Mud-luscious – Ligo Haibun Challenge

AnElephantCant do this week’s Haibun
So he relates a true tale from long long ago
It has way too many words
So he apologises in verse
And he understands if you just don’t want to know

Travelling all week.
Apologies.
The Haibun Ligo Challenge is a weekly event hosted by Nightlake and the Pirate.
Visit them for all the guidelines and background.
This week’s chosen prompt is:
The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful – E.E. Cummings

The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful

Nearly Five

I spend every Monday with my grandson.
I spent this Monday with my grandson.
He was excited because Tuesday was his birthday.
He would be 5!
Five years old.

‘Grandpa Brian’, he said.
‘Do you want to come to my party’, he asked me.
‘You can come if you want to’.
‘I’d love to come’, I said, ‘Nothing would make me happier’.

‘That’s good’. He smiled.
People who are nearly five smile a lot.
‘So who is coming to your party?’
‘Everybody!’ He laughed.
People who are nearly five laugh a lot.
‘And when is it?’
‘Tomorrow! After school.’ He laughed again. ‘I can’t wait!’
‘Well, you just have to’.
Serious old Grandpa.
‘I know, but I’m excited!’
People who are nearly five are excited a lot.
‘Well, I’m quite excited too!’
People who have grandsons who are nearly five are also excited a lot.

You get that way when you are involved in breeding tadpoles, playing golf on the local putting green, eating ice cream with chocolate sprinkles, – the BIG ones, OK? – shooting dragons out of trees with your hydrosonic secret mammoth magic dragon stick gun,  sitting on the grass making sure you both like butter (you know what I mean), fighting 108 baddies, and making tuna sandwiches with interesting shapes.
So I was excited too.

‘Did he invite you to his party?, my daughter asked me.
‘Yeah, of course, it’s all under control’. I wink at him.
He laughed.
Well, people who are nearly five …….

‘So?’
‘Yeah, about two-ish ok?’ I asked.
‘Fine, see you then.’
When you have a son who is nearly five and very excited you tend to be not too chatty with your old dad who is really not helping the situation.
‘Bye’.
Hugs were exchanged. Kisses were exchanged. Sniggers were exchanged.
‘Thanks for looking after me’.
‘That’s all right, Grandpa Brian.’
We both laughed.
You know why.

But of course nothing is ever that simple.
Not when you are dealing with someone who is nearly five.
Because children live in the moment.
This is a wonderful gift which, sadly, most of us lose as we grow up.
We start to plan for the future and we start to have regrets for the past.

But when you are nearly five, tomorrow, like yesterday, is a relative term.
Yesterday is a day before this one.
Tomorrow is a day after this one.
A day – emphasis on the ‘a’ – not necessarily ‘the’ day.

So when I turned up for the party, there he wasn’t.
And there wasn’t his mum and dad and friends and ‘everybody’.
So I called his mum.
No answer.
So I called his dad.
No answer.
So I went home.

His dad called later.
‘Sorry we missed your calls, we were all at the school for his induction this afternoon. Remember?’
‘Oh, yeah’.
‘See you Thursday at his party as arranged?’
‘Oh. Yeah.’

The moral of the story is:
When you are nearly five, or when your grandson is nearly five, laugh.
Get excited.
And check what is happening with someone who isn’t nearly five.

innocence exists
in the splashing
of muddy puddles