Spring Quartz

Verse I

Soft, albeit itchy, green grass tickled the little girl’s fair, creamy skin, her laughter eliciting huge smiles from the man standing above her and the woman lying under her, cushioning most of her body from the ground.

            One look and there is no mistaking it: the resemblance is uncanny.

            Luscious, curly blonde hair – the girls with flaxen hair.

Mesmerizing, expressive, deep blue eyes – ocean eyes.

Both have the most adorable button nose.

Full, Cupid’s bow lips which need no further enhancement of color.

            The whole environment seems hazy, dreamy. Although bright as the sun is high above the noon, cloudless sky, and the clear as crystal water from the rivers the enchanting tune of the birds singing, the little girl could not help but feel a burgeoning dark pit growing within the depths of her stomach, threatening to drop and swallow all that she holds dearly.

            Being the small child that she is, she did not understand what the implications of those stomach-churning forebodings were, and she was about to find out the hard way.

            “My dears,” the man beckons to the both of them. “It is time.”

            This made an adorable, little pout appear from the little girl’s cherry red lips.

            Elegant fingers came to her sides and soon her joyous voice again began ringing all around the meadow.

            The woman did not let up even as the little girl squealed. “Mother, please!” she huffed between bouts of laughter. “Alright, let’s go.”

            “That’s my girl,” the woman gently praised, as if she had not just almost tickled the living light out of her child. She loves her beyond the ends of the world, but the little munchkin is just too dinky and squishy she wished to squeeze her hard in her embrace and pepper her with kisses.

            Helping the adorable little girl up to her stubby little feet, the woman took the man’s hand in her other and the three began the descent from the small hill they were enjoying the fresh breeze of the spring air tucked under the shade of the huge, abundant sentry linden.

            Halfway down, the woman had a small panic when the girl suddenly let go of her and disappeared from her side. She calmed down not a few seconds after when she realized what her daughter was up to.

The naughty cherub wanted the attention of both of her parents so she snuck her tiny self between them and grasped whatever part of their hands her small fingers could wrap around.

How could anyone not love such a child?

She was more than thrilled to see her daughter grow into a lovely young woman and hoped that she’ll be as spirited as she is right now. There is a burning in her eyes that screams adventure and life. Such a lovely precious fawn whose light would not be dimmed by anyone or anything.

Although not yet ready for the men who would for sure swarm their princess once she comes of age, both of her parents could not wait for the time that she would blossom into who she was meant to be, nurtured by their love and attention, protected by them from all the evils that lurk around.

The evening was beginning to cover the land, enveloping the surroundings in a comfortable dark veil. The little girl felt the toll of that day’s exertion finally wearing her down and without a word, she let go of both hands she was holding and turned to her father with outstretched arms, asking to be carried of the rest of the way home.

Her eyelids had been drooping all the while her stomach was grumbling. She wonders how it could be so angry when she just fed it a whole plate of fruit cocktail, salami, cake, and freshly squeezed lemon juice?

Now, she was torn between wanting to eat and wanting to go to bed.

“We’re here, sweetheart,” her father murmured softly on the top of her head. She felt his huge, warm hand caressing her back, trying to rouse her from her too short nap. He was met with an annoyed mumble that he reciprocated with a hearty guffaw. “Don’t you want to eat dinner first? Are you still full from your snacks before or are you too tired?”

Her mother chimed in. “Not so fast. She needs to wash off first.”

The girl whined at that. She could feel the grubbiness in the exposed skin of her arms and legs, even on her neck and scalp – and she knew she needed to get out of her sweaty dress, too – but at the moment, there was nothing she wished for more than her cloud-like bed and soft feathered pillows.

Those and perhaps some of that turkey she heard her father asked the cook to prepare for when they got back home, too.

As her father carries her upstairs to her room, she saw bursts of pastel stars in her vision, dancing along with the lights behind them that their huge house was full of, making her believe for a second that she’s in a dream within a dream.

It wouldn’t be so hard not to wake up from a state between being awake and asleep, being aware of what was going on around her as she hears the flow of tap water filling the tub in her bathroom, while watching an endless pattern of indescribable shapes and images crossing her sight.

She didn’t even have to blink, her eyes are already closed, but she could still watch the interesting show playing out before her.

“Maybe we should just have Nadia give her a towel bath,” she heard her father suggested to none other than her mother.

Nobody was ever allowed in her room except for three people; Nadia, her nanny, being the other one.

She heard some shuffling before she was taken from her father’s arms and the smell of lavender hit her nostrils. The girl had always loved that comforting scent of her mother. Nothing could ever compare to how she smells, not even the real lavender flowers she had picked up from the hill that afternoon.

“I can do that,” her mother countered. “But I was really hoping she’d wake up so she could take a quick bath.”

The girl buried her small face deeper in the crook of her mother’s neck and tighten her arms and legs around her. With a shake of her head that bounced her curls, she expressed her disapproval.

Her mother giggled softly and tenderly laid a kiss on her hair. “Not even with me?” she asked. “And we can bring all of your bath toys in as well.”

Round doe eyes the exact same shade as hers met her gaze, instantly awake.

“Can we have bubbles?” she asks, fingers playing with her mother’s hair.

The woman smiles brightly at her child and nodded her head. “As much as you’d like.”

Her daughter hurriedly climbed down from her embrace and pulled at the hem of her dress.

“I’ll ask Nadia to bring in her toys,” her father informs them. “You two have fun,” he says as he closed the bathroom door. “And Annie, listen to mommy.”

“Yes, daddy.” Why would she ever not?

 A couple of minutes, the mother and daughter are submerged in a bubble-full of tub, enjoying the warm water relaxing their muscles. It had to be quick one, as the mother had implicitly declared, much to the dismay of the pouting five-year-old.

After scrubbing the dirt and sweat off her and her daughter’s body, the pair dressed to their jammies – matching, as the child had insisted – and went down for supper.

With her drowsiness slipping out the window, Annie bounced on her chair as the meal was served in front of her. She had not been able to take a single bite of her thinly sliced turkey when she was distracted by a loud thud on her right. She turned her head to find her father’s distressed face disappearing under the table, shouting for their butler Herbert to call 911.

Her gaze lowers to the sight of the lower part of her mother’s limp body lying motionless on the thick carpeted floor. Before she could jump from her seat to take a better look, Nadia had snatched her up and forced her head on her shoulder.

“Mommy!” Annie screamed, thrashing on the arms of her caretaker. She knew she was hurting Nadia but why would she take her away from her mother when she needed her?

For all the kicking and wailing she did, Nadia kept her arms tightly locked on her small body but not so that it hurt. “It’ll be alright, princess,” she even consoled her.

The evening wore on and Annie wasn’t allowed to come out of her room. She didn’t have to beg that much because it was futile. After a few minutes of doing so by crying, she got tired, and sleep hit her right out of the park, and she didn’t stand a chance.

Her parents didn’t come back the next day either and though she was allowed to go out, it only made her more miserable waiting by the front door, the huge windows, the wrap around porch facing the driveway as she sat and then laid after some longish minutes on the swinging bench with her head on Nadia’s lap.

Later that evening, with an empty stomach because she refused to let anyone feed her until she sees her beloved mommy, Annie jolted awake by the bright headlights of the rounding black car where her father stepped out from, a tight-lipped smile on his weary face, with no sight of her mother.