Experience Needle-Time
Needle-Time is a fictional piece written to bring to life the magic that surrounds the love of carrying on the tradition of the needlearts from generation to generation. Join me for a new story each issue that will reflect the strong bond formed between Aunt Lilly and Molly through their special needle-time.
Last issue Molly and Aunt Lilly realized the importance of sharing their love for reading. Join us this issue as Molly learns a very hard lesson.
Doing the Right Thing!
Molly loved to learn new things. She was a tiny little sponge who soaked up everything that came her way. She was the star pupil, girl scout, teacher’s helper, volunteer, and stitcher. All her successes created a strong, quiet confidence in her that mirrored that of a wise adult. This is why Aunt Lilly was completely confused and rightly disappointed when she learned that Molly had refused to go to school that whole week.
“I can’t get through to her.” Molly’s mother said.
“Let me try. Can you send her over to my house?” Aunt Lilly asked her sister.
Within an hour, her sister’s car pulled up to her house, without Molly. She edged out the door and saw the anguish on her sister’s face. “She won’t get out of bed. I tried to pull her and she wouldn’t budge. She’s buried under her covers.”
Aunt Lilly climbed into the car and drove to her sister’s house. Her sister had no idea what could have started Molly’s strange behavior. “All week, Lilly. She’s been in that room all week.”
When they arrived at the house, Aunt Lilly barged straight into Molly’s room only to find a big heap of blankets on the bed. She turned to her sister who only shrugged and said, “Good luck”, before walking away.
Aunt Lilly moved slowly to the bed. “Molly, it’s me.”
No budge.
“Molly?” Aunt Lilly sat on the edge of the bed and curled the covers back. “Are you okay?”
Molly shook her head back and forth, keeping her face buried in the pillow below her.
“I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me.” She peeled the mass of curly hair away from Molly’s face.
“There’s nothing you can do.”
“About what?”
“About them.”
“Whose them?” Aunt Lilly asked.
“The mean girls.”
Aunt Lilly remembers ‘the mean girls’ from her middle school days. “What did they say to you?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Aunt Lilly rolled Molly over. Fresh tears streamed down her face. “What did they say to you?”
“I messed up, Aunt Lilly.”
“So? Everyone messes up.”
Molly sat up and hugged her knees to her chest. “I can’t ever face them again.”
“I’m sure whatever you did isn’t so bad that you can’t ever go back to school.”
“I made them flunk their math exams.”
“That’s crazy. How could you make them flunk?”
“I made them flunk and now they said they’re going to beat me up.”
“How is it your fault?”
Molly swung her legs over the side of her bed and scooted up next to her. “Promise me you won’t tell my mom?”
“You know I can’t promise you that.”
Molly stared straight ahead.
“Hey,” Aunt Lilly said. “I can promise that I will help you solve this.”
Molly studied her face, staring into her eyes probably searching for some truth. “They bully me. They make me show my test to them so they can see my answers. They copy them and get hundreds just like me.”
Molly’s chin quivered. The only thing she could think to do in that moment was put her arm around her niece and hold her close. “You were scared.”
Molly sobbed into her arms for a few minutes.
“What happened this time around?” Aunt Lilly asked once she quieted.
“When I told my teacher two weeks ago, she told me I shouldn’t lie. I was mad, Aunt Lilly. I wanted her to see how bad they really were. So, I showed them all the wrong answers on our last test. They all got zeros and I still got a hundred.”
“What did the bullies say to you?”
“That I better never come back to school.”
Aunt Lilly stood up and patted her niece on the back. “This will be taken care of. I promise you. But, can you promise me something, too?”
“Okay.”
“Promise me you’ll never keep this kind of thing from your mother again.”
Molly nodded. “I was just scared she wouldn’t believe me like my teacher.”
“You did the right thing by telling your teacher. But, if she ever doesn’t believe you again, I want you to go straight to your mother. Promise me.”
“I promise.”
“We can’t help you unless you tell us what’s going on.”
“Was I wrong Aunt Lilly?”
She would’ve done the same thing. But, she held Molly to higher standards. “You could have handled it differently. You should trust your mom.”
“I was just scared."
"Of course you were. But you're a smart girl and now you know better."
I wish I wasn’t so smart.”
“Now, that was wrong.”
Molly smirked, then stood up and took her hand. “Come on. Let’s go tell mom.”
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