All grand stories start off with once upon a time, not this one, because the date was June, 19th 1999. The sun was bight and the clouds formed all those wonderful shapes. They always looked like bunnies to Melody. Sorry lets reverse a little, Melody Celestial Dahlia is a blue eyed dirty blond 7 year old, and this is her story. If your hoping to learn a cute lesson from this book you've picked wrong try again, I hear good things about the young adult section in Barns & Noble. For the rest of you we will play a game if you finish the book you win your a horrible person congatz! Still want to continue, very well lets indulge.
So, where was I, OH yes the clouds always looked like bunnies to melody, but they always look like bunnies to most 7 year old's so who could blame her. She would have been watching the clouds go by with her father, a shaggy looking hippy creature with blond hair and green eyes, unfortunately he was fairly busy that day, well sort of, it was his funeral. Daniel wasn't melody's biological father, but he protested anyone who said she wasn't his daughter, would have that is. Melody of course had gotten her white dress all grassed stained whale her mother sat quietly crying as her one and only love was being put to rest. her white outfit was no match for her mood, as her brown short hair fell forward and her Hazel eyes filled with water. I cant imagine what Charlotte was thinking but it defiantly was not about the grass stains on Melody's' dress. She sat next to Samantha, Danial's mother, as family and friends brought wild flowers to the alter, and Samantha carving Daniels reincarnation into the long wooden staff. Melody could not make her mother stop crying, Although that would have been impossible if melody actually understood what was happening. Melody tried singing and goofing around but not a single solitary smirk drifted across her mouth. Samantha was nearly done carving a cat into the staff above where Uncle Cordel had passed 5 months before.
Samantha as the matriarch of the family stood ,
“ I would like to say thank you to Lama Yi Fang for presiding over the funeral and everyone for coming all of the beautiful chanting taking place for my son brings my heart warmth, I know its not part of the faith Lama but its family tradition and I think Daniel will come back to us as a cat, your opinion”
Lama Yi Fang smiled quietly and agreed.
“ well this being the 3rd day after my sons death, I Know this is not how you wanted to spend your Saturday but I thank you for coming. As far as I know we are set to have the rest of the memorials here on the 23rd, August 20th and October 10th . Now lets eat Lama Yi Fang please lead us!”
As Lama Yi Fang stood so did everyone else including Melody and Charlotte.
“Mommy, why is daddy a cat?”
Charlotte took a long breath,
“ you'll have to ask your Grandmother.......Shes the only one who knows.”
Charlotte lend down and picked up Melody to hold her close as she walked back to the alter, she put melody down and took the 2 yellow hyacinths out of he purse & handed one to Melody.
“What is it daddy would say when the flowers bloomed??”
Melody Smiled looking at the alter,
“A smell so sweet it lets you know you're alive”
Charlotte smiled and placed the flower on the alter, melody did the same. Melody took her mothers hand and dragged her inside she wanted the fried green beans and tofu before they were gone. Charlotte was too sad to eat and sat in the living room looking out at the alter. Samantha had made Melody a plate already making sure to avoid the rice that melody would refuse to eat you know how 7 Year old's' are.
As the day wound down most of the family had left it was just Samantha, Charlotte and little Melody. Samantha and Melody were working on clean up humming an old queen song that had been Daniels favorite. Charlotte hadn't moved an inch she was still watching the alter as if he would magically comeback from the ashes like a Phoenix, and he would apologize for not reforming earlier.
Samantha smiled and sat next to Charlotte “ do you have to go? I will miss you both so very much.”
Charlotte in a flat tone said “i need my family its too hard being near his right now melody and I will return. I just need them right now”
“ Well OK, but before you go I have a gift for You and Melody” Samantha walked into the other room and grabbed a box with little holes in the side.
Charlotte knew what it was and started crying hoping that reincarnation was true she smiled and mouthed a “Thank You” from her lips. Melody of course opened the box to reveal a tiny kitten with Grey and white fur.
“He was born the day we found out Daniel had cancer, there was 5-6 of them this one came right to me as if it recognized my soul I knew exactly who it was” Samantha smiled
Melody had a quizzical face and asked politely who it was. Samantha simply replied "why My Song its your dad reincarnated into his next form, I told you he would be a cat!"
Melody smiled and hugged the kitten before proclaiming that daddy was going to sleep with her and how angry he was going to be that he couldn't have fudge and rice crispy treats. You see Charlotte was a wedding cake decorator and she made the most wonderful sweets ever her fudge was divine by all accounts and Daniel went absolutely nuts for it he would have little melody sneak into the kitchen to distract Charlotte in order to "Purloin" some delicious fudge. Now that Daniel was a cat he would not be able to have any sweets I suppose this was his punishment for eating to many during his lifetime so be warned you could die and come back as a cat! Melody thought it was absolutely funny she laughed carelessly.
Charlotte had a mild smirk come across her face as if it was just good enough that his spirit was there. Charlotte was Wiccan not Buddhist like his side of the family but she just needed to believe that that tiny gray and white kitten was her Daniel. She had fallen for him her first year in OR; Melody was about 6 months old when Charlotte had gotten a flat tire at the local Farmers market in Portland. Daniel was just walking by when he offered to help fix the tire he was quite inept at it but together through a lot of laughter they got the tire back on just in time for Charlotte to go pick up Melody from her babysitters house. Daniel gave her his number but Charlotte had to let him know she had a little girl he laughed and said the car seat in the back was hard to miss. See Daniel loved children and he believed that he was Karmically drawn to this woman, Charlotte believed the same though its not like she would say it was Karma but the work of the grand priests Spirits leading him to her but however you see it the rest was; how do you say?, History!!
His death Hit Charlotte hard and she needed desperately to see the family she left she needed someone who could help her reset even if it was a distraction so Charlotte packed everything in the back of the car & said goodbye to all the people worth saying goodbye too she buckled little Melody in the back seat and they drove; they drove for days and to melody's mind it felt like a lifetime every couple of hours shed wispier to 'daddy'
"Are we there yet"
He never responded with anything short of a meow; Melody took that to mean No. Charlotte had to keep checking to see if Melody and the Kitten were in the back seat because they for the most part were so Quiet except for the odd whisper and a small meow.
So, where was I, OH yes the clouds always looked like bunnies to melody, but they always look like bunnies to most 7 year old's so who could blame her. She would have been watching the clouds go by with her father, a shaggy looking hippy creature with blond hair and green eyes, unfortunately he was fairly busy that day, well sort of, it was his funeral. Daniel wasn't melody's biological father, but he protested anyone who said she wasn't his daughter, would have that is. Melody of course had gotten her white dress all grassed stained whale her mother sat quietly crying as her one and only love was being put to rest. her white outfit was no match for her mood, as her brown short hair fell forward and her Hazel eyes filled with water. I cant imagine what Charlotte was thinking but it defiantly was not about the grass stains on Melody's' dress. She sat next to Samantha, Danial's mother, as family and friends brought wild flowers to the alter, and Samantha carving Daniels reincarnation into the long wooden staff. Melody could not make her mother stop crying, Although that would have been impossible if melody actually understood what was happening. Melody tried singing and goofing around but not a single solitary smirk drifted across her mouth. Samantha was nearly done carving a cat into the staff above where Uncle Cordel had passed 5 months before.
Samantha as the matriarch of the family stood ,
“ I would like to say thank you to Lama Yi Fang for presiding over the funeral and everyone for coming all of the beautiful chanting taking place for my son brings my heart warmth, I know its not part of the faith Lama but its family tradition and I think Daniel will come back to us as a cat, your opinion”
Lama Yi Fang smiled quietly and agreed.
“ well this being the 3rd day after my sons death, I Know this is not how you wanted to spend your Saturday but I thank you for coming. As far as I know we are set to have the rest of the memorials here on the 23rd, August 20th and October 10th . Now lets eat Lama Yi Fang please lead us!”
As Lama Yi Fang stood so did everyone else including Melody and Charlotte.
“Mommy, why is daddy a cat?”
Charlotte took a long breath,
“ you'll have to ask your Grandmother.......Shes the only one who knows.”
Charlotte lend down and picked up Melody to hold her close as she walked back to the alter, she put melody down and took the 2 yellow hyacinths out of he purse & handed one to Melody.
“What is it daddy would say when the flowers bloomed??”
Melody Smiled looking at the alter,
“A smell so sweet it lets you know you're alive”
Charlotte smiled and placed the flower on the alter, melody did the same. Melody took her mothers hand and dragged her inside she wanted the fried green beans and tofu before they were gone. Charlotte was too sad to eat and sat in the living room looking out at the alter. Samantha had made Melody a plate already making sure to avoid the rice that melody would refuse to eat you know how 7 Year old's' are.
As the day wound down most of the family had left it was just Samantha, Charlotte and little Melody. Samantha and Melody were working on clean up humming an old queen song that had been Daniels favorite. Charlotte hadn't moved an inch she was still watching the alter as if he would magically comeback from the ashes like a Phoenix, and he would apologize for not reforming earlier.
Samantha smiled and sat next to Charlotte “ do you have to go? I will miss you both so very much.”
Charlotte in a flat tone said “i need my family its too hard being near his right now melody and I will return. I just need them right now”
“ Well OK, but before you go I have a gift for You and Melody” Samantha walked into the other room and grabbed a box with little holes in the side.
Charlotte knew what it was and started crying hoping that reincarnation was true she smiled and mouthed a “Thank You” from her lips. Melody of course opened the box to reveal a tiny kitten with Grey and white fur.
“He was born the day we found out Daniel had cancer, there was 5-6 of them this one came right to me as if it recognized my soul I knew exactly who it was” Samantha smiled
Melody had a quizzical face and asked politely who it was. Samantha simply replied "why My Song its your dad reincarnated into his next form, I told you he would be a cat!"
Melody smiled and hugged the kitten before proclaiming that daddy was going to sleep with her and how angry he was going to be that he couldn't have fudge and rice crispy treats. You see Charlotte was a wedding cake decorator and she made the most wonderful sweets ever her fudge was divine by all accounts and Daniel went absolutely nuts for it he would have little melody sneak into the kitchen to distract Charlotte in order to "Purloin" some delicious fudge. Now that Daniel was a cat he would not be able to have any sweets I suppose this was his punishment for eating to many during his lifetime so be warned you could die and come back as a cat! Melody thought it was absolutely funny she laughed carelessly.
Charlotte had a mild smirk come across her face as if it was just good enough that his spirit was there. Charlotte was Wiccan not Buddhist like his side of the family but she just needed to believe that that tiny gray and white kitten was her Daniel. She had fallen for him her first year in OR; Melody was about 6 months old when Charlotte had gotten a flat tire at the local Farmers market in Portland. Daniel was just walking by when he offered to help fix the tire he was quite inept at it but together through a lot of laughter they got the tire back on just in time for Charlotte to go pick up Melody from her babysitters house. Daniel gave her his number but Charlotte had to let him know she had a little girl he laughed and said the car seat in the back was hard to miss. See Daniel loved children and he believed that he was Karmically drawn to this woman, Charlotte believed the same though its not like she would say it was Karma but the work of the grand priests Spirits leading him to her but however you see it the rest was; how do you say?, History!!
His death Hit Charlotte hard and she needed desperately to see the family she left she needed someone who could help her reset even if it was a distraction so Charlotte packed everything in the back of the car & said goodbye to all the people worth saying goodbye too she buckled little Melody in the back seat and they drove; they drove for days and to melody's mind it felt like a lifetime every couple of hours shed wispier to 'daddy'
"Are we there yet"
He never responded with anything short of a meow; Melody took that to mean No. Charlotte had to keep checking to see if Melody and the Kitten were in the back seat because they for the most part were so Quiet except for the odd whisper and a small meow.