She Knows
Most of my Substack posts are my memories of real events. This one is fiction. It started as a flash fiction assignment in a class. Flash fiction is short. I’ve seen it defined as under 1000 words all the way down to 100 words. It is an interesting way to write. Those of you who know me and talk to me know I like using lots of words. Similar to poetry, flash fiction forces you to choose your words carefully. A skill I have yet to master.
But there is a second reason for this story. I raised five kids and in some ways they are scarily similar and in some ways they are oh, so different. An example of the differences is the way they approached the childhood fairy tales we use to infuse magic into their lives. Some kids pester, don’t believe and demand evidence. Some sit back and watch and wonder quietly. To my kids, you know who you are. To the rest of my readers, you probably recognize these characters. Maybe you are one of them. I hope your holidays are magical.
Adam’s tongue stuck out of his mouth on the left side. Lyddie knew this meant he was concentrating on something his brain had cooked up. It was usually something their parents would not permit. Lyddie learned long ago not to bother telling Adam it was a bad idea.
Blocks tumbled to the ground causing Adam to say one of the words that always resulted in punishment. But still Lyddie held her tongue and observed from behind her book.
The sound of blocks crashing drew Mother from the kitchen wiping her hands on a dishtowel but leaving the smudge of flour where she pushed her hair off her forehead.
In their bedroom Adam paced and complained that Mother ruined his plan. Then he worked on rigging his periscope to his toy camera. “I just HAVE to get his picture!” he told Lyddie who nodded silently.
Daddy came upstairs to tuck in the four year old twins and hear their prayers. He agreed to leave the rigged periscope camera in place as long as Adam went to bed.
Just moments after Daddy kissed the twins and turned out the light, Adam’s yawns and restlessness quieted to slumber. Lyddie sat up when she heard a tap at her window.
She rose and pulled her little pink robe around her as the icy air rushed at her when she opened the window letting the portly gentleman in. He sat on her bed and quietly murmured answers to all of Lyddie’s questions.
After tucking her into her bed and promising to evade her brother’s camera, he left the way he came.
Lyddie fell asleep listening to sleigh bells on the roof and her twin lightly snoring next to his camera which never did catch evidence of the real Santa.
What a fun Christmas story.
So cute! Thanks, Amy!