Ema's Key

In a small town a ways outside of a big city, down a street only known by a few stood a large farm house. It was an old white house with cranberry colored shutters, and a cranberry colored barn to match. In this house lived a family of four, the smallest of whom was named Ema.

Ema was six years old. She had grey eyes, long brown hair that went all the way down to her waist, and she always wore a dress. Ema loved to find odd things and keep them just for herself, things that she only knew about; like pink bottle caps, pretty white buttons, gold string, or a few old green pennies that she found in her driveway. Ema stored them in a small box that she found in her basement, and she hid this box through a door just big enough for her that led to a small space under her stairs. No one knew of her little box of treasures, not her parents, not even her older brother. It was her secret.

One day Ema’s mother brought home a movie called “The Secret Garden”, she loved movies where girls always wore long pretty dresses and lived in big maze-like houses. Her favorite part is where the little girl finds a room no one knew about, and inside she found a key that belonged to a mysterious locked door in the yard. Ema loved the movie so much that she watched it over and over for two days straight, until her mother had to bring it back to the video store. Ema was sad that the movie was gone but she never stopped thinking or dreaming about it. When Ema played with her dolls she’d pretend they would find keys to their own gardens. The more Ema thought about it, the more Ema wanted to find a key that led to some place secret.

An afternoon not to long after, Ema was sitting underneath the dining room table eating candy that she had hidden there a few days before, when she noticed something by one of the legs of the table. It was a key. Ema was so excited she almost hit her head on the table. She looked around to make sure no one else was aware of her discovery and then she snuck over to her secret place under the stairs.

As she sat on a dusty cardboard box Ema looked at the key she had found, it was small and rusty. It has to be old, Ema thought. But where does it go to? A box, a room? A Garden? She decided to keep the key hidden and not tell any one until she could figure out what this key went to, so she put the key into her box beside her bottle caps and buttons.

While she was putting her box away Ema’s mother called her into the kitchen for lunch, as Ema was opening the door from underneath the stairs she looked around to make sure no one would see her. Everyone was in the kitchen so she quietly closed the door and joined her family. She sat between her mother and her father, barely tall enough to sit at the table without the help of a booster seat. Ema’s mother had made peanut butter and fluff sandwich with the crust cut off, Ema’s favorite.

“What are your plans today dear?” asked her mother to her father,

“I think I’m just going to get work done in the vegetable garden.” He answered.

“How about you Ema? Do you have any plans for today?” her mother asked, and just before she could answer her older brother Jason butted in and said,

“It better not be that girly movie again.”

“Jason.” Her mother replied in a stern voice,” Ema you should go outside and play, it’s a beautiful day,” she said as she stood up to put her empty plate and cup in the sink.

After lunch Ema went back to the stairs to look at her key again but the door was open with her mom’s legs sticking out, she was looking for an old teakettle that she kept in their for storage. Ema was so afraid that her mom would find her box, better yet the key that was inside. As the minutes passed Ema was peeking around corners, behind couches, or underneath tables using her binoculars she got in a happy meal to get a real close look to keep an eye on her mother. Shortly after her mother came out with the teakettle, walking towards the kitchen to wash it up; leaving the stair door open. As soon as her mother was out of sight Ema made a mad dash for the door and quickly shut it behind her. She found her box where she had left it and counted her treasures inside to make sure they were all there including the key. Once she was sure that nothing was taken, Ema made a list of places to look for a door that the key could go to. At the top of her list of Secret Places Ema put the backyard, the barn, the attic, her parent’s room, and lastly basement.

After Ema finished her list, she gathered together some things she might need on her hunt: a lantern to see in the dark, sunglasses for outside in the backyard, a sweater if it got cold, one of her dolls to keep her company, and a few pieces of candy from underneath the dining room table incase she got hungry. Ema tried to fit all her stuff in her backpack but there was too much, so she went upstairs and got her suitcase that she put all her dress up clothes in. Everything fit with room to spare. Before Ema left she put her list in her sock, where no one could find it; and took her gold string from her box to put the key on it and tied it around her neck.

Ema’s first stop was to search the backyard, so she put her sunglasses on and started at the porch, she look all around and thought that she should look underneath too. Ema got out her lantern and crawled in; she found some smooth rocks and one of her brother’s toy cars, but no doors. Ema moved on putting the toy car and the rocks in her suitcase. She then turned to the vegetable garden; it was a big garden with every kind of vegetable, including corn, potatoes, and peppers. The garden was surrounded by a white fence. Ema went up to the gate to see if it had a lock or key hole but there was none. Ema stepped inside, weaving in and around the corn stalks she still didn’t find anything the key went to, but along the way she found a bag of seeds and a silver spoon so into the suitcase they went. The last place she looked in the backyard was the shed. The door to the shed had a lock but Ema tried the key and it didn’t fit, and she couldn’t get inside to look for other things the key may go to because the door was locked so again Ema moved on.

Ema walk over to the barn and was able to open the big cranberry door enough to squeeze herself in. The barn didn’t have many windows so she got her lantern out once more and she also stopped to tell her doll that the barn isn’t a scary place. Ema searched and found her dads tool box, it too had a key hole but again Ema’s key didn’t fit. Ema then climbed a ladder leading up to the second floor of the barn and found a few old chairs some of her baby toys and furniture with key holes that did not fit Ema’s key. As Ema was leaving she found a door knob, it was clear much like the diamond ring her mother wears on her finger; so Ema took it and placed it into her suitcase. Before leaving the barn Ema took her list from her sock to see the next place to look, it was the attic, so she picked up her suitcase and headed inside.

When Ema went inside she snuck by her parents, who were at the counter snapping green beans, by quietly crawling across the floor. When she reached the door that led to the attic, Ema turned on her lantern once again and took a deep breath. The second she opened the door a hot, damp breeze surrounded her. As Ema climbed the stairs she got more and more afraid when they squeaked under her. Looking around the attic Ema saw lots and lots of boxes, Am I going to have to look in all of these? Ema thought. She decided to start on one end and work her way around, as she looked she found that most of the boxes were piled on top of one another, and were much too heavy for her to lift, so she looked past them and kept scanning across the room. Up against the wall Ema found a chest with a key hole that had all kinds of books on top of it. When she removed the books Ema placed her key in the key hole of the chest, only to find that her key was much too small for it. Even though her key didn’t fit the chest Ema was still able to open it. Inside there were all kinds of things: like a china set, doilies, and a small tin picture of a beautiful woman wearing a dress just like the ones in the movie The Secret Garden. So into the suitcase the picture went. Ema continued to search but found nothing more than old sewing manikin, guitar, and a few album records, so Ema grabbed her suitcase and descended back down the stairs.

Ema was glad to be back down stairs, it was too hot up in the attic. She turned off her lantern while walking down the hallway towards her parent’s room. Opening the door she found it to be clean and tidy, as usual. Ema decided to be extra careful so that she didn’t leave anything out of place. Starting at her mother’s dresser, she noticed her mother’s jewelry box had a key hole but Ema’s key was too fat. She opened it up to see all her mother’s jewelry sparkling in the light. Then she remembered her mother telling her that she wasn’t allowed to play with them until she was old enough, so she closed the box and continued to search. Ema looked under the bed, under the pillows, and even inside the bed side tables but found nothing. The last placed she decided to look was the closet. Ema crawled inside underneath all the hanging clothes and between the dozens of enormous shoes. Ema looked in all four corners of the closet but found nothing more than a few strains of pink and blue ribbon. These could come in handy, she thought as she placed them into her suitcase. Then Ema realized that there was only one more place to look, The Basement.

Before going in the basement Ema put on her sweater, and took out her lantern and doll from the suitcase and put her suitcase in her secret place under the stairs. Ema held her doll close to her as she went down the basement stairs, they squeaked more and more as it got colder. She quietly looked around trying not to walk into any spider webs. There was nothing down here but onions and potatoes piled high in baskets, so Ema turned around to walk back upstairs. Suddenly the furnace turned on with a loud GRRRRRRR, scaring Ema up the stairs and into the dining room.

She sat under the dining room table snacking some more her hidden candy, feeling sad. She couldn’t find the place where her key went to. Just when she was about to give up she noticed the cabinet that was next to the table had a small door with a key hole. Ema’s heart jumped, she crawled over to the cabinet door making sure no one could see her and put the key in the key hole. It Fit! Ema turned the key and the door swung open.

Inside were two shelves full of secret stuff, but the one thing that caught her attention was a card that was marked, To: Ema. Ema picked up the card, looking around the room again, she couldn’t see anyone but she felt like she was being watched. She opened the card and it read:

Dear Ema,

I know how much you like the Secret Garden. Yet I am not able to give you a garden of your own, I can give you a place to keep all your secret treasures as well as the things you need to keep your secrets safe. A lock and key to secure your secret box. A journal to record all your adventures which is protected with a lock and key, and lastly a necklace with a pouch attached, to keep your secret keys close. I enjoy secret treasures as much as you do, so your secret is safe with me.

Love your Secret Admirer

Ema was so excited to try out her new cabinet of treasures, and start writing in her new journal, starting with today’s adventure. Ema ran into the space under the stairs and grabbed her secret box and her suitcase and brought them over to the cabinet. She put her box, the door knob, spoon, and the tin picture on the top shelf; and the car, smooth rocks, ribbons, and the seeds on the bottom shelf. Then she took the card, and locked the cabinet door placing all three keys in her pouch and put it around her neck. After she read the card from her Secret Admirer again Ema pondered; I wonder who my secret admirer is? I wonder if my secret is really safe? Ema sat and thought and thought, realizing the hand writing looked very familiar but from who? Just then Ema’s mother called her into the kitchen, so Ema placed her card in her suitcase and hid it under the table.

When Ema entered into the kitchen she saw her mother place an ice cream Sunday on the table.

“I thought you might like a treat before it gets too late.” Her mother said. A big grin came across Ema face as she ran towards the table to dig in,

“Thank you Mumma!” she said.

“My. What a beautiful necklace,” her mother said, “I wonder what secrets you must have in there,” as she gave Ema a sly wink of her eye. Ema’s Sunday covered mouth dropped, because with that wink Ema realized who her Secret Admirer was; and she knew that all her secrets would be safe. So Ema may not have found a secret garden to go along with her key, but she was just as happy with a place to put all of her secret things that only she could open with her secret key.