Originally posted:

Mar 23, 2012   

My Frog… Prince?

“Okay, froggie,” eight year old Olga Hemmingway slammed the book close in her hands. She crouched down as she looked at the green frog inside the small glass fish bowl. “Let’s see if you’re really a frog prince.”

Olga dipped her hand inside the bowl but a piercing shriek made her stop what she was about to do.

“OLGA MARIA HEMMINGWAY!” A thin fair complexioned woman with short dark brown hair trudged angrily along the pathway towards the small pond they have in their backyard.

“Yes, Mom?” Olga asked innocently.

“You have been using my makeup again!” She started to rub the lipstick and eye shadow off her daughter’s face, smudging everything all over the place.

“No, I didn’t!”

“You little brat! I want you to wash your face right this instant!”

Her Mom immediately collected the makeup kit and went back inside the house, slamming the door hard. She could still hear her mother screaming inside. Olga kneeled down on the grass. She stared at the frog and smiled, showing her little gap tooth in the middle.

She took a deep breath and took the small fairytale book behind her. It was her favorite bed time story. While most girls went with Cinderella, Sleeping beauty, Snowhite or Beauty and the Beast, she felt like she mostly connected with the princess in the frog prince story much more than all the other fairytales she have read about.

Her memory floated back in the first grade when Helga Marano poured some orange juice all over her back in the cafeteria, calling her all kinds of names in front of all the kids crowded around her who were just laughing non-stop.

“You will never ever find a prince, Olga.” Helga sneered.

Those were her last words. Olga remained seated in front of the table, her favorite white dress soaked in orange juice. She started crying. Her tiny little hands found their way to her silver tiara on the top of her head. The laughter finally died down and every one had already gone back to their tables. However, there was one light brown haired boy staring at her who was seated at the next table by her.

 Harry Irving.

 That cute boy who lives next door.  Although he never got the courage to talk to her, even though they saw each other every day in school.

He bit into his dinner roll and averted his eyes as soon as Olga looked at him. She took the tiara off her head and placed it slowly on her paper plate filled with untouched chicken tenders and corn.

“Okay, that’s enough,” She wiped a little tear in the corner of her eye. She slipped her hand inside the bowl to pick up the frog. “Let’s see if you’ll turn into a prince after I kiss you.”

She lifted the frog directly in front of her face. Her lip curled in disgust as she realized how green and slimy it was.

“Any last words?” She whispered.

It just croaked.

Olga swallowed hard and took a deep breath. Was she really ready to kiss a disgusting, slimy green frog? Fairytales can make you believe that it can happen in real life. Her mom told her that. Every night as she went to sleep, she was always reminded that fairytales do come true. Everyone can have their own happily ever after and every girl will have her own prince someday.

“You will never ever find a prince, Olga.” Helga’s voice reminded her.

“I will find my own prince, Helga.” She said sternly.

“Freddie!” A voice shouted. Olga’s jaw dropped at the boy who was staring right at her with eyebrows curled in anger. He was standing at the other side of the white fence.

“Go away, Harry!!”

“That’s my frog! Give it back!” He shouted, still latching on to the wooden fence.

“Well, too bad—he’s mine now!” She poked her tongue out at the boy.

“What on earth were you doing?!” His eyes bulged as he realized what Olga was about to do. She lifted the frog close to her face.

“What do you think I’m doing?” Olga grinned sheepishly back at the boy.

“DON’T YOU DARE KISS FREDDIE!” He screamed. “You’ll get warts!”

Los Angeles, California

Fifteen years later...

“So what happened next?” Olga’s friend Elisabeth walked alongside her as they pulled their wheelie bags out of the cockpit . Olga just grinned back at Elisabeth.

“I kissed the frog.”

Elisabeth’s eyes went wide. “You kissed the frog? Eww.” Then she acted like she was gagging.

“Hey, it was totally worth it, though.” Olga slid her a look.

Elisabeth just rolled her eyes. After they bid their good byes to all the other flight attendants, they pulled up to a small coffee shop inside the airport. Elisabeth took her wallet out the same time Olga reached for her bag.

“Don’t worry, my treat.” Elisabeth gave Olga a wink.

While waiting for their order, she reached for  her cellphone. She scrolled down her inbox reading some of her old messages. She stopped at Harry’s name. She bit her lip and opened the text message.

My dearest Olga, I know things had been rocky for the past few years and I know this was for the best but I do know one day we will end up together again . Always remember my love for you will remain in my heart forever. Until we meet again.

Love, Harry.

As she slipped the phone inside her purse, she saw a tall blonde guy wearing a business suit who just entered the coffee shop. His eyes scanned the place and just her luck his eyes landed on hers.

They both froze.

It has been two years since Olga and Harry ended their relationship. Olga stood up slowly from her seat, her eyes still glued on Harry. They finally meet in the middle of the room. He slowly took both her hands and lifted them up to his lips.

“We meet again.”

A/N:  

This was a challenge from Meradee: http://www.booksie.com/other/article/meradee/a-pictures-worth-a-thousand-words-challenge