Sandy Supposes....

Different

         "I don't like this duck," declared Cara as she tossed it to the bathroom floor.

         "Why, is there something wrong with it?" asked her Mommy.

         "It's not like this one, " said the girl waving a smiling, bright yellow rubber ducky.

         Mommy knelt to pick up the bath toy that had skidded across the room and now lay flopped on its side under the sink.

         "Aww, I think this poor bird is shivering from the cold. Look at how blue he is. Can't he swim in the warm water with you?"

         The sploshy sounds of splashing ceased. Cara stared at her mother with a frown.

         "He's not real,Mommy. He's only a toy."

         "Are you sure about that? I seem to remember that this bird came here on Santa's sleigh and that means he is special."

         The parent smiled. She could almost see the wheels turning in her daughter's head. Her eyes were focused on something far away and the only noise in the humid bathroom echoed in a steady drip from the tub faucet.

         " He doesn't look like a pengin."

         "Excuse me? Penguins do not live at the North Pole."

         "Ya, huh. I saw'd Santa wit' a pengin. It had those ear things."

         "Ear muffs?"

         Cara nodded and pushed the yellow ducky under the swirling bubbles.

         Darn mall Santas. The North Pole and the South Pole were miles apart. How to confuse a child. Sure they both had snow and ice, but they were polar opposites.

         "You hear Grandpa singing about the bluebird of happiness don't you?"

         Cara giggled. "Ya, and he flies up your nose."

         Mom chuckled. Of course that would be what Cara remembers.

         "Well, this blue duck is one of Santa's special blue birds of happiness. He gifted it to you so you would have a friend to make you smile."

         Cara scooped a handful of white bubbles to her chin and grinned. "See? I'm Santa Claus. Give me my blue happy bird."

         Mommy plopped the blue duck into the bath tub.She groaned when Cara had more to say.

         "Can I ask Santa for a pengin? He can take his duck back home."

         355 words