A Perfect Time to Dance-
She always asked her Mother the same question before they left for the shops, “Is Dad coming?” Hoping the answer was a no, but prepared for a yes and the willingness to revisit the secret her and her Mother shared at a later date.
“No sweetheart, it’s just us today”.
She felt the control she had over her instinctive smile, slip away, and allowed the pure joy to fill her eyes.
Her Mother beamed back at her, acknowledging the excitement her daughter had for their looming memory together.
As they entered the shop, her tiny legs dangled from the seat in the trolley, one hand resting on her Mothers as they faced each other.
After a few aisles her Mother looked down at her, “you tell me when, lil’ chicken”, her Mother said with a wink.
Two songs later, the moment came….”Now Mumma, Now!”
Without missing a beat, her Mother spun the trolley in a circle and the world whizzed past in a flurry of colours.
She held on as a million butterflies danced in her tummy, her eyes waiting to reach the beautiful orange and pinks of her Mothers skirt. Each lap around revealed her Mother dancing in the middle of the aisle, as if she had transformed the supermarket into a grand ballroom.
As the trolley started to slow, she stretched her arms out, like vines on the forest floor.
She tilted her head down, so her gaze rested on her shoes, her forehead was met with a traditional kiss from her Mother.
They continued on as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, as they passed perplexed faces from on lookers, they couldn’t help but share a giggle.
Original words by
Samantha Cox