He sat on the table, his face still sticky. At least the temperature was comfortable in here, opposed to what he was subjected to last winter with the cold air outside. The snow, that was the worst part of it. The cold, wet, penetrating snow, which seeped into his every nook and cranny, and froze him to the bone. It snowed so much last year that it reached above his hat rim. The white film would cover his eyes for weeks. He missed the sun during those times.
It bothered him also, how they would come outside to shovel and not bother to clean him off. He could hear them talking about him. Always the same thing, “Poor Oscar, we should really bring him in.” or “Look at Oscar, he’s a mess”. Never the less, they never did bring him in.
Then, as if overnight, the winds changed, coming from the south now, bringing warm salty air to brush off the layers of white firn. The sun emerged, growing warm at first, but with each passing day, it grew hotter and hotter. His skin grew dry and brittle and his beautiful green hat began to peel. He could feel the rosy circles on his cheeks fade away, while the soft white of his beard sun-bleached out and the original dull wood shone through. Once again, he prayed for a change in the weather.
There had to be more to his life than this. Back at the shed, where the old man sat every day, creating his cousins, they all knew that joy filled days lay ahead. As the old man sat, lovingly painting a face, a hat, a coat, he would tell them stories of past friends who had gone off to join other families and sit in beautiful gardens filled with honeysuckle and sweet roses. He promised that life would be filled with laughter and the warmth of a family’s love. He told them that they were the magical ones, who healed lonely hearts and who brought happiness wherever they traveled.
Here he sat, dry, peeling and scorched, Oscar, the shunned gnome. This family has humiliated him and he wanted nothing more than to complete the cycle and rot away. They didn’t need a gnome; they needed a pet rock. Although, he has witnessed this family, sitting on the large rock across the lawn, laughing and sipping cold drinks during the hot days. If only they had remembered him, sitting over here in the overgrown daisies, parched and praying for a bit of cool water.
Even his attitude was beginning to rot. Magical gnomes were always happy (at least that is what the old man said) that is why their cheeks were always so rosy and round. Then why was he left standing in the dirt, alone, on the worst of days and nights. Once, during a big storm, a strong wind lifted him right off the ground. It twirled him round and round then spit him out in the middle of the family’s fields. They found him days later, front hand broken off, his little gold bell, missing. The mother carried him back to his spot, all the while telling him, he was due for a washing and a paint job. That was…actually, he could not remember when that was.
He was giving up hope. Seriously, anticipating the next big wind, to pick him up and blow him straight into the next county. He could not handle another hot summer or cold winter, he just couldn’t.
Then yesterday, yes, it was just yesterday, when the colossal miracle happened. The mother came outside with her son. They went straight over to Oscar. They were discussing his ragged appearance, but they were walking towards him. “Oh no!” he thought, “Was this it! Was he going to end up part of the fire wood pile?” Oscar’s heart raced and he felt more paint peel off as he tried to contain himself.
Gently, the mother reached down and picked him up, cradling him in her arms. “Poor Oscar.” She said sympathetically “We are going to get you back in shape”. She began to brush the dried dirt off his face and looked deep into his eyes. “Sorry, we let you get so rundown.”
Oscar tried to smile but his wood was so dry he was afraid of cracking. Then he saw the boy open the back door and for the first time in his life, Oscar entered the house.
He sat on the table, his face still sticky. He had been washed, dried, primed, and painted. The mother and son had done the whole thing in two days. Two whole days, of absolute, attention and loving for Oscar. When they finished, he had a beautiful, blue coat with a black belt, pewter trousers, and handsome black shoes. His warm little cap had also been painted pewter to match his pants. The best part was his smile and round rosy cheeks were back. He was happy.
They had discussed putting him back in the garden, but changed their minds when the father came home. He was so amazed with Oscar’s transformation, that it was he who decided, that Oscar becomes an indoor gnome. “After all,” he said, “Norman is an indoor gnome”.
Oscar didn’t know who Norman was, and he did not care. Never again, would he suffer the wilds of the great outdoors. Never again, to have extreme temperature changes. He was going to be an indoor gnome.
The family invited friends over that night for dinner and the house filled with laughter and happiness. Everybody noticed Oscar and admired his new garments. He thought he could not be any happier, until later that evening, he was lifted from the table and brought over to a windowsill. There on the sill sat a small gnome in green and red. This was Norman and they became friends instantly.
The old man had been right. His life, from then on was filled with laughter and the warmth of a family’s love. They were the magical ones, who healed lonely hearts and who brought happiness wherever they traveled.
Exposed;
A Gnome’s Destiny by E. L. Gross copyright 10/3/2012
