Toys

“Is there anything else you need, Maria?” asked Nell. It was her fourth daily check-in, though little had changed with little Giegue.

An idea struck Maria. “Do you happen to have any toys? Dolls? Anything like that?” Nell simply made a confused face. “Well, I can try making one, too. Would it be too much to ask for some fabric, some wood, anything like that?”

After considering for a moment, the lieutenant exited the room and returned quickly with a variety of materials. Maria, excited, began to assemble a doll while Nell simply watched with curiosity for a while before departing. It took her several hours of effort, but she finally had a completed product to show Giegue.

The little white figure’s blue eyes stared wide at the toy Maria had made. It was roughly human in shape, but seemed to have yellow and red feathers and a birdlike face.

“This is the brave Flying Man!” she told him excitedly. “He is a hero of courage who helps any who need his aid!” Maria starting telling a tale of how the noble Flying Man saved the heroes of a fantastic world, while Giegue just watched silently, enraptured.

George entered the room, having completed another day’s work on the machines of XX. “What is that you’ve got there?”

Maria excitedly told him about Nell bringing the supplies and the little toy that she had made. Suddenly she cut off the story, realizing she was rambling. “How were the machines?” she asked, trying to let George talk.

“Confusing. As usual,” George said miserably as he collapsed once again into a chair. “I’m just glad you’re doing alright. How do you manage to be so optimistic?”

“If things are tough, I just try to lose myself in my imagination,” replied Maria. “I always have ideas to think about.” George smiled faintly. He was still feeling glum, but his wife’s nature always helped improve his mood.

Maria sat down on the chair next to her husband. “I just let any little thing spark an idea,” she went on. “Like for the Flying Man, I needed to come up with a world for him to live in. Then the idea hit me to start from my necklace!” She unclasped the necklace to hand to George. “You remember, I found this pink shell on the beach when I was little? So I thought to myself, maybe people in his world live in shells like this one! Only a lot bigger, of course.”

George couldn’t help but smile again, this time more sincerely. “Thank you. I… really needed something to cheer me up right now.” Maria returned the smile. They turned and looked at Giegue, who had fallen asleep happily in his basket.