Amiya and Mink

The sound of glass shattering as it hit the floor filled the entire house. It was her mother’s favorite vase. It didn’t cost much. Its value was all sentimental. Still, right away, she knew she was in trouble. Even before her mother screamed out her name.

“Amiya!”

“It wasn’t me, mommy. Honest! It was Mink.”

Mink was a creature from a faraway planet who was stranded on earth long before any human existed. He was part bear, part fish, and part bird. He always came around whenever Amiya was in trouble and always seemed to disappear when it was time to be held accountable for the bad deed.

It was just like the time when somebody spilled red juice all over her mother’s brand-new white tablecloth. Do you know how hard it is to clean something red out of something white? There was also the time somebody walked through the flower garden in the backyard. It crushed all of the flowers before they could grow. At another time, somebody thought that it would be a good idea to feed the fish bacon, eggs and toast with syrup for breakfast. Of course, the fish died. But Amiya didn’t do any of these things.

“It wasn’t me, mommy. Honest! It was Mink.”

“Amiya”, Mrs. Green said ever so calmly, “If someone is doing bad things and make it seem like it’s you, then they are not your friend.”

Her parents didn’t want to stifle her imagination. After all, she was only 3 years old and an only child. They believed that children need imaginary friends.

Despite the trouble she got in with Mink, she always felt that Mink would keep her safe. But as time went on, Amiya started to make real friends, and she had new brothers and sisters. Mink was blamed for less and less problems and came around less and less often. By the time she was 10, Mink was all but a forgotten memory.

At the age of 25 Amiya was a famous author of children’s books featuring a beloved character named Blink. Although inspired by Mink, Amiya had not used that name in over a decade. It was while she was on a book tour that she told the world about Mink, and the trouble she got in when she was a child. This made the stories of Blink even more endearing. It also caught the attention of a long-lost friend.

Amiya was visiting her parents when the book tour was over. The sound of glass shattering as it hit the floor filled the entire house. It came from the kitchen. Amiya was the first one there. It was her mother’s favorite serving dish. It didn’t cost that much. Its value was all sentimental. She was about to use it to cook Amiya’s favorite meal.

“Amiya! What did you do?”

“It wasn’t me, mommy. Honest! It was Mink.”

They looked out the window and they both saw him. He was part bear, part fish, and part bird.