A children’s story: For, EJF, ADLN, ARB, JNW, JBLD, JJD, RTMW, TLH and all children, everywhere.
One sunny morning Brownette woke up and it was her birthday. It had taken her a long time to become 7 years old and she was glad. As she stretched and yawned she heard a noise at her bedroom window.
TAP, TAP, TAP, TAP, TAP, TAP, TAP. She counted each sound. Seven taps. She arose from her bed and went to the window. She was surprised to see a tiny horse on the ledge.
“Birthday greetings, Brownette. Today is your lucky day. My name is Euphrates (U-FRAY-TEEZ). I am the African Birthday Horse. Each day, I find an African child whose birthday it is. I grant them the ability to travel through time with me, to be any age they want to be. So choose three ages you want to be, Brownette. But remember, the last age you choose is the age you must stay. Which age would you like to be first?”
“I think I’d like to be 20 like my older sister, Orangine. She always tells me that, twenty is a good age to be.”
As soon as Brownette said the word ‘twenty,’ the room grew to a gigantic size. Or rather, she shrunk, because suddenly she was smaller than Euphrates.
“Climb aboard, Brownette. It will be a short ride. Twenty is not so far away. When we land, I’ll disappear, but when you’ve had enough of twenty, I’ll be near. Just shout my name loud and clear.”
Brownette mounted Euphrates. She suddenly felt like she was on an elevator going sideways. Just as she was getting used to this strange feeling, it stopped. Euphrates disappeared. She was still in her room but something was different. She felt bigger. She walked over to her mirror and was surprised to see she looked all grown up. She wanted to rush downstairs and show her Mommy and Daddy how she had grown, but before she could the phone rang. She answered it.
“Hello.”
“Hello, Brownette. This is Nathan. How are you?”
“Fine, thank you. How are you?” Brownette answered slowly, not sure who Nathan was.
“Brownette, I have been wanting to ask you a long time if you would marry me,” asked Nathan.
“Hold on a minute. I have to do something.”
“EUPHRATES!”
The African Birthday Horse appeared.
“I told you I’d be near,” said he.
“I don’t think I like this age very much. Can I be 40 now? Mommy and Daddy are 40 and they’re pretty cool.”
“Climb aboard to see what’s in store at the age of 10 times four,” rhymed Euphrates.
When the feeling stopped she was in a strange house, in a strange kitchen with seven strange little children tugging on her skirt. They were all talking at once.
“MOMMY I CAN’T FIND MY SHIRT HE HIT ME I DID NOT SHE DID IT AND I TOLD YOU I WAS TELLING MOMMY I’M HUNGRY CAN I GO OUTSIDE MOMMY MOMMY MOMMY!”
“EUPHRATES!”
The African Birthday Horse appeared.
“What is it, child?”
“Forty is not the age for me. I think I would just like to be me.”
In a very short time, Euphrates had Brownette back in her room at her right age. It had been fun riding with Euphrates but she was glad to be back. Plus she still had her birthday to enjoy. And she did just that. She even had cake and ice cream twice – once at home and once at her grandparent’s house. But she never forgot about Euphrates, the African Birthday Horse!
Keep prayin’, keep thinkin’ those kind thoughts!
*****
Upcoming cool events:
The Lake County Branch of the NAACP will hold its annual Black History Program on Feb. 28 at Praises of Zion Baptist Church, 3890 Emile Ave., Clearlake, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The public is invited. For more information call 995-2545.
Calling For Light: A Spring Concert of Poetry and Music. Carolyn Hawley, Piano. Chopin and original Works. Accompaniment to Poetry. T. Watts, accompaniment on Trumpet. Lake County Poets Laureate Mary McMillan, Sandra Wade, Carolyn Wing Greenlee, James Bluewolf and Jim Lyle. Sunday, March 15, 3 p.m. Galilee Lutheran Church, 8860 Soda Bay Road, Kelseyville. Tickets are $10 in advance at Watershed Books, Lakeport and Wild About Books, Clearlake. $15 at the door. Children may attend for free. A benefit for KPFZ 88.1 FM.
T. Watts is a writer, radio host and music critic. Visit his Web site at www.teewatts.biz.
{mos_sb_discuss:2}
