"There is no pain so great as the memory of joy in present grief."
— Aeschylus
Cambridge, Massachusetts , 1990
Sunlight spilled through the glass window like golden dust, dancing in the air and covering every corner of the little pink bedroom in a warm, sparkling glow. Marlene's doll-like ringlets shone auburn in the golden light, springing every time she went to refill her guests' teacups.
"Do you want a cookie, Mr. Woof?" she asked a stuffed Dalmatian smartly dressed in a suit, a pair of glasses resting on his snout. Marlene had nicked them from her father's room and so far, he hadn't noticed. She found they suited Mr. Woof much better, anyway.
"Here's a chocolate chip for you, your favourite," she put the cookie on the plastic plate in front of him, smiling a toothless smile. The little girl then turned to a porcelain doll, "More tea, lady Scarlett?" Daddy said it'd been her grandmother's, which Marley supposed was true — it was old and a little scary, her periwinkle dress slightly rugged. She picked up a small teapot and tipped it over a toy cup, pretending to fill it with the hot, herbal drink, "There you go, my lady! What about you, sir Indiana —," a gasp tore from Marlene's lips as a bird smacked right into the window, hitting the glass with a loud, dull thud.
Hazel eyes cartoonishly wide with horror, Marlene shot from her little chair and stormed out of the bedroom, "Daddy, daddy!" she yelled, running down the stairs. Her father was very strict about doing that, but Marlene knew he wouldn't get mad. After all, it was an emergency.
Arthur appeared from the living room, "Marlene?" he called back, alarmed, "Marlene — no, don't run down the stairs. Marlene!" he admonished, significantly less worried at seeing his daughter perfectly wild. Her chestnut hair was all over the place as she charged down, skipping the last stair and landing on the soft carpet. It was beautiful and super old, like everything in their house. And like everything in their house, Marlene wasn't supposed to play with it. Or jump on it, "Hey — slow down, little heathen," Arthur caught her by the arm, "Now explain what happened."
"Can't, daddy! There's a little bird, and it crashed into the window and there was a BOOM! And — and it fell down, and now we have to see if it's okay!" Marley grabbed a confused Arthur by his hand "Come on, we need to hurry!"
She dragged him out into the backyard, which was a feat to be marvelled at for a girl of merely five — but then again, Marlene was a stubborn little thing. When they finally approached the area below her window, she dropped Arthur's hands and rushed to the place where the bird would've likely fallen, "There it is, daddy!" Marley exclaimed, spotting a speck of white in the sea of green.
