Heat rose off of the grimy dryer door, laid open to dissipate the sweltering, man-made heat of the clothes-oven currently being used to dry his clothes; soaked from the thunderstorm he’d walked home in.
The scent of over-heated socks and stale body odor assaulted her, the delicate scent glands of her inexperienced nostrils burning at the intrusion. This was not the life for her. This was not the life she had dreamed of, not ever, not once. Did anyone ever dream about how real-life would be?
She was going to be an oceanographer and sail the open seas with the likes of Jacques Cousteau and his sons. Perhaps one of his sons might fall in love with her and she’d be welcomed into a family of achievers. A family that made a difference in the world. A family that cared.
A knock upside her right temple stopped her mind-wandering abruptly. The man called her a simpleton, told her he’d paid her father way too much for her. Slapped her again just because he could before lumbering out of the tiny kitchen where she sat huddled against the wall, the scent of sea spray lingering in the air.
They keep asking me as if somehow, I can just look in the mirror and know. Am I a boy or a am I a girl? I do not know.I
The that appeal to me. Keep your trucks and GI Joe’s, it’s to the theatre I want to go.
Yet standing here so gaunt and thin, wishing for things that have never been discussed out loud or in private company. What I would do for all the jewels and wealth in the world, I would give it all up for a small bit of money.
Cash to pay the surgeons bill, who’d change this boy into a girl.
Response to prompt word RAMBUNCTIOUS in 6 Sentences Only by “Girlie on the Edge”
There are those that are very rambunctious among us. Their lives always full of tumultuous disorder. These unrestrained, uproarious disciples of chaotic clambering keep this earth clearly askew on its axis. I stridently search for a cacophony of silence amid the ever increasing din of raucous rollicking around me. Alas I find I’m once again thrown into the proverbial bed with a group of boisterous termagants. Until once again I can lay my head on my pillow of unadulterated opulence.
First time out of the house in seven weeks due to being so sick with COVID-19 and pneumonia. Nature welcomed me home. The dolphins were jumping, fishing and surfing; sea birds swarmed the sandbar and even the mighty sun star said hello and goodnight. Blessed!
All photos taken and owned by Ami (Gypsie) Offenbacher-Ferris
The tiny armchair fairy peeked out into the room before her, shocked and dismayed at the disarray of food containers, pizza boxes and beer cans that lay strewn everywhere. Her charge was no where to be seen and of course when present, she could not be seen either. It presented a difficult obstacle, but one she was determined to overcome in order to win her full set of fairy wings.
The little fairy eyed the mess, clapped her junior fairy wings together and within seconds, the room was pristine. The big hu-man, the one she had been charged with, lumbered back into the now clean room, stopped for a second and looked around before he fell backwards into his stained, overstuffed and over used armchair. The hu-man nearly crushed the little fairy, but she was fast as lightening and extracted herself easily.
The hu-man began yelling and shaking his fist at the big box with the moving lights inside. Upon further inspection, she determined there was some kind of game going on where bigger, younger hu-man’s trying to ram each other with their huge, helmet covered heads. These tactics seemed to upset the fairies hu-man, which was completely unacceptable.
Flitting behind the box, the little fairy removed the cord, causing the box to go suddenly silent. Her hu-man erupted, stomping over to the contraption to pound on its top; she quickly hoisted the plug back into its socket and the box sprang back to life, quieting the hu-man substantially.
So, her hu-man was only happy if the hu-man’s in the light box were yelling and he could yell with them. That’s easily fixable, she thought. Clapping her gossamer wings together she produced three more light boxes for her hu-man, all frozen permanently on those games with bowls and balls. Her hu-man was ecstatic. The little fairy sat back, patiently awaiting her full set of ultra-gossamer fairy wings.
The statue sat on my dresser, just beside the large bay window facing East. It liked it there, the statue that is. I tried placing the heavy dragon rendering in several other places, but such a feeling of malevolence overcame me that I was compelled to move it until I felt it, the statue, was at peace.
Had I known what it was, even an inkling of what I knew now, I would never have allowed my older brother and his girlfriend to talk me into playing those childish carnival games. But, they were having so much fun and it was nice to see my brother laughing again, so I grudgingly agreed to play all of them and I won; all of them every time I played! It was very odd, but not as odd as the way the carnies watched me; especially when I started winning every game at every booth. To be honest, it even spooked me a little bit. Were they setting me up so I’d have to fork over a fortune to collect my prize?
By the time the games ended, a crowd made up mostly of carnies and their families, had gathered around. Watching. Waiting. It was just weird. I turned to ask where I should go to collect my prize and that’s when I saw it moving towards me. It was as though it floated about four foot off the ground until it came to a stop right in front of me and I realized one of the Asian women was carrying it reverently in her arms.
“For you. This for you,” she said bowing slightly.
The item appeared heavy. Extremely ornate with gold paint outlining every seam. The eyes were ruby red, I wondered if they were glass or plastic. At first glance I assumed it to be some cheap, plastic kids toy, but the way the woman’s arms trembled as she held it tightly against her breast, let me know it was really made of glass and possibly porcelain.
“I can’t take this from you. Is it a family heirloom? Really, a purple teddy bear will be just right for me,” I stuttered slightly as she dropped the heavy, very fragile blue dragon into my arms. It felt warm and inviting. Not cold and heavy as I had assumed.
“For you. Blue Dragon for you,” she said again before bowing deeply and retreating, the carnie crowd followed her. In the morning they would be gone, leaving only a dusty pasture behind.
This is how I was given care of the porcelain and very fragile great Blue Dragon. I had it appraised at one of our independent art galleries several days later and was told that yes, it was porcelain. Not the porcelain of our time however. The gallery owner estimated the piece was hand-crafted in China c. 340-278 BCE. He situated the statue into a foam padded box, patted my hand and told me not to tell anyone that the Blue Dragon was now placed in my care. His parting words froze me just as I was stepping out into the street; but, when I turned around to ask him what he meant, he was gone.
“May He rise while in your keeping child and avenge his wrongful exile and execution so very long ago.”
Sunny days filled with warmth, blue skies and a giant fluffy dog at your side, security. Windows secure, doors locked, porch cam on and in service with direct feed to the monitoring company, definitely security.
The care and concern of a loved one. The knowledge that they will always come when needed or wanted, heart and soul security.
Selfless men and women who protect our dignitaries and others while performing their roles within the public eye, security; it says so on their leather jackets or the placard hanging from their strong necks.
Flashing blue lights, sirens surrounding fleeing figures, angry voices, handcuffs and fingerprinting. Security, it’s the law!
The hub of public safety officials, policemen and police women. An office, building or perhaps a large canvas tent where they work together to process a suspected criminal, is called Security.
The country’s care of our disabled and elderly, Social Security. The defense of our country’s people, our way of life and our freedom, National Security.
The knowledge that body, family, pets and home are safe, well and where they should be, a sense of security.
Bank vaults and bullet-proof vehicles offer financial security to patrons and employees all.
Gypsie’s Wonderful World of Words 
