What Big Sister's Do.

For Tasha, the little sister I didn't get to know.

I have a faded memory of being very young. Like a dream drifting through fog. I might have been seven at the time and since it was summer my big sister would have been nine. The long hot days had conjured up a storm and a shower haunted our town for a couple days spreading humidity and misery. 

I as a child was bored at the time, having been confined to the house lest some aberrant flash flood from an imaginary river should wash me away. In the common room I found Big Sister Laney writing with pens in her big girl books. I didn’t know the words or the long numbers she scrawled upon the lined pages, but I was certain it was important. 

But in a moment of childish necessity, I demanded my sister give attention to my need for an end to boredom. She bade me disappear into the depths of the house from whence I came. She orated at length about the demands on her soul to finish her big girl work for her big girl school. My magic of being the youngest and a princess was failing more often against her and this was one of those times. 

I clutched Mr. Fuzzles the bear close, and the weight of my invisible crown suddenly became a lot heavier as I turned and walked away. Maybe my magic had worked after all; I heard Big Sister sigh and close her book. She placed her pen next to it with great precision. 

She told me to follow, and I did. She grabbed our bags, handed me one and to the kitchen we went. From the Fridge of Endless Meals, Big Sister grabbed fruits and sandwiches and into the bags they went. She grabbed Daddy’s hat and placed it on her head, looking even more distinguished than before. She grabbed a flashlight and my hand, and we marched to the Magic Door. 

The Magic Door is special to our house, a portal that leads to many places. I never knew where it would go but Big Sister always did. Big Sister never hesitated and opened the door and pulled me into the darkness beyond. 

We were in a cave, dark and damp with spikes like the teeth of a giant beast hanging from above. A light beamed at us from ahead and lit our way. A short walk and we found ourselves standing outside in the middle of a jungle. Big Sister was polite and before we left, she turned to the cave that I now noticed was the head of a giant snake. She waved and thanked the snake who only blinked its slit eyes at us in response. 

A wall of trees blocked our path forward. But Big Sister used her magic and waved her hands at the trees. She asked them nicely to step aside and let us through. One by one the trees got up root by root and stepped aside. A path opened up before us. We walked along it, the trees bowing graciously as we passed. 

Amongst the bushes and the fronds of trees many winged things weaved about. I asked my sister what the gold winged things were. She told me they were good fairies that would light my path in the darkness and never lead me astray. I asked her what the red winged things were. She told me those were bad fairies that liked to bite and sting, I should never follow them for they liked to play pranks and lead people to get lost in the jungle, never to be seen again. 

Big Sister knows everything, and she told me the name of every bird and plant we saw. The sun beamed in the sky above us and we ate the fruit from our bags as we walked along. Big Sister ate her sandwich, and I ate half of mine. 

The path ended in a river fast and strong flowing over a giant waterfall that crashed at least a mile down below. We could not cross here and so we walked upstream to find a way. The river started to bend, and the water began to slow. I wanted to drink because I was thirsty but Big Sister held me back. A log passing by hissed and snarled. 

Water Dragons my sister told me. The dragon was very upset because it was hungry, but I’m pretty small and wouldn’t taste very good. My sister waved her hands and wove her magic into the air. One by one the bristly backs of water dragons popped up and floated on the top of the water. They raised their scaly heads staring at the sky. Big Sister tightly gripped my hand and pulled me along. We hopped, skipped and jumped across the backs of the water dragons until we reached the other side. 

On the other side the trees were thick and grew close together hiding us from the sun. It was getting dark, and my sister grabbed the flashlight. There was no path now as we wandered here and there. I thought we were lost, but Big Sister smiled at me, and I knew we would be alright. Through a clump of bushes, we tumbled into the path of a family of mossy-back trolls. 

There were three of them; a Mommy, a Daddy, and little troll barely taller than me. Big Sister excused our rudeness for interrupting their walk. Daddy mossy-back waved his hand praying to pay it no mind. Big Sister explained we were on an adventure, but it was getting late, and we needed to head home. 

Mommy mossy-back said we should follow them. They were headed to see the King; he would surely know the way back. Big Sister smiled and while holding my hand they led us to the court of the Jungle King. Kid mossy-back talked to me about the rocks and their names and the proper way to juggle pancakes. 

The court of the Jungle King was a huge open space where no trees dared to grow and even the grass kneeled to King. All the animals were there, even the fairies, both good and bad. From a skull shaped cave surrounded by the bones of mighty beasts came the Jungle King. He was a mighty lizard indeed standing tall on two feet with claws. He announced his presence with much ado thanking each of his subjects in a voice that echoed as it boomed. At last, he came to us. Big Sister stepped forward to ask him the way home. 

The Jungle King seemed confused. He told Big Sister that he had a home for us as he rubbed his belly. His long lizard tongue rubbed across the many sharp teeth in his mouth. For the first time in my life, I saw Big Sister stunned into silence. She did not tremble and held up the flashlight, ready to fight. 

He chuckled in his booming way; he took a step forward that shook the ground. I took a step forward and he smiled a toothy grin at me. I asked him if he was hungry then he could have the half of my sandwich I did not eat. He tilted his head curious to what I offered. He stuck out his tongue and I put the sandwich on it. A loud salubrious slurp and the sandwich disappeared. 

He thanked me for the sandwich saying it was the best he ever had. I told him Mommy makes such wonderful things and he should visit to try them all. I asked him if he really was the king since he had no crown upon his head. He shed big glossy tears and told us how he lost his crown many years ago. I offered my crown to him and told him it was special because it was invisible. 

He took it graciously and placed it on his head. A brighter smile I had never seen before spread across his scaly face. I asked him if he would show us the way home. He said he was the Jungle King, and he could do anything. He waved his clawed hand to follow and through the dark jungle we went. 

Big Sister tapped her flashlight and fire sprang from the tip. The Jungle King called to us, and we hurried along the way. I held Big Sister’s hand tightly as we hurried past trees and bushes, following the tail of the Jungle King. Then at last the Jungle King stopped and pointed past some bushes. We said our goodbyes, and the Jungle King bowed magnificently before returning to his court. 

Big Sister and I pushed past the bushes and stood in our own backyard. The full moon sat on a blanket of stars. The lights were on in the kitchen I could hear mommy humming many spells to make the food she cooked taste better. Big Sister tapped the flashlight again and the flame disappeared. 

Once inside Mommy made a fuss wondering where we had been. I told her of the adventure we had, and she smiled and laughed at every turn of our adventure. She told us she’d have to make special sandwiches in case the Jungle King came to visit. Mommy asked if Big Sister made sure I was safe. I told her she held my hand the entire day. 

Mommy smiled and said, ”That’s what big sisters do.”