The Listening Game

          It was a lovely summer day. Alexandra spent all afternoon outside. Her friend Susie came over and they played a game of croquet in Alexandra’s large grassy backyard. After that they enjoyed time playing “grown-ups” with Alexandra’s dolls on the open-air back porch that ran the width of her house. Finishing up that activity, Alexandra asked her mother for a bowl to collect mulberries.

          Susie and Alexandra went to the tree on the side yard that bordered the porch and happily plucked the plump purple gems from low hanging branches. When the bowl was half-full and the berries out of reach from the ground, they went back onto the porch to collect what they could from the limbs closest to the south side of the porch. After Mother washed their fruity snack, the girls got settled onto the red-cushioned glider on the porch, the green, plastic bowl of berries between them, and enjoyed the summery treat. They talked quietly about the birds that came to drink or bathe in Alexandra’s pale yellow, cement bird bath. Alexandra loved watching the birds and the squirrels that came into her yard.

          Just as the mulberries were almost gone, Alexandra’s sister, Linda, came up the cement steps of the porch. She had been visiting with Susie’s older sister down the street. She greeted Susie and said, “Your Mother said it was time to come home.”

          “Ok,” Susie replied getting up from the glider. “Thanks for the berries. They are so yummy,” she said wiping away some purple juice that had drooled down her chin.

          “You’re welcome,” Alexandra replied. “Thanks for coming over to play, I had a great time.”

          “Me too,” nodded Susie as she skipped down the porch steps, waving as she ran down the walk toward her house.

          Alexandra and Linda went into the house. Mother was finishing up dinner preparations.

          “Hello, girls. Did you have a good time with your friends today?” Mother asked setting out three plates on the table. Most nights of the week, it was just Mother, Alexandra and Linda for dinner. Their father worked the late shift and had either already left for work by dinnertime or was still sleeping till he needed to leave.

          “Yes,” the girls answered in unison. Mother smiled.

          “Go wash up for supper,” Mother instructed.

          Dinner tonight was roast beef, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob from the garden; and, of course, applesauce. Almost every meal was served with applesauce.  Alexandra and her family enjoyed a quiet meal together. Alexandra loved summer time because all the windows in the house and the front and back doors would be open. You could hear all the sounds from outside and smell the summer freshness blowing through the house. When everyone had had their fill, they worked together to clean up and put away the leftovers.

          Linda and Mother spent the evening watching some television and reading. Alexandra went back onto the porch to sit on the glider. She watched as the birds came and splashed about in the bird bath water. She noted that so many came to bathe today, they would need to refill the bird bath tomorrow. Two squirrels chased each other across the lawn and up into the branches of the mulberry tree. Looking toward the neighbor’s house, she saw one of their cats jump onto the small shelf outside their glass-enclosed porch and go through the little “cat door” into the house. Before long Mother came to the back door.

          Standing there, holding the screen door open, she said, “Time to get ready for bed.” Alexandra sighed. She didn’t want to come in yet because the fireflies were just starting to come out. Rising from the glider and staring out at the yard she watched as the air started to fill with bits of flashing light. She asked hopefully,  “Could I catch fireflies tomorrow night?”

          Knowing how much her daughter enjoyed that activity, Mother replied, “Yes, we’ll all come out and catch them. How about that?” Smiling broadly Alexandra clapped her hands and hugged her mother. She quickly went through her nighttime routine, donned her pj’s and climbed into bed. Mother came in and sat on the side of her bed.

          “What would you like me to sing tonight?” Mother asked patting her daughter’s hand lovingly.

          Alexandra thought a moment, reviewing several of her favorites in her head. Finally she requested, “Funny Little Fellow.” Mother smiled and began quietly singing the familiar song. She sang a couple more songs then placed a kiss on her daughter’s forehead and wished her a good night’s sleep.

          Alone now, Alexandra stared out her window. It looked over the backyard. She couldn’t see the whole yard from her bed because of the porch roof, but she could see the bird bath and the garden. The water in the bird bath was still; the birds now snuggled in nests for the night.

         Alexandra was just nodding off when a train rumbled by.  Their house was just a block or two from an active rail line. The swooshing, clackety-clack sound awoke her. She listened as the train rolled by, then tried to see how long she could hear it as it traveled down the track and away from her. She tossed and turned for a while but couldn’t get back to sleep. She got up and walked down the short hallway past the big antique wooden radio to her mother’s bedroom. She found her sitting up reading by the light of a small bedside lamp. Alexandra poked her head in the doorway. Mother saw her and smiled. “Train wake you up?” she asked. Alexandra nodded. Mother patted the bed next to her and Alexandra climbed up into the big bed to sit next to her mother. Mother put her book on the nightstand and turned off the light.

          Her mother’s bedroom windows faced the side of the house parallel to the train track. You could see a really long distance in that direction. The airport was out that way and on a clear night, like tonight, you could make out planes landing and taking off. It was a small airport, so Alexandra was always excited when she was able to spot a plane. There was something so calming about sitting there in the dark next to her mother, looking out the windows.

They sat quietly for a while, then Alexandra asked, “Can we play the Listening Game?”

          “Sure,” agreed Mother.

          Alexandra loved this game. They would sit very quietly and listen for any sound they could coming in through the windows or within the house. The first person to get to 10 sounds stopped the game. Then they compared their lists. If each person heard the same sound, that sound was eliminated. The winner was the one with the greatest number of unique sounds. Alexandra and Mother played three rounds of the Listening Game. Mother won the first one but Alexandra won the other two. By the third game, Alexandra was yawning big, sleepy yawns.

          “I think it’s time to get back to bed,” Mother soothed brushing fine, blond hair off her daughter’s forehead. Alexandra nodded her agreement continuing to yawn. Mother walked her to her room and tucked her back into bed. Alexandra turned on her side and looked out the window. The sky was so clear; not a cloud to be seen. Due to a new moon, starlight filled the heavens. Alexandra tried to spot the Big Dipper. Suddenly a light streaked through the sky. “A wishing star,” she murmured to herself. Silently she made her wish, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.