The Escape

My bedroom as a child was in the back corner of the house.  Quiet.  Hours were spent in my room with hand-me-down books, mostly Golden Books.  Among my favorite was one with a bandaid stuck inside the cover.  The main character, a young boy jammed his finger on the trigger of his gun and then fixed it, blood and all with a bandaid.  I learned that I could be self-reliant and use the bandaid inside the book just in case.  

Hours were spent reading and re-reading about the importance of keeping promises in the classic,"The Princess and the Frog."  It had soft sweet illustrations perhaps in chalk and watercolor. The princess was depicted in this version with flowing auburn hair and painted nails.  Her father as handsome as mine had a gentle, yet stern demeanor when it came to promises, just like my father. These volumes provided both escape and life lessons.


Yesterday three new books were delivered to my door.  I slit open the cardboard box and the books slid onto the counter.  I picked each up, one my one, noting the rough paper covers and the weight of individual volumes.  Presently, I am reading two other books; the new arrivals must wait their turn. The stack of books at my bedside is growing.  In a few minutes, I am rushing home from work to read before I have to make supper.  I will find my favorite space; the back corner of the house, where it is quiet and I will escape.