“Hush Little Baby….”

Laura Bailey from https://alltheshoesiwear.wordpress.com/2018/08/22/manic-mondays-3-way-prompt-5/  gave another writing challenge for the week. The word is “Hush”.  I saw the word and immediately something came to my mind. I dismissed it though for I wanted to write about something more pleasant. That resulted in no post yesterday. I realized this morning that there are times when you need to just go with the first thought that comes to your mind and not fight it.Thank you Laura for the challenge, even if this one may have been a little harder to write.

The following piece is fiction, but unfortunately for too many children this post hits too close to home! Please let the special children/teens in your life know that they can confide in you, and that you will believe them, even when what they have to say may be the hardest thing you ever had to hear!  You never know, you may be the one that some child really needs right now.

“Hush, Little Baby…”

 

“Hush little baby, don’t say a word, Mama’s going to buy you a mockingbird.”

Holly cradled her dolly in her arms as she softly sang.

“Sally Jane I love you so much, please don’t cry, maybe this time it will be okay.”

Holly sniffed and rubbed her little fist below her eye to wipe away her tears.

“Hush little baby, don’t say a word, Mama’s going to buy you a mockingbird.”

“I’m sorry Sally, I don’t remember all the words, but hush now okay, we can’t let my Mommy hear.”

Holly choked back her sobs, “We don’t want to make Mommy cry, remember what Uncle Joe said, he said we would make Mommy sad. I love Mommy, I don’t want her to be sad.”

“Hush little baby, don’t say a word, Mama’s going to buy you a mockingbird.”

Again Holly wiped at the tears running down her face, ” I like games Sally, but not the kind of games that Uncle Joe plays, they make me feel strange. Maybe I’m just too young to understand his kind of fun.”

Holly silently rocked Sally Jane back and forth.

“I am scared Sally, are you ever scared? Uncle Joe’s eyes gleamed as he said that the games would get better. Last night I almost asked Mommy if she ever played Uncle Joe’s kind of games, but then I remembered another thing he had said. He told me to “Hush” said that its our little secret. So Sally now you are in on the secret too.”

Holly heard her Mommy’s voice calling from downstairs.

“Holly, are you ready to go?  Uncle john is here.”

Holly gave Sally Jane one more squeeze and then laid her on her bed. She put her finger to her lips and said, “Remember Sally, Hush!”

She wiped away her last tear as she walked out her bedroom door with her tummy feeling funny.

Her Mom gave her a big hug when she came down the stairs. “I hope you have a really fun day today with Uncle Joe. “

Holly hugged her tightly back, not wanting to let go.

“I love you sweetie, but you need to go now, Uncle Joe is waiting.”

Holly’s heart pounded and her hands got sweaty, she wanted so badly to tell her Mommy, but yet she really didn’t know what to say. She didn’t understand, why did she feel so strange?  Maybe it was just that something was wrong with her. Maybe Mommy would be mad at her if she said something.

She sighed while breathing in her Mommy’s sweet perfume, she always smelled so pretty.  Holly gave her one more tight squeeze and then she let go.

Smiling she looked up at her Mommy.

“I love you Mommy, your the best Mommy in the whole world!”  and with that Holly walked out the front  door.

Her  Mom waved goodbye as the car pulled out of the driveway. She then went into Holly’s room to put her clean clothes away. She spotted Sally Jane lying on her bed. She picked her up knowing how much Holly loved her dolly.

“Why Sally, your face is all wet! If I didn’t know better, I would say you were cry…” Holly’s Mom remembered Sally’s tight hug and the way she buried her face in her dress, not letting go. She looked at Sally again and Sally’s big emerald green eyes looked back at her. The sun streamed in the bedroom window, shining on the eyes and making them glisten. As Holly’s Mom looked at them it was almost like the eyes were looking back at her trying to say something.

What was she thinking, this was Sally Jane, just a doll!

She became lost in her thoughts, Holly had been acting kind of strange lately. Carrying Sally over to the rocking chair she sat down and started to sing Holly’s favorite lullaby.

“Hush little baby, don’t say a word….”