Never Even Left

• Helena Pantsis, Grade 6
• Poetry
• 2012

Her head was buried in her pillow. Her eyes full of tears leaving her pillow wet and soggy. Her mother stepped into her room to comfort the wretched, depressed girl.
“Wipe your tears and we will go and eat,” the mother tried to encourage her.
The girl lifted her head from the soft, tepid pillow.
“NO. I WILL NEVER GO ANYWHERE WITH YOU! I’M LEAVING,” The small girl cried miserably.
The girl got up and packed her toys in a bag. Her mother had nothing else to do but help the girl pack. The mother picked up one of the girls favourite toys. It was a cute teddy bear with a bow on one ear.
“Do you know how you got this toy?” The mother asked leaning toward her daughter.
“I got it from the carnival we went to when I was three. I won it by putting all the balls into the clown heads mouth,” the girl then slipped the toy out of her mother’s hand and placed it into her little bag.
The mother then picked up a beautiful doll with long gorgeous strands of blonde hair. It wore a pretty pink dress that was sewn to perfection. The shoes it wore were polished white.
“I made this doll for you when you were born. It took me a long time,” her mother says handing the doll to the girl.
“She’s beautiful…” the girl smiles taking the doll gently and carefully from her mother.
“Not as beautiful as you,” the mother whispered under her breath.
Another toy was picked up by the young girl. It was a knitted bunny.
“Your grandma made that for you just before she passed away…” a tear ran down the mother’s face.
The girl hugged the bunny and placed it in her bag in between the teddy bear and the doll. Then the mother picked up the last toy in the pile. A dog figurine as big as the mother’s hand. It was so realistic that it looked like a dog was sitting there.
“That was my birthday present last month from you and daddy!” the girl exclaimed.
The mother placed it cautiously in the bag and zipped it up.
“I guess it’s time you left,” the mother said picking up the little girls bag.
“Why where am I going?” The girl asked confused.
The mother laughed as she said “Welcome back!”
And the girl hadn’t even left.