[Drabble] Jonba's bed time story Part I
Jul. 31st, 2008 08:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sweetsalomeIt was night, the windows of the house open to let in a cool breeze that made everyone sleepy after the heat and the activity of the day. Up on the second floor Salome carefully dried off a yawning Jonba, who had just got done with a much needed bath. Dressing him in his pajamas, she takes picks him up and carries him to his bedroom. He's sleeping in a big boy bed, there's no crib for him at his grandparents house, but he handles it well, besides some roaming in the middle of the night. She lays him down and kisses his forehead before giving him his Elmo doll, which he proceeds to hug tightly to his chest.
"How much do you love me?" She asks, kneeling beside his bed, her arms folded across the blanket. "This much?" She holds her hands apart about three inches, and the boy shakes his head no. "More?" She holds her hands further apart, and the more they spread the more he shakes his head, up to the point where her arms stretch as far as they can go.
"Do you love me this much?" Finally Jonba nods and smiles, and wrapping those arms around him she gives him a big hug. "I love you, John Baptiste, I always will." Her lips press to his wet hair, it smells like baby shampoo, but she knows in the morning he'll mysteriously smell like pancakes again.
Pulling back she kisses his forehead again, "story before bed?" She asks and climbs up into the bed with him when he nods that's what he wants. As she lays down, he climbs up into her arms so he can put his head on her chest, his fingers go into his mouth.
"Would you like me to tell you the story of white mane?" The boy nods, it's his favorite story because he's in it. He likes stories that he's in, even if he doesn't understand them fully.
"Once upon a time, there was a fisher-boy named . . ." she prompts and he responds loudly, "Jonba!" Smiling, Salome nods and brushes wet hair away from her son's forehead.
"That's right, a boy named Jonba, and he lived on a very big and beautiful island with his . . ." Her voice falters a little, this story use to go much differently when they were back at home. Things have changed now, and the story should reflect that, she thinks, but she's not as sure as she once was. "With his father Hiro, and his mother Salome," she finally decides, and Jonba seems to have no problem with the change.
"On this island was a herd of wild horses, and their leader was the biggest, strongest, most beautiful white horse that ever lived. His name was White Mane, because he had long white hair that flew when he ran. He was a wild horse, and very protective of the other horses that he ran with, he didn't want the wranglers to get a hold of him or his family. But the more he ran, the more the wranglers wanted him, they wanted the biggest and the best horse on the island."
Jonba shifts to yawn, and settles in a bit more against his mother's chest. "One day, the wranglers caught White Mane, or tried to. They chased him into a pen and put a rope around his neck, trying to break him, but they couldn't. White Mane broke from the pen and ran out to freedom, vowing that the wranglers would never catch him again. Jonba saw all of this and fell in love with White Mane. He wanted to catch the magnificent horse that was so strong and powerful that nothing could stop him. So on his way home, he thought of all the ways he could catch White Mane."
"When he got home, he told his mother and father about White Mane but did not tell them that he wanted to capture the horse. His father told him that the horse was very powerful, and something that wild could not be tamed. Jonba did not listen, and after lunch, he took his rope and went out to the Marsh to check his fish traps. As he rowed his little boat through the water, he heard a noise ahead of him. He looked up, and what do you think he saw?"
Jonba didn't have to think very hard about the question, he had heard the story a lot and smiled, "horsie!" Nodding, she sat back and continued with her story.
"There he was, beautiful and white in the sun, drinking from the water around him. He looked magnificent, bigger then any horse Jonba had ever seen before, and at first, Jonba was scared! He knew that even though he loved White Mane that he was strong enough to knock him down and hurt him. So very cautiously he got out of his boat and moved to the horse, trying to be very quiet as he walked. Soon he was close enough to touch the horse, he could see into his bright eyes. Without a second of hesitation he threw the rope around the horses neck, he caught him! But White Mane bolted, dragging poor Jonba after him as he hung on to the rope. He dragged the little boy through the marsh, the water got into his mouth and nose and when the reeds and grass hit him it hurt very bad."
Jonba's eyelids begin to get heavy, it's hard for him to stay awake even if he wants to hear the rest of the story. Salome's voice lowers so as not to wake the boy about to fall asleep.
"White Mane ran for a very long time, until he grew tired and stopped, when he looked back, he saw the young fisher-boy still hanging on to the rope. Very carefully Jonba opened his eyes, surprised that he was still alive, slowly he stood up and walked to the horse. He moved very slowly because he was worried that White Mane would run again. But when he got close to him, the horse didn't run, he let Jonba pet his mane, and then his nose, because White Mane liked the little boy very much."
Looking down, she sees her son fast asleep against her, and smiles. It's weird feeling like this, protective, maternal, like he's hers once again. For as long as he's been alive she refused to let herself feel like that, knowing full well that he could be taken away from her at any moment. This is different though, now she's safe, he's safe. His father isn't going to take him away from her, she won't let that happen. For the first time she has the faith that things will be alright, that she can stand up to the man who hurt her. She would rather die before seeing Jonba with the monster. Closing her eyes, she puts her head back against the head board and strokes her child's back gently.
"Would you like me to tell you the story of white mane?" The boy nods, it's his favorite story because he's in it. He likes stories that he's in, even if he doesn't understand them fully.
"Once upon a time, there was a fisher-boy named . . ." she prompts and he responds loudly, "Jonba!" Smiling, Salome nods and brushes wet hair away from her son's forehead.
"That's right, a boy named Jonba, and he lived on a very big and beautiful island with his . . ." Her voice falters a little, this story use to go much differently when they were back at home. Things have changed now, and the story should reflect that, she thinks, but she's not as sure as she once was. "With his father Hiro, and his mother Salome," she finally decides, and Jonba seems to have no problem with the change.
"On this island was a herd of wild horses, and their leader was the biggest, strongest, most beautiful white horse that ever lived. His name was White Mane, because he had long white hair that flew when he ran. He was a wild horse, and very protective of the other horses that he ran with, he didn't want the wranglers to get a hold of him or his family. But the more he ran, the more the wranglers wanted him, they wanted the biggest and the best horse on the island."
Jonba shifts to yawn, and settles in a bit more against his mother's chest. "One day, the wranglers caught White Mane, or tried to. They chased him into a pen and put a rope around his neck, trying to break him, but they couldn't. White Mane broke from the pen and ran out to freedom, vowing that the wranglers would never catch him again. Jonba saw all of this and fell in love with White Mane. He wanted to catch the magnificent horse that was so strong and powerful that nothing could stop him. So on his way home, he thought of all the ways he could catch White Mane."
"When he got home, he told his mother and father about White Mane but did not tell them that he wanted to capture the horse. His father told him that the horse was very powerful, and something that wild could not be tamed. Jonba did not listen, and after lunch, he took his rope and went out to the Marsh to check his fish traps. As he rowed his little boat through the water, he heard a noise ahead of him. He looked up, and what do you think he saw?"
Jonba didn't have to think very hard about the question, he had heard the story a lot and smiled, "horsie!" Nodding, she sat back and continued with her story.
"There he was, beautiful and white in the sun, drinking from the water around him. He looked magnificent, bigger then any horse Jonba had ever seen before, and at first, Jonba was scared! He knew that even though he loved White Mane that he was strong enough to knock him down and hurt him. So very cautiously he got out of his boat and moved to the horse, trying to be very quiet as he walked. Soon he was close enough to touch the horse, he could see into his bright eyes. Without a second of hesitation he threw the rope around the horses neck, he caught him! But White Mane bolted, dragging poor Jonba after him as he hung on to the rope. He dragged the little boy through the marsh, the water got into his mouth and nose and when the reeds and grass hit him it hurt very bad."
Jonba's eyelids begin to get heavy, it's hard for him to stay awake even if he wants to hear the rest of the story. Salome's voice lowers so as not to wake the boy about to fall asleep.
"White Mane ran for a very long time, until he grew tired and stopped, when he looked back, he saw the young fisher-boy still hanging on to the rope. Very carefully Jonba opened his eyes, surprised that he was still alive, slowly he stood up and walked to the horse. He moved very slowly because he was worried that White Mane would run again. But when he got close to him, the horse didn't run, he let Jonba pet his mane, and then his nose, because White Mane liked the little boy very much."
Looking down, she sees her son fast asleep against her, and smiles. It's weird feeling like this, protective, maternal, like he's hers once again. For as long as he's been alive she refused to let herself feel like that, knowing full well that he could be taken away from her at any moment. This is different though, now she's safe, he's safe. His father isn't going to take him away from her, she won't let that happen. For the first time she has the faith that things will be alright, that she can stand up to the man who hurt her. She would rather die before seeing Jonba with the monster. Closing her eyes, she puts her head back against the head board and strokes her child's back gently.
[Part two tomorrow night. . .]
