Continued from last week…
Photo by Bailey Photographic via Flickr |
The doorbell echoed
throughout the house, emptiness echoing back to me. I swallowed, wondering if I was doing the right thing, how such daring found me. But only for a brief moment. As soon as I looked out at the flowers, both dead and thriving, I knew I was exactly where I was
meant to be. I took a deep breath and turned back to the door. No one answered.
I listened intently. No footsteps, no doors closing…no nothing. I pressed the
doorbell a second time.
The small rectangle of glass
in the door tempted me. I took a quick peek, hoping to see someone coming down
the hall or the stair, maybe even old Jim himself hobbling slowly along with a
cane. Instead, I found more than I ever expected. The rug in the foyer dirty
and part of it crumpled up in a wad. More flowers in the entryway, drooping,
yellow. Packets of white socks, one after the other, unopened, stacked, leaning
to one side. A pile of dusty, dirty old shoes, their pairs not easily spotted.
An unopened wrapped gift thrown beside some keys and a big cardboard box that
looked to be some sort of exercise equipment, again, unopened, leaning in such
a way that no one could pass through the front door even if they wanted to. The
house was a mess. A shiver ran up my spine. Old Jim was in worse shape than I
imagined.
I knew he wouldn’t answer.
But I also knew he was there. I could feel him. When I let his presence enter
me, he felt cold to the touch and tiny, distant, like a bird flying aimlessly,
tens of miles away. Was that his fear? Strangely, he also felt slightly hopeful,
a single red feather shining brightly on that same bird’s side. Was that an
invitation?
I felt the magical intrigue a
second time, as obvious to me as the shoes on my feet. My spirit perked. My
smile broadened. I fine tuned my senses and seemed to taste the thread of Jim’s heart longing to be heard, to be seen, to be...touched. And right along side it, again I
tasted a darkness, a distance that told me he wouldn’t ever dare open up to me,
a stranger who knew nothing of his pain. Never. But still, I had to try.
I stepped out to a patch of flowers
that I knew were in eyeshot of the second floor windows. I leaned down to
breathe in their scents. One by one, I took them in, felt them as I had felt
old Jim… alone in his messy unloved home, in his messy unloved body. And then…I
started to hum. I couldn’t help it. It just happened. I called the flowers by
name, talked to them as if they were friends and touched each one, admiring
their petals, their leaves, their stems, and how they came up out of the
ground, each one a little miracle, planted with love, Jim’s love.
And just as I was starting to
really lose myself in the beauty of it all, out of the corner of my eye I saw
the curtains part. Upstairs. In one of the second floor windows. He was
watching me. He stood there for what seemed like a long time and just as I
dared to peer back at him, he let the curtain go. It fluttered gently before it
was still.
* * *
“Did
you ever know Jim, the old man that lives in the Southern Mansion up the
road?” I asked another neighbor on my way home.
“Oh,
yes. He used to walk by here almost every day. He always used to light up when
my flowers were in bloom. If I remember correctly, I think his favorites were
the peonies. He said they reminded him of the South, of where he used to live as
a boy. Nice man. Very nice man. I like a man who appreciates the beauty of
flowers. It’s a simple love that seems to stay the distance, don’t you think?”
“What
a beautiful thing to say,” I said smiling and nodding my head, “yes, I think
you’re right.”
Photo by Tatiana12 via Flickr |
* * *
My Wednesday Wish For You?
Connect with a heart this week, a heart
that longs to be heard, seen…touched. Maybe your voice wont be heard. Maybe
your words wont be wanted. But maybe your actions will be seen. And in your
actions, let your own heart guide your way. For to connect with another heart,
we must first connect with our own.
6 comments:
Holy Smokes! I have goose bumps, Brynne. Thank you for sharing this story. You must continue it, please. :)
I am soo glad you liked it! You know...its true. So who knows...maybe there will be a part three. If my heart ignites my daring again, I will go back. Thanks for the nice comment. You gave me a new smile:)
Wonderful Brynne, I love your description and your ability to convey beauty and wonder. Your blog comes to me as a fresh breeze, from a mountain meadow. Thank you!
--Mike
Reasonable Though: I don't like your motives...or at least the ones I've decided you have!
You give me smiles that bubble up from a deep and happy place. Thank you, Mike! I really enjoyed your blog post today, too! What a nice trade we had today, huh? Joy!!:)
I see you already have the Kreativ Blogger Award! Hmmmm...now I'm going to have to keep looking! Of course you have it...you were the one of the first two people I thought of. :-)
Oh darn! And the prettiest one, too. You are soo kind to think of me! Thank you, Mike! :) Happy rest of your week!
Post a Comment