Brown Crayons
Her dilemma: Every inch of her 3ft, 5″ frame LOVED Yoo-hoo, chocolate milk. As her Mama poured the cool, concoction into her glass, the smell tantalized her. Looking at it amazed her, too, and she remarked, “It looks like a slippery, chocolate shake.” Even hearing it splashing on the bottom of her glass sounded, “Yummy!!!” Still, her very favorite part, was tasting it!!
Brianna’s big, blue eyes brightened as she guzzled-down the oozing, brown liquid. She surmised, “It’s heavenly,” as she swirled it around her mouth to create the maximum, mocha pleasure. Today, though, Brianna was crushed because nobody remembered her Yoo-hoo!! Tears fell again as she wondered, “Don’t they love me?”
When she begged her Mama, “Didn’t you get any Yoo-hoo,” she felt tortured because her Mom said, “Sorry, sweetie. They’re all out.” Her Daddy looked into Brianna’s pouting face, too, and he repeated, “Sorry sweetie.” Still, Brianna pleaded, “Daddy, Mommy didn’t get Yoo-hoo!”
He shook his head and, sympathetically, promised Brianna, “We’ll get some tomorrow.” But Brianna was disgusted. Her short ponytail bounced around her head as she stuttered, “To-mor-row is forever, Daddy!!” and stormed towards Tommy’s room. Unbeknownst to Brianna, though, her brother was waiting for her, smiling.
Tommy knew Brianna LOVED Yoo-hoo. With a fat grin, he spouted, “Sis, I’ve got some mocha.” Her long eyelashes rose, momentarily, realizing too late he was teasing her, too, as she spotted a huge smirk planted on his mean face. And, as unbearable pain overwhelmed her, she blurted-out, “How much more can I take?”
Never-ending tears flooded down puffy cheeks âÂ?¦.. as Tommy’s wounding laugh pierced her heart-strings. Brianna’s Mom yelled at Tommy, but the pain was already inflicted. Tommy, fiestly, shouted, “Mom, she’s a BIG baby. It’s only chocolate milk!!” That’s when Brianna ran into her room, slamming her door shut. Coincidentally, that’s when her favorite grandfather (PaPa) appeared.
PaPa eased Brianna’s door open, saw her fucia-colored sundress flung around her spindly legs and softly asked her, “Something wrong, Sunshine?” Her limp body was nestled in his lap before he knew it, and she cried, “PaPa, nobody got Yoo-hoo,” and “Tommy’s a meany!” PaPa felt her whole body shaking listening, intently, to her dreadful story.
Afterwards, he simply asked, “Do you have any brown crayons?” Her silky brown bangs fell into her quizzical eyes as she muttered, “That’s weird. Why do you want brown crayons, PaPa?”
The mystery continued as he repeated, “Do you have any brown crayons, Brianna?” Baffled, she answered, “Yeah!! But why? And, what’s it have to do âÂ?¦âÂ?¦âÂ?¦âÂ?¦âÂ?¦.. with Yoo-hoo?” The barrage of questions made PaPa laugh, and his gentle, eyes “smiled” back at Brianna (wearing the sundress that said, “I’m Grandpa’s, cutie-pie”).
But Brianna wasn’t aware he’d, secretly, brought a big, cold glass of white milk into the den (next to her bedroom). Fortunately, PaPa called earlier and discovered Brianna’s “tragedy.” He knew Yoo-hoo was Brianna’s “Favorite, too!!” That’s when he came to the rescue âÂ?¦. and brought her some very cold, Yoo-hoo.
However, instead of showing Brianna the Yoo-hoo right away, he returned with white milk. Momentarily hoping it was chocolate milk, Brianna saw it wasn’t her Yoo-hoo and she let out a huge sigh!
Seeing her pitifully sad face, her PaPa quizzed Brianna again, “Do you have any brown crayons, beautiful?” Brianna’s shoulders drooped. Frustrated, she felt like this agony equaled her family’s “games,” and she, silently, thought, “PaPa is even being cruel.”
Still feeling victimized, Brianna gave PaPa her best brown crayon âÂ?¦. with a very long, “Hhhhhhheeerre.” Still bothered, though, she asked, “Why do you need brown crayons, PaPa?”
He whispered, “Close those dreamy eyes right now because I’m coming right back with a very tasty surprise. Brianna closed them, tightly, and prayed, “Make it some Yoo-hoo, PaPa!!! Pppppppplllllllleeeeeeeze?”
After an eternity, PaPa returned and Brianna’s blue eyes exploded like fireworks as she bolted for PaPa. His, “Tasty surprise,” was her dream come true!!! PaPa’s wrinkled hand held a tall glass of Yoo-hoo âÂ?¦. in her favorite Goofy glass!!! Brianna cried-out and pounced on her FAVORITE Grandpa. Simultaneously, she retrieved the chocolaty “potion,” licked her lips and put it to her ready-for-a-treat, mouth.
Soon, her insides filled with that “magical” drink and her smiled was huge. Instantly, her whole body felt glorious, that smile registered complete bliss and her dazzling eyes exhibited an adoring love
for PaPa!!
After finishing, Brianna squeezed PaPa tightly. Then, his whiskered cheek felt a butterfly kiss brush over of it âÂ?¦âÂ?¦. as she whispered, “I love you so much, PaPa!!!!” PaPa LOVED her, too!!! Her smile melted his heart âÂ?¦. as a tear slowly dripped down his cheek. Brianna loved Yoo-hoo just as much as PaPa loved her. Inside, he pondered, “Who could be any happier?”
It got real quiet then. Brianna looked at PaPa and wondered a bit (as IT suddenly hit her). “PaPa,” she asked, “How’d ‘ya turn white milk into Yoo-hoo?” and she, patiently, waited for a wise answer.
PaPa knew his very curious grandchild would, eventually, realize what he’d done. On cue, he summarized, “I put the brown crayon between my hands (coloring end towards the milk). Then, I quickly spun it in my hands. When the crayon gets very hot, it drips chocolaty syrup âÂ?¦âÂ?¦ into the milk. Easy as that,” he said.
Brianna sat dumbfounded, half-believing PaPa’s story. But she finally smiled. The wide-eyed surprise on her pudgy face made him chuckle, and even her long eyelashes wouldn’t stop fluttering. Still NOT totally convinced, Brianna, quietly, asked him a very confused, “What???”
Without “missing-a-beat,” her gentle grandfather asked her, “Sweetie, do you like strawberry-flavored milk, too?” “Sure, PaPa,” she softly answered. “Strawberry’s yummy, too, but not as delicious as Yoo-hoo!!!”
PaPa agreed, but his wrinkled face wore a sneaky look. Attempting to half-hide his comical grin, he looked deeply into her adorable, blue eyes. Then, he slowly asked her, “Sweet, Brianna, do you have any red crayons?” Brianna hesitated (but she quickly, “Got it”) and, with a knowing look, she smiled at PaPa. That’s when they marched âÂ?¦âÂ?¦. towards the kitchen âÂ?¦âÂ?¦ with two, red crayons.
PaPa winked at his accomplice and he smiled when Brianna couldn’t stop giggling. That’s when she asked her Mommy, “Is there any white milk left, Mama??” Winking at PaPa, she told her Mama, “Me and PaPa are gonna make some âÂ?¦âÂ?¦.. strawberry-flavored milk.”
Now, it was her Mama’s turn to give PaPa a wide-eyed, quizzical look.
