July 04, 2020
Review, Edit and Update
Once more, I've written more setting along with the dialogue, watching for any altering of the details of setting and location. For example, Samuel's squatting position when accepting his glass of tea.
The Rest of the Story and A Bit More
“Take a break, Samuel. I have a question for you.” Matt spied a dandelion growing happily in the grass outside the garden. He pulled a slim trowel from his back pocket and dug out it out.
“Is that ice tea from Cook?” Samuel heard the tinkle of ice against the metal of Matt's tall travel mug. When he looked up, Matt was holding out Samuel's own drink container fill with tea and ice.
“Yep. And she sent out a couple of sandwiches. Roast beef from last night. 'Just like you asked for' Cook said.” Samuel took possession of his tea from his squatting position on the ground and took a big slurp. Matt slid the lunch basket from his arm and set it on the ground. "Are you sure you can tear yourself away from the garden?"
“Them weeds’ll have to wait. Elizabeth does take care of me.” Samuel sat back on his heels, dusted the loose dirt from his hands and stood up easily. One handed, he pulled the red kerchief out, hands and face wiped as clean as possible. He picked up the basket and set out to the toolshed.
“Dez said there’s lawn chairs around here somewhere. Point me in the direction and I’ll get us set up to eat.”
“In the toolshed, Matt.” Samuel was already eating the thick roast beef sandwich slathered with horseradish, layered with fresh lettuce and red pepper. He didn’t seem to mind the awkwardness of holding his tea with one hand, eating the sandwich with the other, while pointing with his tea hand to the toolshed. Matt ducked into the toolshed and glanced around for the lawn chairs. Finding them easily, he took them outside and set them up. He tipped up a chunk of log lying up against the toolshed so the two men had a table. Samuel set his tea on the table. “That was one good sandwich. You had a question, Matt?”
“You didn’t finish your story yesterday. You never told me why you got a hiding from your gran’pappy. I just couldn’t sleep all night because of that.” Matt laughed.
“Well, I missed the most important part of the story. You done your lunch?”
“Last bite, Samuel. You going to tell me more?”
“Come on, Matt.”
“Where are we going?” Matt licked the good roast beef from his fingers as he stood from his chair. His tea gone, all but the ice, he left the glass to sit on the stump beside Samuel’s.
“I can’t finish the story without showing you the most important part. Here we are. Good old tree. You look up there, Matt. See those little scars on that big lead branch. You can barely make out the 'S' and 'A' I carved in that tree trunk. I was 'bout ready to carve an 'M' when I heard gran’pappy comin’.
“He called out to me 'Samuel! You get down from that tree. I didn’t give you that little knife for you to go around scarrin’ up Mr. Beaufort’s trees. Don’t you know that tree has to take care of those cuts. It’ll make scars that’ll be there forever.' D'you know he took that knife away from me for what seemed like a whole year. Couldn’t a-been that long. Got it back before the snow. He gave me quite a hiding. Between losin’ my knife and a sore bottom, I never have done anything to a tree 'cept to prune 'em so they can breathe and feel the sun.”
Matt grinned. “Did you ever apologize to the tree?”
“Truth be told, I did. Cryin' like a little baby givin’ the tree a hug and gettin' it all teary wet. Don’t you ever tell nobody about that. Nobody at all. Especially not Elizabeth.”
“Who’s Elizabeth? I’ve met most people around here but no Elizabeth. Samuel, you’re looking a little flushed.”
“Stop that Matt. Elizabeth’s called Cook most of the time. Now I have a question for you? What you doin’ out here today? You told me yesterday you wouldn’t be back here for a week or more.”
“Dez wanted me to take her into town and show her the equipment that she’ll be having to get. You know. A little tractor, pruning shears, all kinds of things. I could have met her in town, but she was already out here so I just thought I’d drive over and pick her up. It’ll take a while so we’ll probably get something to eat for supper in town.” Matt was rambling. “I’ll take her out and show her what healthy trees look like and my apiary. The bees'll settle when it cools off in the evening.”
Samuel’s blue eyes twinkled. “Well, you just better go on then. I think I see Miss Dez comin’ to the toolshed now. Maybe you want to check in there before you go buyin’ a bunch of stuff. Chairs go back in the toolshed, Matt......... lookin’ a little flushed yourself, Matt.” Samuel was enjoying himself like he hadn’t for years. “I’ll be gettin’ out of your way. Got to go to town myself.” Samuel stifled a chuckle, patted the old apple tree and walked out of the orchard.
“Not much gets by that old guy.” Matt shook his head, smiling sheepishly. He ran his fingers through his thick curls, patted the old apple tree and whistled his way toward the toolshed.
“There is always the rest of the story, right?
Even if you don’t know right now what it is.”
~ Sarah Dessen, The Rest of the Story
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