Astronaut.
and the deep blue sea
Her world was alive. The hardwood floors were actually snow-covered lawns, and those pieces of paper obviously represented a home for each of her hand-sewn dolls. Mama was an excellent Maker. Jupiter helped her come up with pretty clothing ideas, most of them flowing ball gowns. Their ribbons were like curling locks of fruit skin, dangling past their slim hips to their tiny dancing feet.
There were three hurried knocks on the front door. Jupiter lifted her young eyes to stare at the large piece of wood. It stretched high above her tiny frame; it was even taller than Mama, who appeared presently. Jupiter didn’t know why they had a monster door on their pretty house.
“Oh, what is this now?” Mama bent at the waist, reaching for something that was hidden by her skirt. Jupiter crept up to her hip and peered around her at the bundle on the porch.
“What’s that, Mama?” she asked, looking up at her as she held the thing in her arms. “Can I see?” She stood on the tips of her toes in an attempt to see over the blankets. What was inside?
The middle-aged woman began folding back the layers of her find. “I don’t know, pumpkin. Let’s find out.” Her dark blue eyes were wide and curious as she revealed a small, round face.
Jupiter hopped up, having seen the stunned expression on her Mama’s face, and grabbed the side of the blanket. That disturbed the creature inside, and it let out a terrified wail. The little girl scuttled away, surprised and staring. Mama started to hush the small thing, rocking it in her arms and walking into the kitchen. Jupiter followed, but not too closely. She didn’t know what it was yet.
“Jupiter Anne, go fetch me a rag from the cupboard.” She waved a hand in the correct direction, then began busying herself with some strange things.
Shrugging her shoulders, the dark-haired girl skipped through the house. The halls were long, and the doors tall, but she knew where she was going. She had lived here her whole life! She came upon the wooden structure that stood across from the washroom. Mama used to lock the doors, when she was little, but now they had disappeared. Jupiter was free to enter whenever she wanted. It was a wonderful privilege; she had found many beautiful soap shapes and seashells inside. There was even a small box of bottles that smelled good inside. Mama called them perfume, but Jupiter preferred foo foo juice. It was much more fantastic.
She reached inside and closed her hand around the soft, fuzzy folds of a bathing rag. When she pulled it out, it spilled into her open arms and flooded her with a sweet, clean scent. She buried her face in it and breathed deeply, turning to stumble blindly back to the kitchen.
With a great sigh, she offered it to Mama. The lady took it, and Jupiter saw a small, pudgy arm waving behind her. Her aquamarine eyes widened to the size of small saucers. “What is that?” she whispered, cautiously moving closer. Mama picked her up and set her on the counter beside a little bed of blanket she had created. “It’s a little person!” she gasped.
The baby’s skin was the color of buttermilk. There was a tiny puff of golden hair atop her round head; her eyes were fat and alert. They swiveled toward Jupiter’s face, and never left. A little smile appeared on her pink, plump lips. Her curled fists opened and reached toward the girl like tiny starfish as she let out bubbles of laughter.
Jupiter giggled and moved a hand out for her to hold. She was surprised at the strong feeling of the baby’s firm grip. “Where did she come from?” she asked, looking up at Mama.
Her faintly wrinkled smile was kind and warm as she placed a hand on the infant’s belly. “Your mother, same place as you.”
“Ooh.” She pursed her lips and moved her arm from side to side. “What’s her name?”
“Well, I don’t know. How about you give her one?”
The girl’s grin was wide and instant. “Okay!” This was the opportunity of a lifetime! She would govern this little girl’s identity. Jupiter Anne was in charge of her little sister’s destiny! “How about… Josie?” What better to share than the first letter of her name? But… it didn’t ring right. “Hm… or maybe… Harriet?” That seemed fit for a small dog with lots of hair. It occurred to her, then. “We’ll call her Lora Joan.”
The baby’s gibberish was contagious, and soon Jupiter was giggling up a storm. Mama smiled and put her hand on her granddaughter’s back. “You can give her a bath if you want.” She pointed to the sink that was filled with a shallow pool of softly steaming water, then took the rag in her hand. She dipped it into the water and showed Jupiter how to gently clean Lora Joan’s fragile skin. Once she saw that the process was taken to heart, Mama backed away. “Okay. You stay with her while I go finish washing the clothes.”
Jupiter nodded and waited as Mama brought her a chair to stand on. She pushed it up all the way to the counter, then busied herself with the affectionate chore of bathing Lora Joan.
“You’re going to like Mama,” she said, dabbing at her skin with the moist cloth. “She makes very good desserts.” She pondered this for a moment as she rubbed the rolls of baby fat on her legs. “I guess you don’t have any teeth, do you?” Jupiter has lost some of her baby teeth already, enough to get a whole dollar from the tooth troll.
“Do you like spring or fall?” she asked, tickling Lora Joan’s tiny toes. The baby giggled and squirmed happily. Jupiter watched with a grin as her toes curled and wiggled. “I think you like spring. What do you like better: boys or girls?” She suddenly laughed and kissed the babe’s brow. “I bet you haven’t even seen any boys yet.” Lora Joan’s pink gums were displayed like a grin of fleshy teeth, making Jupiter giggle joyfully. “You are so cute, baby Lora Joan.”
Their blue eyes met, and they smiled.
There were three hurried knocks on the front door. Jupiter lifted her young eyes to stare at the large piece of wood. It stretched high above her tiny frame; it was even taller than Mama, who appeared presently. Jupiter didn’t know why they had a monster door on their pretty house.
“Oh, what is this now?” Mama bent at the waist, reaching for something that was hidden by her skirt. Jupiter crept up to her hip and peered around her at the bundle on the porch.
“What’s that, Mama?” she asked, looking up at her as she held the thing in her arms. “Can I see?” She stood on the tips of her toes in an attempt to see over the blankets. What was inside?
The middle-aged woman began folding back the layers of her find. “I don’t know, pumpkin. Let’s find out.” Her dark blue eyes were wide and curious as she revealed a small, round face.
Jupiter hopped up, having seen the stunned expression on her Mama’s face, and grabbed the side of the blanket. That disturbed the creature inside, and it let out a terrified wail. The little girl scuttled away, surprised and staring. Mama started to hush the small thing, rocking it in her arms and walking into the kitchen. Jupiter followed, but not too closely. She didn’t know what it was yet.
“Jupiter Anne, go fetch me a rag from the cupboard.” She waved a hand in the correct direction, then began busying herself with some strange things.
Shrugging her shoulders, the dark-haired girl skipped through the house. The halls were long, and the doors tall, but she knew where she was going. She had lived here her whole life! She came upon the wooden structure that stood across from the washroom. Mama used to lock the doors, when she was little, but now they had disappeared. Jupiter was free to enter whenever she wanted. It was a wonderful privilege; she had found many beautiful soap shapes and seashells inside. There was even a small box of bottles that smelled good inside. Mama called them perfume, but Jupiter preferred foo foo juice. It was much more fantastic.
She reached inside and closed her hand around the soft, fuzzy folds of a bathing rag. When she pulled it out, it spilled into her open arms and flooded her with a sweet, clean scent. She buried her face in it and breathed deeply, turning to stumble blindly back to the kitchen.
With a great sigh, she offered it to Mama. The lady took it, and Jupiter saw a small, pudgy arm waving behind her. Her aquamarine eyes widened to the size of small saucers. “What is that?” she whispered, cautiously moving closer. Mama picked her up and set her on the counter beside a little bed of blanket she had created. “It’s a little person!” she gasped.
The baby’s skin was the color of buttermilk. There was a tiny puff of golden hair atop her round head; her eyes were fat and alert. They swiveled toward Jupiter’s face, and never left. A little smile appeared on her pink, plump lips. Her curled fists opened and reached toward the girl like tiny starfish as she let out bubbles of laughter.
Jupiter giggled and moved a hand out for her to hold. She was surprised at the strong feeling of the baby’s firm grip. “Where did she come from?” she asked, looking up at Mama.
Her faintly wrinkled smile was kind and warm as she placed a hand on the infant’s belly. “Your mother, same place as you.”
“Ooh.” She pursed her lips and moved her arm from side to side. “What’s her name?”
“Well, I don’t know. How about you give her one?”
The girl’s grin was wide and instant. “Okay!” This was the opportunity of a lifetime! She would govern this little girl’s identity. Jupiter Anne was in charge of her little sister’s destiny! “How about… Josie?” What better to share than the first letter of her name? But… it didn’t ring right. “Hm… or maybe… Harriet?” That seemed fit for a small dog with lots of hair. It occurred to her, then. “We’ll call her Lora Joan.”
The baby’s gibberish was contagious, and soon Jupiter was giggling up a storm. Mama smiled and put her hand on her granddaughter’s back. “You can give her a bath if you want.” She pointed to the sink that was filled with a shallow pool of softly steaming water, then took the rag in her hand. She dipped it into the water and showed Jupiter how to gently clean Lora Joan’s fragile skin. Once she saw that the process was taken to heart, Mama backed away. “Okay. You stay with her while I go finish washing the clothes.”
Jupiter nodded and waited as Mama brought her a chair to stand on. She pushed it up all the way to the counter, then busied herself with the affectionate chore of bathing Lora Joan.
“You’re going to like Mama,” she said, dabbing at her skin with the moist cloth. “She makes very good desserts.” She pondered this for a moment as she rubbed the rolls of baby fat on her legs. “I guess you don’t have any teeth, do you?” Jupiter has lost some of her baby teeth already, enough to get a whole dollar from the tooth troll.
“Do you like spring or fall?” she asked, tickling Lora Joan’s tiny toes. The baby giggled and squirmed happily. Jupiter watched with a grin as her toes curled and wiggled. “I think you like spring. What do you like better: boys or girls?” She suddenly laughed and kissed the babe’s brow. “I bet you haven’t even seen any boys yet.” Lora Joan’s pink gums were displayed like a grin of fleshy teeth, making Jupiter giggle joyfully. “You are so cute, baby Lora Joan.”
Their blue eyes met, and they smiled.
♠ ♠ ♠
My boyfriend said this amazingness. It is the best explanation for what the word “astronaut” means.‘well, astro means star, naut, i don't know naut exactly, but nautical is anything to do with the sea, but being that astronaut refers to a person rather than space itself i would imagine the root meaning to be star sailor’
For serious. Awesome. I spazzed. You should too.
Made by the one and only Fortune’s Fool,
Made by me. :3
I’m sorry this took so long. I’ve been ill. –cough– I know, I’m lame. I’m getting better. xD