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Pit Pat Pit Pat

"Please, please tell us a story Nana," this was the chorus of the three young children that sat on a faded pink rug.  The old woman smiled, her skin crinkling and shifting as she did.  The children, the eldest two girls and the youngest a boy, were visiting her for what they didn't know would be the last time.  Marie, Anna, and Jade were their names in age order.  Normally they would be frolicking in Nana's vegetable garden, but the weather had different plans.

Pit Pat Pit Pat

The steady beats of the droplets hitting the old woman's roof were soothing, and she knew that Jade would most likely nod off during the story she was about to tell.  "All right dears, Nana will tell you a story," she paused to allow Anna to clap before continuing, "But you must listen very carefully.  Can you do that?"
"Yes Nana."  The children's voices were so alike that at that moment they were a single echo.  Their eyes were eager, and their faces full of wonder at what Nana was going to tell today.

Pit Pat Pit Pat

"Long ago, when the skies were as blue as could be and the sea was still green there were two girls.  No one knew their names, but everyone could tell them apart.  You see one was strong, and the other was weak.  They were many things those girls.  They were friends.  They were happy.  They were perfect," at that point Marie interrupted with a fashion common to most seven-year-old girls.
"But my mommy said that no one is perfect, so that means that they couldn't be perfect."  Before she could continue Anna, who had already become entranced with Nana's words, swatted her.
"No stupid, it's a story.  They can be whatever they want.  Let Nana finish," her last sentence turning more into a whine than a statement.  Nana nodded, and looked at Jade, his eyes already closed as he curled into the faded pink rug.
"As I had said they were many things.  They were friends.  They were happy.  They were perfect.  They were a secret.  For you see they were something that you have yet to know.  They were in love," at this Marie once again interrupted on behalf of their mother.
"That's not right, only girls and boys can be in love.  My mommy said so."  Nana sighed, knowing this story was going to be difficult for Marie.  Once again Anna chastised her sister, frustrated that the story was continuously broken up by her commentary.
"Shut up Marie, mommy's not here so you don't need to worry.  I wanna hear the rest of the story," with that she turned her head and began the classic four-year-old pout.  This pout consisting of a trembling lip, watery eyes, and apple cheeks.  This caused Nana to chuckle, before giving both children a stern glance.
"You better let me finish, remember your promise."  Both girls turned to the aging woman in the wicker chair, and nodded.  "Good, then let's continue."

Pit Pat Pit Pat

         "They were in love.  But their love was made up of stolen moments.  Star searching in cloudless skies.  Moonlit dances on empty beaches.  Wild flower bouquets on gray days. Kisses given in the guise of hugs.  That was their love.  But secrets never stay, and one day they were found."  The old woman paused at this, her eyes drifting of back to a place where the skies were as blue as could be and the sea was still green.  The children shifted on the faded pink rug, not wanting to break their promise yet again.
Blinking the woman's milky eyes came back to the room, to the wicker chair, to the three children that sat patiently on that faded pink rug.  "You see back in that place where the skies were as blue as could be and the sea was still green people feared that love.  Ignorant people said ignorant things.  'DYKE, QUEER, HOMO, BUTCH, SINNER, WRONG,'" the old woman paused from her yelling, only to whisper one last word, "'faggot.'  Those girls were to burn in hell simply because they had love.  But one was strong and one was weak and both wanted to win the battle."
Unable to resist anymore Marie once again stopped Nana to ask a question.  "What's a faggot?"  Anna didn't even bother lashing at her sister, and instead just waited for Nana to answer and continue with the story.
"Just a bundle of sticks dear, just a bundle of sticks," her voice began to fade away as she continued with the story.  "One day, the last day of the battle, ignorant people DID ignorant things.  The strong one fell.  The weak one fell.  The anger, that hate, struck the final blow.  The end."
Unable to feign happiness about the confusing tale Anna was unwilling to accept that ending.  "Nana, that doesn't make any sense.  What happened?  Why did they fall down?  Why isn't the ending happy?"  At this last question she began to tear up, her voice quaking.  Nana sighed, of course they wouldn't like the story.  She doesn't like it either, but knew it had to be told, it just had to.  She turned to Marie, who was silent on that faded pink rug.

Pit Pat Pit Pat

"Do you not understand dear?"  Marie shook her head, but refused to look her Nana in the eye.  "Do you dare to even try?  Please remember your promise sweetie," with that she turned back to Anna, who was poking Jade's cheek with her pinky.  "Anna, can you take Jade to his crib, I'm not nearly as strong as you," the compliment made the young girl beam.  She began to carry her younger brother, who was quite cumbersome, in her arms.
After they had left the room Nana began to continue the story.  "Long ago when the skies were as blue as could be and the sea was still green I was ignorant.  I was anger.  I was hate," Marie looked up, stunned by Nana's words.  The woman had tears seeping into her creviced skin.  "I know now, but learned much too late."  With that she stood up from the wicker chair and walked from the room, leaving Marie, alone, on the pink faded rug.

Pit Pat Pit Pat

"Mother, I'm here to pick up the girls.  Thank you so much for watching them, I had a meeting I simply couldn't miss."  A loud, but beautiful woman burst into the house.  Staring at her eldest daughter, who sat on the faded pink rug in a catatonic state.  She knew, she listened, and she feared Nana.  The woman did not understand, and marched over to her child, grasping her arm.  "Sweetie get up, I don't want you sitting on this nasty rug.  Go get your sister and brother, I need to find Nana."
As she walked away in the direction of the playroom Marie nodded, "Yes mommy."  Going past the faded pink rug and wicker chair the woman stopped at a closed door.  Irritated that her mother was callous enough to sleep instead of watch her own grandchildren.
"Mother wake up, I know your old, but seriously.  How could you not handle an hour with the kids?"  Banging the door with her fists the woman would not have the last word on the matter of child care.  "Mother I'm coming in, you better have a reason for leaving Marie to watching the other two."
With that the beautiful lady opened the door, only to scream and back away from the sight she saw.  All across the walls of her mother's room was a single red word.  Over and over again was this word written, so much that in certain places they overlapped and became meaningless.  But Nana knew the meaning, and she would never be able to forget it.  Sitting on her bed the old woman had forever gone to that time where the skies were as blue as could be and the seas were still green.
Running to the room in order to see why her mother had screamed Marie walked into the room, much to her mother's dismay and chagrin.  She saw her Nana, and began to tear, until she saw the walls.  She knew, just as Nana knew, about that word.  That single red word that was repeated time and time again much too late.  Repeating what was on the walls in a whisper Marie turned to the old woman, unable to pretend that she didn't understand that story.  That fairytale that was anything but.  Anna might not know, Jade might not remember, but Marie did.
When her siblings were older she would tell them, and maybe they would try.  Try to understand what Nana tried to say, tried to compensate for.  Until then Marie would say sorry on Nana's behalf.

Pit Pat Pit Pat

Description
Pit Pat Pit Pat

"Please, please tell us a story Nana," this was the chorus of the three young children that sat on a faded pink rug.  The old woman smiled, her skin crinkling and shifting as she did.  The children, the eldest two girls and the youngest a boy, were visiting her for what they didn't know would be the last time.  Marie, Anna, and Jade were their names in age order.  Normally they would be frolicking in Nana's vegetable garden, but the weather had different plans.

Pit Pat Pit Pat

The steady beats of the droplets hitting the old woman's roof were soothing, and she knew that Jade would most likely nod off during the story she was about to tell.  "All right dears, Nana will tell you a story," she paused to allow Anna to clap before continuing, "But you must listen very carefully.  Can you do that?"
"Yes Nana."  The children's voices were so alike that at that moment they were a single echo.  Their eyes were eager, and their faces full of wonder at what Nana was going to tell today.

Pit Pat Pit Pat

"Long ago, when the skies were as blue as could be and the sea was still green there were two girls.  No one knew their names, but everyone could tell them apart.  You see one was strong, and the other was weak.  They were many things those girls.  They were friends.  They were happy.  They were perfect," at that point Marie interrupted with a fashion common to most seven-year-old girls.
"But my mommy said that no one is perfect, so that means that they couldn't be perfect."  Before she could continue Anna, who had already become entranced with Nana's words, swatted her.
"No stupid, it's a story.  They can be whatever they want.  Let Nana finish," her last sentence turning more into a whine than a statement.  Nana nodded, and looked at Jade, his eyes already closed as he curled into the faded pink rug.
"As I had said they were many things.  They were friends.  They were happy.  They were perfect.  They were a secret.  For you see they were something that you have yet to know.  They were in love," at this Marie once again interrupted on behalf of their mother.
"That's not right, only girls and boys can be in love.  My mommy said so."  Nana sighed, knowing this story was going to be difficult for Marie.  Once again Anna chastised her sister, frustrated that the story was continuously broken up by her commentary.
"Shut up Marie, mommy's not here so you don't need to worry.  I wanna hear the rest of the story," with that she turned her head and began the classic four-year-old pout.  This pout consisting of a trembling lip, watery eyes, and apple cheeks.  This caused Nana to chuckle, before giving both children a stern glance.
"You better let me finish, remember your promise."  Both girls turned to the aging woman in the wicker chair, and nodded.  "Good, then let's continue."

Pit Pat Pit Pat

         "They were in love.  But their love was made up of stolen moments.  Star searching in cloudless skies.  Moonlit dances on empty beaches.  Wild flower bouquets on gray days. Kisses given in the guise of hugs.  That was their love.  But secrets never stay, and one day they were found."  The old woman paused at this, her eyes drifting of back to a place where the skies were as blue as could be and the sea was still green.  The children shifted on the faded pink rug, not wanting to break their promise yet again.
Blinking the woman's milky eyes came back to the room, to the wicker chair, to the three children that sat patiently on that faded pink rug.  "You see back in that place where the skies were as blue as could be and the sea was still green people feared that love.  Ignorant people said ignorant things.  'DYKE, QUEER, HOMO, BUTCH, SINNER, WRONG,'" the old woman paused from her yelling, only to whisper one last word, "'faggot.'  Those girls were to burn in hell simply because they had love.  But one was strong and one was weak and both wanted to win the battle."
Unable to resist anymore Marie once again stopped Nana to ask a question.  "What's a faggot?"  Anna didn't even bother lashing at her sister, and instead just waited for Nana to answer and continue with the story.
"Just a bundle of sticks dear, just a bundle of sticks," her voice began to fade away as she continued with the story.  "One day, the last day of the battle, ignorant people DID ignorant things.  The strong one fell.  The weak one fell.  The anger, that hate, struck the final blow.  The end."
Unable to feign happiness about the confusing tale Anna was unwilling to accept that ending.  "Nana, that doesn't make any sense.  What happened?  Why did they fall down?  Why isn't the ending happy?"  At this last question she began to tear up, her voice quaking.  Nana sighed, of course they wouldn't like the story.  She doesn't like it either, but knew it had to be told, it just had to.  She turned to Marie, who was silent on that faded pink rug.

Pit Pat Pit Pat

"Do you not understand dear?"  Marie shook her head, but refused to look her Nana in the eye.  "Do you dare to even try?  Please remember your promise sweetie," with that she turned back to Anna, who was poking Jade's cheek with her pinky.  "Anna, can you take Jade to his crib, I'm not nearly as strong as you," the compliment made the young girl beam.  She began to carry her younger brother, who was quite cumbersome, in her arms.
After they had left the room Nana began to continue the story.  "Long ago when the skies were as blue as could be and the sea was still green I was ignorant.  I was anger.  I was hate," Marie looked up, stunned by Nana's words.  The woman had tears seeping into her creviced skin.  "I know now, but learned much too late."  With that she stood up from the wicker chair and walked from the room, leaving Marie, alone, on the pink faded rug.

Pit Pat Pit Pat

"Mother, I'm here to pick up the girls.  Thank you so much for watching them, I had a meeting I simply couldn't miss."  A loud, but beautiful woman burst into the house.  Staring at her eldest daughter, who sat on the faded pink rug in a catatonic state.  She knew, she listened, and she feared Nana.  The woman did not understand, and marched over to her child, grasping her arm.  "Sweetie get up, I don't want you sitting on this nasty rug.  Go get your sister and brother, I need to find Nana."
As she walked away in the direction of the playroom Marie nodded, "Yes mommy."  Going past the faded pink rug and wicker chair the woman stopped at a closed door.  Irritated that her mother was callous enough to sleep instead of watch her own grandchildren.
"Mother wake up, I know your old, but seriously.  How could you not handle an hour with the kids?"  Banging the door with her fists the woman would not have the last word on the matter of child care.  "Mother I'm coming in, you better have a reason for leaving Marie to watching the other two."
With that the beautiful lady opened the door, only to scream and back away from the sight she saw.  All across the walls of her mother's room was a single red word.  Over and over again was this word written, so much that in certain places they overlapped and became meaningless.  But Nana knew the meaning, and she would never be able to forget it.  Sitting on her bed the old woman had forever gone to that time where the skies were as blue as could be and the seas were still green.
Running to the room in order to see why her mother had screamed Marie walked into the room, much to her mother's dismay and chagrin.  She saw her Nana, and began to tear, until she saw the walls.  She knew, just as Nana knew, about that word.  That single red word that was repeated time and time again much too late.  Repeating what was on the walls in a whisper Marie turned to the old woman, unable to pretend that she didn't understand that story.  That fairytale that was anything but.  Anna might not know, Jade might not remember, but Marie did.
When her siblings were older she would tell them, and maybe they would try.  Try to understand what Nana tried to say, tried to compensate for.  Until then Marie would say sorry on Nana's behalf.

Pit Pat Pit Pat