The Total December Experiment

by J.T. Lewis

The Total December Experiment

  Original Story (Beginning) by

  Lorna Lynne Kreimer  AKA::: Irishlass

   

  Prologue

  Karyn leaned against the huge trunk of the live oak tree.

  The weather throughout the day had been fabulous and the evening horizon promised a stunning sunset.

  She had arrived hours earlier, seeking privacy and solace. She often came to the grove of trees, where the occasional magnolia and sweet gum stood among the stand of oaks.

  The small basket, now empty, in which she had packed several comfort foods sat on the grass by her side. She didn't indulge often but this occasion demanded every soothing resource available. 

  A popular novel was open and lying face down beside the basket.

  She had snuggled into a crevice of the buttressed trunk of the ancient tree with a pillow behind her head and shoulders to cushion her from the furrowed and stratified bark. She sat on a folded quilt.

  The massive limbs of the great tree, delicately laced with Spanish moss, canopied above her but had allowed equal amounts of shade and sunlight to dapple the ground through out the afternoon.

  The gentle waves rolled onto the shore and the sun settled into the waters of the gulf. The ever-present breeze played in the silky strands of her blond hair and nipped mischievously at the folds of her skirt, causing it to briefly flutter, exposing firm tan thighs.

  As the moon rose and its light filtered through the branches and leaves of the tree, the tiny golden star painted on the fingernail of her ring finger began to

  sparkle and wink...a reminder of the night sky.

  A sudden gust of wind tumbled the basket several feet from Karyn and swept several strands of her hair across her cheek and lips.

  Gem bent and replaced the basket, setting the almost empty wine bottle inside to hold it in place.

  " We can't spoil this lovely scene, can we Karyn ?" He stood back to admire his handiwork, moving from one location to another to view the scene from different angles.

  " Perfection, Karyn. Thank you." He then turned and vanished among the trees.

  Karyn carelessly held the fragile stem of the empty wine glass as she stared after him with dull and unblinking eyes.

  As the faint sounds of the intruder vanished, the breeze suddenly halted and the murmur of the waves faded to silence. A delicate luminous mist began to gather around Karyn’s face and shoulders, kissing her cheeks and smoothing her hair from her face. The breeze stirred and the faint sound of the waves returned to accompany the soft sigh of grief as the mist slowly swirled up into the umbrella of branches and disappeared.

  Chapter 1

  Manda struggled, panting and mentally voicing her vocabulary of profanity, to

  bump the box of books down the flight of stairs from her second floor apartment.

  Pausing for a brief rest while leaning back against the box to keep it from

  tumbling down the remaining steps, she wondered how on earth she was going

  to wrestle four boxes of books into the car.

  She had decided several days earlier that the only possessions to make the move with her would be her personal items of sentimental value, her clothing and her precious books.

  The furnishings in her apartment, cast offs from friends and family, were old, ugly, uncomfortable and would remain behind for the next occupant. If she hadn’t already done this routine with three of the boxes of books, she thought that she might have given more consideration as to how important THEY really were to her.

  Grasping the box again to finish the jarring descent, she again hoped that she had made the right decision. After all, moving four states south and starting over WAS a major life change. She reached the foot of the stairs with a sigh of relief.

  “Thank heavens there are only three more steps down to the sidewalk,” she murmured. Manda eased the box down the porch steps and by scooting the box from side to side, managed to push it over to the old Taurus sitting by the curb.

  “Now what?” she muttered, casting a baleful glance between the boxes and the car. With a deep sigh, Manda prepared to do the impossible…lift two very heavy boxes into the trunk…two into the back seat.

  “Manda”, called Mrs. Collins through her open window in the next-door apartment. “Wait, I have three strong grandsons here just waiting to help a pretty little thing like you.”

  Manda chuckled. At five and a half feet, she looked down on the top of her neighbor and landlord’s head by at least six inches. She was pleasantly surprised when three strapping young men topping out at six feet or more came loping down the steps of her neighbor’s stoop and came to an abrupt halt in front of her with big grins on their faces. In less time than it took for Mrs. Collins to bustle down her steps, all four boxes were lifted up and into the car.

  After Manda’s smiles and “Thank You,” the three boys gave bear hugs to their grandma and ambled down the street, good-naturedly taunting and teasing each other.

  “Manda, I’ve baked some nice banana bread. When you’ve finished packing, come over and share some with me. We can spend some time together before you leave.”

  “Will do, Mrs. Collins. Thanks for the invitation.”

  Manda stood in her apartment living room, mentally crossing out the items on her checklist. Everything going with her was packed in the car, the apartment was clean, she had gotten all the information and directions necessary for the road trip, had taken care of her few financial obligations and the car had been serviced the week before. All that was left was to visit with Mrs. Collins, leave her apartment key, gas up the car and take off. She made one last tour of the rooms, pulled the door closed and locked it.

  ***

  Manda tapped on her neighbor’s door, quickly thrusting one hand behind her back. Mrs. Collins opened the door to see her young boarder with a dimpled smile and a mischievous look in her eyes.

  “ Come in and make yourself at home, then tell me why you have the devil’s twinkle in your eyes. I can tell you’re up to something. I’ve been around too long for many people to be able to put something over on me. Remember, I’ve been taught by the best…you just met three of them.”

  “ Why, Mrs. Collins, You’ve hurt my feelings,” Manda’s grin belying her words. Manda laughed and pulled her hand from behind her back extending a small elegantly wrapped package toward Mrs. Collins.

  “ Why Manda, how sweet.”

  “ I have to show my appreciation for everything you’ve done for me the last two years.”

  “ I haven’t done anything except enjoy your company, child.”

  “ Of course you have. You’ve taken messages for me, fed me frequently and loaned me your shoulder to cry on more than once. You’ve even baked me birthday cakes !”

  “ Well, you’ve been a joy to me, Manda, more than you know. You’re like a daughter to me. That’s very refreshing since my daughters only provided me with grandsons.”

  By this time they were seated at the kitchen table with coffee and banana bread.

  “ Try some of that spread on your bread. It’s really good. It’s a vanilla cream cheese spread.”

  Mrs. Collins began opening her present.

  “ Oh my, Manda, it’s lovely.”

  She looked up at Manda with a suspicious sheen in her eyes. She was holding a figurine of a Mother and small daughter planting flowers together.

  “ You see, I think of you as my second Mom.”

  Mrs. Collins abruptly left the table to go in another room, coming back with a package of her own that she presented to Manda.

  Mrs. Collins chattered
away as Manda opened her gift.

  “ I was in that little curio shop on fifth street the other day and I saw this. I know you enjoy astrology and so I asked the sales lady to help me. I told her your birthday and she picked this out.”

  “ Oh, Mrs. Collins, This is so awesome.”

  In Manda’s hand was a silver pendant. Engraved on the silver disc were the scales of justice and a small symbol beneath it.

  “ These are the symbols of the sign of Libra. Thank you so much. I’ll always treasure this”, Manda said as she slipped it around her neck.

  “ How about another piece of bread and another cup of coffee ,” said Mrs. Collins. “ I want to talk to you about something.”

  Manda looked into Mrs. Collins’s eyes, surprised to see them filled with worry.

  “Sure, hey…are you OK ?”

  ‘ I’m fine dear, just a little concerned about you. Manda, are you absolutely sure you want to do this…move South I mean ? It’s such a long distance away.”

  Manda’s brow creased as she thought about the best way to explain.

  “ Mrs. Collins, I’ve thought and thought about this ever since Mr. Lanier called me about my great aunt. I’ve lost more than one night of sleep trying to decide what to do, and…well…I came to some conclusions.”

  “ When Mom and Frank moved to Seattle, they invited me to go with them, but I wanted to stay here. I’ve spent my entire life in this area. All of my friends from my neighborhood and all my classmates from school were here. I felt that Mom and Frank wanted a new beginning and I should give them the opportunity to have that without me being a 5th wheel.”

  After a few seconds of silence, Manda continued.

  “ No ! I’ve got to be honest about this. I really just didn’t want to leave here. Seattle seemed light years away from everything and everybody I knew. But… I slowly realized that everything doesn’t stay the same just because that’s the way you want it to be. I had to leave my old neighborhood and find an apartment because Mom had to sell the house. Then my friends began moving away. Going to college, getting married….after a short time of keeping in touch, they kind of gradually slipped away into their own lives. I have no family here, no decent job and none in sight. I want more education, but I don’t know what, where or how. I’m going nowhere. About 4 months ago I was thinking of joining Mom and Frank in Seattle. That’s when I realized how afraid I am. That thought really discouraged me and I felt like a complete failure in life.”

  “ Manda, you haven’t failed, you just…”

  “ Mrs. Collins, please, just let me get this out.”

  “OK, Dear.”

  “ After I got over the shock of Mr. Lanier’s news, I began to see it as an opportunity to figure out what I want or need to do with my life. I decided that it was time to grow up. Do you understand ?”

  “ Yes, I understand, Manda. I just want you to know that every one of us experience the thoughts and feelings you’ve been having. It’s a necessary passage in everyone’s life. It’s a very difficult experience to get through and it is a frightening experience, but we somehow get through it. We all, at one time or another, feel we’re failures, but that’s not true. What you’re feeling about yourself right now isn’t pleasant, but it’s normal. Can you believe me and accept that ?”

  Manda frowned at her coffee for a minute, then her face began to clear.

  “ Mrs. Collins, you are a treasure. I hadn’t thought about it that way, but what you just told me makes sense. I already feel better about myself.”

  Manda grinned ,” Maybe I can pull this off. What do you think ?”

  “ Manda, I’ve known you for two years and I believe you can do anything you set your mind to.”

  “ Thank you again for everything. Especially the encouragement and your belief in me.”

  “ No need for that. That’s what second Moms are for. Moms don’t clip wings…we coax young ones out of the nest.”

  Manda jumped up and gave her a big hug.

  “ I’m going to miss you, Mrs. C.”

  “I’m going to miss you too, but we will stay in touch. That’s a promise. As soon as you get settled, write me and tell me everything. OK ?”

  “ I’ll do that, I swear.”

  Manda wrote the name and phone number of her hotel down on a piece of paper and handed it to Mrs. Collins.

  “ This will be my good luck piece,” Manda said with a grin, as she rubbed the pendant Mrs. Collins had given her.

  ***

  Several hours later, Manda was on the road, heading for a new experience. On the seat beside her lay a thermos of iced tea and several slices of wrapped banana bread, courtesy of her friend and neighbor.

  The parting had been a little bittersweet.

  She and Mrs. Collins had been satisfying neighbors for each other. Only one thing had marred this last visit. After agreeing to correspond on a regular basis, Mrs. Collins had repeatedly made Manda promise to be careful at all times and to ‘watch her back’.” Manda’s uneasiness didn’t last long, however. Her stomach being pleasantly full and with two doses of caffeine via coffee in her bloodstream, she was beginning to feel pleasant anticipation about her new venture ….danger felt very far away from her new life.

  Manda had decided to stay off the interstate as much as possible. She didn’t like them. She wasn’t comfortable driving in a lot of traffic and with little visual diversion; the drive would become very boring and tiring. She had plenty of time, so with the help of AAA and several maps, she had planned a scenic route.

  The thought of driving leisurely through the heartlands would be relaxing and exciting at the same time. She was determined to override any apprehensions she felt about the changes in her life, and to enjoy her trip to the fullest.

  Chapter 2

  The young man jogged at a leisurely pace alongside the water where the wet sand made running a little easier. Jogging in dry sand was a killer. Usually, he kept a faster pace but he had started an hour later than normal this morning and the higher heat and humidity was extremely uncomfortable and tiring. He had already downed more than half of his bottle of water so he was going to keep his run shorter than usual.

  The rules and regs he had set for himself regarding his exercise, start to finish without stopping, were disregarded when he spied the grove of trees on a small bluff up ahead.

  Shade…he had to have it before he started back home. Shade, a short rest and part of the water he had left in his bottle were necessary right now to keep him from falling on his face. He slowly jogged up a small hill beside the bluff and headed for the trees. He slowed to a walk when he realized that someone else was there. He was a little disappointed at first. He had anticipated a little private R&R during which he could regain his breath and let his sweat soaked body cool.

  As he slowly walked closer, he realized that the person under the tree was blond and wearing a dress. Chauvinistic he may be, but he preferred blonds. A few steps closer and he could tell she was young…better and better. A half dozen steps further and he began to realize that something about the scene was making him uneasy.

  Although her eyes appeared to be open, she gave no indication that she knew he was there. The strong breeze had pushed her skirt up almost to her waist but she made no attempt to readjust her clothing. If fact, she hadn’t moved at all. Another yard and he realized that the enormous dark stain that covered her dress wasn’t part of the dress design. It looked like ….

  With pounding heart and mouth so dry he couldn’t swallow, he back pedaled toward the bluff, spun on his heel and tore off down to the beach toward home.

  Chapter 3

  Manda, after spending a restless night in a motel, was into her second day of driving. She was beginning to feel the lack of sleep. Her legs were cramping a little and she was feeling jittery from sitting behind the wheel too long.

  Not used to driving long distances, she hadn’t taken many rest stops and her body was letting her know. She decided it was
time for lunch and a break. Arriving in the next small town, she pulled into the gravel parking area of a little country store/gas station that had the appearance of a store from the forties; the era recognizable from looking at photos of similar buildings in her grandmother’s old family album. She opened an ancient screened door and entered the darkened interior.

  “Howdy, young lady. Can I help ya ? A mite hot out, ain’t it ?”

  Smiling at the old fellow, Manda agreed with his assessment of the weather.

  “ I need something to eat and drink and gas in my car.” She began to look on the shelves for something appealing.

  “I can make ya a sandwich. I have ham and bread that the little woman cooked yesterday.”

  “Oh! That sounds wonderful! Can you fill my thermos with ice water, too.”?

  “ Sure can, Miss.”

  “ Is there a place around here where I can relax and have a little picnic? I really need a break from this driving.”

  “ Well…..There’s a little park just a tad up the road across from the church.

  Tain’t much but it does have shade trees. How much gas ya be wantin?”

  “Fill it up for me, please. Oh, do you have a lady’s room?”

  “The necessary room is at the back of the store. Tain’t fancy, but it’s clean.

  A few minutes and a mile later, Manda pulled over into a grassy area, which had a surprise for her. An old picnic table sat there with the promised shade produced by several trees.

  Across the road, sat a small white clapboard church with a tall steeple.

  Beside the church, protected by trees and surrounded by a white picket fence, was a cemetery. The church and grounds were obviously well maintained by the local citizens, indicating a willingness to work hard and share responsibility in showing respect for their place of worship and for the loved ones who had passed.

  Manda carried her goodies over to the table still smiling over the conversation she had just had with the old fellow. She was so glad that she had chosen the back roads. She was meeting ‘nice, real’ people.

  As she enjoyed her sandwich followed by a piece of the banana bread, she studied the directions he had given her to reach a B&B in a town about twenty miles or so further up the road.