She looked to the sky, staring blankly at the sky. "Mother, I wish I could be with you," she thought. "Chrissie hun?" She hear a soft voice behind her. It was Jessica, her mothers friend. So long ago it had been when Jessica had been the one going to her house, visiting her mother. Chrissie had been no more than eight, then, that fateful night. She found her mind trailing back to it........
"Chrissie!!!" Her mother called up stairs. Smiling, the little girl, no more than eight, bounded down the steps, and rushed into her mother's arms. She had been upstairs playing with dolls, and talking to an imaginary friend. So often she had insisted to her mother that Genie, her invisable friend, was real. And her mother would play along, knowing it was just the imagination of a child. "Honey, mommy and daddy are going out tonight, but Jessie from next door will be baby-sitting you!" Chrissie got that childish pout on her face that said "mommy, don't go". Even though she loved Jessie as much as a child could, she didn't want mommy to go. "It'll be okay, hun! I'll be back later tonight! You'll be asleep when I get home, but I'll see you in the morning!" "Mommy, I don't want you to go!" she sniffed, burrying her head in her mothers neck, smelling the sweet scent of violets, her favourite perfume. "Oh, it'll be okay. I promise."
With that, the door bell rang, and in walked Jessie, carrying a lollipop for her "favourite little girl!" and her arms stretched out for a hug. With the kiss good night, and the quick waves good-bye, her parents were gone. Gone forever. Later that night, with Chrissie asleep in Jessica's lap, and the glowering of late night tv, the phone rang, and woke her out of her half-asleep state.
"Hello?" Jessica asked, lethargically, glancing at a clock acroos the room. It read 12:01.
"Ma'm? I think you'd better come down here, to the hospital. I belive your neighboor has been killed in a car crash."
With a loud shriek, Chrissie was whisked out of the house, and to a hospital, not knowing what was going on. The past few days were a blurr, and it was explained to her, at the innocent age of eight, that her mother had gone to heaven, and her dad had vanished. Neither Jessica nor Chrissie went to the funeral, Chrissie being young and naieve, not quiet grasping the concept of death, and Jessica not able to bear to see her friend sleeping in an oak box, not breathing.
"Are you okay?" Jessica's compationate voice broke through her memories.
"Huh? Oh, hey Jess." Chrissie replied.
Jessica giggled softly. "You didn't answer my question,"
"Oh, yea, I'm fine."
"Boyfriend trouble?"
"No, we're fine..."
"Well, I'm glad. Your first boyfriend, and you two have been together for two years,"
"Yea,"
"Well, you'd best be off to bed. It's late."
Smiling, Chrissie pulled herself away from the window, and sat on her bed. Jessica waved and shut the door behind her. "She really does try to be a mother, I'm surprised she hasn't even married," Chrissie thought. Putting thoughts out of her mind, she clicked off the light by her bed, and eased into sleep.
"Chrissie!!!" Her mother called up stairs. Smiling, the little girl, no more than eight, bounded down the steps, and rushed into her mother's arms. She had been upstairs playing with dolls, and talking to an imaginary friend. So often she had insisted to her mother that Genie, her invisable friend, was real. And her mother would play along, knowing it was just the imagination of a child. "Honey, mommy and daddy are going out tonight, but Jessie from next door will be baby-sitting you!" Chrissie got that childish pout on her face that said "mommy, don't go". Even though she loved Jessie as much as a child could, she didn't want mommy to go. "It'll be okay, hun! I'll be back later tonight! You'll be asleep when I get home, but I'll see you in the morning!" "Mommy, I don't want you to go!" she sniffed, burrying her head in her mothers neck, smelling the sweet scent of violets, her favourite perfume. "Oh, it'll be okay. I promise."
With that, the door bell rang, and in walked Jessie, carrying a lollipop for her "favourite little girl!" and her arms stretched out for a hug. With the kiss good night, and the quick waves good-bye, her parents were gone. Gone forever. Later that night, with Chrissie asleep in Jessica's lap, and the glowering of late night tv, the phone rang, and woke her out of her half-asleep state.
"Hello?" Jessica asked, lethargically, glancing at a clock acroos the room. It read 12:01.
"Ma'm? I think you'd better come down here, to the hospital. I belive your neighboor has been killed in a car crash."
With a loud shriek, Chrissie was whisked out of the house, and to a hospital, not knowing what was going on. The past few days were a blurr, and it was explained to her, at the innocent age of eight, that her mother had gone to heaven, and her dad had vanished. Neither Jessica nor Chrissie went to the funeral, Chrissie being young and naieve, not quiet grasping the concept of death, and Jessica not able to bear to see her friend sleeping in an oak box, not breathing.
"Are you okay?" Jessica's compationate voice broke through her memories.
"Huh? Oh, hey Jess." Chrissie replied.
Jessica giggled softly. "You didn't answer my question,"
"Oh, yea, I'm fine."
"Boyfriend trouble?"
"No, we're fine..."
"Well, I'm glad. Your first boyfriend, and you two have been together for two years,"
"Yea,"
"Well, you'd best be off to bed. It's late."
Smiling, Chrissie pulled herself away from the window, and sat on her bed. Jessica waved and shut the door behind her. "She really does try to be a mother, I'm surprised she hasn't even married," Chrissie thought. Putting thoughts out of her mind, she clicked off the light by her bed, and eased into sleep.