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The wind sang its gentle song as I sat on my chair. I gazed into the garden, watching each one of them. The boys ran around in the grass, laughing and screaming.
Devin was getting taller, faster. Of course, he was only ten, still a growing boy. But it still made me wonder how long it had been. It felt like just yesterday I could cradle him in my arms and rock him to sleep. He was so tiny, so small. And now it felt like he was growing like a weed, getting bigger and even more brawny, just like his father.
Rune, however, was still the size of a button. But being small didn’t mean he was docile. Rune was still raucous and full of energy, and he would stay that way for a time. While Rora and Devin would grow up, finish school, and start lives of their own, Rune, being the youngest, would stay here just a bit longer, and I was happy he would.
In the midst of all the yelling, I noticed something. Something, someone, was missing.
“Lieblings?” I called out to them, putting a pause on their wrestling. “Do you know where your sister is?”
“She’s probably out playing with her imaginary friends again, Oma,” answered Devin.
“Imaginery friends?”
“Yeah, she has a whole lot of them!” Rune exclaimed. I got up from my chair.
Remaining vigilant, I stepped in the grass. I checked the sides of the house, though I knew it was unlikely for her to be there. No little girl would want to play near the trash bins and gutter. I found nothing. I checked the storage shed. Only darkness. I checked behind it. Empty. Getting panicked, a tug on my skirt quelled my distress.
“Oma! Oma!” I heard a little voice call out. I turned around, standing there was Rora, looking pleased as ever, hands behind her back. I sighed in relief.
“Where have you been, liebling?” I chuckled.
Rora said with stars in her eyes, “Oma, I have something to show you!”
“What is it, dear?” Rora pulled her hands out from behind her back. Inside her tiny fingers sat a small bowl of cream with colorful berries I couldn’t recognize. It smelled of sugar and honey. The berries seemed to glow, looking delectable. Not regular berries.
“Where did you get this, liebling?” I questioned, trying to keep my composure. I bent down to her level.
“From my friends,” she responded matter of factly.
“Which friends?” She thought for a moment.
“My friends with wings!” I froze with great adversity. No, no, no! Wings? Wings could only mean some sort of creature. A horrible, grotesque creature.
Trying not to stress, I asked her, “What did these friends look like?” She paused, trying to think of an answer.
“Shiny. Really really shiny. And super small too!” She reached for one of the berries. I stopped her. By this point, I felt a bit more relaxed. What she described to me didn’t sound like anything too harmful. Perhaps a small, safe creature. But I still couldn’t be sure.
“Why don’t you show Opa your little gift before you eat it? I’m sure he’d be so happy to see it.”
“Yes! Yes! Okay!” Rora ran off back inside the house. I was glad to have postponed the situation. Surely Atlas would know what to do with her. I stumbled back to the porch, my fingers shaking.