Moments for the Heart

Audrey was not feeling well when she woke up this morning. She wasn’t feeling well when she went to bed last night. She had spent all day playing outside with her friend Elizabeth. Running around in the Summer sun and splashing around in her pool. They had a fun time. When she got home, her body was achy, and her throat was sore. 

“You probably just had too much fun,” Audrey’s mom said.

Audrey made a funny face, what a silly thing for mommy to say. How can you have too much fun?

Audrey took a hot bath and put on her pink fuzzy pajamas and went to bed. She didn’t read a book or play a game like she usually did before bedtime.

The next morning her throat felt like she had swallowed a hundred bumblebees. It was scratchy, and it hurt to swallow. She could not yell, but she still tried to call mommy.

“Mommy,” Audrey said, barely above a whisper.

But mommies have a special radar when kids are sick. She came into Audrey’s room right away.

“How are you feeling, sweetie?” Mommy asked.

Audrey didn’t smile. She pointed to her throat and stuck out her tongue and made a ‘blah’ face. Her face was flushed and as red as the hair on her head.

Mommy touched her forehead, “Oh my, Audrey, you’re burning up.”

Audrey laid back down on her bed and folded her arms. She wasn’t feeling well at all. And when you don’t feel well, you can’t go outside and play. Not that she felt like it anyhow. She was sick and didn’t want to move a pinky toe.

Mommy gave her a tiny cup of purple grape-flavored medicine and a couple of sips of water. Audrey made a face after each swallow.

“I’m sorry, honey,” Mommy said.

Audrey’s daddy came in, “Hey, pumpkin, are you okay?”

Audrey made a face, wondering why daddies always asked silly questions.

“Sorry, I know you’re not feeling good,” Daddy said.

Mommy had to go to work, so daddy took care of Audrey. After sleeping a little bit longer, Daddy gave her another tiny cup of purple grape-flavored medicine and a couple of sips of water.

“Follow me,” Daddy said.

Daddy took Audrey to the living room to his favorite chair. It was big and soft and leaned all the way back. There was a blanket, a pillow, and her favorite stuffed bear. “I thought Sniffy could keep you company out here.”

Daddy’s chair was close to the window. Audrey watched her big brother flying a kite, and their dog Molly barking as it soared into the sky.

Audrey was sad she couldn’t have fun. Not that she wanted to go outside. She was sick and didn’t want to move a pinky toe.

Audrey watched the mail carrier put letters in their mailbox, a purple and green van stopped and put boxes on the neighbor’s porch, and a brown square van did the same thing.

Audrey wondered why big people did such silly things like that.

She could hear the neighbor kids laughing, playing, and having fun; she was feeling left out. Not that she wanted to go outside. She was sick and didn’t want to move a pinky toe.

For lunch, daddy gave her a cup of chicken soup and a couple of crackers.

“The warm soup helps the scratchiness in your throat,” Daddy said.

And it did. Even the crackers didn’t hurt when she swallowed. Audrey smiled; daddies always how to make it better.

Audrey read her book, played a game or two on her tablet, and slept even more. She woke up to one of her favorite sounds in the world; the music of the ice cream truck. It tinkled a little melody that made her heart jump for joy.

Her throat reminded her that she wasn’t feeling well. She thought about running down the street, yelling at the ice cream truck to stop. It always would, and she would get an ice cream sandwich—the one with chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.

She couldn’t see the truck, but she could hear it. It must be stopped somewhere close. Someone was getting ice cream right this moment. Not that she wanted to go outside. She was sick and didn’t want to move a pinky toe.

Daddy came back to check on her. He gave her another tiny cup of purple grape-flavored medicine and more sips of water. He brushed her red hair out of her face, “How are you feeling, pumpkin?”

Audrey made a face because daddies always asked silly questions. She stuck out her tongue, making a ‘blah’ face.

“Well, your brother has something that might make you feel better,” Daddy said.

Matthew came into the room. He had put his kite away, and Molly was behind him. He was out of breath like he had been running after something.

Audrey smiled. Could it have been the ice cream truck?

Matthew handed her an ice cream sandwich. The one with chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. “Here ya go, sis. Sorry you’re not feeling well.”

Audrey thanked her big brother, quickly opened the wrapper, but slowly ate it. The cold of the ice cream made her throat feel better. She watched her brother outside, playing with Molly. She still could hear the neighbors laughing and playing. She knew tomorrow would be another day. Not that she wanted to go outside. She was sick and didn’t want to move a pink toe.

Originally posted on August 12, 2019