Whistling winds and autumn leaves had left Jerseytown. It was going to be little Marissa’s 5th christmas season. She will now begin to understand the festivities and their relevance even more now; all she knew this year about them, was from story books and her parents’ tales.
Jerseytown was a small one. Sleepy, snowy and famous for its cider. Tourists would flock in during season time for the wood cabins, cider, some great steak; the perfect city break. Nearby slopes would allow for some great skiing and boarding. Marissa’s dad, Paul, owned the town’s most famous bar “The Jersey Joint”, a popular hangout for the locals and tourists alike.
Marissa had a little camera. An old one that Paul and Rita saved for her. She was given one film roll per month to use and develop. Memories, they taught her, will always stay the same. Even if the person in them changes.
Paul and Rita had decided never to follow the traditional route when it came to bringing up Marissa. The teaching was at home and in gardens; Marissa had never seen a school. Rita would take her along on gardening trips and teach her about nature, flowers and leaves. Paul would take her on walks along the streets of the town, to teach her about tools, food, science and other important factors. It was a lovely way to learn. She would watch and learn. By seeing how people treated each other on the roads, in stores, and in restaurants, she learned how to be friendly, but yet cautious.
Age 5, and it’s time to learn all about the best season: Christmas!
Rita and Marissa had their Sunday morning scheduled for flower picking. They went to the Maple Forest, a 20-minute drive away from town. The little one was frolicking into the woodlands, enjoying nature in all its wintery glory. Snowdrops and violas dotted the woodlands and a mysterious new growth. Marissa looked at it curiously; green leaves, red berries on it. “To touch, or not to touch?”, she stood below the branch, wondering to herself. Rita was a few trees away, picking out some aconite for the fireplace decor, when she looked over at Marissa and smiled. “Oh, this story is going to be a good one”, she said to herself smilingly.
She walked over to Marissa, before her curiously naughty daughter decided to reach out for the plant. “What is this mommy? It looks so lovely!”, she exclaimed. Rita sat her down on a tree trunk, poured out some hot chocolate and pulled out sandwiches she had made earlier for the adventure.
“This, my dear girl, is called Mistletoe. It’s a pretty name, and it looks very beautiful too. But never touch it; do you understand me?”, she explained. Marissa nodded weakly. She had learned that certain plants are poisonous, but she couldn’t believe that something this pretty could ever be poisonous!
“The mistletoe is a symbol of love. It is a beautiful looking tree, and sometimes they may not even be poisonous. But we never take a chance. Marissa, promise me, that you will never touch it, or even try to eat a berry from it!”, Rita held her hands and explained. “Yes Mommy, I promise you!”, she replied with confidence.
Once they collected enough flowers to decorate for Thanksgiving, they decided to leave to return home. Marissa couldn’t wait to reach the studio to develop the photographs from her film roll. It was after all the end of the month, and she got lucky with photographs of the mistletoe at the end of her photography for the month.
So, as they reached back home, she ran to “The Jersey Joint” and waited for Paul to wind up for the evening. He walked with her to the studio, while the little bubbly narrated her day’s learnings to him. Parents have to be interested in all that their children do, even if they don’t enjoy it. After all, how will children learn to further their discoveries? Encouragement was key, and they understood that.
Written By Anisha Masand
Part 2 of the story on 11th Dec ’20.
Week 49, December ’20
