Mirror

Story Time With Abbie

I met my younger self, and we went on an ice cream date.

I got her chocolate ice cream and saw how hesitant she was to take it, but eventually, she did. I watched her for a long time—so tiny, so timid.

"Can I ask you a question?" she said.

"Yes, go ahead," I responded. I tried to be as kind as possible to her because I remembered what that little girl had to endure all on her own. I noticed she was almost done with her ice cream.

"Abbie, do you want another cup?" I asked.

"Can I have that?" Her eyes sparkled as she spoke.

"Yes, anything you want. I’ll get it," I assured her.

I placed an order for another cup of chocolate ice cream. Big Abbie is now lactose intolerant and can’t have ice cream or coffee.

"So, what’s it like being older?" she asked.

"Well, we have more shoes now. That, I can say."

"Really?" she squeaked in amusement.

"Yes, you won’t have to wear those blue sandals for long."

"What about Mummy? Did we see her again?"

"Yes, we did, and we stayed together briefly. She sends us food now."

"Do we get to watch TV and cartoons whenever we want?"

"Yes, Abbie. We have our own TV, and nobody beats us for watching," I said, holding back tears.

"We’re not poor, are we? I don’t like how people laugh and tease me," she said, fiddling with her spoon.

"We have a place to sleep. We eat. We have clothes to choose from," I said, wiping away the tears that escaped my eyes.

"What about Sister Busola and Solomon? Did we see them again? I miss them," she asked, hopeful.

"Yes, we are very close now. We are all together," I said, sniffing.

She hesitated, then asked in a broken voice, "Why did Mummy abandon us? Did she not like us? We are sorry."

"Oh, Abbie, my love, Mummy didn’t abandon you. That was a lie. She didn’t even know when you were whisked away," I said, my voice trembling as I struggled to control my tears.

"I don’t understand… but she never came back for us. Everyone said she didn’t want us."

"Well, they lied, Abbie. She looked for you far and wide. She was heartbroken when she couldn’t find you. You’re special to her, you know?"

She took a deep breath before whispering, "They called me a witch for liking a boy. Does that make me a witch?" She reached for her ice cream as the waiter placed it in front of her.

"Oh, Abbie, you’re not a witch for liking a boy. You are perfectly and wonderfully made. God loves you, my angel. He sees all."

"Do I have friends now?"

"Yes, my girl, you are surrounded by so much love—it’s unbelievable."

She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. "This one I want to say is a secret. Don’t say I told you."

I gave her a soft smile. "There’s nothing that happened to you that I don’t already know."

She hesitated again, then whispered, "So… the men. Did they stop touching us?"

My heart clenched. I met her eyes and spoke firmly, "Yes. You’re bolder now, and nobody messes with you. Nobody touches you unless you agree to it. Do you hear me?"

Tears streamed down my face as I spoke. She watched me carefully.

"Do we still write?"

"Yes, we do. As a matter of fact, we’re a little popular now. You are such a star, Abbie."

"So… are we happy? Did we stop crying?" she asked, sniffing.

"We are comfortable. We have a place to rest our head. We play when we can. Our spirit is uplifted."

She studied me, then smiled slightly. "I like you. I think we turned out cool. Will I ever see you again? I’m afraid."

I reached across the table and took her small hand in mine. "I’m always here. I never left. I’ll come again soon. I’ll talk to you."

For the remaining minutes, I watched Abbie finish her ice cream in silence. I knew how much she didn’t like answering questions—she preferred to talk when she felt comfortable. I didn’t push, but I wanted to know what she was thinking.

After a moment, she looked up at me, hopeful. "Can I get a hug?"

I stood up and embraced her, closing my eyes as I felt her tiny arms wrap around me. When I opened them again, I was standing in front of the mirror, my tear-stained face staring back at me.