This Darkness Around Me

This Darkness Around Me

           Life was good. I was happy. I bounced around in the sun and nodded my head at everyone that passed by. I waved a cheery hello. It didn’t matter whether they were close enough to see me or not. I waved.

           I started to notice that my head was getting a little tired, bobbing it around wasn’t as easy as it used to be. Then suddenly one day I was ripped from my home. Someone grabbed me. I didn’t know what was happening. I heard a voice that said, “Here, I got one.”

           Darkness surrounded me. “EWWW,” the fresh air I had been breathing now smelled like burlap. If I could wrinkle my nose I would. I don’t know what’s happening. I feel movement. I’m being carried somewhere. “Help!”

           Thud. Ouch, that hurt, they dropped me. Trying to regain my composure, I sigh. Where am I? “Oh, I wish I could see the glorious sunshine, but there’s nothing. Not even a touch of moonlight.”

           Time passed slowly. I think whoever grabbed me has forgotten about me. Just dumped me in the dark. One day I hear a high-pitched screech. Then a man yells, “Pull the door closed. We don’t want animals getting in.”

           Oooh, he sounds mean, like he needs to see the sunshine too. Maybe if I’d nodded my head at the man more, he wouldn’t sound so grumpy. But I agree with the mean man, I don’t want animals getting in, especially when there’s no light.

           Then I hear another voice, “Yes, sir.” Again, I hear the grating sound. I stay very quiet. No more voices. They must be gone.

            Maybe the sun has burned out and the whole world is going to be dark forever because the air is starting to feel a little chilly.

           It’s been a while now, no screechy noise, no mean sounding man. I’ve kinda’ gotten used to the burlap smell. It’s still not great but not as gross as it was at first. It’s just dark and quiet. Maybe I’ll take a nap.

           A rumbling sound woke me up. At first It was really squeaky too, but the gruff voice of a man said, “Give me some oil, I’m going to fix this door.”

           I recognize the same voice that had shut the door before my nap, “Here you go.” I like that voice it makes me feel safe from animals.

           Squirt, squirt. “Try it now,” said the deep voice.

           This time the rumble was dull, not as booming and the high-pitched sound was gone. I stayed very quiet. The man said, “Almost, just a little more.” Squirt, Squirt.

           “Okay, pull the door again.” This time I could barely hear it.

           “I believe that fixed it,” said the man sounding almost pleased. “Let’s go.”

            I didn’t hear the screechy sound. I sure hope the door is closed. I’m beginning to feel restless. Are they just going to leave me here forever? I drifted back off to sleep.

           I am jolted awake by a crash. I listen for the gruff sounding man. But it’s not him that I hear. What is that? It’s a softer sound. Almost like music because there are no words.

           “Harrumph, what are you in here humming about?” Yep, there is the grouchy sounding voice.

           Humming, is that the music I hear without words?

           “I thought I would plant a few things before the ground freezes. Just grabbing the shovel that’s all,” said the melodic voice.

           “I think the boy threw your bag of stuff over against that wall,” said the man.

           More humming, “Okay, thanks, I see it,” the soft voice answered.

           Hey, I’m rising up. Oh, here we go. I’m moving again. The humming voice is taking me some where because I’m floating along with it. I like this voice. It reminds me of how I felt when I was waving at everyone.

           Whoops, there was a bump not as hard as before though. Now what? That’s a new sound. It’s like a scratching and poking noise all at once, then the music voice grunts. Then a thud. It happens again, scratch, poke, grunt, thud. I smell something familiar. Dirt. I smell dirt.

           I’m being gently lifted from the dark. Oh, this is a velvety, warm feeling. Wow, that’s bright. I’ve been in the dark for a long time. Perhaps the sun didn’t burn out.

            The humming has started again. “Hello little bulb,” said the musical voice.

           I like the friendly voice. Can I just stay in your hand? It’s soft and warm nothing like that stinky, scratchy, dark place.

           “I’m just going to plant you right here, so in the spring you will bloom beautifully again.”

           I’m so happy to be out, and there’s sunshine. Here we go, she’s putting me down. I don’t have to remind her to be gentle. It’s like she instinctively knows. My bottom hits the freshly dug earth. I’m super excited. I will get to wave at people again.

           Oh no! She covered me up with dirt. Hey, nice humming lady, why did you hide the sunshine again. I wanted to wave at it. It’s almost like she heard me because she said, “I know little bulb that you would like to sprout right now but it’s still too cold. You would freeze. You stay warm here in the earth for a while.”

           Here I am in the dark once again. I thought that season of my life had passed. Wait in the warm earth. What does she know? It’s freezing down here. I wish I could see the sunshine. I think I’ll just go back to sleep for a short nap. I really hope no animals find me here, while I’m sleeping and helpless.

           The earth doesn’t feel so cold now. I am feeling water drip on me from above. So now, I’m wet and still in the dark. I wish that nice lady would come around with her humming. Maybe at least her voice would cheer me up. My whole life I just wanted to wave at people and make them happy. What did I do that was so bad that I had to be punished like this?

           Something strange is happening again. The water made the top of my head itch. Speaking of itching, my bottom isn’t very comfortable either. I think I must have gained weight while I was napping. Whew, I feel all puffy. But that was a great nap. I could just stretch and stretch.

           The ground is not frozen now, it is soft and I feel a funny warm tingling and the stretching made me feel so good. Let’s do that again. Stretch.

           I hear humming. I hope she isn’t coming to cover me back in the dirt again. I’m so tired of the dark. I hear some leaves shuffling around over my head, I’ll stand up tall and straight, maybe I’ll be able to see what’s going on.

           “Hello little bulb. It’s good to see that you made it through the winter,” the lady said in her singsong voice. “I know you will be as happy as I am to see the sunshine. Here let me move some of these dry leaves to let you breathe.”

           I feel it. Do you feel it? The warm sunshine is reaching down to me. I’m going to stretch my leaves and wave back a thank you to the lady and the sunshine.

           I’m so happy I feel like dancing! I can feel the warmth of the sun. I can see once again. I’m no longer in the dark place.

           Hey everybody, look at me. Here I am waving. I got my beauty rest. Doesn’t my hair look fabulous!