tatian

i took a walk down that long trail today... the morning was long. And wet. My shoes, they sloshed in and out of dips and breaks in the trail... my eyes were overwhelmed with a bright, over cast sky - everything was a glare, and everything that was not was covered in a rolling fog. A creepy, eerie fog...

I kept walking. I should've worn the boots grandma had bought for me in the years before; at least I could've hosed those ones off upon returning home.

While regretting this trip, that is when I found her.

Her legs were just barely sticking out from some brush, half barried in some newly disturbed soil... first I questioned my finding...

Here? So close to the summer house? Who is she kidding? This was far from a challenge...

I stooped closer, scared to touch anything. I blew on the brush, moving the tiny leaves covering it to reveal a creamy colored something-or-other. It looked foreign in this green, foggy place. It could'nt have been much - too many "other" things, I mean.

Besides a tiny body, or maybe a doll.

"Boo!" A high pitched screaming child comes up from behind, yelling in my ear.

It was Chelsea... I fell into the brush infront of me; now my knees had joined my shoes and were covered in a nasty muck.

"Damn you, Chelsea!" I screamed at her. "Look at my pants! - I was trying to do you a favor, you know. Shit head." I turned from her and back to the mini body I had found.

"Here's you're fucking Barbie doll." I said to her, pulling the dirty little plastic legs from the wet soil.

I flicked it at her - the doll, covered in mud.

Fresh brown freckles of wet dirt speckled her small face.

"Hey!" Her little hands flew around and the young child wiped her face on the shoulder of her pink shirt. "No fair," she says, "this is a new shirt!"

I laughed. Handed her the mottled Barbie (or was it Stacey) and pointed to my shoes. Then to my knees.

"Touche" I said, grabbing her hand and walking back towards the house.

"I've had enough mud for today, Bonnie, ok?" I looked down at her and a little smile spread over her face. She mumbled in agreeance and hugged her little plastic piece of shit.

"Next time the pup nabs your crap, I'm not ruining shit to get it back... I could've just ran out and gotten you a new doll. And now look at us both; covered in mud and slosh and for what?" I point to the thing in her hands, "-That thing."

As we broke through the remaining brush and out of the trail of trees and dirty dolls, something darts across the field up ahead of us; it dissapears over a small rise in the rolling grassy field...

Again, another dart. This time closer...

I grabbed bonnie's hand - I had enough "scare" in the "woods" - "let us hurry now" I told her, "we are going to be late for supper."

All of the sudden, a flash comes up on my left. On bonnie's side... It was fast...

It was charlie. Again. Damn the pup, I knew he was after that damn doll.

As quick as I had found it, it was in charlie's mouth once again - whipped outta bonnie's mini hands.

She screams, giving me these desperate, puppy dog eyes.

How ironic I was thinking - the puppy dog eyes...

::sigh::

"I will go back later in the evening to get your stupid doll." I said to her, pulling her, harder now, back to the house. "You need to change your clothes. Heaven forbid we show for dinner like this. Margerie would freak."

She frowned at me, but she understood. If we did go back for it and came to dinner dirty and late, we'd both be forbidden for sure to return to the woods, let alone allowed out of the house at all.

***

Walking in the front door I knew we were both up for a battle. The smell of dinner filled the air and already I could here the tingling of dishes and flatware; the tablle was being set.

Did I mention, that "that" was our job? Bonnie's and mine?

::LOL::

Margarie knew we were home; I could feel her strict laser eyes arleady upon us both. It was almost as though she knew we were not "just" late to set the dinning room.

I was right. Before even turning the corner, her voice comes at us, sharp, but patient, "I assume you both have good reason..." she trailed, "...go upstairs and change." She sighs, and then, for the first time that evening I see her face and our eyes make contact.

She didn't need to look at us to know that we were covered in mud.

Margarie coughs a little laugh upon our sight, "I knew it." she says slightly victorious and walks away.

Bonnie and I return later, after quickly washing up and changing.

"You know," I started, while shoving hot food in my mouth, "it is not quite as easy as you would expect - to stay clean in this place. Especially in that wooded area where charlie burried Bonnie's barbie doll."

Margarie passes a casserole dish full of hot, steaming vegetables.

"So," she says, "that was what you were up too... I didn't think I'd get two clean girls through my door after Charlie came home - dragging in the mess behind her... the mud, and what-not..." she trails... "it was a damn mess I tell you."

"I'm sorry"

"me too" says bonnie, sheepishly, "Sorry."

"Yes, well, as much as it was a pain in my ass to cook dinner, clean up after charlie and set the table... I survived. And Bonnie got her doll back." Margerie smiles.

I wanted to roll my eyes. But doing that at the dinner table was not very polite. I didn't want to tell Marge that charlie got the stupid doll back.

Somehow, though, my mouth did not feel the same and soon enough I spit it out.

"Um." I stall. "Yeah... about that, by the way... on our way up the hill from the little magic forest, charlie comes outta no where and snatches Stacey from us-"

"-it's not a "Stacey" doll." Bonnie protests. "Her name is Bonnie! Like me!" She yells gleefully. "If you do not believe me, I still have the box!"

::sigh::

I reassure her that I believe her and reaffirm her justification for wanting it back so much, even though the doll was probably now missing a leg. If I found a barbie doll named "Joslin" I'd probably want to keep something like that too; even if it wasn't up to showcase viewing.

::LOL::

***

Dinner was good. In order to try and make up for our lack of earlier help, Bonnie and I collected the dishes - a few growing "mash potato" mountains in their centers. One topped with an erect baby carrot... and maybe a few peas.

We had fun filling the huge stainless steel double sink with bubbles and after an hour of soap and water and pink dish gloves, we had successfully cleaned the entire kitchen and dining area.

Maragrie was pleased.

When we were done, she got us both a small bowl of fresh cut fruit and sorbet - the real, home made kind of sorbet with cane sugar, ice and raspberries. I always seem to remember how great Margerie is over her food.

In retrospect though, she is just a good person in general. She saved us both, my sister and I. And, I am proud to say that we are not the only ones either; we are not what you would call a "special" case when it came to Bonnie and I.

::sigh:: Just as I was remembering the old days, Bonnie tugs on my shirt.

"Josie!" she almosts pleads, "finish up... the BARBIE!"

"Oh." I smile at Margarie and nod. "Oh yeah - the doll."

I put the bowl down and head for the door. Margarie calls at me, at us both;

"Ladies, please - try not to get to dirty this time. And take your boots and coats as well."

"I get it. I got it." I grabbed the jackets then, dressed, and we were off the porch. Not two seconds pass and Margarie is outside after us, "Girls!" She says loudly. "Take the maglite."

Bonnie turns for it and hops forward a bit.

"Thanks Margie. Be back soon." she says in her tiny nine year old voice

"Soon, like in five-ten minutes soon." I kinda interupted and scowled at Bonnie. "I got shit to do."

"Joslyn!-" (M)

I rolled my eyes this time, but Margarie did not see them; the coat she handed us out the door had a huge faux fur trim on a huge black hood - no way she saw me. I raised my arm up in the air and waved my hand in a "yeah-yeah"-kinda wave.

"I got it." I said and trailed off... "I got it... ten minutes..."

We walked off towards the wooded "magic forest". It was twilight now and the sun was just coming into the tree branches ahead of us; beautiful, yet oddily creepy.

We had ten minutes, at least...

***