I hear the Echoes through the mountains throng,
The Winds come to me from the fields of sleep,
And all the earth is gay
"The daisies are very pretty and I placed them on the breakfast table," said the elderly woman reappearing at the front doorway with a tray of shortbread cookies and a glass of milk.
"You are welcome, ma'am," the small girl said shyly.
"There is no need to be bashful with me, Agnes," the old woman said. "I remember you."
The girl was about to ask the woman how she knew her name, but realized that it was impolite to tease in such a way. The frail lady placed the tray down with her spindly arms as the girl touched her sleeve. "I can't eat, ma'am, but thank you, please. It will spoil my lunch," the girl said, and then skipped down the porch steps.
"Why the hurry?"
"My grandma is waiting!"
"I see," she said with a wink. "Well... enjoy your childhood!" the woman shouted from the front porch as the girl dashed off.
Agnes grew up in the house of her grandparents--a house that her grandfather built himself and which still stands, although if you stopped by today, you would find its windows boarded up and the grass growing high. The house faces south and sits about ten yards back from the street. A heavily cracked walkway flanked by two wagon wheels once lead to the stone porch and Agnes' grandmother would rock in her chair on the cement floor all summer wearing her house slippers and clasping a pack of unfiltered Pall Malls. In the front yard, to the right when facing the house, was a very large pine tree and, on the same side, but behind the pine, was a lilac bush. On the left side of the house was a plum tree, one half leafless and gray.
"Do you know what time it is?" Grandma shouted to Agnes as she skipped up the street. "You have only fifteen minutes to eat now before you have to go back to school."
"No-" Agnes tried to explain her lateness as she rushed between the rusted wagon wheels, but Grandma continued.
"I waited and I waited," she exclaimed in a scolding tone. "It's just going to have to be peanut butter and jelly. I know you hate it but-"
"No, Grandma!" the girl cried, slightly out of breath as she reached the porch steps.
"Yes! You don't have time to waste, Agnes, and now we have less."
"But Grandma, I don't have to go back to school. We only had half a day today!"
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