when bringing my bike into the basement
to store it for the long winter ahead
this was just standing there waiting for me
how long has he been there?
where did he come from?
what did he want to say?
why was he there?
asking for a friend.
—
“son of a nutcracker!!”
-buddy elf, (“Elf” the movie)
I was 6 years old and so excited to finally get my chatty-cathy
a doll with a string in the back
that you could pull and she would talk
(18 phrases at random)
‘please take me with you’
‘may I have a cookie?’
‘I love you.’
she was a wonderful doll
we were happy together
until
I came home one day
and noticed to my horror
that my oldest sister
had given her a haircut
(picture a choppy hacked pixie cut with stringy bits)
I did not have a good reaction to it
I exploded in tears
very dramatically
sobbing and instantly tattling on her
chatty’s hair never grew back
and one day she was gone.
(the doll, not my sister)
after all these years
I still bring it up
to my sister
every so often
she always tells me
she had no idea
I would have such a strong reaction
she was just trying to give her a fancy hair style
and while I have long-ago forgiven her
I still have no idea
what chatty may have said to her during the haircut.
‘
—
“a beloved doll’s voice speaks directly to your soul
in a way that cannot be explained in words.”
-gayle wray
p.s. I am not a fan of dolls as an adult, they kind of terrify me, especially talking ones.
—
image credit: Mattel Toys
I didn't have my glasses on.... 