Naturally Beautiful

“What was that? Oh my God! Was that a kid out there?” Autumn jumped up out of her sleeping compartment on the train that was passing the Grand Canyon on its way to Texas. “Did you see that? There was a little boy out there hanging onto the edge of that rim! There was no one around him and he needs help!” It seemed that everyone heard her cries but no one appeared to understand what she was talking about. “Oh my God, can’t anyone here understand English?” She shouted, “I said there is a little boy out there who needs my help. We must stop the train before it’s too late!” Still, no one responded to her calls of desperation. They all looked at her as if she were speaking a foreign language, as if she were a stranger in their land. “My God! Isn’t this still America? Why doesn’t anyone in here speak English?” Autumn then pushed her way through the sleeping car seeking an understanding ear. “Which way is the conductor’s car? We need to stop the train! There’s an innocent little boy out there hanging on to the edge of the canyon!” Even the train steward appeared to be another clueless illegal immigrant. She shouted to the top of her lungs, “STOP THE TRAIN!” Finally she had managed to capture everyone’s attention in the car but after they all stopped and stared at her, they all turned back around and went about their own business. “This is ridiculous! That boy needs our help and all you people can do is sit around stuffing your fat, foreign faces! Someone’s got to do something!” She then spotted a black man sitting in the forth row from the front. She thought, surely the brother will understand what I’m saying! She ran up to the man. “Thank God I found someone who can understand what I’m trying to say! I just saw a little boy hanging on to the rim of the canyon with one hand. I didn’t see anyone else around him. I know he needs help. We need to stop the train right away!” “No habla English, senorita.” Autumn stood there in shock, her mouth hanging wide open, a look of horror riding ripples across her face. “What the . . .?” she managed. “Has this entire country lost its mind? Am I the only one left who speaks actual English?” She backed away from the man in complete terror. “I’ve got to find a way to help that child! Where’s the conductor? Stop the train! Stop the train! Somebody help me! Lord, where are you?” No sooner than she screamed those words, she fell across the isle onto the emergency stop pull and the train screeched to an earsplitting halt. Autumn Marie Flowers awoke from her nightmare in a cold sweat. She sprang straight up and grabbed her heart which was pounding in her head. She could actually hear her own heart beating as she shook herself and tried to blink the stubborn sleep from her terrified eyes. After a moment, a wave of relief moved through her when she realized that it was just a dream. “Thank God it was just a dream! It was all a dream. But why on earth would I have such a dream? A dream about a little kid who needs me? Humm—it all seemed so real! Thank God it was just a dream!”