Her cell phone jingled, breaking into the silence of her living room. She grabbed it and read his name across the top.
"Hello" she whispered into it as she held it close to her ear.
"Hi honey....we made it." She heard him say at the other end, sending her mind and heart traveling back in time to the two story farm house of her childhood.
Her mind traveled back some forty plus years ago to that kitchen table where she sat surrounded by her dad, mom, sisters and little brother. She had just got a "boyfriend." It was the talk of the family. Her family. They were so happy for her. He was so "special".
There at that table that night of long ago, her dad sat slightly bent over, quietly spooning the potato soup into his mouth, as he listened to the chatter and chuckles of the kids and mom, as they talked about their day.
She sat there half listening to the chatter, half listening for the ringing of the telephone that sat on the desk just around the corner in the living room.
"Would he call tonight? What was he doing so many miles away? Was he thinking of her at this moment?...."
Ring......ring.....ring....
"I'll get it!!" she heard as her little five year old brother slammed back his chair and was off to the living room before she could put down her fork.
She smiled as she heard his little voice say into the phone. "Hi Oh do you want to talk to her? Can I talk to you first....."
With smiles around the table, she slid back her chair and excused herself, laying down her fork. As she rounded the corner she saw a little brother standing there, the receiver of the phone held in his two little chubby hands, a smile on his lips and it appeared that he was in deep conversation.
"Ok little brother," she said walking up to him. "I'll take it now."
"Just a minute" he mouthed as he concentrated on what was being said at the other end. She loved that little brother of hers. She loved that man at the other end of the telephone line. She loved that quiet, serious man in the other room who was her father. She loved her mother, who was so gentle, and kind, and those teenage sisters who loved her in return.
This old two story farm house was her home. This was her family. So many memories filled her mind, her heart as she stood there, leaning against that desk, waiting for "little brother" to hand the phone to her.
"Well here she is. I liked talking to you." he finally said handing her that telephone receiver.
As she quietly made her way around yet another corner and through the doorway leading upstairs, she heard her little brother say. "Yep....that was him!"
She sat there in the dark, on the bottom step, listening to his deep voice telling her all about his day, his love, his dreams. his love for her little brother. Yes, her world was becoming divided for the first time. It was becoming divided between that quiet black haired man, sitting at that kitchen table. It was being divided between that gentle, kind mother sitting at the end of that table. It was becoming divided between those chattering, jolly voices of her little brother, and her sisters that she loved so deeply.
This man at the other end of the line, was drawing her heart toward him. His love was starting to take hold of her heart. His phone calls were starting to become part of her world. His letters were starting to make her heart beat just a little bit faster. It was his picture she held at night as she drifted off to sleep.
"Isn't it something," she thought to herself, as she sat alone on their couch, some forty years later. "Isn't it something how things stir up memories. Isn't it something how you miss them when they are gone for just one night?"
Just the other night she stepped out on their deck and stood there as the huge orange moon rose over their little farm. As it bathed her face with its dim light she once again went back to her childhood home. It was a snowy, crisp December night. Snow was falling down around that two story home. All was still in the house. Everyone had gone to sleep. Everyone but her. She tiptoed down the stairs and stood there just inside the living room window looking out into the night as snow flakes fell unhindered, covering the yard gate, the sidewalk, the cedar trees.
"Oh dear....she thought, would he come tomorrow? Would this snow ever quite? Was it snowing at the ranch, and would he have to stay and help with the chores?" Finally she let the curtain drop back into place, turned and walked quietly back up the stairs. She grabbed his picture, and snuggled down among the covers.
The next morning was bright with the sunshine glistening on the new fallen snow. All day the sun shined. All day she watched for his red pickup. All day her mother busied herself baking cinnamon rolls, cookies, pies. Her sweetheart was coming to visit.
Sure enough around 4:00 his red ford pickup slowly pulled into the drive way.
"Well it looks like we have company," her dad said from his easy chair in the living room.
She was out the back door in a jiffy, letting it slam behind her. He looked so handsome as he got out of the pickup and walked to her. He was here.
It was just a few nights before Christmas. The moon was huge in the sky, and the landscape was all lit up by its light. Her dad loaded everyone in the family car and away they went to see the Christmas lights. She remembers sitting snug beside him in the back seat, with her little brother and sister. Mom, Dad and her other sister was in the front seat. She remembers looking out the window at that huge moon way up there in that dark velvet of sky. She remembers him reaching for her hand there in the darkness. She felt so alive, so loved, so safe.
Yes....days turn into weeks, weeks into months, months into years. Life goes on and on. She married. They had children. They worked the land together. They held their grandchildren. They have told their fathers, and his mother good-bye forever. Now they are growing old together. Still walking side by side. Still as in love as that night her dad said "Get in the car. We're going to see the Christmas lights." Forever they will be side by side....until God takes that away.
"Hello" she whispered into it as she held it close to her ear.
"Hi honey....we made it." She heard him say at the other end, sending her mind and heart traveling back in time to the two story farm house of her childhood.
Her mind traveled back some forty plus years ago to that kitchen table where she sat surrounded by her dad, mom, sisters and little brother. She had just got a "boyfriend." It was the talk of the family. Her family. They were so happy for her. He was so "special".
There at that table that night of long ago, her dad sat slightly bent over, quietly spooning the potato soup into his mouth, as he listened to the chatter and chuckles of the kids and mom, as they talked about their day.
She sat there half listening to the chatter, half listening for the ringing of the telephone that sat on the desk just around the corner in the living room.
"Would he call tonight? What was he doing so many miles away? Was he thinking of her at this moment?...."
Ring......ring.....ring....
"I'll get it!!" she heard as her little five year old brother slammed back his chair and was off to the living room before she could put down her fork.
She smiled as she heard his little voice say into the phone. "Hi Oh do you want to talk to her? Can I talk to you first....."
With smiles around the table, she slid back her chair and excused herself, laying down her fork. As she rounded the corner she saw a little brother standing there, the receiver of the phone held in his two little chubby hands, a smile on his lips and it appeared that he was in deep conversation.
"Ok little brother," she said walking up to him. "I'll take it now."
"Just a minute" he mouthed as he concentrated on what was being said at the other end. She loved that little brother of hers. She loved that man at the other end of the telephone line. She loved that quiet, serious man in the other room who was her father. She loved her mother, who was so gentle, and kind, and those teenage sisters who loved her in return.
This old two story farm house was her home. This was her family. So many memories filled her mind, her heart as she stood there, leaning against that desk, waiting for "little brother" to hand the phone to her.
"Well here she is. I liked talking to you." he finally said handing her that telephone receiver.
As she quietly made her way around yet another corner and through the doorway leading upstairs, she heard her little brother say. "Yep....that was him!"
She sat there in the dark, on the bottom step, listening to his deep voice telling her all about his day, his love, his dreams. his love for her little brother. Yes, her world was becoming divided for the first time. It was becoming divided between that quiet black haired man, sitting at that kitchen table. It was being divided between that gentle, kind mother sitting at the end of that table. It was becoming divided between those chattering, jolly voices of her little brother, and her sisters that she loved so deeply.
This man at the other end of the line, was drawing her heart toward him. His love was starting to take hold of her heart. His phone calls were starting to become part of her world. His letters were starting to make her heart beat just a little bit faster. It was his picture she held at night as she drifted off to sleep.
"Isn't it something," she thought to herself, as she sat alone on their couch, some forty years later. "Isn't it something how things stir up memories. Isn't it something how you miss them when they are gone for just one night?"
Just the other night she stepped out on their deck and stood there as the huge orange moon rose over their little farm. As it bathed her face with its dim light she once again went back to her childhood home. It was a snowy, crisp December night. Snow was falling down around that two story home. All was still in the house. Everyone had gone to sleep. Everyone but her. She tiptoed down the stairs and stood there just inside the living room window looking out into the night as snow flakes fell unhindered, covering the yard gate, the sidewalk, the cedar trees.
"Oh dear....she thought, would he come tomorrow? Would this snow ever quite? Was it snowing at the ranch, and would he have to stay and help with the chores?" Finally she let the curtain drop back into place, turned and walked quietly back up the stairs. She grabbed his picture, and snuggled down among the covers.
The next morning was bright with the sunshine glistening on the new fallen snow. All day the sun shined. All day she watched for his red pickup. All day her mother busied herself baking cinnamon rolls, cookies, pies. Her sweetheart was coming to visit.
Sure enough around 4:00 his red ford pickup slowly pulled into the drive way.
"Well it looks like we have company," her dad said from his easy chair in the living room.
She was out the back door in a jiffy, letting it slam behind her. He looked so handsome as he got out of the pickup and walked to her. He was here.
It was just a few nights before Christmas. The moon was huge in the sky, and the landscape was all lit up by its light. Her dad loaded everyone in the family car and away they went to see the Christmas lights. She remembers sitting snug beside him in the back seat, with her little brother and sister. Mom, Dad and her other sister was in the front seat. She remembers looking out the window at that huge moon way up there in that dark velvet of sky. She remembers him reaching for her hand there in the darkness. She felt so alive, so loved, so safe.
Yes....days turn into weeks, weeks into months, months into years. Life goes on and on. She married. They had children. They worked the land together. They held their grandchildren. They have told their fathers, and his mother good-bye forever. Now they are growing old together. Still walking side by side. Still as in love as that night her dad said "Get in the car. We're going to see the Christmas lights." Forever they will be side by side....until God takes that away.
such a sweet Love Story Helen, you two are very lucky <3
ReplyDeleteJust the way it was way back then !!
ReplyDelete