Once upon a time...
Caroline grabbed the long strand of hair and held it tight in her fist: the hair felt coarse and unlike her own. By the same token, the man in front of her looked unlike her dad. Her dad didn't have such a long moustache - or a moustache at all for that matter. Also, her dad's hair was jet black while this man's hair was gray - and he had a lot less of it than her dad. All in all this man looked more like grandpa, but when he smiled at her she knew without a doubt in her mind or heart that this strange and dusty man was her father.
The man reached out a hand and stroked her hair.
--Hullo sweetie. God, you look so young, I haven't seen you like this for years.
He rested his hand on her shoulder.
--Now, could you do daddy a favour and let go of my moustache?
Caroline let go and the pair of them sat on her bed. Her father looked around the room with quick movements of his head that reminded Caroline of the bird that had been her pet before the unfortunate incident with the neighbour's cat.
--Daddy?
--Yes, darling?
--What were you doing in my closet?
The man stopped looking around and focused on her. His eyes searched her face and then focused in realisation.
--Caroline. Have you ever seen me like this before?
--I see you every day.
--No, I mean have you ever seen me... have you ever seen me with a moustache?
Caroline shook her head.
--Then this is the first time you see me. The first time I'm here, which means...
Caroline's dad jumped up and ran to the window. He pulled up the sash and stuck his head outside.
--They're not here yet, but they will be soon if I don't leave.
He walked back over to Caroline and knelt in front of her.
--Life is about to get very strange for you, my princess. Stranger than you think it can be and certainly stranger than I thought it could be. The simplest answer to your earlier question is that I was in your closet because you needed me to be.
He walked back to the window, peered out again and muttered something sharp under his breath. He knelt in front of her again.
--This is very important. The next time you see me, tell me to grow a moustache. I'll resist, but keep pestering me. It becomes really important later on and I guess this is where it starts. Can you do that for me?
Caroline nodded and her dad pulled her into a tight embrace. He smelled strange, spicy and sweet and a little like the beach, but underneath it all was the dad smell and Caroline fiercely hugged him back. He kissed her on the forehead and stood up.
--I have to go now, but we'll see each other soon.
He walked over to the closet and opened the door. Inside, instead of coats and dresses and shoes on the floor, was a velvety darkness like a night sky made of cat fur.
--I love you, daddy.
--I love you too, princess.
Her dad stepped inside the closet, winked at her and closed the door. Caroline, not really certain of what to make of the whole experience, walked over to the closet and opened it to reveal coats and dresses and shoes on the floor.
From outside came the beating of enormous wings.
The man reached out a hand and stroked her hair.
--Hullo sweetie. God, you look so young, I haven't seen you like this for years.
He rested his hand on her shoulder.
--Now, could you do daddy a favour and let go of my moustache?
Caroline let go and the pair of them sat on her bed. Her father looked around the room with quick movements of his head that reminded Caroline of the bird that had been her pet before the unfortunate incident with the neighbour's cat.
--Daddy?
--Yes, darling?
--What were you doing in my closet?
The man stopped looking around and focused on her. His eyes searched her face and then focused in realisation.
--Caroline. Have you ever seen me like this before?
--I see you every day.
--No, I mean have you ever seen me... have you ever seen me with a moustache?
Caroline shook her head.
--Then this is the first time you see me. The first time I'm here, which means...
Caroline's dad jumped up and ran to the window. He pulled up the sash and stuck his head outside.
--They're not here yet, but they will be soon if I don't leave.
He walked back over to Caroline and knelt in front of her.
--Life is about to get very strange for you, my princess. Stranger than you think it can be and certainly stranger than I thought it could be. The simplest answer to your earlier question is that I was in your closet because you needed me to be.
He walked back to the window, peered out again and muttered something sharp under his breath. He knelt in front of her again.
--This is very important. The next time you see me, tell me to grow a moustache. I'll resist, but keep pestering me. It becomes really important later on and I guess this is where it starts. Can you do that for me?
Caroline nodded and her dad pulled her into a tight embrace. He smelled strange, spicy and sweet and a little like the beach, but underneath it all was the dad smell and Caroline fiercely hugged him back. He kissed her on the forehead and stood up.
--I have to go now, but we'll see each other soon.
He walked over to the closet and opened the door. Inside, instead of coats and dresses and shoes on the floor, was a velvety darkness like a night sky made of cat fur.
--I love you, daddy.
--I love you too, princess.
Her dad stepped inside the closet, winked at her and closed the door. Caroline, not really certain of what to make of the whole experience, walked over to the closet and opened it to reveal coats and dresses and shoes on the floor.
From outside came the beating of enormous wings.