Chapter One, Episode 136 - Private Lives - Situationally Theirs

Review, Revision, Edit and Update:

As in yesterday's episode, no fiddling with words involved. Misplaced punctuation, a few duplicate words, and maybe a word or two added were all the revision that was required.

Private Lives

Samuel Forrester was a man of few words. His thoughts however were full of words, ideas, and his own philosophy on practically everything he came across. Samuel’s philosophy came from the very land he worked, the plants he grew and the birds that greeted him each morning. The cycles of the sun and the moon. In Samuel’s words ? “The natural world. Pay attention to what’s under your two feet, in front of your eyes and the sky overhead - cloudy or clear. That’s all there is to it.” With those words, he would return to his work, or if the workday was over, he’d light his pipe and go back to his reading. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring was one of his favourite books. An old paper back, yellowed with age. The spine broken and creased, loose pages in danger of falling out, bound with an elastic band. If Samuel ever watched TV, it would be any documentary about the environment.

Samuel hadn’t thought much of seeing the girls go out to the orchard that evening. He did think of Miss Emmie and Miss Dez as girls, even though he knew better. He had been locking up the toolshed when they waved to him as they passed, but he was more interested in getting home. Home to light his fireplace and make a good strong cup of tea. When he did give it some thought, he wondered at the sisters going to the orchard when the darkening was setting in. They wouldn’t be able to get any work done if that was what they were up to. Well, that was their business, so he stored his concern in the back of his mind. He was also ready for a pipe. He kept the old corncob pipe in his shirt pocket and only took it out three times a day. Once in the morning after getting up, just after lunch with Elizabeth and once in the evening. 

Elizabeth. Now there was a good woman. She had been a good friend  to him for many years. No demands on his time and just a little bit of bossy when he didn’t eat right or keep himself clean and tidy and up to Elizabeth’s standards, he heard about it. If there was a button off his shirt, she noticed.When she did his laundry, she'd snag that shirt and wouldn’t give it back until she had fixed it. If his hair was getting too shaggy, she’d send him off to the barber. Didn’t matter if he was in the middle of getting some work done. Yep, she was a good woman and a better friend.

~~~~~

When Samuel was about 20 or 21 years old, he decided he was never getting married. Thirty years on, he had kept to that promise. Oh, he had some pretty temptations in the past and more than once. As soon as he heard the words ‘let’s settle down’ he just got up and walked out. After a while there were no more women knockin’ at his door. Then he took on the job his daddy was leaving. He heard all the stories of the walk his daddy and his grandpappy had to take all the way to and from town. If they were lucky, they could catch a ride back home with a delivery man. When the little house on the far back of the property came open, Mr. Beaufort asked him if he’d like to live there. “Rent free as part of your wages.” Samuel thought long and hard for, oh, about four minutes, stuck his hand out to Mr. Beaufort and said, “that would suit me just fine, sir. A place to hang my hat and park my pick-up.” When old Mr. Beaufort died, he put it in his will that as long as Samuel worked for the estate, he’d always have that little house rent free as part of his wages. Samuel could fix it up any way he wanted. Mostly he just kept it in good repair - and clean and tidy for when Elizabeth came for supper.

Samuel had been thinking about all these things while he was making his tea. He took off his boots and put on the slippers Elizabeth bought for him. He wasn’t much for slippers but they were a Christmas gift so he wore them. They did keep his feet nice and warm of an evening. About that time, Samuel looked up and out the window. It’s gettin’ dark out there. I wonder if those two girls are alright. He walked over to the door, set his slippers aside and put his boots back on. Are they goin’ to find their way back up to the house in this dark? Samuel knew that the dark of the island was unlike any dark unless the moon was full. No moon tonight. Guess I’d better check on those two girls and stretch my legs. As Samuel approached the orchard, he was about to call out when he heard Dez and Emmie talking pretty seriously. All he could hear was Mz. Beaufort saying “...................she will be about 27 years old. Where is she now? Do I look for her?”

Samuel stopped dead and decided to turn back. He didn’t know what it meant but he didn’t want to know. It’s none of my business. He went into his house, turned his outside light off and closed up for the night.

“Who are you? Why do you hide in the darkness 

and listen to my private thoughts?”

~ William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet