[This is my entry for Kalon #1053]
[I hope you don't mind that I made a separate thread - I didn't want to clutter the thread with the writing bit tbh]
[I hope you don't mind that I made a separate thread - I didn't want to clutter the thread with the writing bit tbh]
Madeline Mabel
Her Shine...
"What do you think it means?"
Explanation: Part 1
There was once a large family of Kalons residing in the North of New York in a rural zone. This family occupied a mansion on a single, far-stretching property for generations. On this property was a defining landmark – a large oak tree which grew next to the mansion. The children of the family over the course of their time there enjoyed climbing the tree, hanging ropes from it and reading beneath its shade.
One year, a man in the family who stood at the head of the business that kept them on this property decided to rework the company's image. He incorporated the oak tree of which he himself held dear into the company image and logo. This move was fairly successful in a number of ways, and his family supported him entirely.
As the family and their business grew over time, so did their connection with the property. Over the course of the generations in which the family resided on the land, it became continuously more special to them.... there was also a feeling among the family members that the property meant good luck to them in a sense, being that they were fortunate in many ways since the choice was made to purchase the property. Happiness, wealth and good health blessed the family, and they were very content with the way things were, never with the thought to ask for more.
A day came that a woman in the family was preparing to birth her first child. She was told at one point that it was unlikely she'd be able to carry a child, so this was a grand surprise. Her husband and parents were overwhelmed with joy, and did their best to support her in her carrying of the child.
When the day came for the woman's child to enter the world, all of her close family members were nothing but excited. This child would be the heir to the business that kept the family afloat, and the image of the next generation. As the woman laid in the hospital, a thunder storm raged outside....but she couldn't care less about that at this moment.
..
The woman held her daughter for the first time. “Madeline”, she said. She wished for her daughter to be named Madeline, after her dear grandmother who she felt reminded of in that moment – as her child had the same eyes, and the same look of her tail.
Though, Madeline had what appeared to be a very odd shine. Her shine was a bright, light blue in color, and crossed over her tail like the branches on their property's oak tree. In fact, after observing the shape of the shine, Madeline's parents could tell that it exactly resembled a particular part of the tree. Though, the extremely bright glare of the light blue against her dark brown fur gave Madeline's parents an odd, uncomfortable feeling.
However, they shook it off quickly. What really mattered was that their child had entered this world healthily, and the family was all together and happy.
The storm died down, and a few drops of rain dripped audibly from the leaves of the nearby trees to the pavement outside. Madeline and her parents remained at the hospital much longer than the others, as they needed to follow the general procedure involving the introduction of a new child as handled by the general hospital, and Madeline's mother needed time to recover from her delivery. When the time finally came that they were prepared to leave for home, the proud parents were ready to take on caring for their first child... at least as much as they could be at that point in time.
..
Upon arriving back at home, Madeline's older but still very young cousin ran to the new parents crying. “The tree!” He yelled. The parents were confused, and asked him to explain. After he was able to stop crying, he explained as best he could.
Apparently, when Madeline's parents were away from home and the thunder storm had raged, a bolt of bright lightning hit the oak tree and split it. It still stood, but if not removed it could very easily fully split and fall into their home. Despite their love for the tree, the family knew that the best course of action would be to have it reduced to a stump... and so, they requested a service to have the tree removed.
The new parents found it very odd, though – considering the day of their daughter's birth the tree would be struck, and for their daughter's shine to so strongly resemble it. They figured it was an odd coincidence, but something did still seem odd to them. As the mother held her daughter and looked down to her, Madeline remained peacefully silent and cuddled up against her mother's body.
Madeline was asleep, and she seemed to smile. Her mother smiled at her as well, and whispered to her husband, “It'll be okay.”
He nodded, and grinned back at them. Even without the family's tree, they could be happy together. They were sure of it.
It was only a tree, after all.
