Title: A Humble Beginning
Prompt: 027: Stranger
She could not stop crying. Granted, she was only four years old; it was expected, but not to this degree.
The poor young woman felt her face get hot as she sensed the other parents' stares. She tried her hardest to shush her daughter and calm her with murmurs of "It's going to be okay" and "Don't worry, you will have many friends". The little girl held on to her mother as if her life depended on it. She clung to her mother's navy blue sweater and hid her face in the crook of her mother's neck. She was determined to stay near her mother at all cost.
She was not going to let go any time soon.
Carmen did not know what to do. She tried coaxing little Evelyn into the school with the promise of a plateful of chocolate chip cookies. Instead of making her happy as she had assumed, it made her little cherub wail even louder than before. Oh God, is it always so hard to send the little tikes to school?
As Evelyn's wails echoed the school halls, Carmen did not notice a plump woman approaching her. Therefore, when she felt a hand briefly touch her shoulder, she could not help but gasp in surprise.
The woman chuckled, "I am so sorry, hun. I did not mean to sneak up on you, but I was wondering if you needed some help?"
Carmen almost sighed in relief. "Yes, that would be great, if you wouldn't mind," she extended her hand to the woman, "and my name is Carmen Jules."
The woman returned the gesture, "Nice to meet you. My name is Sue Clearwater, and this young boy right here," Sue gestured to her son as she moved aside, "is my son, Seth."
Evelyn's cries began to get softer and softer as she stared at the boy. Seth looked at her quizzically and asked her. "Why were you crying?"
The little girl struggled to control her hiccups after the tear fest as she murmured, "I-I-I'm sca-ared."
Then, in a swift movement, Seth grabbed her hand and gave her his best smile, his mother's smile, the one with dimples and a cute face, and said, "It's okay! We'll be bestest friends and can play in the sandbox right now! Let's go!" And before the little girl could reply, the boy pulled her with him to the sandbox filled with little buckets and pails.
Carmen turned to Sue and asked if she should leave or wait until Evelyn sees her. Sue laughed and said that it was best if they both left, since their children have already forgotten that their mothers were there. "See?" Sue indicated, pointing to the two rugrats playing, with a small, shy smile on Evelyn's face.
"It's safe to say, Carmen, that you and I will not be strangers from here on out."
Carmen laughed out loud and agreed. Evelyn and Seth would be each other's 'bestest friend' for a very long time.