Come Back To Us, Spiders
"DIEGOOOO! G-GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!" Ramon is too scared to try and brush it off himself and he looks on in wide-eyed disgust and terror as the multi-legged creature crawls its way up his pantleg. Diego, ever the willing hero to his five-year old brother, leans down and scoops the spider off, but instead of taking it outside immediately, or even killing it, Diego just loosely closes his fist around it. Holding it, but not crushing it.
"You okay, Ramon?" Diego's free hand reaches up to pat his brother's shoulder reassuringly. The smaller boy sniffles and nods, hastily wiping away his tears. Diego always tells him it's okay to cry, but he likes to try and do it as little as possible around his sibling; he wants to be brave like him. Diego nods, then looks back down at his hand that holds the arachnid that had snuck up on Ramon.
"Now why were you so scared?" Ramon knows that he's not going to tease him with this, or torment him with the creature; Diego wouldn't do that. So he considers his answer. Why had it scared him so much? He puts a finger in his mouth at he ponders this, brow knitting as well.
"I-I don't know. It scared me b-because I just looked an-and there it was! And it's all small and black and crawly. I don't like it, Diego." The last portion of that comes out as a small whimper. Diego nods, but doesn't look up from his fist that currently has the offending arachnid ensnared.
"Surprises like that are never much fun. But you don't have to be scared of them, Ramon. Did you know that spiders are good?" When the five-year old shakes his head, the older brother continues. "They help keep bugs under control, for one thing. But there's a lot more about them than just that. I heard that they're good luck." He smiles at the raised-eyebrow expression he gets in response. "Yeah! There's all kinds of happy things that a spider can bring. There's lots and lots of old sayings about how seeing or finding a spider will bring you anything from money, good fortune, friends or even a longer life! Or tell you about things that are about to happen. I read it in a book."
As he continues, and making sure that Ramon's prepared for it, Diego gradually lets his fingers uncurl, showing the black spider sitting in his palm. The smaller boy recoils immediately, and Diego doesn't force him to stay close. In his own good time. In the meantime, he eventually starts to move his hand to keep the crawling spider situated on top.
"Look at how she moves, Ramon." Because all spiders are girls by default. "How she works all of those little, eight legs all together. Can you imagine trying to run when you have eight legs? That'd be hard, wouldn't it?" Diego laughs as he says that, nodding encouragingly when Ramon cracks a smile as well at the absurd thought. "And you've seen spider webs, right? They can be sort of gross to walk into, of course, but they can be so pretty. How such a little, tiny animal like this can make something so beautiful."
At this point, the spider has paused in its scurrying to rest once more. Ramon, biting his lower lip, finally chances taking a closer look, stepping forward once again and leaning down to peer at it. He can see its little mandibles moving almost thoughtfully, and the sort of silly-looking beady eyes. It almost looks like it's wearing a perpetual, puzzled expression. Ramon smiles some more as he studies it. "It has a weird mouth, Diego." His brother laughs and nods again at this observation.
The five-year old studies it a bit longer, biting his lower lip, before he finally asks, "...Can I hold it, Diego?" His older brother nods one more time, still smiling, then instructs for Ramon to hold out his hand.
"Just tell me when you're ready and I'll let her crawl onto you instead."
Ramon does so hesitantly, but then adds, "Take it b-back if I don't want it anymore, okay?" Translation being: 'if it turns out I'm still freaked out by a spider being on me, get it off, quick.' Diego is, of course, fluent in these sort of statements from his little brother, then mutters a warning as the spider starts moving again. It's not long before it's scurried onto the smaller boy's palm instead. Ramon yelps a little, and jumps too, when it first make contact. And he looks like he's considering telling Diego to take it back right now, but he waits. Watches how it moves, skittering along, moving in a strangely fluid, weaving pattern, as though hurrying about like an old lady who forgot where she put something and is trying to find it.
"She tickles!" Ramon is smiling now, turning his hand over at the wrist like his brother had done, making sure that the spider stays on top. Diego sits back on his heels, watching and letting his sibling play with the little arachnid.
"See? Nothing to be afraid of."
"You okay, Ramon?" Diego's free hand reaches up to pat his brother's shoulder reassuringly. The smaller boy sniffles and nods, hastily wiping away his tears. Diego always tells him it's okay to cry, but he likes to try and do it as little as possible around his sibling; he wants to be brave like him. Diego nods, then looks back down at his hand that holds the arachnid that had snuck up on Ramon.
"Now why were you so scared?" Ramon knows that he's not going to tease him with this, or torment him with the creature; Diego wouldn't do that. So he considers his answer. Why had it scared him so much? He puts a finger in his mouth at he ponders this, brow knitting as well.
"I-I don't know. It scared me b-because I just looked an-and there it was! And it's all small and black and crawly. I don't like it, Diego." The last portion of that comes out as a small whimper. Diego nods, but doesn't look up from his fist that currently has the offending arachnid ensnared.
"Surprises like that are never much fun. But you don't have to be scared of them, Ramon. Did you know that spiders are good?" When the five-year old shakes his head, the older brother continues. "They help keep bugs under control, for one thing. But there's a lot more about them than just that. I heard that they're good luck." He smiles at the raised-eyebrow expression he gets in response. "Yeah! There's all kinds of happy things that a spider can bring. There's lots and lots of old sayings about how seeing or finding a spider will bring you anything from money, good fortune, friends or even a longer life! Or tell you about things that are about to happen. I read it in a book."
As he continues, and making sure that Ramon's prepared for it, Diego gradually lets his fingers uncurl, showing the black spider sitting in his palm. The smaller boy recoils immediately, and Diego doesn't force him to stay close. In his own good time. In the meantime, he eventually starts to move his hand to keep the crawling spider situated on top.
"Look at how she moves, Ramon." Because all spiders are girls by default. "How she works all of those little, eight legs all together. Can you imagine trying to run when you have eight legs? That'd be hard, wouldn't it?" Diego laughs as he says that, nodding encouragingly when Ramon cracks a smile as well at the absurd thought. "And you've seen spider webs, right? They can be sort of gross to walk into, of course, but they can be so pretty. How such a little, tiny animal like this can make something so beautiful."
At this point, the spider has paused in its scurrying to rest once more. Ramon, biting his lower lip, finally chances taking a closer look, stepping forward once again and leaning down to peer at it. He can see its little mandibles moving almost thoughtfully, and the sort of silly-looking beady eyes. It almost looks like it's wearing a perpetual, puzzled expression. Ramon smiles some more as he studies it. "It has a weird mouth, Diego." His brother laughs and nods again at this observation.
The five-year old studies it a bit longer, biting his lower lip, before he finally asks, "...Can I hold it, Diego?" His older brother nods one more time, still smiling, then instructs for Ramon to hold out his hand.
"Just tell me when you're ready and I'll let her crawl onto you instead."
Ramon does so hesitantly, but then adds, "Take it b-back if I don't want it anymore, okay?" Translation being: 'if it turns out I'm still freaked out by a spider being on me, get it off, quick.' Diego is, of course, fluent in these sort of statements from his little brother, then mutters a warning as the spider starts moving again. It's not long before it's scurried onto the smaller boy's palm instead. Ramon yelps a little, and jumps too, when it first make contact. And he looks like he's considering telling Diego to take it back right now, but he waits. Watches how it moves, skittering along, moving in a strangely fluid, weaving pattern, as though hurrying about like an old lady who forgot where she put something and is trying to find it.
"She tickles!" Ramon is smiling now, turning his hand over at the wrist like his brother had done, making sure that the spider stays on top. Diego sits back on his heels, watching and letting his sibling play with the little arachnid.
"See? Nothing to be afraid of."