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Tiny, Blue Hat
Tiny, Blue Hat

Tiny, Blue Hat

BMArnoldBMArnold

The Jacobsons arrived home from the hospital to find a small cardboard box in front of their door. Inside the box was a tiny, blue stocking cap, nearly the right size to fit on little Emilia’s head. The gift had come from Aunt Stephanie, who had taken up crocheting and wanted to make something special for the new baby. Aunt Stephanie could be rather forgetful at times, thinking her brother was having a boy and not a girl, but her heart was in the right place.

When the Jacobsons put the tiny, blue hat on Emilia’s head, it sat rather like a large, blue afro; not quite as snug as a hat is supposed to fit. With curious fingers, Emilia grabbed the front rim of the cap and pulled it down over her face. That was the first little laugh she ever made.
 

A few years passed before the hat fit just right. Emilia wore it wherever she went. She would kick and scream anytime Mom and Dad would try to remove it from her head.

Even after she outgrew the hat, Emilia would still carry it with her everywhere she went. On her first day of kindergarten, Emilia stuffed her tiny, blue hat into her backpack. She was so excited to show the other kids her most prized possession.

The passing of years quickly came to pass. Emilia started to really enjoy school, as she made more and more friends. Most days, the tiny, blue hat stayed at home.
 

One day, Emilia stormed into her room without looking at Mom or Dad. She slammed her bedroom door. She had failed to make her middle school dance team.

“Everything okay, Emi?” Dad cautiously peeked around her door.

“Hhmh durr feihr dur purf mer,” she responded, her face buried in a pillow.

Dad found the tiny, blue hat sitting next to her on the bed. She still liked to sleep with it from time to time. Putting the little hat on the back of his hand, he made his hand into the shape of a talking mouth (as one would do for mouthing a sock puppet).

In a rather dopey voice, Dad said, “Hey now. Don’t be sad. You always have your friend, Mr. Gobo.”

Emilia couldn’t help but snort in laughter. “Mr. Gobo?”

“Yea. You know, like a hobo that’s on the go.”

“Dad…that one was terrible.”

“Yea, not too proud of that one either.”

Emilia sat up and smiled at him.

“Well what do you think we should name this little guy then?” he asked her.

“Mr. Gobo’s perfect.”
 

Emilia’s high school days were in full swing. She often came home late between dance team practice, marching band practice, basketball games, and just late nights hanging out with friends. The tiny, blue hat had been lost in the collage of nonsense that was now her bedroom.

Emilia, again, came home one day furious, holding back tears in her eyes. Dad went up to her bedroom and tapped on the closed door. He knew better now to knock before trying to come into her room.

“Emi?” he muttered.

“It’s nothing,” she snarled. “Go away.”

Against her wishes, Dad entered anyway. “Everything okay, sweetie?”

She stared at a corner of her room, unresponsive.

“Hey.” Dad began looking around her room. “Where’s that ‘ole hat? Where’s Mr. Gobo?”

“Oh my God. Can you shut up about that stupid hat? Just leave me alone, Robert!”

Dad left her room without saying another word.
 

“You sure she’s got everything, Margo?” Dad called down the stairs.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Mom said, heaving up the last full tote of clothes to pack into the car. “Now come on. We should get going before traffic picks up.”

“Be out in a sec.” Dad was sitting on the edge Emilia’s bed. He had scanned over the now empty room over and over again, ever since they had begun packing. He couldn’t believe the tiny, blue hat his daughter had loved since she was born, was now gone.

“Let’s go Dad,” Emilia burst into the room, dragging him back into reality.
 

“Are you sure you don’t want us to stick around and help you unpack?” Mom insisted, as they brought up the last of her things to her dorm room.

“Mom, please,” Emilia pleaded. “I think I can handle everything from here. You guys should get heading back anyway. Gotta get home by dark.” She winked at Dad.

“Sure you don’t want to run to the grocery store first, so we can get you all stocked up for the first semester or two?” Dad asked.

“I’ll be fine, Dad. Now go, go, go. Before anyone else sees you.”

Mom and Dad took turns hugging their daughter, until she was nearing the point of suffocation. Tears in their eyes, Mom and Dad meandered their way back to the car.

Emilia caught up with them in the parking lot, squeezing both of them from behind. “I love you guys,” she choked.
 

Once Mom and Dad left, Emilia went to unpacking her things. Examining the daunting task in front of her, and exhausted from the long drive, she decided to just lay on her new bed for a moment.

She snatched her handbag and began digging through it. From the bottom, Emilia pulled out the tiny, blue hat. She placed the little hat on the back of her hand and gazed at it smiling. It was the first thing she packed.

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About The Author
BMArnold
BMArnold
About This Story
Audience
All
Posted
26 Feb, 2022
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Words
910
Read Time
4 mins
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702

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