Bouquets for Big Mama

Kali had grown old; her hair was as silvery as the moonlight. The elderly she became, the more she remembered an earlier time. She fondly recalled another silver-haired woman with a heart of gold; and her magical marigolds...

Five year-old Kali was excited to be going into town that Saturday. She lived out in the country, in the bootheel of southeast Missouri. Although she loved the freedom to explore when playing outdoors, that rural life brings; town-life was fascinating. The last time Kali had visited her cousin’s house, Nella had a brand new tricycle. But, it wasn’t one of those little trikes for babies... This was a BIG red one, large enough for six year-old Nella—and Kali was barely five. Kali couldn’t wait to take turns riding it again! The feel of those large pedals as her black patent leather shoes pushed against them, was so satisfying. (Normally, Kali went barefoot. The only time she wore shoes was when she went to town or to church.)

After straining to push the pedals a few times, Kali and Nella could really get it moving down the sidewalk. The feeling of mightiness that big trike brought them that summer was empowering, for two little girls who always had to be transported by grownups. It was especially fun for Kali, because she never had a riding toy before. The closest thing she had was a stick horse… (Not one of those fancy store-bought ones—an actual long stick she had found in the yard, and pretended it was a horse.) Yes, playing in town was like playing in a foreign nation, for Kali.

When they finally tired of the trike, Nella brought Kali into her bedroom, to play with her toys. Kali was enchanted by the sheer number of them… Nella had a 'Tressy' doll; if you pushed a button on her stomach, her hair would grow! What fun they had designing hats for Tressy to wear... Kali had only seen some of these toys in the Sears-Roebuck catalog in their outhouse, back home. 'Jacks' was the only toy that Kali was familiar with.

When they were on ‘twosies’, Nella asked: “What toys do you have at YOUR house?”

Kali couldn’t think of anything for a minute, then she finally replied: “Well, I have Jacks, too. Plus, when we moved into our home, somebody left a teddy bear on the stairs, so I have that. Oh, and sometimes Mr. Nabor lets me pick some cotton in his cotton field by our house, to earn some money. When I get tired, he weighs my sack and pays me a dime or two, so I can buy some bubbles when Mama goes to the store. But mostly, I play out in the edge of the woods by our yard, making mud pies and stuff.”

"You're SO lucky!" Nella said, a little jealously.

Yes, they were the best of friends. But, Nella was actually her 3rd cousin, Kali’s Mama said. So, Aunt Ellen really wasn’t her Aunt at all, but was her 2nd cousin—or something like that. Kali was glad she let her call her Aunt Ellen anyway—it was easier. Aunt Ellen made chocolate gravy with drop biscuits for their breakfast, because she said it was a ’special’ morning. Kali wondered what they were referring to? When she realized SHE was the special company, it made her feel warm inside.

Kali had never had chocolate gravy before! She was familiar with biscuits, because she watched her Mama rolling and carefully cutting out circles of homemade biscuits every morning. Aunt Ellen just dropped the batter onto the baking sheet, because she was in a hurry. (Genius!) But, Kali always had white milk gravy at home... Chocolate gravy was a dream come true!

“What shall we play after breakfast?” Kali wondered. It was still early, and they had already rode the trike and played with the toys in Nella's bedroom.

“I know,” exclaimed Nella, “Let’s go over to Big Mama’s house!”

Big Mama was a kind old widow who lived in the house next to Nella’s. It had a big, wide, baby-blue porch. The sidewalk leading up to her front porch was lined on both sides, with pretty orange and yellow marigolds. Her real name was Birdie, but everyone had always called her: "Big Mama", as far as Kali could remember. She was actually Nella’s grandmother—which made her a distant relative of Kali’s too. The last time they had visited Big Mama’s house, she had pulled both of them up onto her lap for rocking and story-telling. Kali couldn’t recall the tale she told, but she remembered how comfortable it was—and how safe she felt.

Skipping up Big Mama’s sidewalk, Kali stopped to admire her beautiful marigolds. In the country, she'd just seen wild flowers in the ditch and woods that grew willy-nilly; like the dandelions in the yard. Kali had never seen flowers grown in straight rows before... She marveled at the evenness of the orange and yellow blossoms on both sides of the sidewalk. Suddenly, Kali remembered how her Mama liked it when she picked dandelions for her...

“We should pick some flowers for Big Mama,” Kali thought out loud.

“That’s a great idea!” agreed Nella. “You pick that row, and I’ll pick this row.”

The little girls were soon busily plucking marigolds from each side of the sidewalk, and piling them into the center. When their pile was over-flowing, there were only a few flowers left—so they decided to pick them, too.

With armfuls of marigolds, they scrambled up onto the porch, dropping bits of orange and yellow all along the sidewalk, up the steps, and onto the porch. (They looked so pretty against the baby-blue paint of the porch boards.) Kali couldn’t move her arms, but Nella managed to grab hold of the metal door knocker, to announce their surprise.

When Big Mama opened the door, she sure did seem shocked, as she looked at their bundles of orange and yellow. Then, she glanced up and down both sides of her sidewalk where nothing was left—but green stems in the dirt!

“Surprise!” both girls shouted, simultaneously, “These bouquets are for YOU, Big Mama!”

Big Mama was speechless for a few seconds, but finally she bent down to caress both girls’ cheeks and said, “Well, what a nice gift. I was just wishing someone would give me a bouquet of flowers, and now I have TWO!” Kali and Nella beamed as Big Mama continued, “I don’t think these will fit into my vase… Wait here while I get a bowl to put them into.”

The girls grinned at each other while Big Mama quickly returned with an enormous bowl made of clear cut-crystal glass; with crystal prism teardrops dangling below it. She lowered it so first, Kali could dump her marigolds into the bowl, then Nella. “Now, go bring me the ones you’ve dropped," instructed Big Mama. So, Kali and Nella scurried around the porch, down the steps, and over the sidewalk; until every bit of orange and yellow was in the pretty crystal bowl.

Inside, they followed Big Mama into her kitchen as she pinched off the blossoms into the bowl, then filled the bowl with water from her kitchen sink. Kali was mesmerized that the water flowed on the inside of the house, without even having to pump it first outside, and bring it inside in a pail! It was magical! How thrilled she was when Big Mama asked if they’d like a glass, and Kali got to sip some of the 'magic' water from a glass—rather than from a metal water dipper, as she was familiar with using at home.

The magic continued... Big Mama carried the pretty bowl of marigolds into the living room, and carefully sat them down onto the center of her coffee table. When a sunbeam shining in through the sheer, flowy white curtains on the window caught the crystal in the bowl, the light magically danced around the marigolds blossoms... Everything looked golden! Suddenly, there were rainbows on the walls, all around the golden marigold water bouquets! (The sunbeam had caught the prisms on the crystal teardrops dangling from the bowl.)

“Ooh! Ahh!” both girls were in awe.

“I do believe those are the prettiest bouquets I ever did see,” admired Big Mama. But, the girls started sticking their fingers into the bowl of water to see how the light would dance when they swirled the marigolds around. To distract them, Big Mama asked: “Would you like to help me with the puzzle I’m putting together in the parlor?”

The girls were soon kneeling on their knees, up on the chairs around the table in the parlor; as Big Mama showed them how to hunt for all the pieces that had straight edges first—the ‘corner pieces’. Whenever they found one, they’d give it to Big Mama, and they soon had a square outline. “What picture is it going to be, Big Mama?” wondered Kali.

"Find all the orange and yellow pieces for me, and you’ll soon see,” replied Big Mama. As Kali and Nella's little pile of yellow and orange puzzle pieces began to grow, Big Mama soon was able to complete a section big enough to reveal that it was a flower garden. “Can you tell what it is, now?” she asked.

“Marigolds!” Nella shouted, clapping her hands. Big Mama promised after she finished it, she would tape up the back, then hang the puzzle on the wall. Then, everytime Big Mama looked at it, she'd remember their special times together.

Kali become quiet from being overwhelmed by the sheer magic of it all... She crawled up onto Big Mama’s fainting couch, and lay stomach down, to ponder. Big Mama sat down beside her on the fainting couch, and rubbed her back. “Are you getting tired, Sugar?”

“No,” said Kali. Naps were for babies, and she was a big girl, in Head Start. By then, Nella was standing by the fainting couch.

“Well,” continued Big Mama, “I think it’s time you girls had a snack. How would you like to have a quarter to spend at the Soda Fountain?”

At that, Kali sat straight up. “Yes, PLEASE!” both girls shouted simultaneously. The Drug Store was right behind Big Mama’s house. Kali was excited at the thought of twirling around on the stools, as the Soda Jerk made their treats! (Nowadays, families wouldn’t dream of letting children that small go into a shop by themselves; but things were different back then—it was safer; and grownups looked out for little ones.) Big Mama hugged both of them goodbye, and it seemed like she held onto Kali just a little tighter and a little longer... Kali wondered why, for a moment. Big Mama waved goodbye as she watched them walk out her back door, until she saw them make it safely inside. “Thank you for the marigold bouquets! I love you!” she called after them. Little did Kali realize, those were the last words she would ever hear Big Mama say.

Oh, what fun they had in the Drug Store for a quarter! Everything cost a nickel... First, they bought two ice cream cones—Kali chose strawberry, and Nella chose chocolate. Then, they bought one cherry soda to share, with two straws. (They burst into uncontrollable laughter, when Nella somehow accidentally caused the cherry soda to go up into her nose!) That left them with enough for two games of pinball. They were still playing, when Kali’s Mama walked in to take her home.

They dropped Nella off on the way. Kali wondered, "Why did Mama insist I give Nella a hug?" As Mama tooted her horn, Kali saw Aunt Ellen and Big Mama, both waving their handkerchiefs goodbye, from Big Mama's baby-blue front porch. The last sight she saw, before their vehicle rounded the corner, was Big Mama blowing her a kiss. Kali began to get sad, but she wasn't sure why...

When they arrived back home in the country, there were boxes all over the house; what few belongings they had, were gone—except for their beds. It was only then, that Kali was informed that the very next morning, they were moving away, up north—to a mysterious place called: 'Iowa'. At the time, Kali wasn't sure what 'moving away' meant; but later, she realized that she would never again see Nella, Aunt Ellen, and dear old Big Mama.

Throughout the decades that passed, as time flew by (as time has a way of doing); whenever she saw marigolds, Kali remembered Big Mama and the magical times at her house. Few people in her lifetime had ever been as gracious and loving as Big Mama had been, when Kali and Nella gave her the marigold bouquets, all those years ago!

To this very day, marigolds always make an aging Kali smile, then get a wistful look on her face... as if she is seeing something far, far away—down through time itself.