Family Time

The air turned chilly with the settling of the sun.  Around the fire pit people pulled on sweatshirts and jackets scooting their chairs a bit closer to the warmth.  The day had been filled with games, fun and food.  Most of the guests had left leaving a small close-knit group of family. 

Marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers were brought out and set on a stump.  Pronged skewers were loaded with the soft white puffs and presented to the glowing coals in anticipation of their cooking to a golden brown, their middles soft and gooey, just right for building a s’more.   

Storm

Waves crashed against the rocky shoreline spraying upward onto the orange streaked stone.  Rough vegetation struggled to keep a foothold in minute crevasses in the midst of wind and surf.  The call of a seagull searching for dinner rose above the din and broke upon the balcony door dispersing in a muted cry to the couple within.

“It looks cold and lonely out there.”  She said standing at the window.

“All the more reason to stay inside.”  He said, his arms around her.  She leaned back, letting herself get swept up in the wildness of the storm building around them.

The Inheritance (11)

Food had been consumed, burgers, brats, salads and fruits.  Everyone was sated and yet, when the brownies were brought out no one could resist the gooey, chocolaty richness of Lisa’s brownies, the same recipe their mother had made for them as children.

“Hmm, these are the best.  I haven’t had brownies this good since I moved away.”  Lily said, her eyes closed, a contented smile on her face.  She popped the final bit in her mouth savoring the velvet feel of the frosting mingling with the moist spongy almost cakelike brownie.

“They are good aren’t they?”  Mike said in agreement with his sister.  “Remember when we took a pan of them off the counter, where mom had set them to cool?”

“Yes, we climbed up into your tree house, ate the whole pan between us and spent the night taking turns in the bathroom.”  Lily replied with a laugh.

The years of separation slipped away as the two siblings recalled youthful exploits finding common ground to rebuild their estranged relationship.  Lisa, listening to her younger brother and older sister reminisce, sat quietly on the picnic table bench a space away from Lily.  Her memories from childhood reflected the same scene, Lily and Mike close as two drops of rain in the same puddle, swirling, mixing in a never-ending dance of give and take, support and opposition while she stood outside their realm alone in her thoughts and deeds.

To Be Continued…   

Fairy Princess

The screen door slammed shut behind Elizabeth, aged four, and her older brother David, aged ten.

“ Please don’t let the door slam, dear.”  Their mother said as she gave a pot on the stove a stir before squatting down to help her youngest with her jacket.  “Did you have fun in the yard?”

Elizabeth beamed up at her mother, her brown eyes bright with excitement.

“We rescued a fairy princess.  She was all wet and stuck in the mud.  David cleaned her up so she could fly away.”

“Well done, my little heroine.” Her mother said with a smile.

Spring Clean Up

Charlie secured his hearing protection, tugged on his work gloves and with one pull brought the small engine to life filling the neighborhood with the rumbling purr of an idling motor waiting to be put to work.

He nodded with satisfaction before turning to the pile of brush nearby.  One by one he extracted branches from the bunch introducing them to the opening of the chute, pushing them in until the whirling blades deep inside the metal throat grabbed the wood pulling it in and chipping it down to tiny pieces of mulch before spewing it into the attached bag.

After

After several days of overcast skies and rain, lots of rain, the sun rose above the eastern horizon into a cloudless sky.  It shone down on a wet world.  Sunlight glinted off the surface of puddles enticing birds to come bath and play in the temporary ponds.

A screen door banged shut.  Two young children, released from their indoor confinement, headed for the water.  The bevy of small birds took to the air leaving the pools to the stomping feet.

“Stay out of the water.”  Their mother called out.  “You need to stay dry for our visit to grandma’s house.”