Day 4) A song that reminds you of something sad [STORY 1 OF 2]
(Somewhere Only We Know: Keane)--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/I walked across an empty land/
The air was cool around me as I entered the park. Having only risen a few hours ago, the sun was still not hot enough yet to have dried the wet with dew grass and the earthy, just rained, scent that hung in the air.
Across the river misty fog hung low above the water and created the chill that crept up underneath my sleeves and made me shiver.
Beth would’ve loved this.
She’d always loved the river in the morning. “It’s the stillness.” She’d always say. “The peacefulness. A person can really think when it’s like this, you know? Can really feel God’s presence.”
I smiled, remembering.
/I knew the pathway like the back of my hand/
I made my way slowly through the park. It was harder now that I needed the walker. Things that never used to be a problem now tripped me, including my own feet, but I kept going slowly but surely.
Everything was just like it used to be. The birds still nested in the trees. The squirrels still chattered above me as I walked. And our tree was still there.
As I neared the spot where we had planted it so many years ago, I could see it still there, standing tall, although much larger now.
I gently touched the rough bark with my fingertips, my aged, arthritic hand looking similar to the design of the bark. I touched the place where we had carved our initials. When I’d first etched them into the tree, I had made sure to carve them deep so they would last longer. Every year whether they were still easy to read or not I would go over the initials and re-carve them as much as possible. Even after we moved, I would come back just to do that.
This was our tree and they needed to be there.
Even after all of these years the initials S.M + B.L were still there. Very faint, and just barely visible, but there.
“You see that Beth. It’s still here, sweet. It’s still here.” I said.
Beth would be happy to see that.
/I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete/
While I walked I began to remember things I had forgotten. Like the big rock that we’d used to jump off of into the water. It had slightly smaller rocks next to it that we’d used to climb to get to the one big rock that jutted out over the water.
I remember the water used to always be freezing cold, even on a ninety degree summer day, and I’d always have to push Beth off for the first jump into the water. I remember she’d always scream and then hop back out quick as she could wearing that devilish, beautiful, grin of hers that vowed for revenge.
She’d always been a pistol. That’s one of the reasons I love her so much.
I remember the spot along the river where we’d placed our blanket in the grass one night and laid out to watch the stars. I remember being eaten to death by mosquitoes because Beth had forgotten to bring the bug spray. I remember falling asleep there anyways with Beth laying there next to me wrapped in my arms and waking up the next morning with those same arms covered in welts from the bug bites.
YOU ARE READING
Finding the Tempo
Novela JuvenilLove and romance, friendship that knows no bounds, laughter and life, as well as the sadness of death... This book is about finding a deeper meaning in music and learning to understand different scenarios and points of view that you wouldn't have or...
