Cinnamon Twists

Here I am again sitting at Barnes and Noble. Only this time, its a beautiful day so I took my passion-fruit iced tea lemonade outside to write in my journal and work on my "homework."

A mom walks out with a stroller (complete with baby) and a little girl by her side. I don't even notice them until I hear the little girl scream. I look up and she's an adorable blond in a blue seer-sucker sun dress. I notice her scream, not because its that of an annoying brat, but because its one of a little girl who has just had her heart broken.

She jumps up and down and says, "No!"

Her mom yells, "There they go! Go get them."

A plastic bag blows across the side walk and brown Taco-Bell cinnamon twists scatter on the ground. The little girl cries.

"Stop!" her mom says.

But she can't. All she wanted was to eat some cinnamon twists. She runs to the edge of the sidewalk where the beloved snack lays besprinkled along the concrete.

"Waaaaaaaa e e e e..."

Mom and baby roll up beside her.

"It's okay!" Mom says. "Just pick them up. The ones in the bag are still okay. Pick them up. The birds can eat the rest."

But the plastic bag is empty. No cinnamon twists remain and the girl is devastated. She takes hold of her mommy's hand and cries across the parking lot. I hear the mom telling her to stop and telling her that it will be okay. Mommy's voice is harsh and my heart aches for the little girl. Doesn't the mom realize that in her world, those cinnamon twists were everything? She was probably so excited when her mom bought them, but the wind took them away, dashing her hopes and ruining her day. I feel sorry for her.

I know I cried like that when I was a little kid for some reason or another. But today, all I could recall was some random crap story about rabbit rag doll and a little blue dress.

I'm somewhere around 3-4 years old (who can really tell when you're that small?) and I'm lying in my full sized bed trying to go to sleep. It's not happening so I reach over and turn on the lamp by my bed. Its blue and white flowered shade illuminates my peach walls.

Mrs. Bunny Rabbit lays beside me. Her white head flops to the side and her ears spread out beside her temples. She looks at me with her beady black eyes.

I pick her up and her arms sag.

Gosh! I think. That dress sure is pretty.

I stand up and turn her from side to side, up and down, then begin to undress her. The dress looks a lot like my lamp shade. Its a navy blue sundress decorated with delicate white flowers and trimmed with white lace. I pull the dress over my own head and squirm until it settles on my own body.

There! I look down at my new dress. "That looks nice!"

I stand in my bed swaying back and forth, watching the skirt flow. I'm just like Mrs. Bunny Rabbit.

Okay! I say. That's enough for now. Time to take it off.

I pull up on the body of the dress. The neckline rises above my shoulders, then stops. I hold up one arm and pull at one of the dress straps. It comes up a little, then stops. My right arm is stuck in the air.

I try to put my left arm inside of the dress so I can force it off. I hear the seams stretch. I'm stuck--bouncing up and down on my bed in a tangled mess. Suddenly, Mrs. Bunny's dress isn't so fun anymore. I don't like it. This was a terrible idea.

"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I scream and bounce up and down a few times.

"Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom!" I yell in unison with my bounces. I'm starting to cry.

"uhhhhhh......help me! help me! wa wa wa wa."

The door opens and both of my parents walk in the room.

"Rachel," they ask. "What are you doing?"

"I just wanted to wear Mrs. Bunny's dress," I respond.

It takes both Mom and Dad to wiggle me out of the dress. Several minutes pass and my face is squished a thousand times before I am finally free. Dad puts my pajamas back on my and mom holds the dress in her hands.

"What made you do that?" she asks. "I don't know. I just wanted to."

She puts the dress back on Mrs. Bunny Rabbit. I sit down in my bed and hold her in my arms when Mom is done. The dress is stretched out. I look at Mrs. Bunny in disgust. What would she let me wear that dress if she knew it was too small? Ugh....

I stick my thumb in my mouth and go to sleep.

***Ya know...they stupid rabbit picture actually looks alot like Mrs. Bunny Rabbit.