At age thirteen you would think that you would be the one to inspire a six year old, but actually it was the other way around.
Summer had arrived and Vacation Bible School would be starting soon. This year I was to old to be in a class so I decided to volunteer in a class. I worked with a few grown ups I did not know and my cousin. I also asked a few of my friends to help too. The week came to an end. I had received a little pin that had a heart and inside it was a cross. It was a small thank-you from one of the grown-ups. And then the next weekend we went to one of the workers houses for a swim party.
One of the workers, Carolyn had two sons and a little girl. The little girl’s name was Grace. She was a beautiful dark complexion little girl with long beautiful hair. My friends and I were playing around in the pool along with all the workers children.
Grace did not like the boys she would take the hose and spray them while they were swimming. And my friends would play with the boys coaxing them to get her. Well, Grace took a liking to me and did not like the boys and my friends. We just began talking. She had a popsicle in her hand and asked me if I liked popsicles. Popsicles are for teenagers too. She said my mommy and daddy like them you can have them too.
I just held back my laugh because her parents were not teenagers.
The day came to an end. I knew I would not see Grace that much after that except during church here and there. Her little voice saying “Popsicles are for teenagers too”.
A few weeks before school started my cousin called and told me Grace was killed in a car accident. Her mom was driving she was in the passenger side and in the back seat were her two brothers. A man failed to stop at a stop sign and slammed into the car. And the part that made me upset was that this man was driving without a license because he had prior drunk driving problems. So his license was revoked.
I was told her brothers were in shock as well as her mother. She died before she made it to the hospital.
As I approached the little girls coffin I looked at her in her little white dress her face caked with makeup to reconstruct her little face. All I could do is picture her by that pool telling me about her mommy and daddy and the popsicles.
As I think back she would be 12 now. And every time I eat my popsicles I think back and remember her that day at the pool.
Soon after her death my cousin made a little memorial on the back of the car with her name and a little angel. She is still her mom and dads little angel.
Remember popsicles are for teenagers.
