.
On another level, I think we all take comfort in routine, comfort in what is known and a book or a story can be that--something that doesn't change, at least on paper. With all that John and Ariel have suffered of late, I think they both seek a sense of normalcy, of routine, of the story not changing. :-)
That's my two cents. :-D
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