Short Story Part I

A ray of sunlight shown through a tiny window within the small wooden shed, making visible the thick air of dust that was encased within the dwelling. It was noon-ish, when she heard a small rasp upon her wooden door. It was almost indiscernible that it wouldn't have been unusual if she hadn't heard it at all. It's been awhile since she heard anything besides the sound of her cane tapping against the wooden floor as she walked. Slowly she opened her door, it creaking from years of disuse. The air that flowed in was refreshing, almost bringing new life into her home. It was so refreshing, it made the old lady smile. Through the doorway, she saw a little boy standing right in front of her with open arms, beaming like a ray of sunshine.

"Who is this little stranger", she thought, "who stands before me, greeting me as if he knew me from years long past." She welcomed him in, and reluctantly accepted the hug that he was so eager to give. In his small arms, she felt warm. She sensed a familiarity in his embrace or so she thought. It had been years, maybe in another lifetime that she had let someone near her. It had been too long she thought as her memory failed her.

The little boy was just smiling, saying nothing at all, while the old lady questioned him.

"Who are you?", "Where have you come from?", "Where are your parents?"

She eventually got tired of asking, the boy just smiled without answering. She just welcomed the company that he was supplying. The little boy came day after day, and soon it would be a month since he first arrived at her doorsteps. She watched him play, and he would listen to her without uttering a single word.

The old lady would prepare for his arrival each day by making treats for him to eat. She felt like a young girl again; albeit strange, feeling so from the attentions of a very young boy. Day after day, she would watch him being very animated in every movement he made. His curly thick dark hair and expressive eyes were etched into her mind. He would grow up to break hearts one day, she thought.

Autumn came, three months after the little boy started visiting her. It was late in the afternoon. The sun was beginning to set early, casting beautiful red and yellow rays across the sky. But the old lady was too busy thinking of him to appreciate the beauty around her. He usually came around noon, it was always noon she thought. It didn't seem like he was going to come at all today. Her spirits began to dampen as she raked the leaves that covered the ground around her home. She thought that this year is the first time I've been out of my house in years. She would usually let the leaves around her home gather every year, but this year she wanted to clear it for the little boy. Tears were at the edge of her lower lids, but she wouldn't let them flow. She vowed long ago not to shed any more tears.

"How are you?"

The old lady was startled. She hadn't heard anyone speak, since she moved out into the forest many years ago. The voice was almost angelic - soft and sweet. She did not recognize it, but it spoke with familiarity, as it repeated the same question once again.

"How are you?"

She turned to face the voice, only to discover it was the little boy. She was happy he was there, but she would not let it be shown. She turned her back against him and kept sweeping. She hid her face as it began to wrinkle from her uncontrollable smile. A feeling of joy overwhelmed her, not only because he was there, but also because she had heard him speak for the first time.

"I'm okay. But it's late, you should go home", she callously tried to say.

But deep in her heart, she wanted him to stay. She'd forgotten how lonely the nights were without any company. He had reminded her of what she had forgotten. He had reminded of her many things she had forgotten, many of which came flooding back during the months she had grown to know him. She had spent her days watching the little boy play, and also telling him stories of her past.

The little boy nodded and waved to her, as he departed with a big smile. She almost didn't notice that he left, for she was overwhelmed with hearing his voice for the first time. It would be days before the little boy would visit her again.