A joyous "Hi!" brought Stacy back to the present. She hadn't even realized that she had reached her home street. Next to an old red Volkswagen stood Erika. With her woollen jacket unzipped, her hat in her pocket, her usually sleek black hair wildly waving, her face free of make-up and glasses, her hands hugging a large bag of soil, she resembled a farmer's wife more than a librarian.
"Planning to plant something already?" was all Stacy could come up with in reply to the greeting.
"It's about time. Spring is knocking on the door," Erika radiated excitement.
Stacy could feel her eyebrows lift up in surprise. Spring? She had checked her schedule this morning. She recalled it was filled to the brim, and yes, the month had changed from February to March. Stacy looked around. Walking too fast and head low she had not allowed the sun to warmly stroke her cheek. Wrapped in her thoughts she had been oblivious to the sobbing of icicles and the choir practice of tweeting birds.
Stacy clutched her new phone in her pocket. Her life was scheduled there. She even had scheduled to remind herself to eat lunch and call her mom. Had her life really reached a point where she would have to schedule in moments to stand and notice the seasons around her?
Love that: sobbing of the icicles. Great imagery. It's important for us to take a breath now and then, and remind us of the world outside the windown.
ReplyDeleteKevin
Great idea! I may need to add reminders like that to my own phone!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, though, I hear you. My life has gotten so crazy that I feel like I do need to add things like that to my schedule. Stop... breathe... then dart on to the next thing.
I loved your wild and windy description of Erika hugging the bag of soil! It instantly brought me to the feeling of one of those 'Spring at the door' days!
ReplyDeleteLoved the image, "she had been oblivious to the sobbing of icicles and the choir practice of tweeting birds."
ReplyDeleteGreat story and sounds a bit like the day I had yesterday - today I will remember to lift my face so I can feel that sun too.
ReplyDeleteSuch a lesson we all need to hear, Terje, every single morning. Maybe today I will watch the crows and squirrels out my window. I know it's repeating others, but these words "Wrapped in her thoughts she had been oblivious to the sobbing of icicles and the choir practice of tweeting birds." make me want to think more about my descriptions too. You are a model for me! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to read your slice today. I love having space in my day to just be. Unscheduled moments to allow the magic of the day to just happen. Thanks for crafting this slice.
ReplyDeleteRuth
Hugging a bag of soil, sobbing of icicles, choir practice of tweeting birds! What great imagery. It is so true that we do get wrapped up in ourselves, don't we? And you certainly must be in a different area, we just got a foot of snow yesterday. Ground is frozen and we won't be planting for another two months! Lucky you.
ReplyDeleteMy grandma used to say that even if we live to be 75, we will have only watched the seasons change 75 times. How right she was. . . .
ReplyDeleteLike Kevin, I love the imagery of the sobbing icicles. Poor Stacy, she is missing so much. The arrival of Spring in America is so dramatic and in your face. I loved it when I lived there. In Australia, spring sneaks up. Your writing here was very much embedded in the moment...
ReplyDeleteHello, I love your writing. The imagery is a wonderful picture. I can't believe your use of words, "oblivious to the sobbing of icicles and the choir practice of tweeting birds." It gives me a new perspective. Thanks for sharing! Happy Slicing! :)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a character sketch that could turn into a full blown story! You painted an intriguing picture of a character in so few words. You are a magician with language!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the previous comment - this should become a full story!!!! You have a gift - beautiful description of a small moment and a reminder. Loved it! Thank you for this slice.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone else- so many surprising and terrific word pictures- hugging the bag of soil, the sobbing icicles, choir of birds.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised when you put this in third person. Wondering if it's part of a larger piece or ????
Such fun to read! Thank you!
Nice pictures in my mind. Thanks for reminding me to listen to the choir of birds.
ReplyDeleteWow....just wow. This is an amazing piece of craft work, but that was not what stood out--it was the story behind this bit of a life you showed us that grabbed my attention.
ReplyDeleteBravo!
What else can I say? Just amazing how the story unfolded and so easily the story ended, just as winter moved to spring unnoticed. Christy said it so: You are a magician of words!
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