Zână Regina

Four

As I walk into the preschool to pick up Gemma Miss Kim the owner of the preschool stops me.

"Sammy, Gemma came to school today with bruise on her right shoulder, do you know how she got it?" My jaw drops, how did she get it? It would have only been this morning that she got it.

"Who brought her in this morning?"                                       

"Jarod."  She says with a smirk.                                                                                                              

"Can I see it?" I ask as we walked into the familiar big room where all the children are waiting to be picked up. I look around. Kids were playing with Lego, some girls had beads out and are making necklaces at a table in the centre of the room. I look to the dress ups were I knew I would find Gemma she was wearing a dress up pink mermaid top and a blue 80s flapper girl skirt on top of her everyday clothes. She wore pink high heels that were many sizes too big for her. To top off her outfit she had pink Barbie sunglasses, a green very well used purse and a big rimmed sun hat that floped in her eyes.

 "Oh my gosh, do you still have that skirt!" This is the same preschool I had attended 12 years ago almost to the date. Miss Kim had been the owner for 25 years and the preschool had been getting bigger and better with each year that past.

"Yes." Miss Kim replied with a knowing smile. "She looks just like you Sammy," I remember clearly wearing the blue skirt every day I was here, it was my favourite dress up. Back then the preschool only had this one big room. Now they have three separate rooms joining on each side of the room plus a play equipment and sand pit.

As I walked towards Gemma she tugged the flap of her hat out of her eyes sighing.

"Silly hat," she pulled it off huffing and half strutted half tripped her way to the dress up box in her pink heels.

"Gemma guess who's hear," At the sound of her name her head whipped around and she flew out of the shoes leaving them in their place next to the dress up box dropping her bag on the floor. I crouch down ready to catch the blue flapping bullet heading for me. She jumped into my arms whipping off her glasses "Sammy!"

Gemma has my mother's eyes a very light hazel green colour that complement her chestnut brown ringlets; she has fair skin without a blemish or scratch to be seen, her Rosie pink cheeks match her thin lips and when she smiles two rows of perfect white teeth show.

"She only does that to you Sammy,"   Miss Kim smiles as we walk through to a quiet room in the back so as not to be disturbed by parents or children.

"Pardon Miss?" I cough as I put Gemma down on a table.

"She only runs to you, when your mother picks her up she cries and screams that she doesn't want to go home." I look at Gemma she is smiling out the window kicking her legs over the side of the table. Miss Kim walks around to the other side of the table to face Gemma's back. She took off the mermaid top and lifted up the back of her shirt as I followed her behind the table. Not really knowing what I was going to see. I look on hopeful that it is just one little bruise on her shoulder. That she had fallen or hit to get and Miss Kim was just over exaggerating.

"Gemma can I take your shirt off please?" Gemma twisted to look at me and Miss Kim her eyes darting between us. I smiled weakly at her.

"Please Gemma." She nodded her head and Miss Kim who lifted up the shirt on command.  On her shoulder there were 4 bruise lines leading down to 4 more stubby circular ends.