Also, since I do sort of pull back the curtain on the writing process, I wanted to write a quick word about our protagonist's name. Hans Christian Andersen, the author of Thumbelina, was Dutch. Thumbelina's other name in his original story was "Tiny" and tiny in Dutch is "lille bitte". So, our protagonist's name is Lilly. Sometimes it's the little things that matter.
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| Now imagine that a tiny girl was inside this flower. |
Lilly often begged her mother for the story of her birth. Smiling, Flora would always tell it. "I was a young woman who wanted a child, but I was unable to have one. One day, I came across a woman selling flower seeds. She said that she could sell me my heart's desire."
"But you didn't believe her," Lilly cut in.
Flora laughed. "Not at first, no. But I told her anyway that I wanted a child. She looked me up and down and nodded once, and then started rummaging through her bags. Finally, she pulled out a small, brown bulb. She told me to plant it in a pot inside my house and to give it a little of whatever I was eating for three days. Well, I'm not sure why, but I went home and did just as she said. After three days, a little shoot started growing. I watered it and talked to it."
"Talked to me!" Lilly insisted.
Flora smiled. "Yes, although I didn't know it was you yet. The shoot grew bigger and a little flower bud started to grow. It was folded up tight, though, and it wouldn't bloom. Until one day, I saw it bloom all at once and there you were, fast asleep in the middle."
"And then I woke up and said, 'Hello, Mother.'"
"Yes, you did," Flora replied.
"And you were so glad to have your wish granted," Lilly said, smiling as big as she could. "I'm a wish come true!"
"Yes you are," Flora said, looking at the flower pot that had grown Lilly and was now turned upside down to serve as Lilly's bedroom.
Lilly had as normal of a childhood as Flora could give her. Flora quickly realized that she couldn't send Lilly to school. Lilly was much too small to be safe from the other children when they were young and rambunctious, and anyway, Lilly was forming full sentences in her first day. What grade would she go into? So, Flora did her best to teach Lilly at home and she encouraged Lilly to read whatever interested her. Flora bought Lilly a smart phone so Lilly could use it as a computer.
The years passed and Lilly discovered a knack for singing and talking along with movies. She decided she wanted to be a movie star. Flora wasn't sure how to make that happen, but Lilly started posting videos of herself online. She performed monologues from Shakespeare. She sang Top 40 hits. She knew she was something special, and people took notice almost immediately. It wasn't long before Lilly was on talk shows. Proving that, yes, she really was that small. All it took was saying on the air that she wanted to be a movie star and agents were calling and emailing her.
Lilly and Flora picked Dave Jackson to be her agent. He seemed like the best out of the bunch. He was as good as his word. He got Lilly a cameo in a movie two weeks later. After that, when Lilly chatted with the director and anyone else on set that she could, she started getting real roles. Soon she was cast as the lead.
Everything was going great. Lilly barely noticed when Flora started slowing down. Flora used to be at every filming, every premiere. But she started staying home more. Lilly hired someone to help around the house, but Flora still seemed to be tired all the time. When Flora finally went to the doctor, there wasn't much they could do.
"My heart's just giving out," Flora explained to Lilly.
"But there's got to be something to fix it," Lilly replied, blinking hard. "We can pay for it, whatever it is."
Flora chuckled and shook her head. "Money can't buy everything, my dear. Let's just enjoy the time we have left."
Lilly stopped acting so she could spend more time with Flora. They hired a nurse when Flora started having trouble walking. Lilly sang all of Flora's favorite songs. But eventually, the day came when Flora looked at Lilly and said, "You were my wish come true, little Lilly. I love you." Then she closed her eyes and never opened them again.
Lilly was heartbroken. Her friends all tried to come see her, but the only one she wanted to talk to was Harvey. He had written the music for her last few movies and he had never treated her like anything other than an actress and a singer. Lilly knew everyone else acted like she was different, but Harvey never did. It was through Harvey's help that Lilly started to get back on her feet. And Harvey was the one who suggested she check on her finances.
Among all of the medical bills were bills for things Lilly didn't remember buying. Lilly told the police and the money led back to her agent, Dave Jackson. The trial was long, but he ended up in jail and Lilly got her money back. She acted in a few movies after that, but anyone could see that her heart wasn't in it anymore. She let herself fade away from the public eye.
Lilly spent her time at home. She and Flora had never left the home Lilly had been born in. Moving was never worth the hassle, and a smaller house was better for Lilly than the mansions of most movie stars. With two-hour online deliveries and a revolving door of staff, Lilly never needed to leave the house and she never got to know her latest maid or butler before they left.
Harvey came to call one day when Lilly had just been left by her latest servant. Harvey had knocked, rung the bell, and waited, before finally trying the door. He looked around and found that Lilly had left the working doll house they'd set up for her and she was walking across the dining room carpet.
"Thank God it's you," she said. "Put me back on the table."
Harvey set his hand down for Lilly to step onto and he moved it up to the table, where she stepped off. "Shutting yourself away like this isn't healthy," Harvey said.
Lilly laughed. "I can't go anywhere by myself. I can't drive, and the farthest I can walk is the next house over. They have a dog who loves me a little too much."
"You keep running off your servants?" Harvey asked.
Lilly sniffed. "It doesn't concern me what other people choose to do or where they choose to work."
"And I suppose you don't want to go back to acting?"
Lilly turned to Harvey. "Harvey. Look at me. I'm not the adorable little girl I was. Now I'm just little. What would there be for me in a movie? No one wants to cast the old actresses and no one wants to have to rewrite their script for a washed up has been."
"How's your voice?" Harvey asked.
"Fine," Lilly muttered, turning away.
"Do you still have a piano?"
"Assuming the last maid didn't sell it," Lilly replied.
"Come with me," Harvey said, holding out his hand.
Sighing, Lilly stepped onto his hand and let him take her into the living room. There was the same upright piano that Flora had used to teach Lilly how to sing. Harvey set her down on top of it. Then he sat down and started playing.
Slowly, Lilly began to sing along. Her voice grew stronger and anyone could hear that she could still give herself over to the music. That in music, it didn't matter what size she was. Her voice could soar just like anyone else's. The song ended and Harvey went right into another one. Lilly sang that one too. They kept going until Lilly's throat started getting dry. Harvey got up to get her a tiny glass of water.
He waited until she had finished drinking it. Then he asked, "Do you want to give music a try?"
Lilly set the water glass down. "Harvey, I think you're the best friend I've ever had."
Harvey smiled at her. "I'll take that as a yes. I'll come back tomorrow and we'll figure out how you want to do this."
Harvey brought Lilly back to her house on the dining room table. "Harvey?" Lilly asked.
"Yes?" he asked.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome," he replied. "I'll see you tomorrow."
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