Losing Eden

Losing Eden…


This book is dedicated to my wonderful children; if life is a garden then you are the prettiest of flowers…
 
Chapter 1


Tiny droplets of water flickered across my nose while the sound of giggling disturbed what was supposed to be my peaceful slumber. I opened one lazy eye to a flash of brilliant summer sun and a four year old with a peach colored frilly bathing suit. She held a tiny pink bucket in one hand and a small, still dripping conch shell in the other deeply bronzed hand. She giggled while she waited for me to ask the questions; as was the habit of this little ocean child, my youngest daughter.

"Yes... Eden?"

"Can I have a Popsicle from the man in the yellow truck, please?" I groaned loudly. That meant that I would actually have to move my position. Something that I really did not feel inclined to do. I brushed off the sand from my slightly reddened thighs and mentally cursed myself for not applying enough sun block lotion. As an overly cautious mom, I lathered it onto my four children much to their chagrin, but was always surprisingly forgetful when it came to me. I put a hand over my slightly sensitive eyes and glanced around the beautiful and sparsely populated Mediterranean beach. The white sand glittered like diamonds under the warm rays of a near perfect August day.

"Where's Eugene?" I looked down at Eden surprised to see her without her partner in crime, constant side-kick, and twin brother.

"He's with Auntie Tammie and Shailer and Helena." She replied to me only after she had taken her time to put her newly discovered conch shell gingerly into her sandy bucket.

"Can I ride on your shoulders mommy?"

“Of course you can babylicious!" I laughed as she squealed when I tossed her up in the air and caught her. She looked so much like a little rabbit when she smiled, just like her dad had.

"Hey Tammie, what's up?" I trudged over to my best friend with a bag full of melting popsicles. I was immediately swamped with minors. Having relinquished the bag to Tammie's oldest daughter to give her the burden of having to divide up the sweet treats, I plopped myself on the blanket next to Tammie. She handed me a bottle of avian.

"Girl this place is off da hook! I still can't believe that you over here living large like dis. Dats what I'm talking about."

"Yeah I know I have to pinch myself sometimes," I replied after taking a very long swallow. I leaned over to kiss the back of my only son, Eugene's head while he snored rather loudly on the blanket.

"That boy is loud! I don't know who is worse... him or you," Tammie teased me mercilessly while I flicked her with some of my water.

"Well Migie at least he don't talk in his sleep like you do, you were so bad girl you used to trip me out!"

"Whatever Tammie," I replied waiting to change the topic. I turned around suddenly at the sound of my eight year old Shailer in the background. She was begging to switch popsicles with, a determined to resist her, Helena.

"Shailer come here right now!" She jumped at the sharpness in my voice and took her precious time walking towards me with her lips pursed and her head down while kicking up pebbles on the way. I lifted her tanned face and tried my best to sound controlled so that I wouldn't cause her to cry in front of everyone.

"I don't want you to feel like you ever have to beg anybody, regardless of who it is, for anything. It’s not ok to beg ever. It makes people loose respect for you. If you ever want something that bad and I can't give it to you, then you better do without it, ok my little yumyum? Gimmie kiss."

"Ok, momma, I'm sorry," she walked away happy I guess that she hadn't gotten in too much trouble." I lay back on my blanket and the past flooded my present in a tide of sadness, washing up the sensitive pangs of a that painful day.