angelstarfish
01-29-2017, 04:53 PM
A little something that I wrote for one of my many books that I am currently writing.
Mimi sighed as she stared at the sand dollar in her hand before placing it back into the box where she kept the ocean money, next to her bed.
It was the week before Luke Williams lost the long fought battle to leukemia. Mimi had wanted to take the little man to the beach, and his mother had agreed that the fresh air would do him some good, so with big brother Dan and friend Tom in tow, the four went to Popcorn Beach.
It had been a warm August afternoon, Mimi remembered. Little Luke had wanted to wade in the tide pools that were nestled in the rocky bluffs, hidden from any tourist’s guide books. Mimi had told the little man about how starfish ate, why sea urchins were spiney, answering his pelted out questions with a smile. At one point, the girl had pointed out an octopus to the little boy, who watched with acute fascination as the boneless creature had struggled to drag itself back into the water. Little Luke had wanted to help the floppy animal, so under Mimi’s direction, Dan filled his little brother’s sand bucket partway with water and Tom had lifted the octopus into the salty water. Mimi had allowed Little Luke to pet the octopus for a few minutes before leading the way to open water, where she and the four year old boy watched Dan and Tom had gently dumped the octopus back into the water.
Just as they were headed back to the tide pools to gather up their gear and head back home, Little Luke swooped down and scooped something up from the sand. He handed it to Mimi.
“The octopus sent this as thanks,” he told her, his hand slipping into hers as they left the beach. Mimi looked down to see what the boy had given her and saw a flawless sand dollar.
The following week, Mimi sat on her bed, dressed in all black as she stared down at the last picture that was taken of her, Dan, Tom and Little Luke the week before their last trip to the beach. The four of them were taking a tromp through Central Park with Mimi on Tom’s back and Little Luke on Dan’s shoulders. The cancer stricken boy was wearing one of Mimi’s hand knitted hats, a Batman one that she had carefully made to protect his little bald head from cold. The girl could not remember what they were laughing at when the picture was taken, only that it had stoic mannered Dan in stitches.
The next day, Little Luke closed his eyes for the final time, having lost the fight for survival.
Mimi sighed as she stared at the sand dollar in her hand before placing it back into the box where she kept the ocean money, next to her bed.
It was the week before Luke Williams lost the long fought battle to leukemia. Mimi had wanted to take the little man to the beach, and his mother had agreed that the fresh air would do him some good, so with big brother Dan and friend Tom in tow, the four went to Popcorn Beach.
It had been a warm August afternoon, Mimi remembered. Little Luke had wanted to wade in the tide pools that were nestled in the rocky bluffs, hidden from any tourist’s guide books. Mimi had told the little man about how starfish ate, why sea urchins were spiney, answering his pelted out questions with a smile. At one point, the girl had pointed out an octopus to the little boy, who watched with acute fascination as the boneless creature had struggled to drag itself back into the water. Little Luke had wanted to help the floppy animal, so under Mimi’s direction, Dan filled his little brother’s sand bucket partway with water and Tom had lifted the octopus into the salty water. Mimi had allowed Little Luke to pet the octopus for a few minutes before leading the way to open water, where she and the four year old boy watched Dan and Tom had gently dumped the octopus back into the water.
Just as they were headed back to the tide pools to gather up their gear and head back home, Little Luke swooped down and scooped something up from the sand. He handed it to Mimi.
“The octopus sent this as thanks,” he told her, his hand slipping into hers as they left the beach. Mimi looked down to see what the boy had given her and saw a flawless sand dollar.
The following week, Mimi sat on her bed, dressed in all black as she stared down at the last picture that was taken of her, Dan, Tom and Little Luke the week before their last trip to the beach. The four of them were taking a tromp through Central Park with Mimi on Tom’s back and Little Luke on Dan’s shoulders. The cancer stricken boy was wearing one of Mimi’s hand knitted hats, a Batman one that she had carefully made to protect his little bald head from cold. The girl could not remember what they were laughing at when the picture was taken, only that it had stoic mannered Dan in stitches.
The next day, Little Luke closed his eyes for the final time, having lost the fight for survival.