Clouding the Air
The fog lifted, the clouds cleared. Puddles of rainwater reflected the puffs of clouds leftover from the past few days. Dez walked slowly, her sister by her side. They were quiet, breathing in the warming afternoon air. Gulls screamed and floated on the breeze. Crows examined the puddles, drinking from the muddy rainwater. Sparrows and juncos twittered and fed on late fall berries. There would only be a few hours before the coolness set in again. “Do you think you could ever live out here Dez?” Her sister broke into the silence. “I don’t know, Em. There’s no reason I should. I have my apartment with all of my things, you and Jeremy are married now. He is at the hospital most of the time, but you share this home with him now. He doesn’t need me clomping around here and I think I’d feel pretty uncomfortable.” The quiet settled in again. Besides the crows and gulls, only a distant fog horn could be heard. “Must still be foggy on the water.”
“Why would you ask me that Em? Just out of the blue like that. Staying out here while I’m mending is one thing, but living out here. I thought we already went through that before you got married. I decided then that I didn’t really want to live out here.” They resumed their slow pace, late grasses squishing under their Wellies. Emelina seemed to withdraw into herself, head down, hands behind her back. “What is it, Em? You went all quiet on me.” Her sister shook her head. “Oh, nothing. I’m just enjoying walking with you. Thinking about things, that’s all.”
Dez didn’t believe her sister. They may only have been together just over a year after being apart for almost ten years, but she still knew her sister. Or at least thought she did. Maybe she didn’t know her the way she thought she did. People do change. Except for that same ‘oh, nothing’, putting her head down, the hands behind her back. That hadn’t changed at all. “Ok, Em, spit it out. I could leave it alone and believe it’s ‘nothing’ and maybe I should, but you’ve got my curiosity going.” The sisters had reached the garden shed. The chairs had been moved under the overhang so had escaped the rain. They were still a bit damp. “Let me get the blankets out of the shed for the chairs.” Emelina was glad to have something to do that would distract her sister. She had seen Samuel and Brewster coming towards them from the far end of the garden. If she took her time getting the old blankets, Dez would forget about her question. After all she didn’t know for sure what Jeremy’s plans were. He had only mentioned in passing that he wanted a house just for the two of them. Nothing more. Em wanted to agree, in fact she did agree, but she didn’t know what would happen to the Estate and her employees. Could they build a house on the property? Keep the Estate manor? Dez could live there? “Em, what’s happening with the blankets, I need to sit down and the wood is too damp.” Brewster poked her black head into the shed. Wagging her tail, splashing muddy water around, she ran up to Em. “Are you here to help me carry the blankets? Well you are far too muddy for that job, so just come with me outside. You are a very good girl with that big grin on your face.” Em, proudly not a dog person, melted when Brewster showed up.
When they stepped outside, Samuel and Dez were deep in conversation. “…the apple trees are pretty much dormant now, Miss Dez. You’ve not been out here for quite some time, have you……Miss Em! I see Brewster found you.” Samuel tipped his hat to his boss and moved aside from the chair for her. He took the blanket from her and covered the chairs. “Here Miss Dez, let me get you settled. You’re not as young as you think you might be. No disrespect. Just better make sure you take it slow.” Dez grinned at him. “Oh, all right, Samuel. You’re not my dad you know, but I’ll listen to you anyway.” She was actually pleased with his attentions. Em settled her self, while Samuel took care of her sister.
Samuel stood up, tipped his hat to both sisters. “Well, must be off ladies. I’ve got some things up at the house. Elizabeth and I are making some plans.” He hesitated when he saw the two women perk up. “Not telling you anything, yet….” He grinned, blue eyes twinkling. “You’ll find out when it’s time. “ ‘Afternoon, ladies. Bring Brewster up to the house with you when you’ve been out here long enough.” With that he was off. “Was that enough of a distraction for you Em?” She saw the guilty look of surprise on her sister’s face. “You didn’t think I forgot, did you Em?” Her sister smiled a slow smile. “I had hoped, but you never did forget things, did you. What did I ask you? If you would ever live out here? We don’t have to talk about it tonight. Let’s just let it drop, but think about it. What would it take to have you out here with us?” She stood up and started to fold up her blanket. “I think it’s time to get back, Dez. Clouds are coming in again. We’re not dressed for the rain!” Fat drops had begun to fall. “I guess we’ll just get wet, sis.” Dez stood and turned her face up to the refreshing water. Her sister scooped up the other old blanket and took them into the shed. Brewster bounced around, glad that these humans would finally get walking again.
“A conversation is so much more than words:
a conversation is eyes, smiles, the silences between words.”
~ Annika Thor, ‘A Faraway Island’
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