The Mind Realms

1885-1893

It was autumn, 1892. There was a little girl swinging along on the Grand Ole' Oaktree, humming a bittersweet tune. Books were scattered along the bright grass, for she had dropped them when launching herself onto the swing. The truth is, she was trying to get to the swing before the others could. "Excuse me, who do you think you are?"

Mabel opened her eyes, to see them standing in front of her swing. Slowing down, Mabel's humming started to fade out. "Oh, William! How wonderful it is to see you. How was school today, hm?"

William and his clique laughed, while one snuck behind Mabel, pushing her off of the swing. "Hey! What's the big idea?"

"You know what the idea is, vazey! Sitting on our swing? What makes you think your peasant skirt could ever even brush past it?"

Mabel got up from the ground, getting into William's face. "Just because I can't go to a normal school doesn't give you the right to treat me in such a way! I am a lady."

"A lady doesn't wear rags! They wear pretty dresses, with sparkly jewelry. I do not see any of that on you."

The girl gathered up her books, then stuck her nose up to the sky. Not daring to look back. Mabel knew that if she did, they would just continue to harass her. There was no point in even trying. 

Mabel grew up in a home that was very much frowned upon. Her father was a chivalrous white male, of which worked during the day and came home later in the evening. Her mother... was a African American woman. In the time period of which Mabel was born and raised, this kind of relationship was frowned upon. To prevent the public from ever knowing, the Blisson's had to live a life of secrecy. 

The general public believed Mr. Blisson had an ivory, blonde woman at home. Sewing his clothing, and making cloths. A man with no children, for everyone thought his wife was unable to have children. Mrs. Blisson and Mabeline Blisson were the household's enslaved members. Mrs. Blisson was in charge of tending to the garden in the back, cooking meals, running to the shops for necessities. Mabeline Lorlin Blisson would shine the shoes, polish the vases, and help her mother with the household chores. That was what the public thought, and that was the way it was forever going to stay. No one could know the truth- a white male and an African American woman? The thought of the two together was absurd! Children on the streets could not even make eye contact with one from a different race, and yet these two were married with a child?

Mabel was always jealous of the Hunningring family. They were society's standard of normal, of perfect. They could go to a normal school, do normal things. Not live a life of secrecy behind its closed doors. Dishonesty was one thing Mabel was never really fond of, for her mother made it a common moral in the fairy tales. 

"Another day of walking home on my own, am I right?" Mabel squeaked out the words, feeling her throat tighten. She let the tears begin running down her face, feeling one tear try catching up to another. Tumbling down the smooth hills people would call her cheeks, the tears continued running. As if they were children skipping through fields endlessly, day after day. 

"Why have the schoolboys never liked me? I never did anything to them, did I?"

Turning around, she saw no one behind her. At that moment, she wished someone was there to listen. Mr. and Mrs. Blisson were not the parents to really be around. Sure, Mrs. Blisson would read to Mabeline when she came home to her private tutoring lessons by a family friend. Mr. Blisson? No, he was never involved. Work was the only thing that truly meant anything to the Mr. Nothing was to get in the way of his work, including his 7-year-old child. "I couldn't even go to the school with them if I wanted to, all because I was born different from them. Why, lord. Why did you have to curse me with such a body? One of no social standard? Am I not to be loved by anyone of pale color, or am I just not good enough?"

"Little one, do not fret! I can help you with this problem you are having."

Mabeline turned around swiftly, looking around. "Where are you? Come out! What all did you hear?!"

"Ma'am, please. Do not shout! These gravel streets do not like the sound of screaming children, I can tell you that. Look down here! At your feet, my dear!"

Tilting her head down, there was a teddy. A bear? "I must've hit my head on the ground when I was pushed off that swing..."

"You didn't, darling! I am talking and walking, just like you humans!"

This was astounding. A piece of machinery, something no one in this time could have thought of. Mabel knelt down on the hard gravel, looking the teddy up and down. "How..?"

"How isn't the question you should be asking here! Rather, what or why?" The bear laughed, rolling around on the gravel.

She wasn't sure how to feel about this. Anyone could have made this teddy bear, and it could be a threat towards her. "Afraid of me, are you?"

Mabel nodded her head up and down slowly, biting her lip. "I don't know why you are here, but I should return you where you belong."

The teddy's mouth smiled. Mabel could hear little zzzt's and noises whenever the bear would move. "I have no home. Matter of fact, I was going to ask if I could stay with you for a while? Girls love to play with dolls, am I right?"

"Not all girls play with dolls, Mr. Teddy. There's a little negro girl at my school who likes to play around in the mud with the boys! Her parents reaction though, was not quite the most positive."

The bear nodded, raised his arms up, then waved them around in the air. Mabel took it as a sign, and picked him up gently. Upon being in the arms of the human, the bear's head dropped low. It's limbs became flimsy, dangling from the waist down. A human to finally call it's own. What an honor for such a musty and raggedy old plush toy!

"What's this? Look here, boys! The girl has a doll now!"

"She needs to grow up!"

"Vazey fool!"

The school boys had been hiding in the bushes nearby, waiting for Mabel to pass on her usual route home. This was not uncommon, for Mabeline had been halted like this before. "Oh, what do you white fellas' want outta me now? I found a teddy on the way home to Mother, and look! It can even talk!"

Holding out the bear, it did not move. Did not make a sound. "Yur makin' yourself sound crazy, that thang can't talk with a man's donkey! Why, I outta-"

"No, please! You have to believe me! It can talk, it can! Were you not watching? He was talking moments before you arrived! Please, Mr. Teddy! Tell them!"

Limp, lifeless, weary. All words to describe the stuffed bear in the child's arms. The boys pointed and laughed, spitting on her shoes. They then walked ahead of Mabel, slapping each other's backs in shear delight. Mabel never did understand those boys, but with her new teddy bear friend.... she never had the opportunity to understand. 

"I can be your friend, Mabeline. I would never leave you."

"Who ever told you I don't have friends?"

"It was just a mere observation. Take me to your home, why don't you? We have many things to discuss in private."