Erased, a novel
Chapter 20- In the Shepherd's Care
Mr. Wells- Being in the Shepherd household was like no other household I'd been in. From the moment Tayeton had dropped me off til now, I could feel a ease come over me. I'd gotten a good look at Shepherd Engines, and was inspired by all Vance had accomplished. The moment I stepped into the garage, I was hit with the memory of my father. He'd been a mechanic from a teen-ager, and he never forgot to mention it. In fact, there wasn't a thing he didn't know about cars. He'd never gotten certified or anything, but that never stopped all the folks in our neighborhood from coming by. It was almost a matter of clock work; every evening around six or so, some one of my friend's parents was knocking at the door. That usually meant I got a break from my homework, and we'd play in the front lawn. I didn't start that first day, but Vance had quickly offered me a place at Shepherd Engines. I didn't know if it was anything to do with what Tayeton had spoken closely into his ears, or my show of knowledge on the subject, but it was more than I'd expected. It was good to find folks who I could introduce myself to; people who hadn't already received a memo written in red ink on a legal pad. It had been weeks, and the days I didn't work, I still remembered to get up and out. It allowed me to maintain my dignity. A couple of times Vance had come by my post and invited me back to his office. We talked a lot about life, and it was always an interest to see how much he hadn't forgotten. He never said anything, but I could tell that he took the name Shepherd seriously. Apart from that, we talked about the succession of the engine, and he shared with me his latest vision and contemplations. I'd met his daughter Kat several times at Sunday dinner. I knew she was a doctor, but I hadn't thought much about it. Eventually, Vance revealed she was a therapist, and suggested I talk to her. He talked a lot about loss, and he assured me he understood what it felt like to lose something you'd worked hard for. He also suggested I waited as long as I needed; said sometimes you have to make peace with the fact before you can look at it. I thought a lot about his words, and I realized that all the months I had been in an unknown world, that I had redefined peace. I wasn't afraid of what I had loss. I was afraid to start building again. I guess that's the part he was getting at, and it was probably also the part whoever had been taunting me was hoping I'd get stuck on. Anyway, I'd decided on rebuilding, and today I was on my way to see Kat.
I sat at the front of the bus. There was a lot of chatter. Mostly the norms.. people making phone calls to their bosses to say they'll be a few minutes late, some people talking about the latest developments in sport, and of course some about the heat. If I stay at the front of the ballad, that's all I hear, but when I move to listening to the background, I find that some of the conversations are very close to me. I'm fifty-four years old. I'm a college graduate, and I've lived in this town all my life. I have the power to speak on almost any issue you can think of, and I can challenge most of what is being said, but I don't. Instead I listen, and I journal, and up until I met Tayeton at the park, I'd already filled out three. They made my load heavier, but I'd been intent on keeping them. I'm on my fourth, and it's all there; not written like notes and the background conversations can't be plainly identified, but it's all there. Not only is it all there, but it's all here with me. I don't let them out of my sight.
I reach the place where I need to be. I exit the bus, and cross the street to the office building Kat described. I'm excited to be here in the matter; above ground, and feeling like that bird had dropped off some fortune. When I get to the fourth floor, I see lots of doors and make my way to the place where people are waiting. It's all well-dressed common folks, checking their watches, reading magazines, and drinking coffee. I thought I was under-dressed until I spotted a white man with a pair of khaki shorts and a pretty basic T-shirt come from behind one of the doors. Before I reached the desk in the middle, Kat stepped out, and hailed for me to come in. I'd not met her in this context, and wondered what she would be like as a Doctor.
"Come on in Mr. Wells." She held the door. I walked in and saw that it was like a large living room. There were two sofas facing each other with an end table beside each one, and both with lamps. The windows were draped and behind her a large unit with glass and ceramic ornaments. Some of the items were large, some small, but they all gave more insight into her interest. Aside from the unit everything was still very neutral, and not noisy. She didn't instruct me, and I took a seat on the sofa away from the door. As I look up, I see that she's already began to write. It's the first reminder that this is no living room, and that she's a Doctor. I'm more than curious about what she's writing, and it even irritates me a little. It's something to get used to, and I reach back and grab a hold of the good feeling I had when I entered the building.
"Welcome Mr.Wells. Are you ready to get started?" I kept my backpack on my back, and sat at the front corner of the sofa. I answered yes, but I knew my actions said I wasn't sure.
"I'll like to do something a little different. I have a reasonable understanding of your current status, but I'll like to hear a bit about the last eighteen months." It sounded pretty easy.. her request. Yet, it wasn't something I could sum up, and it felt like I needed to be able to sum it up before I could dive into it. And perhaps that was why she'd asked. It was all very reasonable, and after several minutes had passed, she still hadn't interrupted my silence or jumped in to lead me. I thought perhaps she'd gone beyond where I was standing. A few more minutes passed, and then I pulled the bag from my back, unloaded the journals, and walked them over to her table. I sat them in front of the pad she was writing on, and took my place back on the couch. She didn't give an instant reaction, but she'd opened one, and her eyes were moving back and forth.
"Thank you. I've never had this happened. I think this is a huge step forward." She'd closed one, and she'd gone right to the middle of another. She didn't spend a lot of time before I heard the words...
"Tell me more about the instability of hope." I didn't expect it could happen, but her question brought a slight smile to my face. It was that damn bird again, and for the second time today I'd been reminded of that day. I thought about the girl who had changed my perspective in that moment. Without her insight and willingness in that moment to share what she knew, all I would have been left with was a dirty shirt.
I went on to tell her about the day Tayeton met me in the park, and the fourteen days between the two incidents. By the time the alarm went off, I had moved far past where I was standing. I left Mind of Cats with a spring in my step, where the paper weight had been. I wasn't on a paved road, but I was on a road I could see, and I'd come to far to make any comparisons.
Chapter 21- Dream Proposal
Jennifer- We weren't married yet, but I'd released all my fears and took off flying. The signs were up on the storefront. It was my biggest leap yet. I'd decided to name the store Jennifer Burrows. It wasn't mine legally, yet, but he'd promised it to me and I believed him. It would still be a few weeks before I opened the door, but you couldn't tell if you came inside. Mostly everything had been installed, and only some of the finishing touches were missing. They were predicted to take nice into amazing. It's a spacious unit with a second story loft. I'd spent lots on a white marble with speckles of rose pink. At the bottom level there were six rooms without doors in a semi-circle that I'd staged. Rounding out the circle on the right were two offices; one for meeting with clients and the other belonged to both Derek and I. We hadn't merged our businesses, but we operated as a team. Our room was much larger than any of the others, and certainly had a door. We sat at separate sides and sometimes spent whole days together without crossing each other's paths. We had thought to buy two of practically everything except the water cooler. We sent each other emails and texted each other without a second thought. I didn't over decorate the room as he sometimes refer to what I do. Instead I'd let my creativity hang out everywhere else. In the center, about ten feet from the door, there's are two circular steps that lead into a staircase with a circular landing midway up. There's a small bench there beside a tall decorative vase. At the top, it's all his and her. There are two dressing rooms, in between two salon suites, in between two small show rooms with glass panels.
On the side along the rails, there's more seating. The whole place is all white with rose pink accents and pops of gold. On the outside of the building it's painted white brick with lillies hand-painted largely and butterflies scattered romantically. I'm standing on the outside. I'm expecting a special delivery, and I just got a notification. The bell works fine, and I'm up to my head with things to do, but it's finally here. I mean.. not here here, but here in the U.S. I've seen numerous pictures, and I've been ordering from them for years so I know it won't disappoint, but there's a little something special I'm waiting to see. It's a new line of furniture Derek and I designed together. It's a small collection; only three pieces, but it's been a dream. Once all five of the pieces I ordered arrive, I'll be able to finish out the rooms, and I can make another big check on my list of things pending. About a half hour passes and we've cut the plastic away from the rose pink love seat. I can see that Derek's as excited as I am now. I quickly remove one of the cushions and flip it over. It's there; just as I had proposed. I pull the cushion near to my chest, and give a shout. He lands a kiss on my forehead, and remarks "good job". And it's going to be one of those days... when our paths more than crossed, but intermingled, and unfortunately I'm now mentally adding another thing to my to-do list. We're going to have to get this chair cleaned.
Erased, a novel
Copyright 2018 by Natisha Renee Williams, All Rights Reserved
Grace Call Communications, LLC Copyright 2018
Chapter 20- In the Shepherd's Care
Mr. Wells- Being in the Shepherd household was like no other household I'd been in. From the moment Tayeton had dropped me off til now, I could feel a ease come over me. I'd gotten a good look at Shepherd Engines, and was inspired by all Vance had accomplished. The moment I stepped into the garage, I was hit with the memory of my father. He'd been a mechanic from a teen-ager, and he never forgot to mention it. In fact, there wasn't a thing he didn't know about cars. He'd never gotten certified or anything, but that never stopped all the folks in our neighborhood from coming by. It was almost a matter of clock work; every evening around six or so, some one of my friend's parents was knocking at the door. That usually meant I got a break from my homework, and we'd play in the front lawn. I didn't start that first day, but Vance had quickly offered me a place at Shepherd Engines. I didn't know if it was anything to do with what Tayeton had spoken closely into his ears, or my show of knowledge on the subject, but it was more than I'd expected. It was good to find folks who I could introduce myself to; people who hadn't already received a memo written in red ink on a legal pad. It had been weeks, and the days I didn't work, I still remembered to get up and out. It allowed me to maintain my dignity. A couple of times Vance had come by my post and invited me back to his office. We talked a lot about life, and it was always an interest to see how much he hadn't forgotten. He never said anything, but I could tell that he took the name Shepherd seriously. Apart from that, we talked about the succession of the engine, and he shared with me his latest vision and contemplations. I'd met his daughter Kat several times at Sunday dinner. I knew she was a doctor, but I hadn't thought much about it. Eventually, Vance revealed she was a therapist, and suggested I talk to her. He talked a lot about loss, and he assured me he understood what it felt like to lose something you'd worked hard for. He also suggested I waited as long as I needed; said sometimes you have to make peace with the fact before you can look at it. I thought a lot about his words, and I realized that all the months I had been in an unknown world, that I had redefined peace. I wasn't afraid of what I had loss. I was afraid to start building again. I guess that's the part he was getting at, and it was probably also the part whoever had been taunting me was hoping I'd get stuck on. Anyway, I'd decided on rebuilding, and today I was on my way to see Kat.
I sat at the front of the bus. There was a lot of chatter. Mostly the norms.. people making phone calls to their bosses to say they'll be a few minutes late, some people talking about the latest developments in sport, and of course some about the heat. If I stay at the front of the ballad, that's all I hear, but when I move to listening to the background, I find that some of the conversations are very close to me. I'm fifty-four years old. I'm a college graduate, and I've lived in this town all my life. I have the power to speak on almost any issue you can think of, and I can challenge most of what is being said, but I don't. Instead I listen, and I journal, and up until I met Tayeton at the park, I'd already filled out three. They made my load heavier, but I'd been intent on keeping them. I'm on my fourth, and it's all there; not written like notes and the background conversations can't be plainly identified, but it's all there. Not only is it all there, but it's all here with me. I don't let them out of my sight.
I reach the place where I need to be. I exit the bus, and cross the street to the office building Kat described. I'm excited to be here in the matter; above ground, and feeling like that bird had dropped off some fortune. When I get to the fourth floor, I see lots of doors and make my way to the place where people are waiting. It's all well-dressed common folks, checking their watches, reading magazines, and drinking coffee. I thought I was under-dressed until I spotted a white man with a pair of khaki shorts and a pretty basic T-shirt come from behind one of the doors. Before I reached the desk in the middle, Kat stepped out, and hailed for me to come in. I'd not met her in this context, and wondered what she would be like as a Doctor.
"Come on in Mr. Wells." She held the door. I walked in and saw that it was like a large living room. There were two sofas facing each other with an end table beside each one, and both with lamps. The windows were draped and behind her a large unit with glass and ceramic ornaments. Some of the items were large, some small, but they all gave more insight into her interest. Aside from the unit everything was still very neutral, and not noisy. She didn't instruct me, and I took a seat on the sofa away from the door. As I look up, I see that she's already began to write. It's the first reminder that this is no living room, and that she's a Doctor. I'm more than curious about what she's writing, and it even irritates me a little. It's something to get used to, and I reach back and grab a hold of the good feeling I had when I entered the building.
"Welcome Mr.Wells. Are you ready to get started?" I kept my backpack on my back, and sat at the front corner of the sofa. I answered yes, but I knew my actions said I wasn't sure.
"I'll like to do something a little different. I have a reasonable understanding of your current status, but I'll like to hear a bit about the last eighteen months." It sounded pretty easy.. her request. Yet, it wasn't something I could sum up, and it felt like I needed to be able to sum it up before I could dive into it. And perhaps that was why she'd asked. It was all very reasonable, and after several minutes had passed, she still hadn't interrupted my silence or jumped in to lead me. I thought perhaps she'd gone beyond where I was standing. A few more minutes passed, and then I pulled the bag from my back, unloaded the journals, and walked them over to her table. I sat them in front of the pad she was writing on, and took my place back on the couch. She didn't give an instant reaction, but she'd opened one, and her eyes were moving back and forth.
"Thank you. I've never had this happened. I think this is a huge step forward." She'd closed one, and she'd gone right to the middle of another. She didn't spend a lot of time before I heard the words...
"Tell me more about the instability of hope." I didn't expect it could happen, but her question brought a slight smile to my face. It was that damn bird again, and for the second time today I'd been reminded of that day. I thought about the girl who had changed my perspective in that moment. Without her insight and willingness in that moment to share what she knew, all I would have been left with was a dirty shirt.
I went on to tell her about the day Tayeton met me in the park, and the fourteen days between the two incidents. By the time the alarm went off, I had moved far past where I was standing. I left Mind of Cats with a spring in my step, where the paper weight had been. I wasn't on a paved road, but I was on a road I could see, and I'd come to far to make any comparisons.
Chapter 21- Dream Proposal
Jennifer- We weren't married yet, but I'd released all my fears and took off flying. The signs were up on the storefront. It was my biggest leap yet. I'd decided to name the store Jennifer Burrows. It wasn't mine legally, yet, but he'd promised it to me and I believed him. It would still be a few weeks before I opened the door, but you couldn't tell if you came inside. Mostly everything had been installed, and only some of the finishing touches were missing. They were predicted to take nice into amazing. It's a spacious unit with a second story loft. I'd spent lots on a white marble with speckles of rose pink. At the bottom level there were six rooms without doors in a semi-circle that I'd staged. Rounding out the circle on the right were two offices; one for meeting with clients and the other belonged to both Derek and I. We hadn't merged our businesses, but we operated as a team. Our room was much larger than any of the others, and certainly had a door. We sat at separate sides and sometimes spent whole days together without crossing each other's paths. We had thought to buy two of practically everything except the water cooler. We sent each other emails and texted each other without a second thought. I didn't over decorate the room as he sometimes refer to what I do. Instead I'd let my creativity hang out everywhere else. In the center, about ten feet from the door, there's are two circular steps that lead into a staircase with a circular landing midway up. There's a small bench there beside a tall decorative vase. At the top, it's all his and her. There are two dressing rooms, in between two salon suites, in between two small show rooms with glass panels.
On the side along the rails, there's more seating. The whole place is all white with rose pink accents and pops of gold. On the outside of the building it's painted white brick with lillies hand-painted largely and butterflies scattered romantically. I'm standing on the outside. I'm expecting a special delivery, and I just got a notification. The bell works fine, and I'm up to my head with things to do, but it's finally here. I mean.. not here here, but here in the U.S. I've seen numerous pictures, and I've been ordering from them for years so I know it won't disappoint, but there's a little something special I'm waiting to see. It's a new line of furniture Derek and I designed together. It's a small collection; only three pieces, but it's been a dream. Once all five of the pieces I ordered arrive, I'll be able to finish out the rooms, and I can make another big check on my list of things pending. About a half hour passes and we've cut the plastic away from the rose pink love seat. I can see that Derek's as excited as I am now. I quickly remove one of the cushions and flip it over. It's there; just as I had proposed. I pull the cushion near to my chest, and give a shout. He lands a kiss on my forehead, and remarks "good job". And it's going to be one of those days... when our paths more than crossed, but intermingled, and unfortunately I'm now mentally adding another thing to my to-do list. We're going to have to get this chair cleaned.
Erased, a novel
Copyright 2018 by Natisha Renee Williams, All Rights Reserved
Grace Call Communications, LLC Copyright 2018
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