Straight black hair could be a nuisance obviously – especially when there were no colorful ribbons to tie it into a neat and tidy place. I would soon learn that cascading hair might have a purpose I had never imagined.
Destiny had been a rescued child. She was brought into the states from Vietnam. She lived in a stately brick home with thick carpet and cream-colored walls that held too many secrets. She never really knew what happened to Mr. and Mrs. Danvers, except that they just disappeared one day. She was whisked away in the darkness by the housekeeper. All she could hear were sirens piercing the night air. The old blue car rattled in the opposite direction until the sounds were simply a faint memory.
~~~
Destiny rose to the rocking chair. The morning sun was warm but it wasn’t late enough to really be hot. She looked to the floor and pondered the objects that lay at her feet. “Destiny, what’s to become of you if you cannot make every day special?” She moved the objects around with her toes before she rose and again rested on the floor among the disconnected objects.
She placed the dominoes end to end. All the black was facing out except for the center domino. It was a double blank and would be the gate to enter into the palace. In front of the domino would be the long skinny book with words she did not understand. It would make a perfect drawbridge. The chess pieces were sorted. The horses would be the guardians of the gate. She mixed the black and white men with the pointed hats to use as guards to the kingdom. Gently, she tore the cup into long strips to use as a carpet toward the throne – a large book that rose above the kingdom. The queen rested on the throne looking out over her subjects.
There were treasures all around her, shiny stones that sparkled – the only riches that made it into the old blue car those many nights ago. The other books fanned out to create a labyrinth of places that even a queen could hide when the enemy came to the castle.
Destiny heard footsteps approaching. She quickly collected her rocks and looked around for a place to hide them. Gently, she placed them into her pillow. She knew it would be uncomfortable, but at least she would feel SOMETHING.
This was the time of day that dreams were put aside and reality crept in. The miracles she wove in her head created a blanket she would use in the future to cover and protect other children that had no one to love them. The tears started to roll down her cheeks.
Slowly, Destiny used her ebony black hair to dry away the tears. For if there was one thing she had learned, crying just gets you hurt.