Love Of Thunder

ONE

Ray

“Happy rainfall, Princess Ray.” Cheerful bee voice of my friends knocked me out from my honey sleep.

Honey bell!

Grunting in annoyance, I fluttered my eyelashes, and found my little friends, Belle and Everett, flying over my head. As usual, their little faces flashing with blissfulness. Their beautiful, white glittering wings were fluttering rapidly.

“What now?” Ignoring their victorious smile of waking me, I grumbled, shoving my face on my pillow. I really didn’t want to raise myself off my bed. It was too nippy, and I wanted to hide myself under my blankets.

“You need to wake up, Queen Ray,” my little friends shouted in my ears, not missing to synchronize their sweet voices. Their voices were tiny, but were holding a good capacity to annoy someone. “You have to sprout new buds of flowers in your garden.”

“Honey bell!” I exclaimed in horror, and jumped out of my bed, staggering my little friends, who were still on top of my head. “It’s my first Sunday of sprouting buds, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Princess Ray. It’s your first Sunday of sprouting buds.”

“Honey bell! Honey bell! Honey bell!”

I wanted to hit myself for my laziness. Because of my laziness I had lost my bet with my mom. Proudly I had told her that I would wake up early than her and would sprout buds in my garden, and if I won she had to give me an apple pie.

“Honey bell! I lost my first bet and apple pie.”

Since last fifteen days, I had been waiting for this day, but chilly rain and nippiness in the weather caused me to have a more sleep than I had planned.

Even the human created gadget, the alarm, didn’t blare to wake me up.

I had turned seventeen this month, and therefore first Sunday was very important for me.

Why?

Well, according to the rules of flowers, when any flower girl turns seventeen, she had to sprout new flowers in their handmade garden. It gives an identity to that particular flower girl.

“I’ve to have a bath.”

Without wasting a single second, I whizzed in my washroom.

“You need to throw mud on your face, Ray,” I mumbled, banging the door of the washroom shut.

I glanced myself in the mirror and grunted. I was a total mess. My green wavy hair was messy, my face was fine, but the stain of drool over the corner of my lips was making my face...a complete mess.

As much as my body could muster, I freshened myself by letting drops of warm shower to fall over my body. Hastily, I wrapped myself in pink floral towel and walked out of the washroom before my mom could call my name.

“Everett, close your eyes,” I told the only little man in my room. Respecting my order, he quickly shut his eyes closed, cautiously getting under my bed.

Good fellow.

“Belle,” I called, pulling the door of my wardrobe.

“Yes, princess,” poor girl ran, no, flied towards me, fluttering her wings as fast as she could.

“Sprinkle golden dust on my hair.”

Following my order, she immediately scattered her magical dust and my green hair smoothly got tied in a pony tail.

Precipitously I rummaged through my wardrobe and pulled out a pearl A line dress. I hurriedly wore it.

“Weather is too good. Don’t you think so, Princess Ray?” Everett commented, flying towards the window of my room, as soon as I dressed myself.

I followed his gaze.

Rain was drizzling over the greenery, clouds had converted themselves in the colour of ash, and the odour of wet soil...it was too pleasant.

“Don’t be so excited, Everett,” Belle spoke, flying beside me, her fluttering wings fanning my face. “Night will be a complete opposite.”

I frowned, turning my face at her.

“Why? Why today’s night will be complete opposite? What is going to happen, Belle?” I bombarded my questions on her.

“Um,” she cleared her throat, squaring her tiny hands, “Thunderstorm. There are signs of thunderstorm, Queen Ray.”

My flesh instantaneously filled with goose bumps. The word, thunderstorm, used to terrify my little soul. Its startling deadly sound, oh my flower god! Whenever that voice used to impinge against my ears, I used to cower under my bed.

“Let’s go, let’s go,” I hurried, shaking those horrific thoughts from my mind. Even to just project the picture of thunderstorms was dreadful for me.

I jerked open the door of my room and rushed out, before more thoughts could rush towards my brain.

“You have called her. I know,” mom’s angry voice reached over my ears as I came out.

She was in the kitchen with dad, who was furiously shaking his head by folding his arms against his chest.

Mom was fuming in anger. Her golden hair drifting over her gorgeous face. In irritation she was again and again tucking them behind her ear.

Why was she angry?

Getting curious, I ambled towards them and distracted their serious conversation:

“What’s wrong?”

Their heads snapped at me. Mom heaved a sigh, and Dad cleared his throat.

“Hey, kid!” Dad beamed, in seemed like fake enthusiasm, waving his hand; whereas, mom once again busied herself in glaring dad. Her nostrils flaring as if she was planning to convert dad into a frog.

“Is something wrong?” I asked timidly, looking back and forth between her and dad.

Dad shrugged. “Nothing_”

“Nothing?” mom interrupted him, looming over my poor dad. She had taken the incarnation of rose full of thorns

.

And then, somebody knocked on the door. That’s when I understood the reason of my mom’s anger. The truth was she wasn’t angry. She was over-drowned in jealousy.

The reason of her jealousy was Mrs. Lily, who was our first human neighbour. She was an epitome of annoyance. It’s not like she was bad, on the contrary, she was over-sweet, and yes, most important, my handsome redhead dad was her crush.

Ignoring dad’s fearful state and mom’s intimidating incarnation, I opened the door.

There she was, standing Mrs. Lily. She was gorgeous with her cute face. Her kinky grey hair was shining due to little droplets of rain. Her pudgy figure was half drenched.

“Hey, little,” she flashed, waving her unfurled black umbrella before my face.

“Hi, Mrs. Lily,” I smiled, gesturing her to get inside. My smile widened as two people popped their heads over Mrs. Lily’s shoulder.

Jimmy and Linda – kids of Mrs. Lily and my school mates. When I had joined school, they were the one who had made me comfortable in throng of human beings.

They and Mrs. Lily didn’t know about our real identity. They would find odd when they would get an enchanting odour of flowers in our house. Even my green hair, mom’s unique eyes and redhead dad was the topic of awe for them.

“Good morning, Ray,” Jimmy grinned, shyly, scratching back of his head. He was too cute to get noticed. Telling about his physical features, he was thin but tall. He had those cute black eyes, same like his twin sister Linda. Linda was thin like him but had kinky hair– inherited from her mother– whereas Jimmy had normal short hair.

“Morning,” I greeted back Jimmy, motioning him and Linda to get inside. Well, Mrs. Lily Braganza had already taken the entry.

“Welcome Mrs. Braganza,” Dad bowed like a true gentleman. He was not letting a single opportunity to tease mom by flirting with Mrs. Braganza.

My dad was one of a kind character. I loved him a lot though.

° ° °

Two hours passed. We, McCalls– which was our fake surname– and Braganza family had a fruit breakfast. Mrs. Braganza had not missed to appreciate mom’s cooking talent. The way she praised mom’s handmade fruit salad, mom couldn’t stop herself to blush proudly. Her so called jealousy and anger wafted in air within seconds.

I loved her for that. Her anger would never stay on her nose for longer.

“Would you like to have some more, Mrs. Lilly?” she asked in her normal sweet and kind tone.

“Oh thank you, Mrs. Kenna for asking, but my tummy is full,” Mrs. Lilly said, circling her hand over her bulged stomach and we all laughed in unison.

To be with Braganza was a real fun, excluding her, over-sweetness.

“So, tonight you both are coming with me and my husband for party, right?” she asked mom and dad.

“Party?” mom leaned forward, resting her forearms over the dining table.

“In town, at my sister’s place,” Mrs. Lilly told, flashing her trademark smile. “It’s the place where, we, old people will have fun.”

“Old people?” dad smirked in his flirty attitude and earned a hard nudge from mom.

Not to my surprise, Mrs. Lilly’s cheek turned crimson. Yep, she blushed, hardly.

“Even we’ll have fun,” Linda squealed, raising her hands in excitement.

“No,” Mrs. Lilly said immediately and poor Linda’s smile died as fast as it had appeared.

“No?” Jimmy said, cautiously.

“Yes, teenagers are not allowed in this party.”

Cheerful expression on mom and dad’s face faded. They exchanged a worried look at each other, and then turned their eyes at me.

This was the first time Mrs. Lily had asked them for some party.

It was clear from mom’s eyes she didn’t want to go. She and even dad didn’t want to live me alone. Since my childhood, mom had been very possessive about me. When dad had allowed me to join human school, she was not supporting dad. She was scared that somebody would hurt me. Fortunately, in seventeen years nobody had tried to attack or hurt me. Mom was relieved, but still wetness of anxiety was still there in her heart. Her anxiety would rise when rain had to start...with thunderstorm.

“Mrs. Lily, we would have loved to join you,” mom said, hesitantly, “But...how Ray would live alone?”

Dad pressed mom’s shoulder in agreement, his expression closed.

“Oh come on, Mrs. Kenna. She is seventeen now,” Mrs. Lily said, stamping her hand on the table. Her lips were fluttering with smile. When she didn’t find an enthusiasm on mom and dad’s face, she sighed. “Jimmy and Linda will be there. I’ll send them here.”

I grinned on that. To be with Linda and Jimmy meant lots of fun.

I jerked my face at them, and found them carrying same expression which I had.

“I can stay with them, mom,” I chirped, suppressing my excitement.

As reaction to my enthusiasm, dad gave me a small smile, whereas mom gave me a complete opposite reaction, she scowled.

“See?” Mrs. Lilly beamed, “She’s ready.”

I knew what mom was feeling. She wanted to talk with me and fire me. I decided to let her fire me, let her shout on me; ‘cause I loved her. To protect me, she and dad had never enjoyed their love life. They had not shared their much needed moments because of me. They had given me everything, and now it’s my turn to give something beautiful to them.

“Yes, I can stay, mom. I will be more than happy to be with Linda and Jimmy.”