no response, he yelled again, then important,” he said. like “Looks again. she forgot and doesn’t need your help celebrating her birthday, The cacophony of crows fell after all.” silent. The only sounds were the rushing of river over rocks and the Unexpected “Who rustle of breezes through tall emotions welled in Korin’s chest, grass at the edge of the turnout. negating those harshly spoken words—disappointment, hurt and agreed to meet us on “She an overwhelming longing for the this side of the swinging bridge gramma she would now surely and she promised not to take you never meet. any farther than that grove of myrtle wood trees above the trail, Daddy thumped the Chevy’s over there,” Daddy explained. hood. on! Let’s go!” When “I “Come ain’t gonna have you messing Korin didn’t budge, he leaned into around that heathen’s stomping the car’s open window and gave grounds, even if she is your the horn an impatient tap. gramma.” Korin turned to leave, then He yelled again, then gave caught movement from the the swinging bridge a final corner of her eye and froze. scanned the trail across the A diminutive figure, no more river and grinned. it! She’s “That’s than three feet tall, came out of a no-show. We’re out of here.” the shadows across the river—a He headed for the car, still tiny man with a long white beard grinning. kept my end of the and wild, flyaway hair, the shade “I bargain. It ain’t my fault she ain’t of summer clouds. here.” It was the same little man who had stood at Mama’s side He stopped and took in the each time she had entered Korin’s wide turnout, the grimy pickup dreams! standing there alone. turning “Her seventy-five must not be so
no response, he yelled again, then again. The cacophony of crows fell silent. The only sounds were the rushing of river over rocks and the rustle of breezes through tall grass at the edge of the turnout. “She agreed to meet us on this side of the swinging bridge and she promised not to take you any farther than that grove of myrtle wood trees above the trail, over there,” Daddy explained. “I ain’t gonna have you messing around that heathen’s stomping grounds, even if she is your gramma.” He yelled again, then gave the swinging bridge a final scanned the trail across the river and grinned. “That’s it! She’s a no-show. We’re out of here.” He headed for the car, still grinning. “I kept my end of the bargain. It ain’t my fault she ain’t here.” He stopped and took in the wide turnout, the grimy pickup standing there alone. “Her turning seventy-five must not be so important,” he said. “Looks like she forgot and doesn’t need your help celebrating her birthday, after all.” “Who Unexpected emotions welled in Korin’s chest, negating those harshly spoken words—disappointment, hurt and an overwhelming longing for the gramma she would now surely never meet. Daddy thumped the Chevy’s hood. “Come on! Let’s go!” When Korin didn’t budge, he leaned into the car’s open window and gave the horn an impatient tap. Korin turned to leave, then caught movement from the corner of her eye and froze. A diminutive figure, no more than three feet tall, came out of the shadows across the river—a tiny man with a long white beard and wild, flyaway hair, the shade of summer clouds. It was the same little man who had stood at Mama’s side each time she had entered Korin’s dreams!
2015%20Autumn%20S&S.docx