• Just For Today

    Caught up in her own little world, the girl spun and danced in time with the eerie music flowing from the younger girl’s black tinted flute. As she rose onto the balls of her feet, there was nothing to protect them from the hot concrete that had been slowly baking in the hot afternoon sun. As she spun faster, faster, the thin fabric from her white dress caught the wind and billowed outwards, and the gold bangles created more music as their tinkling joined the music from the flute as she raised her arms above her head.

    The girls’ performance attracted the gathering crowds in front of the market, that added to the piles of gold and silver on the piece of intricately woven fabric outstretched on the concrete below. As more people gathered in amongst the crowds, higher increments of money joined the other coins, the paper money blowing gently in the breeze, weighed down by the one and two dollar coins.

    The girls were happy. This had been the best day of the summer. This would be the day when they could go home to Mama and she would be happy too. Today would be like the older days when Alia, the older of the two sisters would cook dinner with Mama, and Amali, the younger of the sisters would sit outside on the balcony and play flute for the birds and the possums. Today wouldn’t be like the older days, because Mama was too sick to come into the kitchen and cook with Alia. Mama was too sick even to get out of bed. Mama said not to worry though, the girls still had each other.

    As the hot summer afternoon became twilight, and the sun began to disappear behind the houses and buildings, the crowds left. It didn’t matter though; the girls had more than enough money to make dinner, although Alia would have to make it by herself.

    As Amali packed up her flute, Alia grabbed the four corners of the cloth containing the money, and tied them together so it would be easy to carry. Today they would take the long way home through the gardens so they could dangle their legs in the pond. Alia knew Amali loved feeling the goldfish nibble at her toes.

    Alia knew today wouldn’t be the same as the older days, but they could pretend.

    Just for today.