The Elephant Dance

“Oh, sweetie…please don’t do that. You might hurt yourself…”

         “I know, Mommy. I was just kidding.” Cicely grinned widely at her mother, then gently hopped off the window seat onto the floor below, making an almost indiscernible thump as she did so. She looked up at her mother, who was sitting up in bed, and shot her another grin before starting to spin in place. She loved spinning in place almost as much as she loved teasing her mother with her many antics. She means no malice in them, of course; she’s only happy with the interactions she now has with her mother. Up until a year ago, she didn’t have too many fun memories of her mother, who was bedridden due to a rare illness. Nowadays, it seemed as if they have all the time in the world.

         Mary sat solemnly in bed, watching her daughter play. CeeCee was always a spirited little girl. An only child, CeeCee has had to keep herself occupied while her father was at work, and with her mother infirmed, unable to play with her. School had changed a lot for CeeCee; she made many friends instantly, and Mary was happy about that. At least, CeeCee didn’t have to be alone all the time. But Cicely Cassandra Richards never gave anyone the impression that she was slighted in any sense. She was always independent and so full of life. At this, Mary’s eyes glistened with the threat of tears.

         Cicely noticed this, and stopped spinning. “Oh, Mommy. Don’t cry. I’m not sad anymore.”

         Mary allowed the tears to flow, while a smile crept on her lovely face. “I’m…glad that you’re not sad anymore, sweetie. It makes me sad when you’re sad.”

         Cicely smiled again, approached her mother, and held her mother’s hand with her tiny ones. “I miss you, and I will never forget you. Right now, I just want to have fun with you. I want to laugh with you, and I want to hear you laugh. I know! I’m going to do my elephant dance!”

         Taking a few steps away from her mother’s bed, Cicely stopped and shrugged her right shoulder so that her limp arm was positioned in front of her. Then, she began flailing it outwardly and inwardly, while walking around the room, making what she considered elephant noises. She completed the mimicry by flapping her left palm over her left ear. Whenever she would face her mother, Cicely would flash her a goofy grin.

         At the sight of her daughter’s ridiculous elephant dance—a favorite impression of CeeCee’s—Mary couldn’t help but begin to laugh. Her disease may have damaged her body to the point of being bedridden, but it would never take away her sense of humor. She laughed heartily; she hadn’t laughed like this in a very long time.

         “You’re laughing, Mommy!” Cicely shrieked, momentarily stopping her elephant dance. “I love your laugh, Mommy!”

         “I…love your…laugh, too…sweetie…” Mary managed, in between fits of chuckles.

         A light knock on the door, made mother and daughter stop laughing to look at the newly arrived visitor. It swung open, and Daniel Richards walked in with a bemused expression on his face.

         “Is this laughter I hear?” he asked, smiling. He was delighted to hear the sounds of happiness coming from this room. It had been missing for quite some time. “Were you talking to someone, sweetie?”

         Mother and daughter looked at each other knowingly, and both had to stifle a chuckle. Cicely silently continued her elephant dance, walking toward the far side of the room, near the window bench. The afternoon sun had made its way into the bedroom. Mary looked at her husband, lovingly. “I was just talking to CeeCee.”

         Daniel felt his grin diminish but made it a point to at least keep a half-smile. He walked over to his wife, sat on the edge of the bed beside her, and embraced her. “That’s very nice, sweetie.”

         Mary relished in the warmth of her husband’s embrace. After a few moments, she gently pulled away from him, so that they were facing each other. A smile quickly flew on her face even as tears streamed down her cheeks. “She said…she said that she’s not sad anymore.”

         Daniel fought his own urge to cry, and continued to smile at his wife. It was nearly a year ago when CeeCee was killed by a hit-and-run driver just outside her school. Since then, Mary had claimed to occasionally see and interact with her daughter in the bedroom. Daniel noted that the hallucinations had grown stronger in the last several months. It was the final stage of the disease, he knew. But, this was the first time that Mary was happy with the encounter, which normally left her feeling more depressed than usual. And, he didn’t want that happiness to fade any time soon. “That makes me very happy to hear, sweetie. Very happy indeed.”

         Mary turned to face the window, where her daughter continued to do her quirky elephant dance. CeeCee’s lips were moving as she made the elephant noises, but Mary couldn’t hear her anymore. A slight sense of sadness momentarily filled her heart when she realized this encounter would soon be over, but hope replaced the sadness at the anticipation of another encounter in the future, and she smiled toward her daughter. “Goodbye, sweetie.” Mary whispered, blowing CeeCee a kiss. “See you again soon.”

         Cicely didn’t seem to hear her mother’s words, as her image coalesced into the bright afternoon sun shining through the bedroom window. A beautiful smile never left her lively face.