“I’ll take off my slippers and put on a pair of
boots so my feet won’t be cold. That will have to do. I’m not getting dressed
for this.”
“What are you murmuring?” asked my dad rubbing
his eyes. “What are you doing? Where are you going at this time of night? It’s
a freezing winter night! This is crazy!”
Mum answered that she was sure there was
something outside that she craved for.
“Oh,” said Dad. “Well, get into bed. I’ll go
for whatever it is. What is it?
Mum was being secretive and said she had no
idea. She just felt there was something out there for her.
“Then I’ll take the first out of place thing I
see. I’m sure it will be that,” said Dad.
“No, because you’ll want to keep it only for yourself.”
So they stumbled out into the night, leaning on
each other to avoid sliding on the ice and falling in the snow.
In the garden, under the moonlight, Dad was
first to see something unusual.
“Look! A ladybug eating clover. How strange in
winter. Eh! There’s a whole trail of them. Let’s follow it.”
And then my mother cried, “There it is! It’s in
the lotus tree.”
The lotus tree was invaded by ladybugs, and up
on one of its branches, a pink lotus flower had blossomed to reveal a a tiny
bundle wrapped in a violet flannel mantle.
“Yes, I’ve seen it too. Well, it’s ours because
we are the first to see it. All we have to do is take it now. Why didn’t you
tell me we were expecting a baby?”
Mum said she had ordered one from the Roman goddess
Lucina but hadn’t received confirmation. That night she’d had a hunch it would
be delivered. And it was, by Lucina’s pets, the ladybugs.
The lotus tree frowned on my parents and
scolded, “Are you going to stay out here all night arguing? The baby is turning
blue. Do you want her to be another blue fairy? Take her inside if you want
her. If not, I’m ready to take her below. She’ll be better off next to my roots
than with folks like you.”
“It’s a girl!” laughed Dad delightedly. “The tree has done
a spoiler.”
“Calm down, tree,” said Mum. “We’ll take over
right now. Oberon, climb up the tree and bring the baby down and
I’ll carry it home. You take the ladybugs to the green house. They won’t freeze
there and will find something to eat.”
“Take good care of her! Like we would!”
chided the garden trees.
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