Chapter One, Episode 114 - Stumble and Stutter - Situationally Theirs

Review, Revision, Edit and Update
If I were to put one word to this episode it would be humble. There were a few repairs completed for Stumble and Stutter, including some punctuation, barely noticeable, and at least one grammatical improvement. (Samuel and Elizabeth are a precious couple, but don't tell them I said that!)

Stumble and Stutter

The doorbell rang. In most homes that would not be out of the ordinary. Mary Elizabeth Saunders was not sure that it even worked anymore. She hadn’t been concerned because the only person who visited her in the past had been Martha. She always just came in calling out ‘yoo-hoo Elizabeth. It’s just me Martha’. But Martha and James were on their honeymoon. Emmie and Dr. Jeremy had gone off for a week. Brigitte was either at her education thing or at her parent’s cottage. She only saw Samuel when he came up to the Beaufort Estate house for tea. So, Elizabeth was curious, and not a little concerned. She had a side window that looked out on the front step. Cedar trees on either side prevented her from seeing the whole step, but she saw a well dressed man there. He looked a bit familiar but Elizabeth couldn’t place him. She glanced toward the sidewalk. The only cars parked there were neighbour’s cars. No….there was another vehicle farther down the street but she couldn’t make it out clearly. 

“I’ll get my old rolling pin out and set it on the side table by the front door. If he gives me any trouble he'll have a headache from now til next Sunday.” Elizabeth spoke softly to herself, hoping the man hadn't heard her. One hand on the doorknob and the other on the rolling pin, she carefully opened the door. The man had turned away from the door and was about to leave. He stopped and turned back when he heard the door open.

“Samuel? Is that you?” Elizabeth recognized the clothes before she recognized the man. “It’s either you in those wedding clothes or someone’s stolen them from you.” Holding up her wooden rolling pin by one of the red handles she said “You’re just lucky I didn’t smack you on the head with this old thing. What on earth are you doing here and in that getup? The wedding was over two days ago.” By this time, Elizabeth could hardly stop laughing.

Samuel did something he seldom did……..he turned red as a beet. “Well, if you’re goin' to laugh at me, then I’ll just go home. Thought I’d wear these fancy duds one more time while everyone’s gone.” He started to leave. 

Elizabeth did feel badly. Samuel looked quite handsome, all shaved with a proper haircut, smelling good and in his ‘fancy duds’. His wedding clothes, chosen by Elizabeth, were slate grey slacks, a short sleeved white shirt and a summer weight navy blazer. “I’m sorry, Samuel. You took me by surprise! I know you don’t like me to say it, but you sure look handsome all dressed up. You still haven’t told me why you’re here.”

Samuel took a deep breath and thought a moment. “I’d like to take you out for supper, Elizabeth. Nuthin’ fancy. Just one o’them food trucks down in the park. It’s a nice evenin’. It’d just be a hamburger, mind you. Thought it would be nice.”

Elizabeth felt a little flutter in her stomach. “Are you asking me for a date, Samuel?”

“Nope, just want some company for supper………….and I like your company. But if you’re busy, I’ll be on my way.” Samuel just wanted to get out of there. He hadn’t asked anyone for a date since he'd been a teenager….maybe once since then. He didn’t like it then and he sure didn’t like it now. 

“Samuel Forrester, don’t you go anywhere.” Elizabeth tended to get a little bossy when she was flustered. And she was flustered and not a little bit excited. “I’ll just change my dress and be right out.”

~~~~~

Teenagers holding hands and joggers with masks in the park may have seen a handsome couple in their early sixties get their hamburgers from Franks Burger Truck. They may not have noticed them. The couple, the woman in a deep mauve sensible shirt waist dress and the man in grey slacks and summer blazer, sat at a picnic table away from the rest of them. The burgers gone, they talked until the sun had set. Getting up to go, they cleaned up their take out containers. Holding hands they strolled towards the parking lot.

“You come to love not by finding the perfect person, 

but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.”

~ Sam Keen