He sits at his wood working bench using a small sharp hand tools to carve the delicate pieces he does…he has ducks, chipmunks, and to the extreme he has carved the Statue of Liberty….many pay top dollars for his work…
“Maggie, why you looking so sad over there?” Jethro’s soft voice arises from behind his bench. “You look like a cat drowned in the rain and pissed!”
Maggie shook her head. She has spent the last four years of her life loving him. And I do mean loving him. They used to walk hand in hand thru the woods of birch trees amongst the rivers of sunlight, pools of shade where toadstools sleep in mossy jade. They would talk deep of each and Jethro would often go off as if making a speech. He would describe his perfect lady, desires in a woman, and needs in a friend. Maggie would wonder why he did such things; she fell short of his visions. She tried to change to make herself into his aspirations…now all he does is belittling her. Maggie’s opinion is that she is tired and starting to wonder…as she is easy on the eyes, of great spirits and loving beyond anyone’s dreams; she knows she can find better, someone to complete her. Yet she knows deep in her heart it is her Jethro; confused and lost, wandering in a daze.
Maggie had come to the conclusion that he does not know what love and life is all about; he only talks about it... And he does not know what he has with Maggie. Sad…..how the mind can over think and twist things around.
Maggie thinks she has come to her senses and has woken up and realizes that nothing will change with Jethro….He will always be of himself. She still feels torn of staying to try to change him, but she has tried for four years and nothing has changed. Maggie’s heart has been beaten….
The screen door squeaks as Maggie walks out into the cool fall night. She raises her hands up high and stretches her arms towards the sky….
Looking over her shoulder at Jethro busy with his wood…she vanishes into life.
Maggie goes to visit an Aunt who is disabled and struggling to survive. After 5 weeks assisting her in bathing, eating and all the self-doing things she is ready to leave. Her conscience will not let her…how did she ever end up here? No noise at all from Jethro….she wonders as she washes the dinner dishes if he even knows she is gone. Her Aunt has money, being the only daughter of a deceased well off man so Maggie makes arrangements for her Aunt to be taken care of. We will leave it at that; and Maggie moves on.
Tis time she meets a gentleman, who invites her to stay with him. Charming, dashing, elegant and romantic Maggie tumbles head over heels for him. He makes her feel so special, treats her well, listens to her, and the love making is beyond anything Maggie has ever experienced. Three weeks into the arrangement she finds he has five others that all feel the same about him. She shuts her eyes tight and hums to block her pain and frustration. Still no news from Jethro. Maggie prepares to leave her new bow that proceeds to strike her across her face and yell inhumane insults at her. He raises his hand to strike her again and Maggie runs….fleeing into the dark night.
Six weeks later, Maggie is learning more of life then she cares to. Sitting on a park bench, sobbing with newspaper draped across her shoulders for warmth. Life sucks….no one cares!
Exhausted from the flight Maggie nods to sleep on the park bench.
She is awaken suddenly but a blunt hit on the bottom of her feet and bolts up! It is a law officer smacking the bottom of her shoe with his night stick to wake her... “No sleeping here, Miss. Go home.” He spits his tobacco and walks away looking back over his shoulder to make sure she is stirring. Maggie feels something in her dress pocket and withdraws from her pocket a wood carved figured of a swan…a beautifully detailed stunning swan. Maggie’s head snaps left to right….she knows this articulate wood carving. No one is around.
Maggie clutches the swan close to her bosom and then the newspapers to keep warm; exhaustion takes her back off to sleep.
It has started to snow and Maggie wakes up under a wet, cold dusting. The newspaper imprinting her skin. Foggy she grasps and throws the newspaper off of her, dusting the snow and sits cold and wet. Looking out she sees the swan that must have gotten tangled up in the whole mess lying on the walk. Maggie lunges for it and clutches it close then placing it into her dress pocket. Hungry, cold, wet and confused she stands and starts walking and walking and walking. She sticks her thumb out along Puntnam Road to hitch a ride. A pickup truck pulls over and she races to the passenger door. Opening it and ready to climb in she looks at the driver and is shocked. Jethro!
“Come on home, Maggie” is all he says.
Maggie gets in and shuts the door, hugging herself to try to get warm, clutching the swan in her dress pocket…..Jethro reaches behind her seat and pulls out a blanket. She smiles; he wraps the towel around her.
They travel for quite a ways in silence….the crisp air filled with flakes of snow still falling, tiny splashes on the windshield remind Maggie of the walks in the woods... “Couldn’t create these wonders of earth and sky there’s something greater than you or I.”
Maggie stomach rumbles out of hunger….Jethro pulls into the next dinner, without saying a word gets out of the truck and Maggie follows.
Pancakes, sausage, grits, and eggs over easy for both of them….Jethro has tea and Maggie coffee….still no words, only eyes.
Traveling again Maggie starts the conversation
“I am surprised to see you”
“Why is that…did you think I do not love you and care for and about you?”
“You just seemed so stuck in yourself” was her honest, blunt reply.
Jethro smiled and nodded his head.
“Why do you do that? Make me feel like everything I do for you is wrong?”
Jethro pulls the truck over to the side of the road,
“Listen Maggie. I may have visions of a lot of things but visions just fuel your dreams but life is real and not only about dreams. What I need are you to be yourself. The woman I fell in love with and am still in love with cuz I know somewhere deep inside that person still lives in you. I know you think I don’t care and am selfish…well I do care and selfish yes….that is why I have been following you for the last few weeks….I want you home with me, sharing things with me, taking those wonderful walks thru the woods, being in our bed and pleasing each and yet in simple ways letting me complete you for who you are as you complete me, who now you may really see.. “
Maggie could not believe her ears; she rubbed the swan she held in her pocket….Jethro pulled back onto the road and Maggie reached over and grasped his hand holding it tight.
The road had become icy and as they rounded the corner as large truck with a drunk driver came barreling around the curve and stuck them head on….
Moral: Live each day as it is your last….take off your rose colored glasses and look at what you really have compared to others….Sometimes change is not what it is all about, …and a corny saying…the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence.
Kittypaws
10/22/10
I have worked on this for a couple of days and would appreciate any advice as to how to make it better...I would luv one day to be a writer!!
Many thanks!
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