THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ GALA

The old woman climbed the stairs that led to the attic. She moved quickly, reaching the top in less time than it would have taken someone half her age. She stopped on the last step and looked around. This room, with all it’s clutter, always had the same effect on her............she felt as if she’d just stepped back in time. Maybe it was seeing all the familiar objects. The things that had been such a part of her every day life as a young girl, growing up on the farm with Auntie Em and Uncle Henry. Maybe it was because there were so many memories tucked away in drawers and boxes, just waiting to be rediscovered. Whatever the reason, in this dusty old attic, the distance between the past and the present always seemed to disappear.

Something on the table by the window caught her eye. It was the little black hat that Auntie Em always wore when she was going out. Auntie Em wasn't a materialistic person, mind you, but when she saw that handsome little hat, in a storefront window in Collierville, her heart skipped a beat. Uncle Henry noticed how her face lit up as she tried it on. She saw him looking at her and quickly put it back on the mannequin. He bought it for her the following week.

The hat still smelled faintly of lavender...............Auntie Em's favorite fragrance.








Now where are my .............the words trailed off, as she lifted the parcel onto her lap, and untied the faded ribbons. She carefully brought the small figures out of the box and lined them up across the table. Hickory had carved them for her, after the cyclone. She had described her friends to him, and he carved every detail to her specifications. She held them in her hand now, and studied them carefully, one by one.









She finally found the trunk she'd climbed all those stairs for. Uncle Henry's straw hat sat on top. She picked up the hat, wrapped her arms around it and hugged it to her body. She closed her eyes and pictured Uncle Henry working in the sun, with a fringe of white hair peeking out from under that straw hat. He only took it off to eat and sleep.

She missed Auntie Em and Uncle Henry.



Then she pried open the trunk, lifted the lid..........and peeked inside. OH MY! Had it really been seventy years since the cyclone had swirled the farm house right out of Kansas, and dropped it (with her inside) in that beautiful, yet sometimes frightening place, far, far away?







She often dreamed of going back. There were constant reminders. Why, even the dandelions, growing in the lane, reminded her of the "Yellow Brick Road."









She began pulling things from the trunk. "My old picnic basket," she cried. It had been a favorite hiding place for Toto, her beloved dog.

She missed Toto.











She shivered a little, as she uncovered the next two items. The broom and cape were the spoils of a quest, that resulted in life altering, self discovery for each of the four friends.








She found the testimonial that the Wizard had given the Scarecrow.......in recognition of his prowess as a deep thinker.





the heart medallion that the Tin Man had received, in recognition of his great capacity to love, but more importantly, to be loved.





Of course, his heart was so tender that tears would flow at the drop of a hat........necessitating the constant availability of an oil can, lest he rust solid.



She unwrapped a little gold case. Inside she found the "Medal Of Valor" the Wizard had awarded her feline friend, the Lion................whose unflinching courage in the face of danger, had saved them all.

She missed her friends.




She wrestled the Ruby Slippers free of the layers of old newspaper that covered them. Even in the fading light, from the attic's one small window........they still sparkled after all these years.







As she gazed at the shiny shoes, the words she had spoken so many years ago, flashed across her mind

"If you ever go looking for your heart's desire, look no further than your own back yard, because...............................................THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME!"

She had lived the last seventy years of her life right here, on this little farm, in the middle of Kansas.

She paused, seemingly lost in thought...............



Then the old woman eased herself into the threadbare old arm chair that used to sit in the parlor........pulled on the Ruby Slippers............closed her eyes..................and

drifted off
OVER THE RAINBOW.

..........................................................................................................................................................................
The sepia toned pictures at the beginning of my story, are a reference to the 1939 movie. that was shot in TECHNICOLOR, with the exception of the opening farm and cyclone scenes, which were done in sepia. The film makes the change from sepia to color as Dorothy opens the farm house door, after the cyclone drops them in Oz.
My pictures change from sepia to color when Dorothy opens the trunk.

The movie "THE WIZARD OF OZ" was adapted from the book "THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ" written by L. Frank Baum.

Here are two examples of early editions.

Judy Garland, as DOROTHY holding TOTO.

Original movie poster from 1939.

and

Original 1939 cast.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Kay


Many thanks to Twyla and Lindsey for hosting today's WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ GALA.
Be sure to visit TWO CRAZY CRAFTERS for links to all the Emerald City fun.