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The CBB -> Ste Therese's House

#1: If Only... (short and complete) Author: Squirrel, Location: St-Andrews or Dunfermline

Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 10:24 pm
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I'm not quite sure where to put this, but have pitched on here this time. It came from some experiences I had on a bus today, and a little bit of thinking!
I sat on the bus next to Cecil and her mother, watching the scenery go by. Cecil was on her Mama’s lap, and could also see what was happening. Suddenly we stopped, and after a moment Cecil laughed – “the car, its wheels got bigger!” Half flinching, I thought back to a similar experience with my own mother, where I was told “don’t talk nonsense, it’s just the bus driver letting the bus down a bit so that mothers with small children can get on easily. Cars need people in them and their engines on to move, Parked car’s sit still!”

But Mrs Maynard didn’t. She shot a swift glance at me, and then responded to her daughter “yes it did, didn’t it. If you watch carefully, just before we drive off, we might just see them going back down again!”

Slowly Cecil watched, noticing the people getting on, and the luggage they were carrying while she continued to look out the window. When the bus moved on, the tires of the car did indeed change size again. Cecil paused for a minute, before turning to her Mother. “Cars need people to work, don’t they?” she asked quietly. Her mother agreed, just waiting for what was coming next. “Was it the bus that changed height then Mama?”

Mrs Maynard smiled at her. “yes, it was. It’s to make it easier for people who are that bit older, or who have heavy bags, or small children, like you and Greta climb on to the bus. I think it’s far more fun to think of the car moving up and down on its own though, don’t you?”

Cecil nodded her head, and Mrs Maynard then turned to me and asked me if I would like to join her and Cecil in keeping watch for the ‘special moving cars’, and slowly I did. By the end of that trip though, I really wished that my Mum was more like Mrs Maynard. I was sure that *she* wouldn’t keep me up really late, give me rows for getting tired and upset, and not let me go to sleep because she didn’t want to have the fag of carrying me!

#2: Author: Elder in Ontario, Location: Ontario, Canada

Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 10:42 pm
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That was so sweet, Squirrel - I can just see Cecil's wonder as she realised that it was the bus whose level was changing, not the car she was looking at!

Thank you.

#3: Author: leahbelle, Location: Kilmarnock

Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 11:00 pm
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That was lovely! Thanks, Squirrel.

#4: Author: Tara, Location: Malvern, Worcestershire

Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 11:21 pm
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Such a nice Jo - and how truly educative!.

Thanks, Squirrel.

#5: Author: Cath V-P, Location: Newcastle NSW

Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 1:04 am
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That was such a delightful vignette squirrel. Thank you!

#6: Author: MaryR, Location: Cheshire

Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 11:00 am
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Cecil's questions and comments were spot-on, weren't they? And yet how often we cold-shoulder children's ideas, even when they give us something fresh and new to consider.

And the narrator's last sentence was so poignant and wistful.

Thanks, Squirrel

#7: Author: Mrs Redboots, Location: London, UK

Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 2:40 pm
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Thank you, Squirrel. A lovely bit of mother-daughter interaction.

The CBB -> Ste Therese's House

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