A Short Tail

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Sunshine was streaming through the window as Maggie opened her eyes to the new day. Once more, things started to stream through her mind making it hard to stop and just be quiet. Not a day went by that she didn’t have characters of stories trying to get her attention inside her mind. But then, Maggie was a storyteller. In fact, she knew that she was born to tell stories. But this morning, she didn’t want all that running around in her mind because this day was different. She had to prepare for a new job and she needed to focus on that. Actually, Maggie was desperate to focus on that job that was needed so much. The rent was about due and the electricity was going to be shut off in a couple of weeks.

With a huge sigh, Maggie threw off the covers and wobbled into the bathroom. In a few minutes, she was back out getting into the jeans and t-shirt to wear for work. It’s not much of a job, she thought, but it’s a paycheck and the Lord knows I do need one fast.

With another sigh, she headed to the kitchen to grab a bite that she could cram into her mouth while heading out the door to the bus stop. Just as she got to the corner, the bus began to drive away.

“Hey, please stop!! I have to get on that bus! PLEASE STOP!” she shouted at the top of her lungs. The bus driver didn’t hear her so Maggie whistled like she had never done before. Brake lights came on and the bus slowed down. Running as hard as she could, she got to the bus just as it stopped once more.

“Oh thank you so much for stopping!”

The driver, looking incredibly bored, told her he didn’t care one way or the other. It was just another fare to him. Maggie looked strangely at him and sat right behind the driver’s seat. Since she had a few miles to go, maybe a nice little story would be good for him. So, Maggie started to tell him a tall tale about a bus driver who solved mysteries in his spare time. By the time her stop came up, the driver wanted to hear more. But Maggie told him that she would have to see him again tomorrow.

At her job, she met some very nice people. Others were just not interested in someone new that might not stay more than a few days. During the lunch hour, Maggie introduced herself by telling a story about three people on a life raft that had the courage to go downstream to the waterfall despite the warnings that were given them. They survived. As she finished the story, the people in the lunch room cheered for the victors and the tense story.

For months, Maggie had the same weekday routine; going to work on the bus, telling stories on the bus both ways and telling her stories at work as well. Her family heard her stories on the weekends when she went home to see her parents and sisters. All was well with Maggie and her life was just as she wanted it. Well, not exactly.

What Maggie loved about her life was that she could make friends pretty fast with her stories. But the thing she did not like was that everyone, including her family, only loved her for her stories, not for herself. She was sure that they wanted nothing to do with her if she could not tell stories. So, she wished that she didn’t have to tell the stories anymore. Not one. Actually, Maggie could not imagine life without her stories.

Sunshine was streaming through the window as Maggie opened her eyes to the new day. Another new day with more stories to tell. As she got up from the bed, it occurred to her that nothing was running through her mind except getting ready for work. Nothing. No characters, no stories! It was awesome! She was FREE! She got ready in record time and headed out the door to the bus stop.

Marvin’s bus was right on time and, for once, so was she. “Hey Marvin!” As the driver greeted her with his now usual friendly smile, she sat down in her customary place right behind him.

“So, what is Curtis up to now? Maggie, ya gotta tell me what the guy did and how the story ended before I pop! I waited for you to tell me about this all weekend. So give!”, Marvin pleaded with her. A blush started to rise on her face. Not a word came out of her mouth. Maggie sat there with a horrified look on her face. Then she dropped her head down.

“Oh no!”, she muttered to herself. A tear trickled down her face and dropped into her lap. “What have I done?”

Marvin looked at her, perplexed at her lack of interest in telling the end of the story she had started last week. When he noticed the tear, he tried to find out if she was sick. But Maggie would not look at him. Because the rest of the passengers had to get to work too, he drove the bus onto the route. Maggie did not raise her head until her stop came up. She quickly ran off the bus without looking back. Marvin shook his head sadly having missed the story he’d been anticipating for days.

Her entrance into work was noticed by everyone. They hollered good morning to her as she made her way to her locker. Most of the day, Maggie kept her head down even though people tried to talk to her. Ignoring the usual crowd at her regular table, she got her lunch and went outside to sit alone in the shade under a tree. Her friend, Beth sat down beside her, worried that something was very wrong. Maggie could not bring up the words to tell Beth what was really wrong. In fact, she could not talk at all except to say one and two words at a time.

Beth suggested that Maggie needed to see the nurse at the company office but she turned that down knowing what the problem really was. People still wanted to hear her stories though. They bugged her for at least one to tide them over until she felt better. They understood that it would be a while. They were willing to wait then.

Each day went by like that, no stories. Maggie would not talk to people anymore. She became very reclusive. If it had not been for the money she needed to live on, she would have quit her job right then and there. She stopped going to her parent’s home for the weekends preferring, instead, to stay in her apartment, safe, alone and obviously unloved since she no longer could tell a story.

One night after she’d gotten home from work, there was a knock at the door. Wondering who it could be since she had all but severed all ties to friendships and family, she opened the door and heard “SURPRISE!!!” So many people had crammed themselves into the hallway. Some were from her job and others were the family she had decided not to visit last weekend.

“What are you all doing here?” she inquired in total disbelief.

“We decided since you were not talking to us, we would hold a ‘talking to Maggie’ party. Whatever is bothering you, we are here to help. Talk to us, Maggie. Tell us what’s wrong.”, Beth pleaded with her. Her parents, holding her in a hug, asked the same.

Maggie burst into tears, heartbroken that she was not able to tell them anything. It just hurt too much. And of course, she was too embarrassed too. Finally, her mother and Beth took her into her bedroom to sit down and talk.

“Give. What is up with you!” demanded Beth sternly. “Yes, Maggie dear. What can possibly be the problem that is breaking your heart so?” asked her Mother.

She wailed out “I can’t tell any stories. They won’t come into my mind! I’m hopeless. No one will love me anymore. No one cares anymore. No forgiveness can help this. I wished my stories away!” She fell back onto the bed sobbing.

“Maggie, look at me! Right now!” Her Mother took her by the hand and pulled her up to eye level with her. “Now you listen to me, young lady. I will not have this self pity from you. For one thing, you are well loved. Didn’t you see how many people are in your living room right now worried about you? For goodness sake, there’s a bus driver out there wanting to make sure you will be all right. I have no idea who that person is. Do you? But he cares enough to take the time to be here just like all your friends from your job and, us, your family too. Now, why on earth would you try to wish away your fabulous stories?”

“Momma, I wanted people to love me for ME, not my stories. I thought that everyone only wanted the stories, not me. I’m hopeless!” She wailed again.

Beth pulled Maggie to her and gave her a huge bear hug. “Maggie, you are my best friend. If it had not been for you, I would have quit that job months ago. Remember the day you showed up? I was about to leave there for good when you started telling that first story. But it wasn’t the story that made me stay. It was you! I care about you and I have been worried about you for the last few days. Now come out and tell these people there’s nothing wrong with you, okay?”

“All right but I don’t have a single story to tell. There are none.”

“Maggie, have you been listening? So, there are no stories. Big deal. We love YOU!” her mother told her very sternly.

They all trooped out to the living room where everyone greeted her with a great big smile and cake, lots of chocolate cake. Chocolate can cure many things.

Sunshine was streaming through the window as Maggie opened her eyes to the new day. Once more, things started to stream through her mind making it hard to stop and just be quiet. And Maggie smiled. Then with a “WHOOP!” she got up and ready for work. It was going to be a wonderful storytelling day after all.

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