bubbles

It was 5 o'clock Thursday afternoon and
26 year old Melanie Shepherd found herself
in Mary Regan's therapist office.  Melanie
was sitting on the therapist black leather couch
counting backwards from 100.  She was here
for her regular weekly checkup.

Melanie got to 73 and found herself drifting;
at the number 65 she found herself sitting
on a red suitcase blowing bubbles.  Each bubble
she blew jogged a memory.  She looked into her
mind's eye and saw that she was a carefree young
girl of six.

She was at her grandparents' farm and the farmhouse
was not in sight although the barn was in plain view.

Melanie thought to herself the house should be close by,
but it's not.  She recognized the old Ford gramps used to
drive.  It was parked to the side of the barn.

Gramps must be in the barn,  Melanie thought.

She got up and put the jar with the bubbles on the ground.
She took a hard look at the suitcase and noticed all the
stickers.

In the distance she saw a figure come out of the barn.

Melanie recognized it to be her gramps and cried out,
"gramps it's me, Melanie."

Gramps proceeded to the old Ford backed it up and drove away.

"Gramps Russell, where are you going?"

Melanie realized she was all alone.  The young child tossed her
red curls, bent down and picked up her bubble jar.

Then with a deliberative quietness she sat back down on the suitcase
with all the stickers and blew some more bubbles.

She blew a lot of bubbles.  So many that they were drifting all around her.
They were surrounding her.  So many different colors and sizes.  Melanie
laughed with glee.  So beautiful, she thought.  And shiny too.

She looked behind her and saw the bubbles were making a path in the sky.
In fact when she looked closer and squinted her eyes she could make out
two paths.

The first bubble was getting bigger and bigger.   And just like that from
looking at it she found herself inside it.   From inside the bubble she could
see the fields below.

She saw Gramps Russell truck on the road below her and she laughed.

Wherever he is going I am going to get there ahead of him.

Then instinctively she knew he was going to the farmhouse.

It wasn't long before she was at the farmhouse where her grandparents lived.

The bubble dropped her right at the  front door.

The house was not near the barn and that was a fleeting thought.

Grandma looked like she was expecting me because when she opened the door  she said, "come on in honey."
"I've been waiting for you."  And in the same breath grandma said, "I'm expecting
gramps in a few minutes.

Melanie crossed over the threshold and realized she was in a woman's body.

But it was six year old Melanie that bounded into Grandma Russell"s outstretched arms.

Melanie the 23 year old was there as an observer.

She stood there and  watched the younger version of herself and granny interact.
Melanie was full of warm feelings so she stepped back and relaxed.

Is this what it feels like to travel back in time?  I wonder why the therapist
wanted me to come back to this period in my life?

Melanie shrugged her shoulders and took a seat in the green padded rocking
chair in the corner.

The kitchen was nice and warm and granny had six year old Melanie by the hand.

Come and sit by the pot belly stove and I'll make you your favorite hot chocolate.

Melanie pulled up the stool and sat down.   Her shoes reached the floor and she
was happy.

By the way I see you beat him here again.

The two Melanie's chuckled at the same time.

Sitting in the rocking chair Melanie wondered how many times had she done this?

This is your sixth visit back child.  Your always welcome here, but you are growing
up and you must have other things to do.

"Granny, are you trying to get rid of me?" squealed six year old Melanie.

"Not at all child.  You know you are always welcome here, but grand-dad and I
are getting on in  years and -  The sentence was left unfinished and what could be
was left in the air.

Just then the front door slammed open, "where is she?" boomed a loud voice.
Grand-dad  Russell was home.

"I'm here gramps, and Melanie ran into outstretched arms."

"Yes, you are.  Let me look at you."

He took one glance and then lifted the child into his arms.
Melanie circled her arms around her gramps and whispered, "I love you
gramps.  I told you I'd be back. " she said quietly.

"Yes, you did."   And the old man held her tightly.