Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: GATHERING (07/14/16)
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TITLE: Dandelion Memories | Previous Challenge Entry
By Windy Lanzl
07/16/16 -
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Where was she? Why was she here? Why did she feel she should know those faces in the pictures? A hint of panic began to snake its way up her chest toward her throat. She stared hard at the pictures. Thinking hurt. It would be easier for her to weave a rug with spider webs than to grasp the wispy strands of words and images and produce memories.
Suddenly she felt a hand on hers. She followed the hand to the wrist and up the arm to a kind, smiling face.
“Hello, Mama. It’s me, Shelly.”
Mama . . . Shelly.
She SHOULD know. She WANTED to know. Tears of frustration began to pool and overflow.
“It’s OK, Mama. I’m here. Just rest.”
She didn’t want to rest. She wanted to remember. But her thoughts were like dandelion fluff blown on the wind. She began to softly moan and shake her head from side to side. “Please, please, please.” Oleta begged the unseen. Sobs began to wrack her body as fear, anger, and confusion overwhelmed her. The stranger holding her hand began to cry with her. She leaned down and took Oleta in her arms and gently rocked her. “It’s gonna be OK, Mama. It’s gonna be OK. I love you, Mama. I’m here. I’m here.”
The fellowship of suffering with this beloved stranger soothed Oleta’s fears. She felt herself relaxing. She took comfort in the strong arms wrapped around her.
Without warning a sharp pain shot through her chest. Oleta gasped and looked up into the frightened face of her comforter. The face began to fade. The room grew dim. Oleta began to fall down, down, down. She kept waiting to hit bottom, but it never came. She felt limp like a ragdoll. She closed her eyes and floated.
All at once she felt herself being drawn upward. Strength began to permeate her body. Within seconds she was standing upright looking into the most beautiful smiling face she had ever seen. She wasn’t sure who he was, but she couldn’t help but smile back.
Looking upward, the beautiful man seemed to notice something floating by. He reached out and caught it in his fist. When he opened his hand a single dandelion fluff was lying in his palm. He lifted his palm and blew a gentle puff of air. The lone piece of fluff floated above Oleta’s head. Just as it was about to find rest in her hair, it exploded like a beautiful firework, glittering and flashing in the brightness of his countenance. As the first piece of gold came to rest on Oleta, she gasped in delight and joy as recognition dawned on her face.
“Jesus! Sweet Jesus!” Her laughter could be heard throughout the heavenly realms. Jesus laughed with her. He gave a wink and pointed upward. There, floating above her head and all around were thousands of dandelion fluffs. Oleta reached up and tried to grab them but they eluded her grasp. She giggled. She knew she must look absurd.
She looked over at Jesus, raised her eyebrows, and gestured toward the swirling dandelion snow. Reaching out his arms he began to direct the floating fluff with the movements of a maestro. From far and wide each individual swirling seed drew near to the other with burst upon burst of glittering beauty.
Oleta looked upward and smiled. A tiny fleck of gold landed on her eyelash and a memory came to life.
“Shelly!! My darling, Shelly! I remember!”
Unabashed tears of joy fell with abandon as one memory after another found its way into her heart. Finally, her mind was whole. Her thoughts were clear. She had sweet clarity once again.
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Very creative.
Beautiful imagery and touchingly inspirational.