Alphabet Allie's Arc

Chapter 8 of 9

Allie kept walking until the trees thinned out and a garden appeared. Gladiolas stood in neat rows, their tall stalks heavy with blooms in pink and orange and deep red. The air smelled sweet and green. Allie stopped at the edge of the garden and watched a giraffe lean down to sniff the flowers. The giraffe's coat shimmered gold in the sunlight. She moved slowly between the flower beds, lowering her long neck to breathe in each scent. Allie stepped closer and noticed the giraffe wore a strange hat perched between her ears—layers of green and orange fabric stacked crooked and tall. The giraffe didn't seem to notice or care. She just kept sniffing, completely content. Allie felt something loosen in her chest. This giraffe didn't need anyone to understand why she loved the gladiolas. She just loved them. A hippo came charging around the corner of the garden bed. His own topsy-turvy hat hung so low it covered his eyes completely. He barreled forward, blind and oblivious. Allie shouted but the hippo kept coming. The giraffe looked up just in time and sidestepped, her gold coat flashing as she moved. The hippo thundered past and crashed into a wooden post at the garden's edge. His hat tumbled off and landed in the dirt. He blinked in the sudden light, looking confused. Allie ran over to make sure he was okay. The hippo shook his head and nudged his fallen hat with one foot. He didn't seem hurt, just embarrassed. Allie picked up the hat and handed it back to him, but this time she adjusted it so it sat higher on his head. He could see now. The hippo nodded his thanks and walked away more carefully. Allie turned back to the giraffe, who had returned to sniffing the gladiolas. She didn't need Allie's help or approval. She was fine on her own. But the hippo had needed something simple—a small adjustment that made his path clearer. Allie realized she didn't have to choose between loving letters for herself and helping others when they actually needed it. She could do both. The difference was knowing which was which.