Rebecca held her hand towards the light and examined the splashes of colour that stained the pink flesh of her palm and stubby fingers. An idea ticked over in her mind and thoughts spun around behind the deep green of her eyes.
“Why do people say they don’t melt in your hands?” she seemed puzzled by the idea that although the adverts had told her young mind that in fact, M & M’s ‘melt in your mouth, not in your hands’ vibrant colours painted a temporary mural of childhood games and pretend across the same palm Jessica had read only days before.
“because your not supposed to play with them long enough for the colour to run” Mathew laughed, smacking her playfully on the back of head as he passed. A strand of copper hair caught in the strap of his watch and was tugged free of Rebecca’s four year old head.
“Ouch” she whinged, leaping at Mathew’s legs as he slipped out the back door of the multi level apartment complex. Her tiny hands clamp around thin air and she tumbled to the ground, watching on her tummy as her older brother mounted his bike and rode off towards the picturesque sloping hills that surrounded the small township of Huntersville, nestled safely in the belly of a valley.
“Come on sprocket” Jessica smiled scooping Rebecca into her arms and lifting her onto her shoulders. Rebecca filled her hands with Jessica’s soft pink shirt and giggled as she bounced on her auntie’s shoulders through the house, ducking to miss the heavy doorframes.
Rebecca watched from her vantage point as Jessica gathered together the essentials for leaving the house. Wallet. Keys. Gum.
“Are we going somewhere Jessica?” Rebecca asked excitedly, outings with her aunty were so different from the ones she took with Mum and Dad. Jessica nodded in reply as she stuffed her possessions into her pockets and insured the stove was turned off.
They left the house in excited silence, placing the key under the third cobble stone and leaving the large building, a shadow behind them. Rebecca became admitted and fussed as the pair made their way down the main road and Jessica sighed, letting the child scramble down and walk at her side.
Rebecca constantly stopped, fingering smooth pebbles that lay, stranded on the footpath and testing the depth of roadside puddles. Jessica watched, amazed that the child could find so much fascinating in such bland surroundings.
“Rebecca. How about we go on a little adventure.” Jessica suggested, taking the child’s hand in hers to prevent any more time consuming discoveries. Rebecca looked up at her, mouth half open to expose a set of tiny white teeth.
“Ill take that as a yes. Becca, where do you think milk comes from?” Rebecca thought for a moment, licking her lips as memories of warm milk before bedtime slid from the crowed vaults of her memory.
“The fridge” She replied, her voice flooded with confidence. Somehow she knew her answer was lacking what her Aunty expected yet this only excited her as to what she would learn. The one thing constant in her life with Jessica was education.
“Before it reaches the fridge Milk comes from a cow.” Jessica corrected, as they reached the bus stop. Rebecca was aware this was how all adventures began, with a bus trip. She settled herself on the hard wooden seat and waited for her aunty to do the same beside her.
“ It goes through a lot of processing once it comes from that cow and then it’s shipped to the supermarket. Where I buy it and bring it home to live in the fridge until you drink it all.” Jessica explained, patting Rebecca’s stomach as if it was filled with a never ending supply of delicious milk.
Rebecca nodded, slightly unsure of what she was processing. Learning was difficult at the best of times and digesting something that proved wrong what you already believed was a battle that raged in your mind until you were certain as to the correct answer.
“I’m going to take you to the supermarket” Jessica laughed. With this Rebecca’s heart sunk slightly, images of powerful beasts had filled her head, cows forever chewing green grass, to turn out white milk. Never the less she was excited about leaving the house and exploring this new town.
The bus pulled into the stop and a handful of people stumbled off. Rebecca recognised not one of the adult faces but smiled up at them as Jessica greeted them.
“Yes this is her” Jessica nodded, smiling with understanding as people talked of heartache and how unfair death was. These terms Rebecca didn’t yet understand but she understood the pain and pernancy associated.
After the stream of people had disbanded and headed home, some with heavy bags or small children trailing behind Jessica and Rebecca boarded the bus and Rebecca felt a rush of anticipation flow from her toes through to the roots of her hair.
They settled in Rebecca’s favourite seat, positioned at the front of the bus, watching the town centre approach, Rebecca gripped Jessica’s arm as she waited, legs swinging, for the supermarket to come into view. If it wasn’t for her age and the new surroundings that had been affecting her sleep Rebecca may not have fallen asleep as they rounded the corner and the bus pulled to a stop outside the large sprawling supermarket.
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