billy and the purple cow

billy doesn't smile. he doesn't talk to anyone. it's not that he can't talk, he just stopped talking ever since his mommy died. when he is at school, he goes about the activities quietly. his classmates have learned to accept that although he plays with them, he just wouldn't talk.

one day, the teacher mrs. bell and her assistant take the children to the toy museum. the children take in the exhibits with excitement and each child wishes he or she would have such and such toys. at the very moment billy sees the purple cow, he smiles and points it to the boy next to him. the boy laughs because who wants to play with a purple cow? the other children laugh, too. billy shrugs his shoulders and stays where the purple cow is displayed. 

"hello, billy." billy hears someone say. he peers closely at the purple toy cow and sees that it is smiling at him. he rubs his eyes in disbelief and when the purple cow tells him "boo-yah!" and laughs, billy starts to laugh, too. when he passes the gift shop, he hears a "psssst!" and he sees the purple cow standing on top of a heap of toys with a 'clearance' sign. "buy me!" it says. but billy only has four quarters in his pocket. the manager sees billy and asks billy what he wants to buy. billy looks at the cow then shows his four quarters to the manager. the manager smiles, goes around the counter to the cash register and rings in a sale of $1.00. billy puts the four quarters on the counter and takes the purple cow with him.

"what do you want to do?" asks the purple cow. "i want to see my mommy," replies billy.

outside, there is a sudden downpour and mrs. bell and the children have to stay in the bus shelter and wait for the rain to stop. it does not take long and the sun peeks through the grey clouds. billy turns around and sees the most beautiful rainbow he has ever seen. he looks at the purple cow in his hand, it is smiling at him. billy smiles, too, and he turns to mrs. bell and points at the rainbow. "look, mrs. bell," billy says to everyone's surprise, "there's a rainbow!" mrs. bell and everybody was happy that billy is talking. billy looks again at the purple cow in his hand, and he hears it say, "your mommy is in heaven, billy, and she's smiling at you through the rainbow." billy smiles and waves at the rainbow! all the children start to wave at the rainbow, too!
- © vikki summerfield 2014