Nellie Long and the Old Tin Bucket (F)

Well that’s different, Nellie Long thought to herself. An old tin bucket upside down on the path. A tin bucket like Uncle Seve punched holes in and used for flower pots.

The morning sky was deep blue, the breeze was cool, and here in her woods was an old tin bucket. Yes, her woods.

Nellie was the one to name Grandfather tree and North pine and Giant Flower tree and Corner oak. She kept count of the geese babies each spring and watched quietly when a doe and her fawns were drinking at the pond.

But today, an old tin bucket.

You may think Nellie to be brave and bold for walking right up to the bucket and turning it over. But that’s what she did.

Like a snap of her fingers, there he was. A tall fellow, very tall. Nellie looked from his boots to the top of his head. He was wearing jeans and a light blue dress shirt, sleeves rolled up to above the elbow, and he had a yellow bandana around his neck.

Nellie stepped back. “Whoa! Who are you?”

The man stepped back. “Whoa, yourself. Who are you?”

“I’m Nellie Long, and you are in my woods.”

“Well, Nellie Long, I am Antonio Thomas Robert Edward…Smith. Antonio, in short.”

“Where are you from? I haven’t seen you before.”

“Yes, not from here, and I must be going. Thank you for your kind service this fine day, Nellie Long.” He started to turn from her.

“But where are you going?”

“Going? I am going. I am here now, but now I will be going.”

“What place are you going to?”

“Place? Place? No place. I am going. You ask a lot for someone so, uh, much shorter than me.”

“I am four feet and three-quarter inches tall.”

“Hmmm, are you sure about that three-quarter part?”

“Measured twice on the last day of school.”

“Oh, well, measured twice. In that case, I will never doubt you again.”

“Where did you come from?” Nellie noticed his eyes were blue, but then they looked kind of blue and gray.

“Where? Oh, I am here now. But not much longer. Must be going, you see?”

Nellie folded her arms across her chest. “You are complicated, Antonio.”

“Me? Me? Why here you are taking up my time, and I don’t even know who you are. You could be a strawberry muffin or a sweet potato—a very good costume, by the way. You might be, could be, even, a friend from a long, long, long, long time ago.”

“I’m not any of those things. Can you fly?”

“If I could fly, and I’m not saying I can, and I have to be going…the answer must be no.”

“Do you run really super fast or are you really, really super strong?”

“No, no, not either of those, I must admit.”

Nellie stuck out her lower lip a bit. How could this man, this Antonio, be under a bucket like Uncle Seve used for flowers and not have any super powers?

“Nellie, you seem like a very nice person, and you did help me out, but, as I have clearly said, I must be going.”

“Can I go with you? Maybe for a little bit?”

“Oh, no. No, no, not possible. No, no. My travel notes do not allow such a thing.”

“Travel notes?”

Antonio took out a small leather notebook. “See?” He held it out so Nellie could read the cover. Yes, in gold letters, Travel Notes.

“What kind of things does it say in there?”

“Hmmm, usual things, rules of course, always rules. Places I’ve been, people I’ve met. Schedule, very important. Which means—“

“Will I be in your travel notes?”

“You? That is a very good question. Let me make a note of that question.”

“That is not a real answer.” Nellie stamped her foot and folded her arms again.

“Ah, a real answer. Now what would be a real answer, Nellie?”

“Yes! Yes, I will be in your travel notes.”

“Okay, fine. Let me go ahead and check.” Antonio slowly paged through the little notebook. “Let me see. Hmmm… Why, yes. Sure enough, there’s your name. In capital letters.” He turned the page toward Nellie.

Yes, NELLIE LONG.

Nellie smiled, even blushed a bit.

“I can tell you that’s very rare, don’t see that every day. All capitals. You must be a very, very special person in my travels. But, as you know—“

“You must be going.” Nellie sighed.

“Indeed.”

“Will I see you again? Ever?”

“That I cannot say.”

Nellie stared into Antonio’s eyes. “Is that a real answer?”

“Yes, dear Nellie, that is the real answer.” And with that, Antonio was no longer standing in front of her.

“Antonio?” She listened. A mockingbird. Some crows. An airplane in the distance.

When Nellie turned around to go, there was the old tin bucket on the path ahead of her. Now, instead of being empty, the bucket was filled with Daisy May Shasta daisies. Just like Uncle Seve grew for her.

“Uncle Seve?”

Nellie would have to make a note of that thought when she got the bucket home.