Lost in the Cold

Oh, the most dreadful thing happened today, readers! It was awful, simply awful!

Dear me. I forgot to introduce myself. It’s Emelie here, Emelie Bennett. Today I was tasked with taking Coconut out for exercise, but I kept pushing it back. You see, I had never gotten the chance to read my doll’s meet book that she came with. So I kept pushing off my responsibility of taking Coconut out for a walk because of my love for reading. But after I read Emma’s meet book… I thought to myself, why stop?

So I decided to read ALL of our doll’s meet books! That’s right: Meet Molly, Josefina, Cécile, Saige, and Emily! Molly-Anne, Jessa, Cécile, Jocelyn and Emma’s meet books.

By the time I was finished, it was suppertime, and growing dark outside. Madison asked me if I had taken Coconut outside yet, and when I didn’t answer, she looked pretty darn annoyed. “I’m going now!” I cried, snapping my fingers to the nearby Coconut and rushing out of the room.

I was in such a rush, I forgot to check the weather. As soon as I opened the heavy glass sliding door, a ferocious blast of cold greeted Coconut and I!

I shut it hurriedly and shivered. It was freezing cold out there! I rushed back to grab a coat and hat and dart back outdoors before it got any colder.

Even with the homemade coat and hat Madison had made a more than a year ago, I still wished I had put on some warmer clothes than my light and flowy cherry-blossom dress. At least I had on cozy socks and boots, but my legs were bare and cold, not to mention my fingers.

I rushed through the lanai and to the backyard as quickly as possible. It wasn’t getting any warmer, and neither was my supper.

I shoved open the screen door and let it slam shut with a bang behind me. “Go on, C-Coconut,” I shivered, wishing Madison had sewn pockets in this coat, or that I had pulled on mittens, too. “Go run and play and get some exercise. Hurry! I’m cold!”

Coconut just huddled closer to my feet, shivering. She looked up at me with her pitiful little puppy eyes. What? She seemed to say. You want me to go out there alone, in the cold?

“GO, Coconut! It’s only getting colder!” I commanded, gently shoving her with my boot.

I felt my heart break in two when her loyal eyes turned into ones filled with shock and disbelief, as if I no longer liked her and was punishing her for some unknown wrongdoing. She turned away from me sadly. I hated doing this to her, but a dog needed exercise. “It’s for your own good, Coco.”

All of the sudden, I saw a flash of white and Coconut was gone with the wind!

“Golly, I guess that puppy had more energy cooped up than I thought,” I muttered to myself, watching her disappear behing the swings.

Wait. Disappear? I wasn’t supposed to let her out of my sight!

“Coconut! Come back!” I cried, but my voice was drowned out my the wind whipping at my cheeks.

Oh, dear. Coconut had disappeared and I had to go after her, in the growing cold and darkness. I grudgingly trudged from the brick pavement by the door and started shouting her name.

“Coconut!” I cried, looking by the swings first but not finding her there. I turned to the little stretch of grass before the end of the house and the fence, seeing if she was there. “Coco, come back!”

“What am I going to do with this silly dog?” I murmered under my breath, scanning the yard from my standing point. “If I ever find the little sneak, she is in so much trouble…”

I sat down on a tree root, my teeth chattering by now. Surely a frisky puppy with such bright, white fur as her would be easy to spot in this vast, dry green-and-brown stretch of grass and nothingness.

“Coco!” I shrieked desperately, the wind howling louder. It whipped in my ears and with my hair and tossed my light and flowy skirt from beneath me. My fingers were numb and my bare legs stung with the cold. I stumbled against the wind blowing harshly at my side. If somebody tells you Florida is all sunshine, warmth and beaches, laugh in their face. Politely.

“Coconut!” It seemed hopeless. How was I ever going to find her? The sun had long since been down, and the moon was already up. It was going to turn darker than ever in not much longer.

I climbed up onto a fallen tree to try to get a birds eye view – but I doubt any bird would’ve flown this low. It wasn’t high enough! I looked to my right (your left, in the picture) and saw the fence.

Oh, boy.

I jumped from the log and flew myself on it. There was nothing to grab onto, and I was surely going to lose my balance and fall. “God, help me!” I cried out a desperate prayer as I struggled to balance against the wind.

The rough wood scraped at my skin, but my fingers were so numb I hardly felt anything. I climbed higher, the wind only whipping harder the higher up I went. Thankfully, I think because of my gymnast strength – or God’s help and mercy – I made it to the top.

It felt odd to be sitting so high on the fence on a windy day with a dress on, but that was really the least of my worries. I scoured the backyard for Coconut, squinting because of the fierce blowing. “Coconut!” I bellowed against the shrieks and howls of the relentless gale.

I lost the battle of balance against that awfully strong current of air. I screamed as I fell and landed hard against a log beneath me. I was so shocked from the fall, I felt unshed tears sting my eyes, but I blinked them back, for now was no time for crying. My skirts had flown up, revealing more skin to be chilled – and my bloomers. Embarrased, I sat up quickly and looked around, pulling my skirt down and hastily crawling off the log. Phew – nobody was around. And I wasn’t badly hurt, thanks to God, but I knew I was going to be sore and bruised tomorrow when I felt the discomfort of standing up after my fall.

“Oh, well,” I thought bitterly. I gave up, the situation hopeless. Coconut was lost – would she freeze out here? “It’s just what I get for procastinating and not keeping Coconut on a leash! Bruises and aches are a small price to pay for the lesson I’ve most definitely learned – no, lived!”

After crawling down the log I leaned up against the fallen tree timbers. They created a shelter from the wind. I calmed my racing mind and gathered my thoughts. I had to go inside and face Madison and tell her that Coconut was lost. We had to form a search party with flashlights and everything, and I was probably going to be punished with no supper – and probably a worser punishment as well – so I decided not to think about the apple pie for dessert.

A rustle of fallen leaves and a whimper beneath the log startled me and interrupted my thoughts. I could barely believe my tired eyes – it was Coconut!

Of course. She had gotten shelter from the ice-cold blowing wind! Why hadn’t I thought of that? I cradled her in my arms and held her shivering little body close to my heart. “Coconut! I’m never going to lose you again, sweet pie! Never! Thank you for helping me find her, God!” I exclaimed happily.

I carried her back to the house in my numb hands. My feet felt shaky beneath me, but my determination was strong to get us both back inside. Any minute now, and it would be completely dark.

I set Coco down gently inside and pushed that heavy sliding door shut as hard as I could. I rested against it, enveloped in the warmth of the house. My eyes flashed open, searching for Coconut. I didn’t want to lose her again, even inside the house.

But she was cuddled close to my feet.

Don’t we look so happy and warm? I’ve figured out Madison’s secret to keeping cozy. She keeps a little space heater in her room! It’s under her loft bed desk to the left of the picture above. Coconut and I stayed in front of that warmth for a long, long time!

And guess what? Nobody knew what adventure Coconut and I had been through outside. It was our little secret, and it taught us both a little something – do what you’re told when you’re told to do it!

Do you or your dolls have any pets?

Love,

Emelie

P.S. Hey, girls! Madison here. Just some quick news, there will not be a Mini Doll Monday post on Monday, I will be teaching an offering message at my church that day. (It’s Winter Campmeeting, in case you are wondering why I would be going to church on a Monday.) I’d love it if you could pray for me, that I don’t stumble over my words and that God uses me to deliver the message He has for the kids church!