RUSH


    MINDEN, LA


    MARCH 1989


    ”What do you see, buddy?” Oph asks.


    Bug. Big bug. I see a bug. It is large and red with black spots. It climbs up my arm. I crawl off the blanket. I want to see where it goes and catch it.


    “Squashed,” I says.


    Oph smiles. “Oh no! You’ve got to be a little more gentle, buddy. Look, look, look! What is that? What’s that crawling next to our sandwiches? You remember that from out reading time?”


    ”Worm,” I says.


    “Very good,” Oph says.


    The sun bites, because we are outside, sitting on a blanket. I sit on Oph’s lap. We have cookies and sandwiches. Oph says it’s picnic. Oph does not like the house.


    Oph give me sandwich. “No,” I says.


    ”Rush,” Oph says, “you’ve got to get at least some of this down. C’mon buddy. Open wide.”


    ”Yucky,” I says. “I want spaghetti.”


    ”I thought you loved ham sandwiches,” Oph says. “We had spaghetti last night for dinner. We can’t have spaghetti every day.”


    “Spaghetti, spaghetti, spaghetti!” I says. I stand. “I want spaghetti.”


    Oph laughs gives me water. I drink.


    I pick up squished bug. Oph smiles. Oph says, “It’s called a ladybug, Rush. Can you say, ladybug?”


    ”Lavvyvug,” I says. “Lavy.”


    Oph says, “Very good.” Oph wants me to eat, holds sandwich to my mouth. I chew.


    “I want Mommy,” I says.


    Oph picks me up. “Not now, alright? Soon.”


    But I want Mommy. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Oph says, “Let’s go on the swing.” But I don’t want to go on the swing. I want Mommy.


    I want Mommy.


    Oph won’t let me go see Mommy. I have an ouchie inside. Oph sits on the swing with me. My eyes are mushy. The ouchie hurts. I point.


    ”When will Mommy come?” I says.


    Oph rubs my face. I don’t like.


    ”It’s okay, buddy. I’m just wiping your nose.”


    ”I want Mommy.”


    ”Don’t cry, don’t cry,” Oph says. “It’s alright. You will see her soon. But I need you to be patient and wait for Mommy, okay? Mommy has done some very bad things. She’ll join you and I soon.” Oph holds me tight. “I can tell you a story, Rush. How does that sound?”


    “Story?” I shake no. “No!”


    ”You don’t like stories?” Oph says.


    ”No!”


    ”I think you’ll like this one. I used to read fairy tails growing up. It’s about a fox and a hound.” Oph says. A hound is a big dog. That runs very, very fast.”


    ”A big dog?” I says. “With a big tail?”


    ”Yes, a real big one,” Oph says. Oph looks shiny. Oph pushes the ground to move swing. I forget the story. The story is too long.


    I can fly. “Faster, Oph! Faster!”


    Oph lifts me up high, high in the sky. I float. I laugh. Not scary, Oph catches me. Oph smiles. I tell Mommy that I can fly.


    “Cookie.” I point to our picnic. “Cookie!”


    Oph says, “You haven’t even touched your sandwich. Let’s finish that first, alright?”


    ”Cookie, cookie, cookie!” I run. I am quick. I try to fly again, but Oph picks me up, I float. Oph holds me. Oph hugs me.


    “You are silly today, aren’t you?” Oph says. “No more sweets for you. I’ve already given you half of one on the way here, Rush.” Oph tickles my stomach. The ouchie is gone, but Mommy isn’t. “You are my Cookie Monster.”


    “Sesame Street!”


    “Yes, he eats a lot of cookies. All those cookies would make my tummy hurt.”


    I laugh and says, “Cookie?”


    Oph says, “We can watch some Sesame Street when we get back to the house, okay?”


    “And Mommy can have a cookie, too.”


    Oph is quiet. I watch. Oph has an ouchie, but it’s in Oph’s eyes. I touch Oph’s cheek. Ophie is still, because Simon says to be still.


    ”Cookie.” I says.


    Oph smiles, but has ouchie. Oph puts hat on my head. “It’s a little big on you, but should keep the sun off your face.”


    ”Can’t see!” I says, but Oph pushes it back. Oph opens water bottle. “Here. Drink.”


    Water is good. It’s cold.


    Oph hugs me for a long time. Oph says, “Let’s get back to the car. We’ll see if you are hungry later. How does the playground sound?” Oph picks up picnic blanket. “And maybe I’ll take you to the ice cream shop downtown. It’s a hot day, after all.”


    ”Cookie,” I says. Oph opens the door and puts me in my car seat. I have sweakers. I point. “I give Mommy my cookie.”


    Oph closes the door and rolls down the windows. I am a whale and blow on my mouth. I swing my legs. Oph turns and smiles at me. But I still see the owie in Oph’s eyes.