Indigo

Indigo's eyes slowly opened as she breathed in the smell of a new day. She was so delighted that she finally had a place to call her own. A place built by the hands of a man she had come to admire and adore - a man she lovingly called “grandpop". Indigo's life, at a mere 11 years old, had not been the easiest or the most glamorous. She had witnessed her mom get hauled off by police on many occasions, she was forced to trod up and down city streets begging for food and money, and she was subjected to sleeping anywhere she could find a little warmth. Indigo had resolved that her life would always be filled with uncertainty, fear, and sadness. This unpredictable existence with an emotionally detached mother and an absent father was, in a twisted way, her stability.

Indigo had stopped looking for more or better because hardship was all she knew, until she met Mr. Tillman. On one of her daily treks into the city, 9 year old Indigo stumbled across a bakery shop that had the most fragrant and mouth-watering treats. Glued to the shop window, Indigo yearned to take just one bite of a fluffy, glazed donut. Her stomach rumbled and tossed so much, she couldn’t hear when the bell from the shop rang, signaling someone was coming out the front door. Indigo was startled when a tall man approached her with something in his hand. She was about to run but the gentleness in his eyes made his stature less menacing and her uneasiness faded. He bent down to give her a cruller wrapped in a paper towel and smiled as he held it out. Indigo wanted to snatch the sweet treat and gulp it down so fast but she quickly reminded herself of her manners. He assured her it was safe and she hungrily devoured the snack. From that day forward, Mr. Tillman's Bakery Shop became the designated spot to fill her tummy and experience what it was like having someone to call a friend.

As their relationship blossomed, Mr. Tillman's concerns for Indigo's welfare increased. On many occasions, Mr. Tillman sat down with her and discussed her parents, where she lived, school, etc. and every answer made Mr. Tillman’s heart break even more. After almost a year of knowing Indigo, Mr. Tillman decided to consult with a close friend, who was a lawyer, about possibly adopting her. He knew it wasn’t going to be an easy process but he also knew it was the right thing to do. Indigo’s mom was upset that a stranger wanted to take her daughter but she was really infuriated about Indigo not being a workhorse for her any longer. Therefore, she put up a grueling fight but to no avail because it was apparent that Indigo was not being taken care of.

When Indigo was informed that Mr. Tillman was granted full custody, she fell into his arms and began to cry uncontrollably. Mr. Tillman held her in his loving embrace until she gained enough strength to look him in his eyes and say “you’re my grandpop and I love you”. He hugged her tightly and replied “And you are my Indigo girl. That means you are unique and exceptional. Never forget that". From that point on, she knew her life would be dramatically different.

Indigo excitedly hopped into grandpop's truck and they drove about an hour out of the city to the country, filled with fresh air and lots of land. On the way, Grandpop told Indigo all about the farm he built and about all the animals he raised and she was so ready to meet them all. Grandpop could sense her excitement but he instructed her to take a bath and then nap to get some much needed rest. Indigo was then introduced to her beautiful new room and her beautiful new life. She plopped on her bed staring at the ceiling and inhaled the fresh smell of wood and linen and she fell off to sleep.

Indigo had no time to enjoy breakfast because her focus was on meeting the animals. She stuffed the last piece of toast in her mouth and quickly shuffled outside to help grandpop. He laughed at her happy face and gave her some feed for the pigs. He also applauded her for a job well done and waved her over to the horses’ stable. As Indigo was walking, a bird sitting on top of the house caught her eye. She had never seen a bird like this, only city pigeons. As she stopped to admire his wings and his color, he turned his head to look at her. Indigo was amazed that he recognized her but her admiration quickly turned to fear when the owl continued to stare. She couldn’t break herself from his gaze until he suddenly took off in flight gliding through the air. Indigo watched him until he was gone and then she ran to join grandpop. That night at dinner, Indigo inquired about the bird she saw earlier that day and Mr. Tillman asked her to describe it. Grandpop scratched his head and replied “that sounds like a barn owl but those birds are only up at night. But this is really odd because in all my years on this farm, I have never seen a barn owl”. Indigo furrowed her brow and began to question whether she actually saw the bird so she made it her mission to find him again the next day.

When the night grew still, Indigo got up to open her window to enjoy the silence and was surprisingly met by the barn owl sitting on the roof. She was about to close the window, just in case he tried to fly in, but changed her mind and decided to sit and watch him. “Mr. Owl, I think you are trying to be my friend. I never actually had a friend, well except for grandpop, but you can be my friend too". The owl turned to look at her with his jet black eyes and she got nervous. “I don’t want to hurt you, I just thought you needed someone to talk to. Matter of fact, you can be my diary”. From that night and almost every night on, Indigo would share her good and bad feelings and tell stories to her new friend.

One summer night, grandpop thought he heard Indigo talking and knocked gently on her door. Indigo didn’t hear him due to her deep conversation with the owl so grandpop quietly opened her door. At first, he couldn’t tell who she was talking to but then noticed the owl sitting not too far from her window. Grandpop immediately became alarmed and whispered her name. Indigo jumped and the owl flew away. “Are you okay?!” Grandpop asked hugging her. Indigo laughed and said “Yes grandpop. That’s the owl I told you about. The barn owl!”. Grandpop was confused as to why the owl felt comfortable enough to sit near a human and he didn’t want Indigo to get hurt so he sat down next to her. After a few moments, the owl landed on the roof again, in his usual spot. Grandpop couldn’t believe his eyes. It was definitely a barn owl and he was not afraid of Indigo. In the 20 years he lived on the farm, grandpop had never witnessed this bird before. He looked at Indigo and smiled “You must be a special little lady because he really likes you". Indigo replied “Just as you picked me, he picked me too. Out of all the people in the world you could have loved, both of you chose to love me and that makes me happy". Grandpop squeezed her tightly and kissed her head “And you are worthy of every bit of love my Indigo girl". As grandpop walked out the room, he told her not to stay up for too long and Indigo nodded continuing her conversation with her diary.