Fun with dirt

It had now become routine that she would come see him at least once a week, that way Gertrude didn't ask questions, or get worried, or worse angry. Today he had just grabbed a tub from the corner of the room and places it directly in front of her, then with a swift motion kicks the content onto the floor. 

Completely shrouded in a small dirt storm dancing atop of both sets of shoes she shrieks: 

"Look at this mess you have created!"

The mysterious gentlemen replies back with an un-phased face.

"Is it a mess?"

In a slow inquisitive voice, she replies.

"Yes, it is. Isn't it?"

The man that occupies most of her thoughts bends down and pokes his finger into the dry dirt beneath his feet and starts swirling it around with no clear pattern. Still questioning the previous dialogue, she kneels before the dirt and watches the patterns come and go. For fear of getting dirty and avoid a stern talking to from her aunt she crouches back so no disturbed dirt found their way onto her clothes.

A few minutes of silence and an image begins to form within the dirt. It is a poorly designed beach house with the waves resting right near a small veranda.

"What do you think?

The gentleman now focusing his blank gaze at Bethany.

"It looks like paradise"

The man smiles enjoying the self-entitled picto-dirt

"I'm sure it is someone's paradise, it may not be mine or yours for that matter, But yes someone's"

In one smooth motion, he cleared the dirt with the back of his hand. Using his other hand, he begins a coaxing gesture towards Bethany. Looking around as if to be caught and imaging the tongue lashing she would get for what she was about to do she inches over leaning into the dirt.

Staring at the dirt intently she hovers her hand for a moment above the dirt, then let's all restraint from her arm go, covering the small clean hand in a natural contrast. Slowly covering her hand in dirt whilst creating zigzag motions under the layer of dirt, digging her nails in the ever-changing appearance she begins to smile wondering why a common substance can make her smile.

"Create something"

He whispers from the opposite side of the pile.

Without even thinking she draws three lines in the dirt and proclaims with a smirk on her face that she is done.

"Liar"

He states in an all-knowing tone.

"What do you mean? You can't even see what I've done"

Slightly shouting in a defensive manner, but not sincere.

Placing a hand over the etching of the three lines he disturbs the dirt and the lines one by one vanishing underneath his hand.

"try again use what you have seen; no one else has seen it you know. Just as no one has seen what I have seen. Many may view the same sky at the same time, but only you have seen it through your eyes, so show me something only you have seen."

What have I seen, what would he accept this isn't about just a simple picture. He obviously wants me to give him an emotion, I'm sure of it. I guess I will give him the strongest emotion I know.

Two vertical lines symmetrically side by side and then a final line arching over and joining the two lines as one. The gentleman starts to feel over the lines.

"What is it?"

Once more going to the dirt she etches three letters in between the lines. In silence, he feels once more speaking out the etching:

"M.U.M"

A tear escapes Bethany's eyes, she lets them fall because she thinks they won't be noticed by someone shrouded in darkness. Leaning in and extending a hand he wipes away a tear from her cheek and then places both hands over the depiction of a tomb and raises his head to the ceiling.

"Thank You"

Removing his hands from the dirt revealing once again a clean canvas. Holding back her voice which was dying to be heard she leaves the mysterious man at the dirt and like usual goes back down the stairs to find silent solitude which is her reality.