White Aprons

Chapter 6

     I gaze out of one of the stained glass windows in the musty library, the deep colors blurring and enhancing the palace garden at the same time. My eyes start to tear from staring so harshly, and I blink my eyelids softly a few times. I see birds chirping and leaves rustling, but the thickness of the glass blocks out the sound. I tilt my head.

     Whereas the people outside trimming the bushes and clipping the flowers hear all the sounds, but are oblivious to the sights, only paying attention to their silver clippers.

     All of a sudden, a story starts to swirl around inside my head about a beautiful maiden who spent her time sitting on a rock just in the outer edge of the wood.

     The rock was slightly worn down and warm, from the maiden's constant presence. When in deep solitude, most liked to let their tired eyelids finally slowly descend till the eye could see no longer. Most liked to stay completely still and just listen to the beautiful sounds coming from.... But wait. That was the problem, wasn't it? All those gentle souls had spent so much of their time listening, they forgot to see. Soon, everyone couldn't remember how to lift their dreary eyelids, and eventually had forgotten they had ever been able to in the first place. Every beautiful colored iris was gone, forbidden to ever see the light again. Every person was blind, and every other person was invisible. Sight no longer existed, or even had an importance. It was gone from every mind....Except one. Except one beautiful maiden who spent her time seeing and not listening. She was the only one left who actually saw, and not just listened. Words are dangerous. Words dart one way and the other, slithering around the air, whispering lies. Shouting insults. Screaming nonsense. But the eye scans the air. It sees through the lies. It counters insults. It makes sense of nonsense. They're the perfect fit. Words don't help words. Words don't understand words. Words don't see through words.

     And so the beautiful maiden watched silently. Everyday she sat on her rock, invisible to the world around her. Her open eyes damp from having stared for so long. Her green eyes, sharply and perceptively, darted from branch to branch, flower to flower, color to color, sound to....But wait. That was the problem, wasn't it? The beautiful maiden had spent so much of her time seeing, that she had quite forgotten to listen.

     "That's a sad story."

     My head jerks around and I avert my gaze from the window, startled. And there, once again, stands the palace child. She clutches onto her plush stuffed bunny, her deep blue eyes slightly wet.....From tears. I freeze.

     You're not supposed to be talking to me kid, please go away before I get in trouble! But I can't just leave her here crying like this! Ugh. Sometimes I hate myself.

     I swallow. "Um, uh," I stutter. "What's sad?"

     She doesn't even blink. "That story you just told. It is very sad."

     "I didn't...." I pause. I hadn't even realized I was talking aloud.

     "Oh, um.... Yes, yes it was....a.. um.. very sad story."

     "It made me cry," she whispered, mostly talking to her bunny.

     "Oh, um, I-I'm so sorry, I-" She cuts me off.

     "I really like it."

     I pause, confused.

     "Oh, y-you do?"

     "Yes." Could she possibly be more straight-forward?

     "Oh, thank you." I say softly.

     "Your welcome!" She says, changing the mood entirely with a smile. I can't help but smile back.

     "Your nice," she says, matter of factly, looking me up and down.