Welcome Gift

The sounds of someone struggling to open the door carried through the barn. There was a loud thud and then the door creaked open. The bright sunlight filled the empty space. A young man and a female child stood at the doorway. The old barn was a large open space. The wooden ground was littered with dirt, dried grass, and old hay. The wooden roof, with broken lights, was made of two slats that meet in the center. In the far back was a ladder-less loft. Unbeknownst to them, a lone Queen Anne doll sat alone in the loft. The doll remained still and witnessed the new family's arrival.

“Whoa, check this out,” the young man spoke. “I think we can make this work,” he finished excitedly. “You’re going to make this work,” the child replied sarcastically. “Yea, of course,” the man muttered, taking a few steps into the old barn. “Just look around. Some good ol’ work, and we’ll be more than able to support ourselves. This old barn is just full of hidden mysteries.” “I don’t think mom’s going to like this,” the child protested, remaining at the door. “Well, let’s just think of this as a new adventure. I know there’s going to be some issues, but mom will come to like it too.” “If you say so,” the child muttered, rolling her eyes. “C’mon. Let’s finish looking through the rest of the house,” he said walking back out of the old barn. The child followed behind him.

As the two departed, a strong wind blew into the old barn. The wind brought about an unexpected new breath of life. It didn’t take long before the wind reached the silent doll. She had once been a lovely gift sent to a little girl by her grandmother. During the years the doll had spent with the family, she had endured several breaks. Her porcelain body had become broken. The girl’s mother had replaced her broken limbs with straw. As her dress had become ripped and torn, the girl’s mother stitched it back together and covered the holes with patches. Through all the damage, the doll’s smile remained intact.

As the strong wind dwindled into wisps, a curious woman entered the old barn. She was dressed in a long black trench coat, with black leather boots, sunglasses, and a large scarf. The large scarf was made of strips of varying shades of blue hues. Her unkempt hair was a dusty brow. Smiling, she began sniffing the air around her. She began remembering the old smells of broccoli, green peppers, and melons among other fragrances. Each smell resurrected a different memory.

She removed her sunglasses revealing vibrant green eyes, and carefully placed the sunglasses into her jacket pocket as she thought about those lost days. She t. The former caretakers had been part of a large community that has now been broken apart. A little girl would often run wildly through the fields carrying her Queen Anne doll. She would often become frustrated when the other children stole the doll. The little girl loved the farm, and had many favorite locations. Out of all of the farm’s locations, this old barn was her favorite. She enjoyed spending her night’s up in the loft, gazing at the stars. She also enjoyed visiting the animals that would seek shelter from the outside elements.

The woman bent down to unlace her black boots and remove them. Feeling the rough wood covered in dirt and hay below her feet reminded her of home. She took a few playful steps moving further into the old barn. Before too long she began dancing in random circles. The floor creaked madly with each motion, but never broke. She paused remembering the feeling of wet dirt beneath her feet.

She removed her jacket to reveal a colorful tattered dress full of patches and stitches. She sat down on the old wood. She then proceeded to pull on a loose string from her woven scarf. She wound the light blue string around one of her fingers. Quickly, she set to work creating a tangled mess of the string in between her fingers. It was an old trick that she had learned from watching the little girl play. The little girl and her friends would take turns making a knotted mess using a piece of string. Within minutes the light blue string appeared more like a spider’s web.

Closing her eyes, and taking a deep breath of dry air, she began remembering the taste of water. The cold liquid first touched her tongue and then filled her parched mouth. The coolness swept through her throat like a refreshing sea. Opening her eyes, the interwoven string had now turned white. The blue color had turned into sunny dew drops. There was still so much life left in this old farm; all of it had been waiting for someone to tend it.

The sounds of the old fire began to fill her ears. No-one knew how the fire had started, but it swept through the fields like a starving animal. So much had been lost that year. Many had perished from that rough loss. Even the little girl had fallen ill. She passed away in the barn’s loft looking to the stars and clinging to her broken doll. Feeling her last warm breath, the doll had made a promise. The doll promised to keep watch over the little girl’s beloved farm for as long as it still held life.

The woman leaned forward and blew against the sunny dew drops and the string. The string melted away as the dew fell. Each dew drop turned into a precious seed. The farm was ready to start anew. Gleaming, the woman stood back upright. She gave one last breath against the seeds. Each seed was caught in that strong breeze. The breeze and the seeds formed a small twister until they created the image of a bucket. The seeds rested inside waiting to be used. The woman tapped her hand against the upright handle. A red ribbon formed with a note saying welcome.

The young man returned to the old barn. He was about to close the door when he observed the bucket of seeds. He walked inside and read the note. He gave a chuckle and lifted the bucket. He took the bucket filled with seeds and returned to the barn’s door. He struggled to close it. The mysterious woman returned to her former existence as the broken laying alone in the loft. Her gleaming smile remained. She was prepared for this new adventure to begin.