Our Secret Across the River Cindy Hayes
As my boyfriend Danny and I walked along the path, we could see the reflection of their fire shimmering on the river through the brush. We could hear almost every word the family said, and we knew their names as their voices echoed across the steep banks into our expecting ears. However, it was the sound of the kids playing and laughing at night that enticed us to want to catch a glimpse of them.
“I will put this in the kiln later,” he said, and his voice echoed across the river. “He must be an artist. That bowl is gorgeous!” I said. Simon smiled as he cleaned up the wheel and his tools. When he had put everything away, he went out into the yard to join his family. He walked over and picked up his baby, Ambrielle, and jostled her above his head.
Danny whispered, as we pushed the grasses and the thick brush back, “Look, they’re Little People.”
“Ohhhh, Ambrielle is flying,” he said.
“Wow! The children are so cute playing chase together,” I said quietly. “It is so strange to see them after only listening to them after all these months.”
She giggled, squirmed, and wanted more. He lifted her again, and her fat baby arms moved up and down like she was trying to fly.
“The tallest boy looks like he might be Leander; the girl with the long red hair is probably Lorianna, and I’m sure the baby is Ambrielle,” said Danny. “What’s the other boy’s name?”
Simon laughed. “You love this, don’t you, Little One?”
“Giuseppe. Simon looks younger than I thought he would, and Chloe is so beautiful with her long blonde hair. Their skin is so white – they almost look like ghosts.”
“Aw, isn’t she adorable and so tiny,” Danny said. For a while Simon watched Leander and Lorianna playing checkers. (Lorianna was winning for once.) Then he decided to help Giuseppe catch fireflies. After a few bugs were glowing in the jar, Simon went over to see his wife, Chloe. He said “Hi beautiful” as he kissed her.
From the other side of the river we heard a sound. “Ha ha ha,” said Leander. “You can’t catch me.”
She showed Simon the candles she had been making. Then he took her hand, and they went for a walk along the riverbank, as they did every evening.
“You just watch me,” Lorianna said, with her red ponytail bouncing as she ran on her short but sturdy legs. “Ha! Now you’re it!”
“How are you today, sweetheart?” Simon asked as he put his arm around his wife’s shoulders.
Leander said, “Hey, why don’t we play another game? I am tired of chase.”
“I’m just fine, now,” Chloe said as she snuggled up closer to Simon.
“Sure. Let’s play checkers …”
“What a nice family,” Danny said. “And look at their cute little house!”
Using the outside light and the bright firelight, we watched as Simon took a handful of red clay and plopped it on the potter’s wheel held in between his knees. He pressed the foot petal and began shaping a large bowl with his hands, carefully adding a little bit of yellow and blue clay and then shaping and smoothing until he had made a very impressive and unique bowl.
Sara Elliott: Pop Soup
“I wonder what it looks like inside … Ouch! You’re stepping on my foot!” “Shush! They can hear us just like we can hear them.” “They are making too much noise to hear us,” I said.
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