Isabelle and the Chrysanthemum

A short tale about a little girl who listens to a strange voice at the moment she goes to sleep.

It was time for Isabelle to sleep. Mom took her to bed, pulled the blanket and gave her a kiss on the forehead. The gir had a fever. Okay, when you wake up you’ll feel better. That's what Mom promised. Mom was always right.

The girl was wrapped up. She wore white pajamas with pictures of blue chrysanthemums, her favorite flower. Her hair was pigtailed, even at that time. She looked back to mom and smiled. Then, she gave her a kiss too.

"Now, sleep well" said Mother, with that quiet voice of hers.

Isabelle was very fond of Mom. Well, which five-year-old girl doesn’t think her mother is the best in the world? Gently, she blowed the girl a kiss. Isabelle giggled. Finally, Mom stood up and turned off the light. She left the room and closed the door.

Some minutes passed. Isabelle was burning and sweating. It was difficult to sleep. She rolled in bed, trying to find a comfortable position. Then, she heard someone whispering.

“Hey!”

It was not Mom. Nor Dad. It was someone with a voice of a child, inside the room.

Isabelle rubbed her eyes, trying to figure out who was calling her. But it was too dark. She jumped off the bed and open the curtains. The moonlight invaded the room, painting everything with silver.

“Hey, Isabelle!”

She finally could see it, but it was hard to believe. It was her doll (whom she secretly had named Delfina), who was whispering. Curly yellow haired, big green eyed, slender and long armed, Delfina was speaking.

"Get off the bed, Isabelle. Come over here!"

"But I ..."

“No buts, please. I need you to to come with me."

"What? Where? I don’t know if I...”

What Mom would say if she saw her talking to Delfina? It was impossible, but even though the doll was there, whispering with insistence.

Somewhat reluctantly, Isabelle did what Delfina asked. The dool jumped off the six drawer dresser and, with her arms made of cloth, opened the door of the big closet. Isabelle was amazed. That door was very heavy.

Inside the closet, it was possible to see the clothes and toys that belonged to Isabelle. But there was something else. The brightest light the girl had ever seen in her life was shining at the bottom, where her shoes were supposed to be. Okay Isabell was just five years old, but still, the light was very, very intense. She wondered if Mom would enter the room because of that brightness. But it never happened.

"When I count to three," Delfina was saying, her green eyes flashing, "we’ll dive into the light."

"But I'll beat my head in the bottom."

"No you will not, Isabelle. Trust me."

And so they did.

"One, two and. .. three."

Isabelle never knew how much time had passed. When she woke up, she was back in her room, but lying on the ground. She sat down and rubbed her eyes. The night had passed. A new day had arrived.

She was a little confused, though. Something was different. It really looked like her room, but some things had changed. Where were the dolls lined up on shelves? And her paintings of pets sticked on the wall? And, more intriguing, where was Delfina?

Isabelle got up and went to her parents’ room. There was no sign of her. She ran towards the kitchen and, relieved, saw that Mom was sitting by the table, sipping coffee, her sight lost in the horizon.

Before the girl could say a word, she noticed something weird. Mom looked a lot older. Her hair was painted gray and she had wrinkles around her eyes. How could she have aged so much in just one night?

Suddenly, that appeared from behind the refrigerator. He too was changed. A lot of his hair was gone.

Until that moment, neither of them had noticed that the girl was there.

Then Isabelle called: "Mommy! Papa! What’s happening?"

There was no answer.

They talked only between themselves. Mom laughed and started to say something about a friend. Then she changed the subject to a TV show she had seen the night before. Dad only nodded and again, Mom’s smile faded away like it had never existed.

"Why don’t you talk to me?" Isabelle shouted.

Again, silence was the answer, as if the girl was invisible.

Suddenly, two boys came running into the kitchen. They never noticed her presence either. Mom smiled at them.

"Who are you?" Isabelle cried, once again to be ignored.

"Somebody give me an answer, please!"

"It’s a glimpse of the days to come" Delfina said, appearing out of nowhere, just like that.

“What?”

"They can’t see us, Isabelle. Only because we are not part of this scene.”

"You’re saying it’s a dream?"

"Sort of," the doll replied, opening her expressive eyes wide. "It’s a dream to make you feel feel better."

Isabelle watched the boys. Soon she realized they were her brothers. That would be cool. Brothers ... She was pleased. She smiled and felt at peace. Without realizing it, the girl closed his eyes and everything faded away.

***

Mom and Dad were up early. It was seven years now. They left the boys at Grandma’s and took the way to see Isabelle.

When tey got there, silence fell over them, as usual.

The day was beautiful. The sky, blue, without even a cloud.

Mom and Dad stood in front of the place where Isabelle slept forever.

Mom, as always, began to weep. Dad hugged her without saying a word. It’d be useless, anyway.

They were about to leave, when a girl with curly blond hair passed by. She leaned slolky and gently placed a flower in honor of Isabelle. It was a blue chrysanthemum. 

Then she smiled timidly at them, her big green eyes sparkling with tears. And so she was gone.