Trusting Trista

            by Emma Schnur

 

Trusting Trista trusted everybody.  Trista trusted her mother when her mother told her to wear sunscreen so she wouldn’t get sunburned.  Trista trusted her father when her father told her to wear her bike helmet whenever she rode her tricycle so she wouldn’t hit her head.  And Trista trusted her teacher when her teacher told her not to run with scissors so she wouldn’t get hurt.  Whenever she listened to these people, nothing bad happened to her.  She was always better off.  However, Trista always seemed to run into trouble when she trusted her big sister, Violet.

            Once, on a very, very hot summer day, Trusting Trista’s mother went to the store and bought a watermelon as a treat.  Trista loved watermelon, and as soon as her mother cut her a piece, she grabbed it and went outside on her porch to eat it.  As she munched happily away, Violet came outside and sat down next to her.  Suddenly, Violet sighed.

 

 

            “Violet, what’s wrong?”  Trista asked between bites.

            “Nothing.  It’s… well… it’s nothing.” Violet sighed again and looked sadly at her sister.

            “It can’t be nothing, Violet.  What’s wrong?” Trista looked at Violet.

            “Well, I don’t want to scare you or anything,” Violet said, “but have you eaten any watermelon seeds?”

            Trista thought for a moment.  “I think I may have eaten some white ones, and I accidentally swallowed a black one.  Why?”

            “That is very bad news,” Violet frowned.

            “Why?”

            “Why? Because silly, everybody knows that if you eat watermelon seeds, even if you eat just one watermelon seed, a watermelon will grow in your tummy.”

            “Oh no! Will it hurt?” Trista’s eyes grew wide.

 

 

            “Probably.  It’s a watermelon in your tummy.  And there’s no way to stop it.”

            “Violet, I’m going to have a watermelon in my tummy! What should I do?”

            “Well Trista, you should probably stop drinking water.  Yes, I think that that is the best thing to do.  If you don’t drink any water, then the watermelon will not grow,” Violet said, very matter-of-factly. 

            “How long do I have to not drink water?” Trista asked.

            “Three whole days.  That is the safest way, because the seed will not be able to sprout if it does not have water.” Violet answered.

            So Trusting Trista stopped drinking water.  She did not drink water when she ate dinner, or when she was playing with her friends, or when she was brushing her teeth.  That night, Trista’s throat began to hurt.  Trista went to her mother as she usually did when she didn’t feel well.

            “Mom? My throat hurts,” Trista moaned.

            “I bet it does.  You didn’t drink anything tonight at dinner.  When was the last time you had something to drink?” Trista’s mother said.

            “I can’t drink anything for three whole days.  I ate some watermelon seeds and if I drink water, then a watermelon will grow in my tummy and it will hurt.”

            “Oh, Trista,” Trista’s mother sighed and sat Trista down on her lap.  “A watermelon cannot grow in your tummy.  You know that it’s impossible.  You have to use your head, Trista.  Seeds need dirt to grow, and you don’t have any dirt in your tummy, do you?”

            “No,” Trista shook her head.

            “Then there’s no need to worry.  Now, come with me to the sink so I can get you a big glass of water.”  Trista scrambled off her mother’s lap and followed her to the sink.  Trista was still a little bit scared that she would wake up the next morning and have a watermelon in her tummy, but she trusted her mother.  By bedtime, Trista had forgotten all about the watermelon seed.

            The next week, Trista was playing with her dolls in her room when Violet came in and sat down next to her.  After watching her play for a minute, Violet cleared her throat, “Ahem.”

 

 

            “Hi Violet.”

            “Hi Trista.  Wanna hear something cool?”

            “Sure.” Trista stopped playing with her dolls and turned to Violet.

            “I was just over at my friend Marie’s house, and we watched this movie called Mary Poppins.  Have you ever seen it?”

            “No.”

            “Oh, well, in the movie, Mary Poppins has this black umbrella and whenever it gets really windy, Mary Poppins opens her umbrella and she flies away.”

            “Really?”

            “Yes. It was very cool,” Violet said.

            “I thought that only bids could fly.” Trista asked.

            “Trista, I saw it. With my own two eyes.”

            Trista thought for a minute. “Did she say a spell?”

            “No!  She just opened it and she started flying. No spells, wands or wings.”

            “Aren’t movies pretend?” Trista asked.

            “Well, some magical people can.  Wouldn’t it be fun to fly?”

            “Yeah.  Flying would be fun.” Trista looked through the window at the fluffy clouds.  She could jump from one cloud to another, and fly with the birds.

            Later that day, Trusting Trista climbed to the roof of her house with her dad’s black umbrella in hand.  When she got to the top, she cautiously looked over the edge of the roof.  It was a very, very long way down.  Trista was scared, but she trusted Violet.  Trista closed her eyes, and was about to jump when…

 

 

            “TRISTA! STOP!”

            Trista opened her eyes to see her father standing below her.  Trista’s father climbed up the ladder to the roof and carried Trista down.  Once they were safely on the ground, Trista’s father asked, “Trista, what were you doing on the roof?”

            “I wanted to fly.”

            “Trista, people can’t fly.  Only birds can fly.”

            “I know.  Mary Poppins isn’t a bird.  She’s a real human being.”

            Trista’s father sighed.  “Trista, you know that people can’t fly.  Mary Poppins is in a movie.  You know that that means  it’s pretend.  You have to use your head, Trista.  Being on the roof is very dangerous.  You could fall and really hurt yourself.  Promise me you won’t try to fly again?”

            “I promise,” Trista nodded.  Trista still wished that she could fly, but she trusted her father.  By bedtime, she had forgotten all about trying to fly.

            The next week, Trista was digging a hole in her backyard.  Violet came and sat down next to her. 

 

 

“Why are you digging a hole?” Violet asked.

            “I am ­­­digging this hole for my dog, Spot,” Trista pointed her stuffed dog sitting next to her.  “He wants to bury his bone, and since he can’t dig himself, I am digging for him.”

            “Oh.” Violet paused.  Then she said, “Did you know that if you kept digging for a really long time, you’d end up in China?”

            “Wow!” Trista thought for a moment, “Where’s China?”

            “China is right under us,” Violet answered

            “How long do I have to keep digging?” asked Trista      .

            “A very long time,” answered Violet.

            “Can you dig for a long time? How do you eat?” Trista asked.

            “You bring food with you.  And water,” responded Violet.

            “But how do you take a bath?”

            “You don’t.”

            “But then wouldn’t you be stinky?”

            “No silly.  You could take a bath with some of the water that you brought for drinking,” Violet said.  Not hearing a response from Trista, Violet went inside to play with her dolls.

            Trusting Trista stood next to the hole that she had dug.  Then, she picked up her shovel and starting digging more.  She dug all afternoon.  Soon, the hole was so big, it went up to Trista’s waist.  When her mother came home, she was not happy to see that her backyard had a huge hole in it.

            “Trista, what are you doing?”

            “I am digging a hole to China.  But don’t worry – I have plenty of food and water so I will be ok,” Trista responded eagerly.

            “Oh, Trista.  You know you can’t dig a hole to China.  The earth is very, very, very big and there is no way one little girl can dig all the way through it,” Trista’s mother told her. 

Trista looked down at her hole and realized that there was no way that she could make it all the way to China.  She would have to dig for a lot longer and she was already very tired.

“Why don’t you come inside and wash the dirt off your clothes then come help me with dinner,” said her mother.

            “Ok.” Trista followed her mother inside.  By bedtime, Trista had forgotten all about digging a hole to China.

            The next week, Trista was riding her tricycle.  Violet saw her and stood in front of her.

 

 

            “Hey Trista, have you tried riding your tricycle backward?”

            “Yes, but I like to go forwards.”

            “You know, if you ride your tricycle backwards fast enough, you’ll go back in time,” Violet said.

            “Violet, no one can go back in time,” said Trista

            “Yes they can. I should know, I’m older,” answered Violet.

            “Violet, have you tried it?”

            “No, Trista. But I have a friend who did and he went all the way back to the dinosaur ages.”

            “How did he get back from the dinosaur ages?”

            “He went forwards really, really fast,” said Violet.

            “People can’t go back in time,” said Trista.

“Yes they can!” Violet yelled.

“I don’t believe you,” answered Trista.

            “You don’t have to believe me, but it’s true!” With that, Violet stomped away.

            Trusting Trista thought for a moment.  Then, smiling to herself, she shook her head and began to ride forward.