Short Stories for kids: Change
Sara stood in the middle of the stage with a mic in her hands. Nervously, she kept tucking her hair behind her ear even when they were not falling over her face. She knew the words, the music, the cues; she has practiced it a thousand times yet she is unable to get the words out now.
She was waiting for that familiar comfort brought by the presence of her best friend, Clare. She was waiting for that annoying fist bump and Clare’s words, ‘let’s do this. I am getting hungry.” She kept wrapping and unwrapping her fingers around the pic while trying to sing. She knew everyone was waiting for her to start but even she was waiting.
She was waiting even though she knew it was futile. She was waiting even when she herself bid her goodbye that same morning and saw her drive off with her parents to a new city. She teared up. With her head down, she brought the mic closer to her and whispered, ‘sorry’ before turning and planning to walk out of the stage.
She turned and crashed into someone who said, “Let’s do this. It’s been a long ride and I am famished.”
Gasping, she looked up and saw her best friend, Clare, grinning at her. She couldn’t believe her eyes.
“Wh…wha…. H…how,” She mumbled in shock.
“Later gator,” said clare poking her forehead, “We gotta do this. Are you ready?”
Sara Bear hugged Clare for a second before turning back to the audience and apologized properly for the delay. Clare took her Guitar as Sara held her mic firmly and together they started their performance. It was a flawless blend of Clare’s rhythm and Sara’s lyrics. The audience cheered. They ended up doing one more song for the crowd for their overwhelming response.
Once out of the venue, Sara jumped at Clare and squeezed her tightly.
“I can’t breathe.” Said Clare trying to get Sara’s hair out of her face.
Sara let her go briefly before entwining her hand with hers. They walked to the nearest café all the while talking.
“We were almost half way to the new city when suddenly papa changed lanes and before we could register it, he took a U-turn and said, ‘There are things in life that can wait to happen and then there are things that need to happen at the time for it to become special moments and nudge you gently to become the best version of yourself that you can be.”
“Wow… that was deep.” Said Sara.
“Yeah, he doesn’t say much but when he does, make sure to listen to it intently.” Said Clare.
“So where are they now? I didn’t see them at the venue or after the show.” Asked Sara.
“You would have seen them sitting with your parents much before I entered the stage if only you were not sulking.” Teased Clare.
“I wasn’t sulking.” Huffed Sara.
“You were. Tell me, would you have really walked out of the stage if I hadn’t showed up?” asked Clare seriously.
Sara kept her eyes downward and whispered, “Yeah, I guess so.”
Neither said a word for some time before Sara continued, “I… I thought I could do it. But when I stood there on the stage, I looked beside me instinctively and you were not there. I think that was the moment that it truly hit me that you were gone.”
“You were miles away. I think it was then that I realized we won’t have café meet ups or spend the night at each other’s place. We won’t be listening to songs together with one set of earphones or making music, writing lyrics anymore.”
“I guess I didn’t realize how big a part of my life you are until you were no longer standing beside me. And, that realization shook me.”
“I wanted to ugly cry and curl up in my room. I wanted to run after you. I wanted to stay and finish our song. There were so many thoughts going on in my head, so many emotions running through me. I just felt lost, you know.”
“I know. I totally get it.” Said Clare giving Sara a side hug. They both sat there with Sara keeping her head on Clare’s shoulder and Clare keeping hers on Sara’s head.
After a moment, Clare said, “It’s been difficult for me too. I never told you but I have had the worst fight with mom and dad when they first told me about moving to a new city. I didn’t want to go. All my friends, Gramps, family, you, and everything is here. We went days without talking with each other because I refused to listen to anything they had to say if it wasn’t, ‘we are not moving’.”
“I swear mom was ready to tie me up and put me in a suitcase if it meant I would move but gramps and dad stopped her. Later that night, Dad came to talk to me and we had a long talk. He listened to everything I had to say, let me cry. He even let me wipe my snot on his shirt though he did make a face at his ruined shirt.” Laughed Clare.
“Then what made you agree to the move?” asked Sara.
“Dad made me agree. He told me that sometimes it’s difficult to accept change but it is necessary to go through it. It may not be what you want or what you expected but it might just be what you need. So try the change, who knows you might like it at the end. Also, a change in your location need not mean a change in your friendship status. As long as you are willing to put in an effort, it will survive and become stronger than it ever was. It goes for all your relations”
“I think I would like to try it too.” Said Sara quietly and they both walked back to Sara’s home with a heavy but happy and hopeful heart.
Moral of the Story:
In this story kids get to learn that everything in the world keeps chandding and we need to find ways to deal with them. In this story, the kids talk to their parents and family members to handle change
ABOUT THE AUTHOR OF THIS SHORT STORY:
Manisha Sanghi - A lively mom to a witty toddler who loves baking not only stories but also cookies and cakes
Why Short Stories for kids:
Short stories are a great way to teach life lessons to kids and build conversations about relevant topics.
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