Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Orange (the color) (11/19/09)
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TITLE: A Silly Name | Previous Challenge Entry
By James Cogdill
11/21/09 -
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“It was your mother’s idea,” his father tells gently. His eyes continuously check the hall, waiting for the nurse to return.
“Well, I think it’s a stupid name.”
His father’s words grow more stern. “Maybe she’ll grow up to think your name is stupid.”
“But my name is a name,” the son says, emphasizing the word name. “Orange is not a name. She won’t know if I’m yelling at her or looking for a piece of fruit.”
“I think it’s a beautiful name for a beautiful little girl.”
“If she walks through a pumpkin patch, we’ll never be able to find her.”
“That’s enough,” I tell him. “Come on. Let’s go see if the nurse will let you hold your baby sister.”
He crinkles his face. “Is she going to turn my hands colors?”
I know I should not laugh, but I do.
*
The next night, the father picks up his son from the neighbor’s house. The boy listens carefully as they enter the house.
“Where’s Mommy?” he asks.
“She’s at the hospital with Orange.” His father’s words remain gentle as he directs his son to sit on the couch. “Your baby sister has some heart problems. It may be a while before she gets to come home.”
“But Mommy could have come home.”
“Her place is with the baby,” the father says. “Orange needs her.”
The boy sits quietly for a long time. Finally he looks up and says, “I’m hungry.”
His father nods. “Let’s fix some dinner. We have some oranges too. Your mother bought them to celebrate your little sister.”
The boy dragged his feet into the kitchen. “I’d rather have an apple.”
*
The next night, the boy and his father drive to the hospital. The mother gets in and they drive home. Everyone remains silent during the entire car drive. The boy watches his mother longingly from the back seat, but he keeps silent. He had been told the news before he left the house. Orange would not be coming home.
The seven-year-old turned the television on as soon as they entered house. The whole family gathered in the living room for a short while. The boy sat close to his mother until she got up and went to her bedroom.
“Daddy,” the young boy said. “Why did you give me my name?”
“Your name was your grandpa’s middle name,” his father explained. “Your mother and I thought it would be a good name for you to have.”
The son pondered this for several minutes while the television continued to play. “A name is important, isn’t it?”
“Yes, son. It can be. But it’s the person behind the name that’s the most important.”
“Orange was a silly name,” the boy said. “But I bet she would have been pretty.”
“She would have been beautiful.” The father looked down to see the sadness in his son’s eyes.
“I could let Mommy call me Red or Yellow or something like that,” the boy said. “Do you think that would help?”
The father hugged his son tightly. “Your name is just fine, son. And so are you.”
“I’m going to pray for Orange tonight, Daddy. Is that okay?”
“That’s perfect. I bet she’d love that.”
They sat there for a while longer as the television played on until the mother came out and joined them again.
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Nice job.