The One That Got Away

It's been a while. I got crushed by depression but I'm climbing out. Huzzah!

I downloaded this pdf for writer's bootcamp. Today's was "the one that got away". I don't have any of those. I'm with the man I want to be with. So I figured I'd put a different spin on it.

The One That Got Away

I had a whole afternoon of nothing to do and I had every intention on just enjoying the day.  I had gone and treated myself to some Indian food for lunch and needed to find something else to do.  I decided then that I was on a mission to get a new book.  Half Priced Books is one of those happy medium stores.  You know, cheaper than regular book stores but more selection than your standard used book store. I wasn't sure where I wanted to start.  Fiction for sure.  I lingered through the science fiction/fantasy section.  Nothing grabbed my eye.  I decided to check out the young adult section.  You'd be surprised how many good books are considered "young adult". 

There I was looking at one of the highlighted sections, on top of a short book case.  For just a moment my eyes gazed past the book to the children's section.  A little girl caught my eye.  My breath caught in my chest and I didn't have the words to as why.  She had strawberry blonde curls cascading over her shoulders.  She had the most amazing blue eyes.  She had freckles sprinkling her cheeks and nose. She wore the most serious expression.  Something about her felt familiar.  She had to have been about 5 years old.  She was transfixed on a book she couldn't possibly be reading.  The book was a healthy sized chapter book and devoid of pictures.  She looked so serious.  Her serious demeanor was made a bit comical by her contrasting outfit.  She was wearing a powder blue t-shirt with a rainbow on it, jeans, and a rainbow tutu.  She had pink, low chucks with drawings she obviously had done herself on the toes.  You could just glimpse her unmatching socks below the hem of her jeans.  

I had totally forgotten myself when she looked up and looked me square in the eyes.  She held my gaze and very somberly said, "I don't like this book very much."  I was taken aback that she was talking to me. I fumbled for words, "Um.. uh... why is that?"  Her expression changed to sort of a sweet, placating look.  "There are too many words I don't know yet.  But I counted.  I know twelve of them.  But give me thirty four more minutes and I think I can sound the rest out."  I couldn't help but smirk but recovered quickly to match her serious look.  She noticed.  "Well, maybe more like eighty two...... hundred.... and six more minutes," she said. She glared at me.  "I can read."  I smiled and sincerely said, "I have no doubts."  Her stern expression eased.  She said, "I read my first chapter book this week.  It was about Harriet Tubman."  Her eyes widened.  "It was about the underground railroad.  But it's not a real railroad. She freed slaves!"  I replied, "I've heard of her!  She was very brave."  The little girl nodded.

She glanced away and looked back at me.  "Do you like unicorns?  I love unicorns."  I nodded, still a little perplexed by this little girl.  She looked down, and started fiddling with a random wooden figure left to entertain the little ones so parents cyould get their literary fix, and continued, "If I could choose a unicorn I would choose one with rainbow hair.  But if I didn't have a choice I would take what I could get.  Not many people give away unicorns."  She paused, thoughtfully.  "I would even take a unicorn for a day, just so I could love it while I could."  I was quiet.  She looked at me again and seemed older than she should be. She then said, "You would too, right?"  I lost my words.  I just nodded.  She looked satisfied with herself.  "I thought so.  Do you like spiders?"  I shook my head.  She seemed okay with this reply and continued, "I don't LOVE spiders but you know what I heard?"  She didn't wait for my reply.  "I heard they're messengers.  If a spider came to you, you know what it'd say?  I think it would say, 'You're good enough the way you are and you didn't do anything wrong.'"  I stood there, shocked.  Her child like demeanor returned and she started fiddling with the toy again.  "They say stuff like that," she assured me. I didn't know what to say.  "What's your name?" she asked.  "Johanna," I replied.  "What's your boy's name?"  I paused, "Marshall."  She said, "That's my brother's name.  He's not like most jerky teenagers.  I'm lucky..... I just know you're a good mommy."  I was silent.  "It's time for me to go now.  I liked talking to you."  She got up to leave.  I stammered, "Uh.. you didn't tell me your name."   She looked at me square in the eyes and just then I knew what she would say.  "Moira.  Moira Lucy.  I was named after my Grandma's great grandma." My eyes welled up.  She gazed out the windows of the store, "Look, the sun came out."  I turned my head.  The sun was streaming into the store.  I heard her say, "Tell Daddy I love him."  My heart beat hard in my chest.  I quickly turned back.  She was gone.  I felt a familiar ache in my chest.

I left the store having not purchased a single thing.  I was still in a daze. I wasn't ready to go home yet.  I went to Cosmonaut for a latte and walked over to Wright Park.  I sat on a bench.  I got lost in my thoughts.  From the corner of my eye I could have sworn I saw her again.  I turned my head quickly and she was gone once more.  But this time it shifted.  I felt peace.