Chocolate Chip Mint 5, Fudge Ripple 9: The Things That Summer Knows
Title: The Things That Summer Knows
Main Story: In the Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Chocolate chip mint 5 (vulnerable), fudge ripple 9 (distraction), FOTD (hugger-mugger: in a muddle or confusion), cherry.
Word Count: 665
Rating: PG.
Summary: These are the things that Summer knows.
Notes: Starting a couple of new flavors! And trying this Flavor of the Day thing. We'll see how it works.
These are the things that Summer knows.
1) The World is scary. It is large and frightening and overwhelming. She can put names to everything she sees but she cannot put names to all of them at once, and she must know the names of everything or else she will scream and cry and tear at her hair because it hurts too much and she is so afraid.
2) Her mama keeps her safe from the World. Her mama isn't afraid of anything. She hopes someday to be like her mama, when she is Better.
3) She will never be Better.
These are the people that Summer loves.
1) Her mama and papa. Her mama especially but her papa just as much. Her mama keeps the World away, and her papa lets the World in, but a little bit at a time, so she can handle it. Her mama and papa are two-and-one. Summer likes that, but feels that it cannot be three-and-one.
2) Her brother and sister. They are older than she is. Her brother was almost in college when she was born. Her sister was not far behind. They go and come back, and come back and go, and bring her candy and toys and books that she likes. They are almost mythical.
3) Lars. He is much harder to explain. Her brother says that Lars is his best friend, but Summer feels he is hers. He calls her Summerchild, and she likes that. He teaches her Things She Must Know, and she does not always like that. He understands her. He makes sure that she is safe. Summer thinks she loves him best of all.
These are the places that Summer goes.
1) School. She does not like school. There are too many people there and they yell too much. She is in a special class, for Children Who Have Trouble, and she does not like that either, because she is not a Child Who Has Trouble. She is only a little bit broken, and someday she will be Better. School does not teach her what Better means.
2) Home. Home is safe. Home is where mama and papa and her brother and sister are. Home is where Lars sometimes is, and Danny-who-is-almost-a-sister, and Jake-nearly-a-brother and Olivia-not-quite-a-sister and Gina-who-her-sister-loves and Aunt Kim and Aunt Melanie and all the people who are her family, but not really. Home is where she does not need to be Better.
3) Elsewhere. This is the rest of the World. Summer does not go there often.
These are the hobbies that Summer has.
1) Listening to music. Summer loves music. It is mathematically correct, when it is good, and she can tap the beats when the sounds are too much. She does not listen to songs-with-words much, because the words do not always make sense and that upsets her. But she will let Lars and her brother sing her songs-with-words. She likes Beethoven, because it is grand.
2) Reading things. She reads everything. Her sister's textbooks, her brother's lyrics, her papa's notations, her mama's press releases. The sides of cereal boxes and the ads on billboards, newspaper articles and the graffiti in the women's bathroom at the library. Words are slippery but precise, and the more of them she knows, the more of the World she can understand.
3) Making Lists. She likes Lists. Lists make the World ordered and small, enough for her to handle. If she has lots of homework, she will make a List of the things she needs to do and cross them off with neat ink lines. If she is on the bus and the World starts crowding in, she will make a List of the things she sees-- red sign, shouting man, pregnant lady with braided hair-- and sometimes it makes her Better.
These are the truths that Summer understands.
1) The World is scary, and large and frightening.
2) She will never be Better.
3) She doesn't need to be.
Main Story: In the Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Chocolate chip mint 5 (vulnerable), fudge ripple 9 (distraction), FOTD (hugger-mugger: in a muddle or confusion), cherry.
Word Count: 665
Rating: PG.
Summary: These are the things that Summer knows.
Notes: Starting a couple of new flavors! And trying this Flavor of the Day thing. We'll see how it works.
These are the things that Summer knows.
1) The World is scary. It is large and frightening and overwhelming. She can put names to everything she sees but she cannot put names to all of them at once, and she must know the names of everything or else she will scream and cry and tear at her hair because it hurts too much and she is so afraid.
2) Her mama keeps her safe from the World. Her mama isn't afraid of anything. She hopes someday to be like her mama, when she is Better.
3) She will never be Better.
These are the people that Summer loves.
1) Her mama and papa. Her mama especially but her papa just as much. Her mama keeps the World away, and her papa lets the World in, but a little bit at a time, so she can handle it. Her mama and papa are two-and-one. Summer likes that, but feels that it cannot be three-and-one.
2) Her brother and sister. They are older than she is. Her brother was almost in college when she was born. Her sister was not far behind. They go and come back, and come back and go, and bring her candy and toys and books that she likes. They are almost mythical.
3) Lars. He is much harder to explain. Her brother says that Lars is his best friend, but Summer feels he is hers. He calls her Summerchild, and she likes that. He teaches her Things She Must Know, and she does not always like that. He understands her. He makes sure that she is safe. Summer thinks she loves him best of all.
These are the places that Summer goes.
1) School. She does not like school. There are too many people there and they yell too much. She is in a special class, for Children Who Have Trouble, and she does not like that either, because she is not a Child Who Has Trouble. She is only a little bit broken, and someday she will be Better. School does not teach her what Better means.
2) Home. Home is safe. Home is where mama and papa and her brother and sister are. Home is where Lars sometimes is, and Danny-who-is-almost-a-sister, and Jake-nearly-a-brother and Olivia-not-quite-a-sister and Gina-who-her-sister-loves and Aunt Kim and Aunt Melanie and all the people who are her family, but not really. Home is where she does not need to be Better.
3) Elsewhere. This is the rest of the World. Summer does not go there often.
These are the hobbies that Summer has.
1) Listening to music. Summer loves music. It is mathematically correct, when it is good, and she can tap the beats when the sounds are too much. She does not listen to songs-with-words much, because the words do not always make sense and that upsets her. But she will let Lars and her brother sing her songs-with-words. She likes Beethoven, because it is grand.
2) Reading things. She reads everything. Her sister's textbooks, her brother's lyrics, her papa's notations, her mama's press releases. The sides of cereal boxes and the ads on billboards, newspaper articles and the graffiti in the women's bathroom at the library. Words are slippery but precise, and the more of them she knows, the more of the World she can understand.
3) Making Lists. She likes Lists. Lists make the World ordered and small, enough for her to handle. If she has lots of homework, she will make a List of the things she needs to do and cross them off with neat ink lines. If she is on the bus and the World starts crowding in, she will make a List of the things she sees-- red sign, shouting man, pregnant lady with braided hair-- and sometimes it makes her Better.
These are the truths that Summer understands.
1) The World is scary, and large and frightening.
2) She will never be Better.
3) She doesn't need to be.
