Here is a little story that I wrote for a MOOC class assignment about a little girl who’s day is disrupted by being confronted with something unexpected, or better, someone surprising …
THE TOOTH
It was a hot and humid day in September. The leaves of the trees had already started to change their colors. No wind was blowing, not even Mrs. Kleves beautiful wind chimes made any noise.
Nobody wanted to be outside, beside Victoria.
Her blonde braids whipped up and down as she skipped from one stone to the other. Absorbed by her thoughts or a game only she knew, she made her way down the street.
She came to a sudden halt, when she approached the gumball machine, which was mounted at Mr. McNeal’s little grocery store.
At first she ignored the machine, standing in the middle of the walkway skipping back and forth in one place.
But a good observer could tell, that she had something in mind. Eventually she paid the machine on her right one quick look. And then another. Finally, she turned around and took a step closer.
Her grandpa had given her a quarter a while ago. He had been pleased that she had done the dishes without complaining and this quarter was her reward.
With a sudden movement, she retrieved the coin from the pocket of her red summer dress and took two more steps towards the machine. With her right arm stretched out, she let the coin hover over the money slot for some seconds. The fate of the coin that was jammed between three of her fingers was not yet decided.
Victoria rocked back and forth. She had some thinking to do. This quarter was a treasure, hard-earned.
She had pulled together all the self-control of her six-year-old being to keep her mouth shut. She could have said that it was unfair that she had to do the dishes while Kyle, her older brother, was riding their horse. Or that she had done the dishes yesterday and the day before yesterday. However, for once she wanted to prove, especially to herself, that she was not a baby anymore.
The birds in the trees chirped as if everything in the world was for free.
She pursed her lips. She could save the quarter for college. Her father would surely suggested such a thing. Or for her own horse.
Her arm grew heavy. She pulled it back.
She shook her head. A quarter would not buy a horse nor a college education, no matter, what her father thought. A jolt of anticipation went through Victoria as she made the decision. Her whole body swung forward as she put the coin in the slot. She did it fast, as if she was afraid to make up her mind if she would wait any longer.
She turned the lever.
The colored balls made some noise until they had sorted out which one of them would enter the world of the little girl.
When Victoria opened the small door which prevented the balls from falling to the ground, she found a yellow gumball … and something else.
She pulled her hand back. There, next to the yellow gumball lay a tooth. A human tooth. Victoria had not doubt of that. Just yesterday, she had lost one herself. She was losing them in groups these days. Mom assured her that this was pretty normal and that there would grow others to take the space of the lost ones. No need to worry, it was not a deadly disease, her mom said.
“He, du bloede Gans!” A loud cry coming from behind startled the girl.
“Lass das! Finger off!” the voice continued with such a sharp tone that Victoria imagined glass that was cut apart. She turned around and found herself face to face with a little boy. A very angry little boy. He went on talking in a foreign language she didn’t understand. What she understood clearly was that he wanted her to leave the tooth where it was.
“Can I possibly take the gumball? I don’t need a tooth, although I look like I would!” she tried, diplomatically putting a smile on her face.
The boy hesitated and put his head to the side. Maybe he thought over what she had said or he just tried to figure out what she meant. Anyway, he calmed down a little. Victoria turned around again and tried to take the gumball, but the boy jerked her backwards.
Didn’t he understand anything? Victoria, now angry herself, arms akimbo, said, “Hey! I just want my gumball, it is mine after all. I paid for it!” She stared at him.
The boy stared back. His brown hair was neatly combed but his nose had a dirty spot. Victoria stood half a head taller than him, but he was a feisty one. Both arms were pressed to his body, his hands in fists. He was not easy to impress.
Victoria asked, “Is it yours? The tooth?” and pointed to her own teeth and then to the gumball machine.
He gave her a short nod. “Ja, meins!”
She lifted her eyebrows, shrugged her shoulders, turned her palms up hoping he would understand that she had a question.
“Why is it there?” again she pointed to the gumball machine.
The boy just looked at her. Victoria wasn’t sure, if he would attack her again, if she would try to take her gumball once more.
And just as she thought she wouldn’t get any answer, he said, “Das ist … It’s for fairy, Zahn fairy …?” He pumped his arms like a chicken trying to fly.
“For the tooth fairy?” Victoria asked surprised. “Oh my! Why didn’t you put it under your pillow?” She clapped her hands together, tilted her head and put both hands against her cheek.
The boy’s big eyes didn’t signal understanding. Victoria put a thumb in her mouth and closed her eyes for a split second.
He shrugged his shoulder and folded his arms in front of his chest.
Victoria didn’t want trouble with a stranger. He clearly was a stranger, with this strange language. On the other hand, she was concerned. Had nobody told this boy how to handle the tooth fairy?
Why didn’t he know where to put the tooth? Maybe he had no bed? Or no pillow?
“My uncle … said … put Zahn somewhere and I do!”
“Wait!” Victoria turned around, retrieved the tooth and her gumball from the machine. With slow movements she turned around and placed the tooth in the boy’s hand.
“Where do you live? Who is your uncle? Come on!” She put her arm around his shoulder and guided him up the street.
Victoria would make sure that this tooth would find its way to the tooth fairy.
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If you liked my little story, leave a comment. Thanks.