Off-the-cuff writing on a given topic for 30 minutes (give or take a few). Sad, sappy, silly or serious. Always clean. Read, comment, join the fun and post your own.
"Mama, it's so cold," Greg said to his mother. He felt her pull him close as she said, "Yes, son. It is. But we must keep walking and think of warm things."
Greg tried to think of warm things. He remembered the fire that his family had built last night. He remembered his warm bed, and getting out of his bed and into the cold wind. He shivered. Warm thoughts.
He started to remember his warm home that he had left behind so long ago. He remembered the warm oven, and Mama's bread. It had tasted so good when it was fresh from the oven with just a little butter one it....
"Mama, I'm hungry."
"I know. But we must keep walking. We will stop and eat soon."
He knew that to Mama it must seem soon, but the sun still wasn't even touching the hills that lie ahead of them. It would be a long time before dark, and they only ate in the mornings right before leaving and in the evenings after the sun went down and it was too dark to see the ground.
"Mama, I'm really, really hungry."
Mama did not speak for a moment. When she did her voice sounded funny. "Dear, you must think of other things. Warm thoughts. Happy thoughts."
He looked over at the wagon. He knew that his little sister, Lily, rested inside. She was not feeling well. He wished he was not feeling well so he could ride in there, too. Papa said that he would be able to have a turn riding once Lily was better. The extra weight would slow down the one ox they had left.
He looked up at the sky. It was blue, mostly, with some bright colors starting to show over where the sun was. That was pretty. Greg smiled. He liked pretty things. So he would try to find some more.
A gust of wind blew and whirled some leaves just ahead of the ox. That was pretty.
He turned around and looked for another pretty thing. That tree looked different from this side. He rather liked the designs in the bark. It reminded him of the tree back home--
He fell down. He must have tripped. He was laying on something hard, and it hurt. He began to cry. Mama came down next to him and picked him up. She kept walking as she soothed him. "It's all right, dear. Hush, now."
"Mama, why did we leave home?" He asked between sobs.
"Because we are going to a much better, more beautiful home. You will be very happy there."
Greg thought about that as his breathing slowly returned to its normal pace. He held onto Mama until she said, "Sweetheart, you must walk now. I cannot carry you any further."
He held on tighter. "No, Mama. I am tired of walking."
Mama stopped and tried to put him down, saying, "You must. I cannot carry you any more."
But he wouldn't let go. He was done walking. It was time to stop and rest.
"Gregory, if you do not walk, what will your younger sisters see?"
He thought about it for a moment. "They will see that I do not want to walk anymore. They will see that I am scared."
Yes, dear. You must walk so they can see your courage. If they don't see that, they may give up, too. Have courage, sweetheart."
Gregory hesitated for a moment. "Yes, Mama."
Mama put him down. He turned around and thought about his sisters. They needed him to walk. He took a step. They needed to see his courage. Another step. He could walk for his sisters. Another step. Another, and another. Soon it wasn't hard to walk any more. Greg smiled. He could walk to their new home... for his sisters. He looked up at Mama. She smiled at him. He smiled back. He could walk there for Mama, too.
I looked up, sure I had misheard the quiet voice, my heart pounding and my eyes wet. There were tears in his eyes as well as he took a step closer and said it again.
“I... forgive you.”
I couldn’t believe it. I had ruined his life, taken his entire family from him in one night through my stupidity, and he didn’t want to tear me to pieces? How was that possible? My vision blurred as the tears ran over, and I felt them sliding down my cheeks. I could feel sobs rising inside my chest, and I tried to blink the tears away, biting down hard on my lower lip.
Finally, unable to contain the oceanic combination of crushing guilt and overwhelming gratitude, I spoke. “How?” I whispered, my voice trembling under the weight of my emotions. “How can you forgive me?”
He closed his eyes for a moment and bowed his head. When he looked up, there was a small smile on his face, though sadness shone in his eyes.
“It wasn’t easy,” he admitted after a moment. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
I winced and my eyes filled with tears again.
His eyes met mine, and he put a hand on my shoulder. I jumped, shocked that he could bear to touch me. He continued, “But I know I will see them again.” There was a pause as he stood still for a moment, blinking back tears. I swallowed hard to keep down another sob. “I will miss them,” his voice cracked, “but I will see them again. Hating you wouldn’t bring them back. I know you didn’t mean to... to run into the car. It was an accident. So... I forgive you.”
I couldn’t restrain myself any longer. Taking a small, jerky step forward, I threw my arms around his neck and wept into his shoulder. I was astonished when he made no movement to throw me away from him but instead wrapped comforting arms around me.
“I forgive you,” he said again. “I forgive you.”
We stood like this for perhaps ten minutes, before I finally pulled away.
“Thank you,” I whispered, looking up into his face, then let myself be led away from the courtroom.
~*~
Author's Note: I thought all day about courage, and in the end, this was the most courageous thing I could think of doing.
"Mama, it's so cold," Greg said to his mother. He felt her pull him close as she said, "Yes, son. It is. But we must keep walking and think of warm things."
ReplyDeleteGreg tried to think of warm things. He remembered the fire that his family had built last night. He remembered his warm bed, and getting out of his bed and into the cold wind. He shivered. Warm thoughts.
He started to remember his warm home that he had left behind so long ago. He remembered the warm oven, and Mama's bread. It had tasted so good when it was fresh from the oven with just a little butter one it....
"Mama, I'm hungry."
"I know. But we must keep walking. We will stop and eat soon."
He knew that to Mama it must seem soon, but the sun still wasn't even touching the hills that lie ahead of them. It would be a long time before dark, and they only ate in the mornings right before leaving and in the evenings after the sun went down and it was too dark to see the ground.
"Mama, I'm really, really hungry."
Mama did not speak for a moment. When she did her voice sounded funny. "Dear, you must think of other things. Warm thoughts. Happy thoughts."
He looked over at the wagon. He knew that his little sister, Lily, rested inside. She was not feeling well. He wished he was not feeling well so he could ride in there, too. Papa said that he would be able to have a turn riding once Lily was better. The extra weight would slow down the one ox they had left.
He looked up at the sky. It was blue, mostly, with some bright colors starting to show over where the sun was. That was pretty. Greg smiled. He liked pretty things. So he would try to find some more.
A gust of wind blew and whirled some leaves just ahead of the ox. That was pretty.
He turned around and looked for another pretty thing. That tree looked different from this side. He rather liked the designs in the bark. It reminded him of the tree back home--
He fell down. He must have tripped. He was laying on something hard, and it hurt. He began to cry. Mama came down next to him and picked him up. She kept walking as she soothed him. "It's all right, dear. Hush, now."
"Mama, why did we leave home?" He asked between sobs.
"Because we are going to a much better, more beautiful home. You will be very happy there."
Greg thought about that as his breathing slowly returned to its normal pace. He held onto Mama until she said, "Sweetheart, you must walk now. I cannot carry you any further."
He held on tighter. "No, Mama. I am tired of walking."
Mama stopped and tried to put him down, saying, "You must. I cannot carry you any more."
But he wouldn't let go. He was done walking. It was time to stop and rest.
"Gregory, if you do not walk, what will your younger sisters see?"
He thought about it for a moment. "They will see that I do not want to walk anymore. They will see that I am scared."
Yes, dear. You must walk so they can see your courage. If they don't see that, they may give up, too. Have courage, sweetheart."
Gregory hesitated for a moment. "Yes, Mama."
Mama put him down. He turned around and thought about his sisters. They needed him to walk. He took a step. They needed to see his courage. Another step. He could walk for his sisters. Another step. Another, and another. Soon it wasn't hard to walk any more. Greg smiled. He could walk to their new home... for his sisters. He looked up at Mama. She smiled at him. He smiled back. He could walk there for Mama, too.
Gregory feels real to me. So does his Mama. Real enough that I got kind of choked up.
ReplyDeleteI loved this. I love those last few paragraphs and I especially love that last line, "He could walk there for Mama, too."
ReplyDelete“I forgive you.”
ReplyDeleteI looked up, sure I had misheard the quiet voice, my heart pounding and my eyes wet. There were tears in his eyes as well as he took a step closer and said it again.
“I... forgive you.”
I couldn’t believe it. I had ruined his life, taken his entire family from him in one night through my stupidity, and he didn’t want to tear me to pieces? How was that possible? My vision blurred as the tears ran over, and I felt them sliding down my cheeks. I could feel sobs rising inside my chest, and I tried to blink the tears away, biting down hard on my lower lip.
Finally, unable to contain the oceanic combination of crushing guilt and overwhelming gratitude, I spoke. “How?” I whispered, my voice trembling under the weight of my emotions. “How can you forgive me?”
He closed his eyes for a moment and bowed his head. When he looked up, there was a small smile on his face, though sadness shone in his eyes.
“It wasn’t easy,” he admitted after a moment. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
I winced and my eyes filled with tears again.
His eyes met mine, and he put a hand on my shoulder. I jumped, shocked that he could bear to touch me. He continued, “But I know I will see them again.” There was a pause as he stood still for a moment, blinking back tears. I swallowed hard to keep down another sob. “I will miss them,” his voice cracked, “but I will see them again. Hating you wouldn’t bring them back. I know you didn’t mean to... to run into the car. It was an accident. So... I forgive you.”
I couldn’t restrain myself any longer. Taking a small, jerky step forward, I threw my arms around his neck and wept into his shoulder. I was astonished when he made no movement to throw me away from him but instead wrapped comforting arms around me.
“I forgive you,” he said again. “I forgive you.”
We stood like this for perhaps ten minutes, before I finally pulled away.
“Thank you,” I whispered, looking up into his face, then let myself be led away from the courtroom.
~*~
Author's Note: I thought all day about courage, and in the end, this was the most courageous thing I could think of doing.
This is powerful, Lisa. Viewpoint is perfect. The phrase "oceanic combination of crushing guilt and overwhelming gratitude," intrigued me.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't blogs have a 'Like' button? Blogs should have a 'Like' button, Lisa! Then I could use it on your story! Great job!
ReplyDelete