  Excerpt from:  "Thursday Tea"  by kwilli

Edna

Edna looked around the room at the other ladies, each lost in thought.  She was no different, she thought of her own life, a life filled with adversity, pain, longing, and an illicit love affair.

She held the cup to her lips and smelled the sweet aroma of the tea she was drinking.  No wonder they say that tea is more soothing than coffee.  Today she was drinking a raspberry flavored tea.  The cinnamon scone enhanced the flavor, leaving a wonderful experience of savory delight on her pallet. 

Returning to her thoughts, she had married a man who was much older, and she was now widowed and had been for many years.

In her day, you just didn’t lay down with a man, he courted you, brought you flowers and candy, you went to a movie house, restaurants on Friday and Saturday for a fish dinner with home fries, or sweet potato pie that made your mouth water, rides to the park or in the country. 

She fell in love, in his presence, her heart beat out a rhythm she never knew. She became warm and felt faint whenever he would touch her hand. His kisses, which were sometimes rough, sent a pleasant sensation down her spine.  Little did she know then that she had nothing to compare his kisses to. “Does this feeling lead to more,” she wondered. She wanted the experience of being with Les.  She wanted to please him as he had pleased her with gifts of chocolate turtles, and other treats. Mostly, she wanted happiness like she saw in the movies or in the magazines.  She wanted a husband who would love her and give her children, and a nice home.  She would have dinner ready for him when he returned home from the steel mill, his house slippers at the ready and his pipe filled with tobacco.  She would make his home life perfect. She would always be ready to serve her man, whatever he wanted, she would provide.

The years passed and the love waned, Les drank more and more, and he paid less attention to her,  and in retrospect, she now knew that it wasn’t love at all.  It had never been love on his part.  He needed a maid, someone to do his bidding, and he was willing to pay for what he needed.  When she realized this, her heart began to turn cold toward him.

It was during her marriage to Les that she actually fell in love.  It was unexpected, and he was her husband’s friend.  His name was Carter. He worked with Les at the mill. They were Lodge brothers and attended the same church, and he would visit with them, just dropping in from time to time.  He would come around dinner time having been invited by Les.  Though she was not prepared for a guest, she didn’t mind Carter.  He was friendly, clean, and upright, he always smelled like Old Spice, and he didn’t drink or smoke, his manners were admirable, unlike Les, and she began to take more and more notice of him, and he noticed her.

Carter would watch her as she moved around the kitchen putting the finishing touches on the meal.  Nothing fancy, but to Carter, a bachelor, it was a gourmet meal. With his soft spoken voice, he would comment on the meal, always praising her and thanking her for her hospitality. He would offer to help with the dishes, or clean up the table, while Les walked away into the living room to watch the evening news and to doze after eating a heavy meal.  Les was either unaware of the attraction between the two of them, or, he didn’t care.

Les was 58 when they married, and she was barely 21.  She didn’t know about sex, she was a good Christian girl and wanted to save herself for marriage.  She had fought off many a young man’s advances, their hands like octopus tentacles, seeking regions of her body that not even she had explored. 

Les seemed patient and kind, and he courted her. She mistook all of his attentions as love, but she would not know this until after they were married, and they settled into everyday life. She was never bored taking care of her home and put a lot of effort into maintaining a peaceful retreat.  She turned his plain house into an oasis of comfort.  He never complained and he never complemented or thanked her for her efforts. The pretty curtains and pillows she sewed didn’t mean anything to him. It was the same with her cooking.  She would try various recipes in an attempt to change things up, she added new dishes often, he would suck them down without any thought.

Time passed and it came to be expected that Carter would share many meals with them.  She anticipated his visits, touching his hands in the warm dishwater sent a chill up her spine and he stroked her soapy hands, she would stand stock still while he worked his magic.  She didn’t protest. He would sometimes stand behind her pressing into her body and she would move as if they were dancing, no words were spoken, just his hot breath on her neck or nibbling on her ear.  He wanted her and she could feel it in his body as she leaned back into him. The sometimes daily love dance became more and more heated as her body responded to his every move.  She looked forward to this part of the evening without shame.

Les was totally oblivious to the carryings on in the kitchen, his snoring alerted them that he was dead to the world. While he slept, her world began to change in a most wonderful way. The kitchen was the place where Carter would finally take her.

Standing behind her as was their usual position, he began rubbing her behind and raised her skirt.  She was without panties hoping that the day would come when they would join together, he was mildly surprised and gently turned her around, smiled down into her face, and lifted her to him.

She could hear the loud snoring of Les in the next room as she softly moaned in Carter’s ear, her hands stroking and touching him.  He held her tightly like he never wanted to let her go. She could feel his body shiver in delight as they began to move in unison. Their soft moans were the music that they moved to.

Their affair continued for years, with stolen moments when they could lie together when Les worked overtime at the mill.  Carter was her husband.  Les had stopped touching her as he aged, sex was less frequent, two, maybe three times a year, but with Carter, it only increased.

When Les died many years later, she and Carter maintained their habit of sharing dinner and washing the dishes.  They shared her bed in the evenings, their loving remained passionate all these years, and he would always leave before daylight.  They never married, but to this day, he is her man. 

She looked over the rim of the tea cup and a smile crossed her lips as she looked at the ladies talking.  No one knew her secret love, and they never would. 

WNP: 012913    “The desperate forty-niner took one last scoop of gravel into the pan and slowly started to shake it.”

Holding his breath, Smitty closed his eyes and said a silent prayer.  Working the mine was not an easy task, but the rewards would pay off big one day.  It had to.  He had taken all of his savings to stake this claim. Perhaps today would be the day.  He had staked out his claim more than a year ago and he was losing hope he was desperate for some sign...  Fortunately, the past few days there appeared to be signs that there might be gold at this site.  He looked up at the sky and the sun was beating down on him, it was so hot, he thought, “It must be a hundred degrees out here…can’t stop now.” Even though the sun was burning him through his shirt,  and sweat came through every pore in his body, he continued to dig.  He wiped the sweat from his eyes, and gulped down a swig of water. His arms ached from the digging and lifting, they cried out for some rest, a brief respite would do.  He was operating by rote. He ignored his aching body and forged ahead. Scoop after scoop he threw into the pan and slowly began to shake it, and there it was, the glimmer of a prize…

WNP:  1/25/13    The gardeners shovel hit something solid...


Nuchii and Chico walked across the lawn to the spot where they would plant the young sapling.  Looking up at the sky, they noticed that clouds were gathering and the sunny day had now become overcast. 
Nuchii said to Chico, "We gotta hurry, looks like rain."
"I don't care about the rain, I wanna get this job done, now," said Chico as he too looked up at the ominous clouds that threatened rain.
Walking to the dilapidated shed, they gathered the shovel and spade.
Looking at the spade, Nuchii asked, "what're we gonna do with this?"
"You're gonna help babe, two can work faster than one."
They both shoved their shovels into the soil where the tree would go.  Hard at first, it became easier to shovel and they tossed the dirt in a pile.  Stopping to stretch out her back, Nuchii wasn't keeping up her end and Chico is irritated but remains silent.  He continues to dig working off his anger at Nuchii.
About two feel down, there was a loud clunk, he hit something solid. He tried again, again, the same dull clunk.
They eagerly fell to their knees and reached into the hole with their bare hands and began to remove the dirt.  "There's something down there," said Nuchii.  She was barely able to contain her excitement.
"I wonder what it is," asked Chico, "think maybe there's a hidden treasure?"

Books I've Read: 2012/2013

Home  by Toni Morrison                                   Darkness My Old Friend  by Lisa Unger
The Inner Circle  by Brad Meltzer                      Creep  by Jennifer Hillier
Odd Apocalypse  by Dean Koonts                     Lethal  by Sandra Brown
Mudwoman  by Joyce Carol Oates                    The Crazy School   by Cornelia Read                  
The Killing Floor  by Lee Child                           Their Eyes Were Watching God  by  Z.N. Hurston
The Alchemist  by Paulo Coelho                          When the Thrill is Gone  by Walter Mosely
Ghost Writer  by Travis Thrasher                         Eight Days to Live  by Iris Johansen
Cat of the Century  by Rita M. Brown                  The World According to Bertie  by A.McC. Smith
Pearls For A King  b Dorth Scharlemann              The Red Queen by Phillip Gregory
Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie  by                  Little Bee  by Chris Cleave
Girl W Dragon TAtto by S. Larson                       Girl Who Kicked The Hornest Nest by S. Larson
The Girl Who Played W Fire by S. Larson            Frankenstein  by Mary Shelley
Stolen  by Lucy Christopher                                  Cleopatra  by Schiff
Will Grayson Will Grayson                                    A Stree Car Named Desire  by  T. Williams
Traveling W Pomegranites  by S. Monk Kidd        Chocolat  by J. Harris
The Immortal Henrietta Lacks by R. Shlost             The Help
Frankenstein  by Dean Koontz                               Bel CAnto  by Ann Patchett
The Hunger Games Trilogy

'''WNP:  YOU HAVE TEN SECONDS...

Anxiously Bandy waited, tapping her foot on the tile floor.  She looked around the sterile bathroom.  It seemed time had stood still since she entered  through the door.  She had hastily purchased the test...her anxiety continued to mount.  Beads of sweat popped like little raid drops on her forehead. 
Sitting atop the toilet seat she crossed her legs, leaned forward and held her chin in her hands.  The watch on her wrist continued to tick.
"This is making me crazy...I have to know soon," she thought anxiously.  She picked up the box again to be sure she had followed the directions correctly.  She wasn't one to follow directions, she just kind of hapharzardly went about her life.  This time was different, she had to be sure, she had to know. 
Looking at her watch again, she breathed deeply, "not yet, not yet", the seconds seemed to say to her.
In attempt to kill time, she began to pull open drawers in the vanity, since this wasn't her house, she found the items inside intriguing.  She pulled back the shower curtain to look at the tub, "nothing special," she commented aloud.  She took off her right shoe and rubbed her feet in the fluffly rug.  For a moment she forgot what she was doing.  Another glance at her watch...soon she would know,she had only ten seconds to go.

Today's five minute writing exercise:  Topic:  Tell/Show Empathy

The warm weather, the clouds in the sky ,  the sunshine, and the headstones that stood like sentinels in the vast expanse of green grass were and insult to the emotion Stella felt.  The open grave gaped at the mourners and felt no empathy for those standing near the coffin.  Saddness and tears could not stop the inevitable.  Buried.  Stella stood by in shock, her life had been in a daze since the accident.  "She's gone," she uttered quietly through her tears.  "My baby is gone, my little girl.  In a box, forever frozen in time, always my little girl.
Alphia stepped closer to her friend and eased her arm around Stella's waist.  She could feel the sobs wracking her body.  Stella responded silently as she turned her tear stained face toward Alphia.
Alphia spoke in her ear.  "I'm with you Stella, I'm here for you," she said in a whisper and not expecting and answer.  Stella looked into her friends eyes, she didn't utter a word, but she knew in her heart that Alphia would always be by her side.  Alphia continued to embrace her friend. 
The embrace steadied Stella, she gathered strength and love from Alphi's nearness. 
Together they stood, not alone, feeling each others pain at the loss of Stella's baby girl Cissy.

The worn wooden box sat on the floor for days.  It was a large box with wooden slats that had splinters sticking out.  Several times I scratched my leg as I tried to ease past it.  There was no sign on the box alluding to its contents…none-the-less I wondered.  My curiosity was getting the best of me.  I tried moving the box with my right foot, scarring the beautiful wood floor.  I only managed to scratch the floor.  Darnit, that would mean fixing the floor, more work.  Nothing rattled inside of the box, it seemed to be solid.  Driven by more curiosity, I bent over to lift the box from the floor.  No dice, I couldn’t budge it.  I worked out at the gym regularly, this box was a huge challenge.  I stared at the box, walked around it, looking for a place where I could pry open the box. 

“Damn,” I said to no one in particular.  “Who does this darned box belong to?  Where does it come from, and what is inside of it?”  At that moment Hubble walked into the room.  He looked at me with his hands on his hips.  He stood in the doorway with a smirk on his face.

The first question out of his mouth, “hey, girl, what’s in the box?”  I looked at him like he was crazy.  How the heck should I know?”

“I just thought,” he stuttered, meeting my gaze.

In exasperation I took a deep breath and rolling my eyes, “Hubble, I have no idea what’s in that box.  I don’t even know who it belongs to, or where it came from.  It’s been here for nearly a week.”

"Well,"  he said, " don’t you think we should open and see what’s inside?"

“How?”

“Simple,” he said with a smile on his face and a mischevious  gleem in his eyes.  "We’re going to pry it open with a crowbar.”