When writers fall in love

Honey Dipped Words

It was the late afternoon of the 4th of September. Will was sitting in the kitchen above the freshly baked plum cake waiting for his friend Curtis to appear in front of his porch with the horse carriage. He was taking them to the public poetry reading which the town organised every year to raise some money for the orphanege and the hospital. And since Will was an orphan and a poet himself it was his great honor and a duty to perform that evening. 

As the minutes went by and he was repeating the poem he was meant to recite in his head, he chewed one piece of a cake after another without and even realising it he ate almost half of it. He looked at the half empty tray and pushed it farther from him with a smirk. Why was Curtis taking so long? 

After good 20 minutes a dark horse neighed what made Will's mind come back to his body. He looked out of the window where the Curtis was already jumping of the carriage and then he made his way to the porch. 

"Come iiiin! I'm in the kitchen!" shouted Will without standing up from a chair, knowing, that when Curtis sees the cake they will not be on their way anytime soon. 

"Hey, are you ready to… oh, is that a plum cake?" Curtis stopped in the middle of a sentence just like Will expected. 

"Yeah, you can finish it, mama made it for you as a thanks for taking me since they needed our carriage." 

"If your mama made it for me, why is there only half of it?" he grinned at the tray with a sweet dessert. 

"If you weren't late, I wouldn't be bored enough to eat it. Where were you anyways?" 

"Well let's just say there was a young lady at the side of the road who needed a hand with fixing her broken wheel on her barouche. And as a good mannered gentleman as I am, I simply could not help myself but give her a lift home," he smirked and put a handful of the cake into his mouth. 

"Well of course, Canadian demzels in distress are so lucky to have you to save them," Will ironically smiled and watched Curtis eat the cake like he hasn't eaten for a month. Is this how he looked about 20 minutes ago? 

"Hey! Do not doubt my intentions! They are strictly selfish, but always convinient for  the both sides," winked Curtis and he grinned with his mouth stuffed with the last bit of a cake. Will just laughed and shooked his head. Then Curtis stood up, patted his hands together to get rid of the crumbs.

"Shall we go to blow that society away by your amazing talent to gibber absurdities?" 

"There's nothing better in a world than a supportive friend," declared Will as he walked through the kitchen door out. 

They both got up on the carriage and with laugher and chatting they headed to the garden of the town parish where the event was taking place.

As they were getting close to the parish they could see ribbons and white roses garnishing the fence of the garden and the garden itself was decorated with all white garlands and again lots and lots of white roses.

"Is it a wedding or a poetry reading?" asked Curtis mockingly while they were parking the carriage in front of a big brick house.

"My friend, didn't you notice that the pastor's wife has her mind set on you marrying their daughter? Maybe it's a wedding in disguise," Will patted his friend on a shoulder and hopped of his seat.

"Well she is going to be very disappointed because my freedom is staying with me tonight and many nights after tonight as well!" announced Curtis while tying up his horse to a tree and following Will to the garden.

When they walked in, people immediately started greeting them and everyone wanted to congratulate Will to the success of his latest book. He was always the talk of the town, but not always in a good way. There were so many stories and rumours about him, that sometimes even he himself didn't know what's true.

So many people and so little of them actually mean what they say. Thought Will but kept on smiling and answered all the questions of his admirers, most of them - women.

In the center of the garden there was an circular gazebo with chairs standing around it in a semicircle. If there was an aisle and a pastor in the arbour you would definitely think this is a wedding.

At six o'clock sharp, pastor stood inside the gazebo and asked people to find their seats. When everybody was seated, he welcomed them with what seemed like a sermon and then introduced the first performer.

Performers altered and the evening was slowly passing. Will was listening to every word each of them said and some of the poems he really enjoyed. The atmosphere of the whole was very cozy and pleasant as every year actually. He was very keen on these evenings since the childhood.

It was almost the end and the Will's part was getting close when the Pastor came up again.

"Thank you James," he thanked to a not very good interpret and sent him off the stage, "and now, Ladies and gentlemen our joyful evening is slowly writing its last verses, but before we welcome here, on stage, our town's poetry treasure, Will Greenwich, there is one last performer yet to recite. Ladies and gentlemen, I present you - Miss Lucy Mae Morrison!" pastor introduced the young girl and she made her way to the gazebo with a gracious walk.

And there she stood - Tall girl in a navy blue dress, with her long auburn hair half up, eyes big and dark like the night sky and a humble smile. But the real moment of astonishment came the moment she started talking.

When she started reciting one of Will's favorite poems by Walt Withman with her calm and sweet voice it sounded like if she dipped her words in honey one by one. The words rolled out of her mouth in smooth and peaceful way and yet there was something exciting and intense about the way she spoke. He could not stop looking at her and even more he could not stop listening to her passionate performance. And he didn't even want to. He was totally drowned in every letter of every word of every verse she said. He was even a little worried and stressed that he had to go up there after her, but he refused to admit it. He wanted her poem to never end.

But as it is usual the poem found its last word and after the moment of silence rumbling applause filled the garden leaving the shocked shy girl standing silently rubbing her hands and waiting for it to end.

Pastor came back up to Lucy where he started talking and praising the girl, but Will did not hear a word he said. He was still left frozen speechlessly looking at the lady who seemed to not know what she earned the applause for. Pastor sent her back to her seat and clapping started again. She sat down and smiled very gently but still proudly.

"And now, I'd like to ask the pride of our town, to come and join me on the stage to present a poem from his newest and most successful book! Mr. Will Thomas Greenwich, ladies and gentlemen.

Will automatically stood up and trying not to look at her he slowly came to the front. People were clapping and when they stopped he started to speak. After the first word however, his eyes again found Lucy in the crowd and he knew that this performance is not going to be his best one.