Dawn, Mom, and Dalmationee

“Over here. Over here. Let’s sit over here.” a small child shouted as she ran towards the old apple tree, her curly red hair bouncing frantically, while her fingers were tightly grasping the soggy wet ear of her discolored black and white stuffed Dalmatian.
“Just a minute dear.” responded a tall slender woman with deep red hair as she slowly walked carrying a large picnic basket towards where the little girl was running.
The little girl, reaching her destination, plunked down in the tall dew soaked grass, kicked off her tiny white sneakers and stared up at the only tree in the center of the big field filled with wild flowers. Running her fingers and toes through the slender blades of grass the little girl sat staring up at the enormous apple tree and the pale blue sky. “Hurry mom, hurry.”
“I’m coming dear.”
“Come on mom, come see the pretty tree.” she whined to her mother.
“What about the tree, dear?” her mother asked as she finally made it to the old graying apple tree.
“Isn’t it pretty mom. Look at all the flowers.”
Her mother nodded, as she glanced from the base of the tree up to the highest of its branches. The tree was fairly tall, and worn with age. It’s bark now gray from weathering had begun to flake and peel as insects had made there nests under its skin. It’s new leaves glistened under the sun, in a deeper shade of green than the grass, and its branches were filled with fragrant beautiful little flowers that perfumed the area where the mother and little girl would be setting up there lunch. At the very top of the tree lay remnants of a birds nest, and what looked to be the start of a new one. “Come help me sweetheart. We don’t have a lot of time for our picnic. The weather man said it was going to rain.”
As a cool breeze swept across the field pushing the grass and causing the leaves to shake on the tree, several small pink and white pedals floated to the ground like gentle snowflakes. “Look mom, a gift from the tree.” Totally disregarding the mothers request for help, the small girl got to her feet and began picking up the flower pedals.
“Now Dawn, say thank you to the tree for the gift, and let’s set up the blanket for our picnic. I told you the weather man said it was going to rain.”
“Yeahbut…”
“Yeahbuts live in the woods Dawn, now come here and help me.”
“Okay mom.“ Dawn stuffed the flower pedals into the pocket of her white, short sleeved dress, and walked over to her mother. She quickly stuck out her tongue and put it back in her mouth before her mother noticed what she had done, and grabbed a corner of the red and white checkered picnic cloth. Her mother held one end and they gently stretched it out over the dew soaked grass and under the outstretched arms of the old apple. Another gust of wind once again rustled the grass and the leaves of the old tree, this time much colder then the last.
Both Dawn and her mother looked up at the once pale blue sky. In the distance they could see dark gray storm clouds moving in. “Oh, I hope it’ll miss us.” Sighed the mother.
“Me too, I don’t wanna go home, we just got here.” Tears were welling up in the little girls eyes.
Just then a loud shudder of thunder, rumbled. Followed by a quick flash of vertical lightning. Dawn began to sob. “I don’t wanna go home… I want have a picnic.. I want a stay here with the tree. Oh, please mom, please can we stay.”
“The tree will be fine Dawn. If you had helped me liked I asked we could have had our picnic, but now it is going to rain. I told you the weather man said it was going to rain. If it is nice we can come back tomorrow. In the meantime, put your sneakers back on we have to go…”
“But what about the tree. It’s gonna be out here in the middle of the field all alone. What if it gets scared or lonely? Can’t we stay? Please mom, please.” Dawn had began to cry even harder, tears streaming down her face like tiny rivers, and walked over to the tree. She wrapped her tiny arms around it and whispered. “I love you tree… Thank you for the flowers. Mom is being mean and says that I have to go home. I hope that you won’t be afraid out here all alone.”
Another clap of thunder. Louder than the first. Lighting once again lit up the sky. Eyes wide, Dawn once again plunked down on the damp grass and began slipping her tiny little piggy toes into her still tied sneakers; her stuffed friend sprawled out beside her.
”Dalmationee, I wish we could stay and have our picnic.” Dawn was now whispering in the slighty yellowed ear of her stuffed friend. “Mom promised that we could have it today. She said no matter what we will have our picnic tomorrow… she said that everyday for two weeks, and now we finally get here and the stupid clouds have to water the grass. I hate the clouds. Ohhhh. What’s that Dalmatianee? You think mom is being mean too?”
Dawn’s mother cocked her head to one side as if she were trying to hear the private conversation her daughter and her stuffed Dalmatian were having.
“That’s a great idea Dalmationee. I will leave you here to watch the tree. Then mommy will just have to bring me back tomorrow to have the picnic.” Dawn stood up held Dalmationee in her tiny little fist and wrapped her freckled white arms around the tree. Sobbing, she pressed her tiny cheek against the tree and whispered, “Please take care of him.” as she dropped her best friend behind the trunk of the tree.
“Dawn, enough it is time to go.” Picking up the picnic basket and prying Dawn away from the tree, the mother began dragging her sobbing daughter through the field towards the car.
“Bye tree… Bye… Dal...Tree… I’ll miss you.” yelled Dawn all the way to the car.