"Hi, Anna this is Dumpling." The woman on the other end of the cellphone sounded sleepy.
"Dumpling, hello. Oh god, I've overslept. Can I call you back?"
"No, this won't take long. Anna, I'm calling to say I won't be taking that order for medicine pouches."
There was a long silence on the other end. Dumpling continued, "I'm not the one to do what you've asked. I don't do those kinds of things anymore. So, no need to call me back." Dumpling hung up the phone.
For too long the expectations of others diluted her real love. Stitching and cutting shapes that held meaning for her was the only reason for doing her work any more. The phone call was not her favorite sort of thing, but, it was the practice she needed and there it was. The medicine was not something to buy or shovel into a showcase, which was what Anna Shields would do with Dumpling's stitchery. The pin money had always come in handy, but now? Now the money felt more like pins sticking into her. She had no room nor desire for the bloodletting.
The smell of chicken broth and freshly chopped and simmered leeks filled the small kitchen. The old Stanley Thermos with the wide-mouth opening was Dumpling's favorite way to tote hot food. She'd filled the glass liner with hot water to temper it. It was after 6:30 and she was walking down to the Beanery to meet Linda M. Replacing the water with soup, the Thermos lid tightened Dumpling slipped the food into a long flannel lined satchel. The long handle allowed the Thermos to ride like a baby across her belly. The warmth of the Thermos was comforting. A smile filled her.
It was still a warm summer evening. An extra shirt? Dumpling grabbed her colorful storyteller's shirt and a cotton hat. Her cellphone rang. It was Anna, she let the phone go to voicemail, pulled on her boots and shut the front door behind her. "There'll be collateral damage," Spirit's voice was a whisper. "Not much though," Dumpling felt the soles of her boots hit the gravel walkway. It was the right way to go.
The Beanery van was parked in the alley behind the bakery. The passenger side door was open, and a very small person was climbing into the back seat. Linda wasn't far behind. Her hair was pulled into a braid that fell just below her waist. A tan baseball hat covered the top of her golden hair.
"Hello, my name's Dumpling." The little person was a button-eyed girl with short black hair and skin the color of dark toast. She smiled and a pair of dimples put raisins in that cinnamon toast one in each cheek.
"She can't hear you. She's deaf." Linda said over the top of a huge wicker picnic basket. Dumpling slid the side-door open for her friend. With the basket on the floor, Linda said, "If you face her she's great at reading lips!"
"Right, okay. Let's do this again." Bending to get closer Dumpling introduced herself again. The girl smiled and started swiftly signing with her fingers. Linda translated, "My name is Shine, like the Sun."
"Well of course you are." Dumpling was in love. Turning to her friend again, "You are one surprising woman. I thought this was a picnic where I filled you in on destiny. Seems you've got some something goin' on here. Shine is?"
"Shine is my daughter. I signed the papers to adopt her this morning. It's a long story. That's why we need a picnic. Climb in."
"Dumpling, hello. Oh god, I've overslept. Can I call you back?"
"No, this won't take long. Anna, I'm calling to say I won't be taking that order for medicine pouches."
There was a long silence on the other end. Dumpling continued, "I'm not the one to do what you've asked. I don't do those kinds of things anymore. So, no need to call me back." Dumpling hung up the phone.
For too long the expectations of others diluted her real love. Stitching and cutting shapes that held meaning for her was the only reason for doing her work any more. The phone call was not her favorite sort of thing, but, it was the practice she needed and there it was. The medicine was not something to buy or shovel into a showcase, which was what Anna Shields would do with Dumpling's stitchery. The pin money had always come in handy, but now? Now the money felt more like pins sticking into her. She had no room nor desire for the bloodletting.
The smell of chicken broth and freshly chopped and simmered leeks filled the small kitchen. The old Stanley Thermos with the wide-mouth opening was Dumpling's favorite way to tote hot food. She'd filled the glass liner with hot water to temper it. It was after 6:30 and she was walking down to the Beanery to meet Linda M. Replacing the water with soup, the Thermos lid tightened Dumpling slipped the food into a long flannel lined satchel. The long handle allowed the Thermos to ride like a baby across her belly. The warmth of the Thermos was comforting. A smile filled her.
It was still a warm summer evening. An extra shirt? Dumpling grabbed her colorful storyteller's shirt and a cotton hat. Her cellphone rang. It was Anna, she let the phone go to voicemail, pulled on her boots and shut the front door behind her. "There'll be collateral damage," Spirit's voice was a whisper. "Not much though," Dumpling felt the soles of her boots hit the gravel walkway. It was the right way to go.
The Beanery van was parked in the alley behind the bakery. The passenger side door was open, and a very small person was climbing into the back seat. Linda wasn't far behind. Her hair was pulled into a braid that fell just below her waist. A tan baseball hat covered the top of her golden hair.
"Hello, my name's Dumpling." The little person was a button-eyed girl with short black hair and skin the color of dark toast. She smiled and a pair of dimples put raisins in that cinnamon toast one in each cheek.
"She can't hear you. She's deaf." Linda said over the top of a huge wicker picnic basket. Dumpling slid the side-door open for her friend. With the basket on the floor, Linda said, "If you face her she's great at reading lips!"
"Right, okay. Let's do this again." Bending to get closer Dumpling introduced herself again. The girl smiled and started swiftly signing with her fingers. Linda translated, "My name is Shine, like the Sun."
"Well of course you are." Dumpling was in love. Turning to her friend again, "You are one surprising woman. I thought this was a picnic where I filled you in on destiny. Seems you've got some something goin' on here. Shine is?"
"Shine is my daughter. I signed the papers to adopt her this morning. It's a long story. That's why we need a picnic. Climb in."
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