Devonne Brown

“It’s azure,” she said, poking her stick in the background. She was careful not to touch the big cobalt blue jugs geometrically arranged.

“Azure?” 

“Yes, it’s one of the colors we learned today in art class. It’s a brilliant blue, that color of the sky sometimes looks when the conditions are just right for happiness and tranquility.”

“Happiness and Tranquility” are big words for a five year old. Do you have any idea what they mean?”

“I know what “Azure” means, why wouldn’t I know what happiness and tranquility mean? Just because you’re my Papa doesn’t mean you’re smart or anything.”

“So this art teacher told you the sky tells us when we can feel happy and peaceful? Peaceful is another word for tranquil, right?” The little girl rolled her huge brown eyes. Old men were so stupid sometimes. 

“Yes, Papa, peaceful is another word for tranquil. But the sky doesn’t tell us what we can or can’t feel, it just tell us, it just tells us, it just…”

“The sky tells us if it’s raining or sunny out,” he started. She wouldn’t let him finish. 

“There is way more to an azure sky than rain or shine,” he’d made her mad. “Skies are about feelings too. Haven’t you ever looked up and been happy or sad? Sometimes I look up and just get happy all over because the sky is so pretty, even if there aren’t clouds. It’s like it’s smiling at me. The teachers said “azure helps make the conditions right for happiness.” She seemed to be finished with her rant.

“Papa, What are conditions?” 

“Conditions are like those big blue jugs on the shelves that are all lined up. They’re perfect. They’re beautiful. That’s a condition for a beautiful picture or a disaster.”

“I understand the beautiful picture. Let me have your phone and I’ll take a beautiful picture of you standing in front of them right now. Here. One, two, three, say papaya!”

“Papaya!”

“There! Beautiful, see? But disaster?”

“See that cat over there?” Papa got down low on her level and pointed. “That’s Norris. He looks for ways to make disasters happen. Watch him. What’s he doing right now?”

“He jumped up on the azure display of the cobalt jugs!” 

Norris got behind each pot and pushed with a velvet paw, with very little effort, until each fell and shattered to the ground. Shards of cobalt against an azure background. The conditions set right for peace and tranquility.

“How did you know?” Addie sucked in a deep and burpy, followed it up with a gigantic sigh for dramatic effect. You knew he was going to knock all them off.

“I know cats. There’s a book that looks like that one at the house. Lots of them are the same. Especially if it’s a tom cat, that’s a boy cat. They’re the ones like Norris. Don’t get a tom cat.