Shut

Chapter 2: Blockage in the Flow

Over the next 5 years, Tabby grew into her own little person, chock full of stubbornness. Elizabeth & Nicklaus jokingly say she was too stubborn to give up the night she was born & that's how she miraculously pulled through. She's the toughest toddler either side of their family have ever seen. She's had the usual tumbles & falls that all children do, but she's never scraped a knee or elbow, no bumps or bruises either, & she's never cried from any of her fumbles. She's also brave when it comes to getting her shots & doesn't shed a single tear. She swears in all honesty they don't even hurt. Elizabeth is sure she's just acting tough to make Nicklaus proud. She's definitely becoming a "Daddy's girl". Tabby loved her daddy very much. As soon as she was walking, she would be walking beside or right behind her father, babbling away. Anytime he'd misplace his wallet, keys, the TV remote, etc. little Tabby Jo would close her eyes for a "good think" & then would know exactly where to find the lost object, as if performing magic trick. Nick would ritualistically ruffle her hair & make a crack about her being The Seeker. The nickname he bestowed upon her with the famed single by The Who in mind, after this song & dance became a common occurrence. Once she was old enough of understanding, he showed her the song & from then on, she'd give a giggle when called her title. Most anyone could assume that her trick was only that she watched everything her Daddy did so intently, that when he set down or drop the item she'd see it & register where it was and patiently wait until he noticed it missing. Though when asked how she could find these things she'd reply that she simply close her eyes & really want them to be at the place she would find them. Anyone at all could see that making her Daddy proud was her reason for being.

Nicklaus would be lying to himself or whoever would hear him say that he didn't want a son, but that didn't mean he loved his daughter any less. Under the conditions Tabby was born, scared both Elizabeth & Nicklaus about having another child. Though neither one of them said this to one another, they both just understood this unspoken fear, Nick believed he probably had used up all his Heavenly favors the night she was born. With this in mind, subconscious or not, over her childhood, Nicklaus would teach Tabby lessons in life in the manner of Father & Son. Such as how to survive off the land, camping, hunting, fishing, mechanics, & all things he knew of those sorts. He would never be cruel with any of these lessons, but he was firm. Though Elizabeth wouldn't always agree on this. She would think he could be too cold & blunt with his words & lectures, but she would never say such a thing. She could tell that Tabby never took any of it that way. Elizabeth & anyone else could easily see how she would hang on to every bit of wisdom her father would hand out to her. Her daddy was the greatest sage of knowledge.

One sweet summer afternoon of 1999, while the magic of the millenia was closing in. Tabby was playing in her favorite spot near a small creek with just enough shade trees to keep the grass short or from growing at all in this small area. Upon arriving at the location in the backyard, she unknowingly made a rendezvous with a 4ft long Cottonmouth. Meeting the snakes gaze as it greeted her, she froze with fear. All she could do was shut her eyes tight & wish the snake away like it was just part of her overly active imagination (her imagination to her could often be awfully rude, always trying to give her a good scare in a new way). Go away, snake. Go away, scary snake. You're not here. Go away, go away, go away, GO AWAY, GO AWAY GO AWAY GOAWAY GOAWAYGOAWAY. GOAWAYGOAWAYGOAWAY. Then, with a chilled shudder down her spine, she knew it was gone. She just knew & sure enough when she opened her eyes, she was alone. There was no snake. As the saying goes, it was gone without a trace. Well, that settled it then. It was just her imagination, devilish little thing always trying to give her frights. She does what her daddy taught her to do with nightmares & scary yucky things. It's so relieving how simple it is. All she has to do is push them out & shut them behind the door & they never come back. She's done this with every boogie-man in her closet, under her bed, or outside her window, that her imagination has conjured to her late at night. She thanks God for her Daddy's lessons more than he'll ever know.