Creating Memories

[kujaboi2]

In a thin, tall glass, a flame dances above the liquid, ringed in silver, the small key sticks out. I turn the key, and the flame grows a bit, the wick rising up a little higher. The room glows warmly in the dancing flame of the small oil lamp. As I breathe in, the smell of the lamp hits me, and reminds me of the kerosine heaters my grandfather used to use. I think of the old house, the pot-bellied stove that once was there, and the painting of the praying fisherman in the kitchen. I think of my grandmother, and the rag dolls she gave us. I think of her standing next to the stove, cutting hand-made kluski noodles and tossing them in the boiling pot. I think of the cherry tree out back where we used to climb and eat whatever was ripe. I think of the tire swing that hung from the tree that stood taller than the house. I think of the turn in the staircase, and the step we had to skip because the wood had broken there, and all that was left was a bit of carpet. I remember the up-stairs closet where I used to hide away behind the coats. I remember the bedrooms with their slanted roofs and sparse furnishings, and the bed in the corner. I remember peonies, and cucumbers in the garden. I remember standing still near the bushes at the edge of the property and waiting for the butterflies to land on us. I remember the china cabinet that fit into the corner with all the tea cups, and how the mirrored back reflected in a way that your reflection moved the opposite way as you. I remember Pepper, the curly-haired old border collie. I remember spending the night with my cousins, and hearing grandpa getting ready for work in the morning.

I remember many, many good things, and I think I want to create memories like that for my children and grandchildren some day.

I smile, cup my hand over the hurricane of the oil lamp, and puff out the small flame. It's time for bed. I go to sleep, with the smell of the oil lamp still hanging in the air. My dreams are full of old memories, and of things yet to come.