Last week
“Why are you holding the owl, Grandma?”
“I’m not sure. It seemed to leap into my hand.”
“You are so silly, Grandma. It’s not real. Is it?”
Good question.
Conclusion
“Am I real? What kind of question is that?”
I turn toward the soapstone owl, back on the mantel across the room.
“Well, it’s a reasonable question for a four year old. I know you aren’t real, but my granddaughter doesn’t, not for sure anyway. I was just setting her straight.”
“Are you sure I’m not real?”
“Of course.”
“Then why are you sitting over there talking to me? Clearly, you believe in me.”
“Hmmmm. Go on.”
“Do you remember the story about the Velveteen Rabbit?”
“Of course I do. I teach Children’s Literature.”
“I know, but do you actually read the books you assign? I sat on your office shelf for 25 years, and you would pick me up and rub your hands all over me whenever you pondered a difficult decision or a troublesome student. You wore all my feathers off and made me real.”
“No way. You never had any feathers.”
“Look at my belly.”
I rise slowly from the sofa, morning joint stiffness reminding me that I have not yet taken Kismet for a walk. Reaching for the owl, I look closely at the squarish area between its neck, its feet, and its wings. Smooth and shiny. I rub my thumb from left to right. Had this smooth black surface ever been covered with feathers? I turn it around. Several rows of lightly whitened v-shaped channels have been carved into the owl’s back, just barely discernible to the touch. I rub its belly again with my thumb, closing my eyes. Am I imagining it? There are several irregularities in the shiny surface. Yes, they could have been feathers. They could have been.
I place the owl gently back onto the mantel, then back away, thinking I would return to the couch and think about this some more. Instead I just stand there staring, realizing suddenly that the owl had blinked at me. Just once.
The owl was definitely real. And now I could not escape its message. It was time to start writing.
Next week: Back to the grandma blog. Please let me know if you enjoyed this little foray into fantasy, and if you would like to see other stories in the future. If you are reading this in your email, use the link below; if you are reading the blog on your browser, please use the reply/comment form.
Share this post
