Story "Butterfly" for contest

Here is a story for a contest that is in my swap group on Ravelry. A debate developed about what one of the person's ravatar's was.

Here is a picture of the ravatar.

Here is the story entitled "Butterfly" that I wrote for the contest. First draft and all, so it needs revision, I know, but it will do for now.

The little girl pressed her nose to the aquarium. Her teacher had unveiled the objects inside of the glass aquarium that morning. Inside were two fuzzy caterpillars munching on leaves. The teacher had told the third grade class that these caterpillars would turn into beautiful butterflies, Angie watched the caterpillars inside their cage and wondered how long it would take them to turn into butterflies.
It was Angie’s first year at this elementary school. Her mom and dad had moved to find a better job, and her brother Sam had adjusted well. Everyone had worried that Sam would take the move the hardest because he was going into the 7th grade. But Sam had discovered sports, making friends easily as sliding into home base, which he did regularly, for him.
But Angie hadn’t adjusted. The other girls had known each other in this small town since they were in pre-school and Angie just didn’t fit in. At first she had worn the brightly colored clothes that her mother had bought for her when they moved. Gradually she stopped wearing anything but brown and black. She kept to herself on the playground, and with the exception of Mary, the only other girl from her neighborhood, she talked to no one. Mary was nice, and they often walked home together, but Angie just didn’t feel like playing. She remembered her friends from her old town, and cried every night for them.
Angie looked again at the caterpillars as the bell rang. It was time to go home for the weekend and Mary was waiting at the door for her. Silently she touched the aquarium, and went to join Mary at the door. Mary tried her best to cheer Angie up.
“I’m having a birthday party next month and I want you to come.” “Everyone from the class is invited, and I want you to be there, I think you’re my best friend now.”
“Okay, I’ll come, I guess.”
“Good, I’m having Chocolate cake with pink icing.”
The girls got to Mary’s house. “Do you want to come in?”
“No thank you, I have to get home.” Angie noticed Mary’s face fall. “My grandma is coming for a visit tonight, and I have to do chores. I’m sorry.”
Mary’s face brightened and she reached out and hugged Angie. Angie jumped back. Her friends used to hug her where she lived, but it had been a long time.
“Oh sorry to startle you, take care.” “See you Monday.” And Mary was up the steps into the house. Angie trudged on alone. When Angie got home her mother was already back from her job at the high school.
“Come on in dear. We’ve got a lot to do before grandma gets here.”
Angie came in slid her book bag onto the floor in the front closet and joined her mother. “I’ll pick up, and you dust and sweep. Then I’ll mop.” Angie took the rag her mother offered and began to dust the living room. Good smells came from the kitchen. Smells of roast beef, carrots, potatoes, and apple pie came drifting in. Angie thought about a snack but decided against it. All of the girls at school were very thin. Angie wasn’t heavy, but she was taller than the other girls, so she felt different, and fat.
Soon she and her mother were done with the housework, and her mom told her it was time to go get grandma from the airport. Dad had picked up Sam and was at a baseball game. They would join them at home after the game.
Angie's grandma was waiting at the baggage claim with her luggage when they got there. She was startled to see how thin and bedraggled her grand daughter looked. This was a stark contrast to the little girl who used to run to her house every day after school. Angie’s mom had told her Angie was having a hard time, but she hadn’t expected this. She walked over and took the little girl in her arms and embraced her tightly. She thought she could have lifted Angie she was so light. She hadn’t lifted her since she was three.
Angie’s mom and grandma got the bags, and they all got into the car. Angie’s mom talked about Sam’s games, her job, and how she liked her job as the librarian at the school. She talked about how well her husband Mark was doing, and how he loved his new job. Angie hung her head lower as the trip wore on. Grandma noticed but said nothing.
Soon they were back at the house. Sam and dad were already there. “Hey bug.” Sam called to Angie. “Want to throw the baseball?” Sam had taken to calling her bug since she’d started wearing brown and black clothes. “No, I just want to be with grandma.”
Angie and grandma took Grandma’s things to Angie’s room. I have something for you and Sam dear, let me get it. Grandma had brought Sam a new baseball, and Angie a knitted lace shawl. Angie ran her fingers over the pretty blue yarn. It was the most beautiful thing she had seen. She picked it up and tried it on. “Now when you get lonely for me dear, just wrap your shawl around you like a cocoon.” Angie wrapped herself tighter and she could feel all the love that went into the making of the shawl.
After dinner, grandmother went up to the room and came down with a bag. Angie recognized the bag at once. It held grandma’s knitting and crocheting projects. Angie sat beside grandma on the couch as her grandmother took out another shawl and began knitting. “I’m making this one for your cousin, Alice.” “I thought you both could wear them when you come to visit me this summer.” Angie’s eyes lit up. She loved Alice who was her age, and she hadn’t seen her since last summer. “I’ve already got you girls two tickets to come spend two weeks with me this summer. Just you.” “Last year Sam and Jess had come too, and pestered the girls terribly. “Sam and Jess will come another time.”
Angie smiled the first smile she had smiled that day, and reached out and touched the yarn.” Thank you grandma.” Alice’s shawl was pink to her blue.
“Do you have friends here dear?” grandma asked.
“Mmmm kind of, one girl, Mary, she lives the next street over.” “I am just getting to know her really. She has a birthday party at the end of next month though, and I’m going.” Angie surprised herself. She hadn’t really thought she would go, even though she had said she would, until that minute.
“Oh that’s very good, have you given any thought to what you are going to get her for her birthday?” asked grandma.
Angie hadn’t thought of that, of course she would need a present. “I don’t know.”
"Well what if I teach you to knit a scarf? Do you think your friend would like that?”
Angie brightened. “Could you do that? Could you teach me to knit?”
“Sure, it’s time you learned. I taught your mother about this age?”
“Really?” Angie didn’t know her mother could knit.
“Yes, she doesn’t do it much anymore, she doesn’t have a lot of extra free time, but she does know how. She even knit herself a sweater when she was a teenager. It won first prize at the county fair.”
Wow, Angie thought, there was a lot more to her mother than she knew.
Grandma took out some needles and some soft red yarn. “Here dear, I know there is enough on this ball to make a scarf.” “Now to start you must cast on.”
It took Angie a bit of practice, but eventually she learned to cast on the stitches for her scarf. She was doing pretty well at knitting too. She was much slower than grandmother, but she was doing well. Grandma and Angie knitted in silence for a bit. “You know honey, if you ever want to talk to me, you can call me. I have a cell phone now, and your mama has the number. You can reach me anytime, anywhere. I’ll always be there for you. I’ll love you no matter what.”
Angie had tears in her eyes and was about to tell her grandma all about the girls at school when her mom, dad, and Sam walked in. “Dishes are all in the washer.” Said dad. “Garden’s watered.” Mom said. “Trash is taken out, and dog’s walked.” Sam rolled his eyes.
“What you doing bug?” Sam looked at the scarf Angie had started. “Knitting, she proudly replied.” Her mom looked closer, “That’s really good Angie, I wasn’t that good when I started.” Dad looked at mom, “You knit?” “I used to, but I haven’t in a while.”
“She got a prize at the county fair for her sweater when she was a teenager.” Grandma interjected.
“I had forgotten that.” Said Angie’s mom. “Whatever happened to that sweater?” “Well one day grandpa did laundry, and since it was wool…” Everyone laughed including Angie. She remembered her dad trying to do laundry once and shrinking her wool skirt.
“Mom, do you have any extra needles and yarn?” Carol, Angie’s mom asked. “Sure do. Some extra yarn too.” Carol took the needles and yarn her mom handed her and expertly cast on stitches. The ladies knitted, the men talked, and Angie couldn’t remember when she had a better time with her family. Soon it was time for bed.
“Mom we have a yarn store here in town. How about we take butterfly here, and go on an outing tomorrow?
“Sounds good.” Grandma replied. Angie was excited and smiling happily.
She and grandma headed for bed at the same time. Grandma said her prayers with Angie, then held her close for a minute.” “I don’t know about bug for a nickname, but I kind of like butterfly.” “Me too.” Angie replied.
“Night butterfly.” Grandma tucked her in. “Night Grammy.”
The next morning after breakfast Sam and dad headed to baseball practice, and the ladies headed to the local yarn store. Angie was amazed by all of the pretty colors and textures of the yarn. The yarn store lady was nice too. Angie was interested in the merino yarn, and really wanted some, but figured she better finish her project first. Angie’s grandma bought several skeins of silk yarn that she had been looking for. Carol bought several skeins of yarn, some needles, and a pattern book.
Sat. night, and all day Sunday after church, the ladies knitted. Angie’s scarf was coming along slowly, and she hoped she would have it done in time for Mary’s party at the end of next month. Angie’s mom and Grandmother knitted very quickly.
On Monday Mary and Angie walked to school. Angie had worn her sky blue top today with her black skirt. “That’s a pretty top Mary. I don’t remember you wearing it before.” “I did at the first of the year” Angie replied.
At school the caterpillars were just sitting on the sticks that were in the aquarium. The teacher told the class that she thought they were getting ready to spin a cocoon. She explained that they must go into a cocoon before they hatched. By the end of the day both caterpillars were covered with white cocoons. Mary was sad, she had loved watching them walk around and eat. Slowly she went home with Mary. “How long is your grandma staying?” Mary asked. “She left this afternoon while I was at school.” “She had to get back home.” Angie was sad.
Angie’s mom met her at the door again. “Grandma left this afternoon, but she left you this honey.” It was two balls of the soft turquoise merino yarn that Angie had wanted. The note attached said, “For when you get your scarf done. Love, Grandma.” Angie carefully picked up the yarn, and took it to her drawer upstairs where she was keeping her knitting project. She gathered the shawl around her and sniffed. The smell of her grandmother, and her grandmother’s perfume, comforted her. She cocooned herself in the shawl. She took out her knitting and began to knit. Somehow she felt a bit better.
Several weeks passed at school and still the caterpillars were in their cocoons. Angie’s shawl for Mary was getting longer and the ball of yarn was getting shorter. She was wearing her blue blouse occasionally and sometimes even her red skirt once in a while. Mary and she were becoming best friends. Mary and she had even been to each other’s houses after school. She showed Mary her shawl, but not the scarf that was almost done. Angie’s mom helped her taught her to bind it off just in time for the party.
The last week of school was the week of Mary’s party. Angie and Mary both watched the caterpillars’ cocoons every day. On Tuesday the cocoons began to shake and the whole class gathered round, as the butterflies emerged, beautiful and radiant in color. The teacher took the class outside and freed the butterflies into the air. Angie smiled as the butterflies took flight.
Angie had on her favorite pink dress that day. All of the girls at school noticed, and even asked her and Mary to play at recess.
On Friday all of the girls gathered at Mary’s house after school for her party. They were all dressed in their finest and soon it was time to open presents. Angie was worried as Mary opened all of her presents. Would the hand knit scarf be enough? Angie’s package was the last one that Mary opened. She squealed with delight at she touched the soft yarn. “Oh this is so pretty Angie, did your grandma knit it?” “No I did." Angie proudly announced.” “Wow,” said Sophia, “That’s really pretty, Could you make me one, in blue?” “All the girls wanted a scarf too.” “I’ll tell you what.” Angie said. “I’ll ask my mom if you all can come over, and her and I can teach you to knit.”
Angie’s mom was glad to teach the girls to knit. She herself knitted a sweater for Angie, and eventually one for everyone in the family. Angie's knitting group met every Sunday afternoon at Angie’s house for ten years, even when Angie went to her grandmother’s house that summer.
After the girls graduated they went to college got jobs, and had families of their own. In order to stay in touch, they joined a group called Ravelry, online. Angie’s identifier-her Ravatar-was an eye with a butterfly at the edge. Some people in her swap group thought it was a caterpillar and a butterfly, some thought it was an elephant’s trunk and butterfly. But Angie knew better. It was her looking at the butterfly that had changed from the caterpillar, just as she had so many years ago.

Comments

[Angela (aka mkvral)]

That was absolutely awesome!

[Donna]

Thanks Angela,
I'm so glad you liked it!

See you on Ravelry.

[Cindy (CinLove)]

Very sweet story. I enjoyed how you spun the whole thing together.

[susangalique]

I have some catching up to do!

awesome

[susangalique]

hey girl! how the hell are ya!