Years
Mr. Butler jumps.
Bonnie remembers what it is like to be a baby. Wrapped firmly in cloth, held by her father, she knows that she is the only one in the world that means anything. Of course, as a baby, she doesn't have aware thoughts like this, but she can feel it. Somewhere deep down, Bonnie can feel that she is special. After all, her daddy loves her, and he doesn't love just anyone.
Black fat legs extend, and Bonnie holds on tight.
Her mother loves her too. Maybe not as much as her father does, but Bonnie doesn't think about that. Her mother is holding her up, teaching her how to walk. Bonnie toddles, stands for a moment, and falls. Mother lets Mammy scoop her up to stop the crying and then tries again.
Wind rushes through her hair, and she wonders why Daddy wouldn't let her jump before when it's so much fun!
Ella is playing with her dolls. Why can't Bonnie be old enough to play with her? She keeps on growing, but Ella grows too, and she never seems to catch up. She begs to play, but her sister ignores her. Then Mother walks by and says that Ella must let Bonnie play. Bonnie is very pleased and immediately starts dressing a dolly, but Ella's eyes follow Mother out of the room. Then she turns and gives Bonnie a look so mean and dirty that the younger girl drops the doll and bursts into tears instead.
Mr. Butler lands and Bonnie can't wait to tell Daddy and Mommy, but her pony isn't moving.
It is her fifth birthday, and Beau Wilkes has written Bonnie a poem. Mother says that it is beautiful and that Beau is very talented, but Bonnie doesn't care. She can't read yet, and pretty dresses and toys are more exciting than a silly piece of paper. When Beau reads it to her, she doesn't understand what it means and she doesn't think it's a very good story. But she claps and smiles and makes sure to tell him how wonderful it was anyway.
Bonnie's body doesn't stop with Mr. Butler's and she loses grip and flies forward out of the saddle.
She has been sent away, and she doesn't know why. She has barely gotten to see Mother since the European trip. When Mammy brought her and Wade and Ella over to Aunt Melly's, the old woman she had seemed very worried about something. The last time Bonnie had seen her father, he had been sniffling. But Daddy didn't cry, ever! Daddy was the one who stopped her from crying. Daddy didn't cry.
Her body sails and she can't move her arms, but the wind rushing at her excites her and makes her try to breath faster.
Bonnie prances around atop Mr. Butler, telling her parents to watch as she jumps. She's not supposed to yet, but she's seen her father do it before, and the fence isn't so very high. He yells something, but he doesn't really try to stop her. She figures it must be alright. She lines up her pony and rides toward the jump.
Bonnie Blue Butler hits the ground, and her neck snaps in two.
Well, I saw that I hadn't updated in about three months and felt very guilty indeed. I am working on it, I swear. It's just not coming along very fast. I'll have to watch the movie and read the book again. Problem is I'm currently obsessed with the World Cup, and it pretty much takes up alll the time I'd usually spend writing. w00t for Australia!. :D Anyway, in case it's confusing (which it very well might be), this chapter is one of those "life flashing before your eyes" things, for Bonnie. I originally planned to go with a much more sappy, much more Scarlet-and-Rhett-centric chapter, but the idea I had wasn't fitting with what the characters would actually do, so I threw that out and started over. Hope you liked!