In another neighbor state.State Capital - Columbia
“I’ve never seen a rock like that.”
“Remember how you always told me that I’m unique? How there is no one like me anywhere else in the whole wide universe?”
“Yes. And it’s true,” The father says, nodding his head.
“I always liked that a lot.” She closes her hand around the rock, and then places it in the opposite pocket. She says, “It’s almost time to go.”
The father sees that only half of the sun peeks across the pond. The sky paints everything gold, red, and orange. “Already? Is it almost time already?”
The daughter receives the last light’s rays, the shine rushing out of her, inside out. “Yes, Daddy.”
The father breathes slowly in and out. He says, “Just a little more time?”
“Only a little more.”
The man clutches his stomach to ease the pain, but the burn only rises to his heart. He says in a near-whisper, “I didn’t do enough.”
“You loved me and that’s always enough. Remember that for me, okay Daddy?”
“I don’t know...”
“And remember that with Momma?”
“I’ll try.”
“Say you’ll more than try?”
“I’ll more than try. I’ll do it for you,” the father says with all the meaning he can.
“And for you. And for Momma.” The daughter sighs, the sound like the butterfly’s wings stirring the air.
Her smile glows so that the father memorizes every day of his daughter. He hears the echoes of their family in all the sounds of the day. And right then, as he stands with his daughter at the end of a good day, he knows he wants to hear his wife laugh again. He wants her to come home so they can remember all the days together.
“I think I’m ready now,” he says.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
They sit back down on the bank, their backs to the willow tree, just as they had done at the beginning of their fishing day. She says, “Close your eyes, Daddy. Close them tight tight.”
The breeze whispers, tickles his ear and is gentle as it lifts, lifts the little girl. The father waits until it is near dark, then picks up the purple-black rock and the three flowers and puts them in his pockets. He looks across, one more time, to the other side, and sees the shimmering light fade, then disappear.
THE END
Atlantic Ocean, Georgia, North Carolina
Time zone – Eastern
Total area – 31,189 square miles (40th largest state)Land area – 30,111 square miles (96.5%)Inland water area – 1,006 square milesCoastal water area – 72 square miles
Greatest distancesNorth to south – 219 milesEast to west – 273 miles
Time zone – Eastern
Total area – 31,189 square miles (40th largest state)Land area – 30,111 square miles (96.5%)Inland water area – 1,006 square milesCoastal water area – 72 square miles
Greatest distancesNorth to south – 219 milesEast to west – 273 miles
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The last of The Fishing Day, my over-sentimental little story:
“You shouldn’t think about all that stuff anymore. I don’t.” She holds out her hand, palm up, revealing a shiny purple-black rock that is flat and smooth with a dip in the middle. She takes her thumb and fits it perfectly inside the indention. “Look what I found.”
“I’ve never seen a rock like that.”
“Remember how you always told me that I’m unique? How there is no one like me anywhere else in the whole wide universe?”
“Yes. And it’s true,” The father says, nodding his head.
“I always liked that a lot.” She closes her hand around the rock, and then places it in the opposite pocket. She says, “It’s almost time to go.”
The father sees that only half of the sun peeks across the pond. The sky paints everything gold, red, and orange. “Already? Is it almost time already?”
The daughter receives the last light’s rays, the shine rushing out of her, inside out. “Yes, Daddy.”
The father breathes slowly in and out. He says, “Just a little more time?”
“Only a little more.”
The man clutches his stomach to ease the pain, but the burn only rises to his heart. He says in a near-whisper, “I didn’t do enough.”
“You loved me and that’s always enough. Remember that for me, okay Daddy?”
“I don’t know...”
“And remember that with Momma?”
“I’ll try.”
“Say you’ll more than try?”
“I’ll more than try. I’ll do it for you,” the father says with all the meaning he can.
“And for you. And for Momma.” The daughter sighs, the sound like the butterfly’s wings stirring the air.
Her smile glows so that the father memorizes every day of his daughter. He hears the echoes of their family in all the sounds of the day. And right then, as he stands with his daughter at the end of a good day, he knows he wants to hear his wife laugh again. He wants her to come home so they can remember all the days together.
“I think I’m ready now,” he says.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
They sit back down on the bank, their backs to the willow tree, just as they had done at the beginning of their fishing day. She says, “Close your eyes, Daddy. Close them tight tight.”
The breeze whispers, tickles his ear and is gentle as it lifts, lifts the little girl. The father waits until it is near dark, then picks up the purple-black rock and the three flowers and puts them in his pockets. He looks across, one more time, to the other side, and sees the shimmering light fade, then disappear.
THE END
13 comments:
South carolina
Oh, how sad. I wasn't quite expecting that. Very clever Kat :0)
South Carolina. Better late than never. ;>)
I'm smiling. That means I haven't read the end of the story yet (on the road).
Oh, dear. My husband went for a bike ride so that I could internet in peace. I shouldn't have read your story while sitting here in the restaurant, drinking coffee, surrounded by attentive wait staff. They probably think he's left me.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh *blubber* Oh my, that was wonderful. Such stories, with such heartbreaking emotion and an unexpected twist, really touch me the most.
Kat, thank you for sharing that with us.
I do love your writing! Lovely, lovely, lovely.
South Carolina, one of my personal faves.;-) Love the story, Kat. Sweet, sad, beautiful. Thanks for sharing it. If you have time, hop on over and read my take on the query letter from a writer's perspective. It's a bit lengthy, but, hopefully, worth the time. (wink*wink)
It's illegal to file down a mule's teeth in South Carolina, so if you come across one don't get any ideas, please try your best to resist the temptation. ;)
i have no idea where you are sweet sister, but that story was very very good xx
I really enjoyed your story and thank you so much for the wonderful rocks you sent to Lisa & I, they were a wonderful birthday present and have pride of place in my collection.
Where IS that scamp?? :)
Your story was so moving and so inventive, it didn't take me anywhere I could have predicted.
And that ending! Well you're going to have to give me a few minutes before I can even think about that.
South Carolina and that story is so incredibly touching.
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