in reassurance. “You
must disregard any negative memories that are triggered by Zalen.
He counts for nothing. Revel, instead, in the promise of your
future. I assure you, it will be a bright one.”
She looked sullenly at me. “Oh, how I wish
that were true, Foster.”
My only response was a smile, for I’d
decided to say no more. It wasn’t necessary because at that moment,
I already knew what I was going to do…
After a bit more small talk, I rose and
prepared to excuse myself. “Well, by now it’s certain that Mr.
Garret won’t be making an appearance, and I’m a bit fatigued from a
day of travel. But please know, Mary, that spending this little bit
of time with you was the highlight of my day. You’re a lovely
person.”
She blushed and blinked another tear away.
Then she glanced about to see that no one was looking, and kissed
me quickly on the lips. I shivered in a sweet shock.
Her lips came right to my ear. “Please come
and see me at the store tomorrow. I’m off at twelve.”
“I’ll be there. We’ll have a fabulous lunch
somewhere.”
Then she hugged me in something like
desperation. “Please, don’t forget.”
I chuckled. “Mary. No force on earth could
make me forget.”
Another quick kiss and she pulled away, then
picked up the fifty-dollar bill I’d left on the table. “I’ll be
right back with your change.” When she hustled away into the back,
I quietly left the restaurant.
The sky was darkening in a spectacular
fashion as I made the main street. The sinking sun painted wisps of
clouds with impossible light over the waterfront. The street’s
quaint cobblestones seemed to shine in a glaze; neatly dressed
passersby strolled gaily along, the perfect human accouterment to
an evening rife with tranquil charm. At that moment, it occurred to
me: I’d never felt more content.
It was a shrill siren that ripped the
evening’s placidity. I turned the corner and noticed a long red and
white ambulance pulled right up on the sidewalk, with several
uniformed attendants bustling about. Several residents stood aside,
looking on with concern.
What’s this all
about? I thought, then felt my spirit
plummet when I noticed that the commotion was centered around the
bargain store I’d visited previously. At the same moment a
stretcher was borne out from the shop, and on it was a very still
and very blanch-faced Mr. Nowry. In the doorway, the man’s
expectant wife sobbed openly.
Oh, no…
“Poor Mr. Nowry,” a small voice announced to
my side. “He was such a nice man.”
I turned to see an attractive red-haired
woman standing next to me. “I-I hope he hasn’t expired. He was as
congenial a man as you could ever hope to meet; why, I spoke to him
just hours ago.”
“Probably another coronary attack,” she
ventured.
“I’ll go and see,” I said, and made my way
to the receding commotion. “Sir? I’m sorry to intrude,” I asked of
one of the ambulance men, “but could you confide in me as to the
status of Mr. Nowry?”
The younger man looked bleary-eyed from a
long day. “I’m afraid he died a few minutes ago. There was nothing
we could do this time—his ticker finally went out.”
I bowed my head. “I scarcely knew him, but
he was a good man from what I could see.”
“Oh, sure, an Olmsteader through and
through.” He forearmed his brow. “But it’s been a strange day, I’ll
tell ya.”
“In what way?”
“Small town like this, we
don’t get more than two of three deaths a year, but today? We’ve
had two now.”
“Two? How tragic.”
Now the stretcher bearing the decedent was
loaded into the rear compartment of the vehicle. The man to whom I
was speaking pointed inside. “A young girl, too, not a half-hour
ago. One of those not in with a decent crowd, but still… She died
in childbirth.”
I looked to where he was pointing and
noticed a second stretcher.
Instantly, my throat thickened.
It was a thin, lank-haired girl in her
twenties who lay dead next
must disregard any negative memories that are triggered by Zalen.
He counts for nothing. Revel, instead, in the promise of your
future. I assure you, it will be a bright one.”
She looked sullenly at me. “Oh, how I wish
that were true, Foster.”
My only response was a smile, for I’d
decided to say no more. It wasn’t necessary because at that moment,
I already knew what I was going to do…
After a bit more small talk, I rose and
prepared to excuse myself. “Well, by now it’s certain that Mr.
Garret won’t be making an appearance, and I’m a bit fatigued from a
day of travel. But please know, Mary, that spending this little bit
of time with you was the highlight of my day. You’re a lovely
person.”
She blushed and blinked another tear away.
Then she glanced about to see that no one was looking, and kissed
me quickly on the lips. I shivered in a sweet shock.
Her lips came right to my ear. “Please come
and see me at the store tomorrow. I’m off at twelve.”
“I’ll be there. We’ll have a fabulous lunch
somewhere.”
Then she hugged me in something like
desperation. “Please, don’t forget.”
I chuckled. “Mary. No force on earth could
make me forget.”
Another quick kiss and she pulled away, then
picked up the fifty-dollar bill I’d left on the table. “I’ll be
right back with your change.” When she hustled away into the back,
I quietly left the restaurant.
The sky was darkening in a spectacular
fashion as I made the main street. The sinking sun painted wisps of
clouds with impossible light over the waterfront. The street’s
quaint cobblestones seemed to shine in a glaze; neatly dressed
passersby strolled gaily along, the perfect human accouterment to
an evening rife with tranquil charm. At that moment, it occurred to
me: I’d never felt more content.
It was a shrill siren that ripped the
evening’s placidity. I turned the corner and noticed a long red and
white ambulance pulled right up on the sidewalk, with several
uniformed attendants bustling about. Several residents stood aside,
looking on with concern.
What’s this all
about? I thought, then felt my spirit
plummet when I noticed that the commotion was centered around the
bargain store I’d visited previously. At the same moment a
stretcher was borne out from the shop, and on it was a very still
and very blanch-faced Mr. Nowry. In the doorway, the man’s
expectant wife sobbed openly.
Oh, no…
“Poor Mr. Nowry,” a small voice announced to
my side. “He was such a nice man.”
I turned to see an attractive red-haired
woman standing next to me. “I-I hope he hasn’t expired. He was as
congenial a man as you could ever hope to meet; why, I spoke to him
just hours ago.”
“Probably another coronary attack,” she
ventured.
“I’ll go and see,” I said, and made my way
to the receding commotion. “Sir? I’m sorry to intrude,” I asked of
one of the ambulance men, “but could you confide in me as to the
status of Mr. Nowry?”
The younger man looked bleary-eyed from a
long day. “I’m afraid he died a few minutes ago. There was nothing
we could do this time—his ticker finally went out.”
I bowed my head. “I scarcely knew him, but
he was a good man from what I could see.”
“Oh, sure, an Olmsteader through and
through.” He forearmed his brow. “But it’s been a strange day, I’ll
tell ya.”
“In what way?”
“Small town like this, we
don’t get more than two of three deaths a year, but today? We’ve
had two now.”
“Two? How tragic.”
Now the stretcher bearing the decedent was
loaded into the rear compartment of the vehicle. The man to whom I
was speaking pointed inside. “A young girl, too, not a half-hour
ago. One of those not in with a decent crowd, but still… She died
in childbirth.”
I looked to where he was pointing and
noticed a second stretcher.
Instantly, my throat thickened.
It was a thin, lank-haired girl in her
twenties who lay dead next
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