Mary #6

If anyone does Saturday Centus you might somewhat remember this story started as a centus.  In  June of 2010, I wrote a few chapters on Mary and then stopped.  I had so much to write about her, writing weekly for centus wasn't enough.  I then wrote and wrote until I had over 30,000 words so far.  In writing it though as I got further and further my original premise somehow got blown out of the water, ha, ha. I stopped writing her story in March of 2011.   I still haven't quite figured out how I'm going to work this out but I thought I would put out what I have so far.   Please remember this is a really rough draft and when I wrote it, I had no chapters.  Before I decided to put this on the blog I had to go back and figure out where I could make them.  I would suggest this is a terrible way of doing it lol.  The first chapter started on March 23rd, 2012.

6

The music had stopped and Mary was just finishing up the last of her meal when in the faint distance, she heard a phone ringing.  What's that she thought?  That must be my cell phone.  She had forgotten that she had shoved her phone in her luggage when she was getting on the plane.  As she opened it up to get it the phone stopped ringing.  She took it out and saw she had 15 missed calls and some messages.  Oh boy, gone from the city for a few days and you forget you have a cell phone she thought.  As she clicked through the missed calls, they were all from Sadie her best friend.  She decided to listen to the messages, again all from Sadie saying she was worried, asking if she was okay.

Mary picked up the phone and dialed Sadie's number.  

She picked up on the first ring.  "Mary" Sadie asked.

 "Yeah, it's me.  What are all the messages about?"

 "I was worried about you.  I knew you weren't looking forward to going back home.  I thought you would have called to tell me that you got there all right.”

 "Sorry, everything's fine.  Just don't expect to hear from me too much, okay? I've got a lot of things to do.  How's everything going at the hotel?” 

"It's great.  No one even misses the head honcho" and Sadie laughed. 

"Oh now I see, while I'm gone you’re going to try and get my job and move up the ladder.” 

"No one could do as good a job as you can Mary and we both know it.  Believe me your job is safe even with you taking time off.  Remember you’re the Girl Wonder around here" and they both howled with laughter.  Then Sadie said "I'm a plane ride away Mary if you need me.” 

"Thanks Sadie, I'll talk to you in a few days" and hung up.

Mary cleaned off the table and started doing the dishes.  As she looked through the kitchen window at the blackness of the night, she thought about how she first met Sadie.   

After four years of college in New York, she came home for a year and put in applications everywhere for a job in Hotel Management.  She remembered when she finally got the call for her dream job to come in for an interview in New York.  Her Ma and Pa were disappointed that she would apply for a job out of state but that didn't deter her from going.  She went there on a Monday and briefly saw Sadie as she was entering one of the interviewing rooms. 

Months later, she got the call that she got the job.   On the first day, she saw Sadie there.  They talked for a bit and Mary mentioned that she had seen her the day of her interview.

She remembered Sadie laughed and said "Yeah, I didn't get the job you did, but there happened to be another job and I was perfect for it.”  

“Lulu that was my friend, Sadie that called” and Lulu looked quizzically at her.  “Where would I be without Sadie always having my back?” 

 

Mary headed up the stairs.  When she got to the top, she looked at her parent’s door and started to go to it.  She put her hand on the glass handled knob but didn't turn it. 

 "Nope, not ready yet" and headed down the hall.  

She put on her nightgown and jumped into bed.  Lulu was right there with her.  As she drifted off to sleep, she thought to herself she would soon be strong enough to enter that room.  She just knew it.  

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Mary #5

If anyone does Saturday Centus you might somewhat remember this story started as a centus.  In  June of 2010, I wrote a few chapters on Mary and then stopped.  I had so much to write about her, writing weekly for centus wasn't enough.  I then wrote and wrote until I had over 30,000 words so far.  In writing it though as I got further and further my original premise somehow got blown out of the water, ha, ha. I stopped writing her story in March of 2011.   I still haven't quite figured out how I'm going to work this out but I thought I would put out what I have so far.   Please remember this is a really rough draft and when I wrote it, I had no chapters.  Before I decided to put this on the blog I had to go back and figure out where I could make them.  I would suggest this is a terrible way of doing it lol.  The first chapter started on March 23rd, 2012.

5

"I wasn't expecting anyone.” Mary said as she came down the steps in denim capris and a white t-shirt with her hair still in a ponytail. 

" I knocked but no one answered.  I brought you some groceries but I see Johnny beat me to it.”

 "That's okay, I remember Pa saying you can never have too much food" and then she bit her lip for bringing up their Pa.  "Johnny said you, Donna and the kids are going on a trip.  When are you leaving?”  

"In a few days." 

"You want a glass of wine?” 

"Sure but not much, I've got things to do when I get home.”  

As she went into the kitchen, Jimmy thought about Pa.  Why did she have to even mention him?  I've got so many questions about the time she spent with them last Christmas.  Everyone was so upset at the funeral there wasn't any time for that then.  Since Ma and Pa wanted to be buried in the Appalachia's of West Virginia where they came from, we all were just in an out.

"Jimmy. Jimmy?"  she could tell he was far off somewhere in his mind.  "Here's your wine" as she finally got his attention.  "So, tell me, how are Donna and the kids?” 

He brightened up “Donna’s doing well.  She is still cancer free.  Jake and Hannah, what can I really say about them both being teenagers and driving.  They're hardly home.  That is why we're looking so forward to this vacation.  We'll have a captive audience" and they both laughed. 

He finished up his glass of wine and said "I better hit the road." 

Mary walked him to the car.  "Thanks for bringing the food Jimmy that was very thoughtful of you.” 

He laughed "Not my usual self, eh? Do you want me to give Elizabeth a message from you?" 

"No please don't.  I said I didn't want anyone to know I was here.”  

"I know you said that Mary but I didn't think that applied to Elizabeth.”

 "Well, it does.  Please just do this for me Jimmy!”

"Okay, I said I wouldn't tell anyone and I won't.  I didn't even tell Donna and the kids you were here.  I still don't understand what the big secret is but I'll keep my promise. You take care and I'll see you when I get back.  Oh I almost forgot, nice job on the flowerbed” and with a wink he started his car and took off.

Mary went back into the house and felt light as a feather as she went and sat at the kitchen table.   

She said out loud "That went pretty well except for the slip up about Pa.   Now I can have some peace and deal with other stuff around here now that I'm sure he won't be telling anyone I'm here.” 

She got up and started emptying the grocery bags.  She was getting hungry since she hadn't eaten since breakfast.  These are nice pork chops he bought, she thought.  She decided to fry one up and make home fries just like her Ma used to do. 

She got out the cast iron skillets, found an old apron and started cooking and putting the rest of the groceries away.  

 Mary went to the buffet in the dining room, got a white linen table cloth out and put it on the dining room table.  She took a place setting of her Ma's good china and silverware and put it on the table.  She always loved it but her Ma only used it for special occasions which were rare.  She remembered opening the drawer on the buffet and just looking at the China when she was a kid.  How the delicate little pink flowers surrounded the edges.  

She glanced up and said  "Ma, I'm using your good stuff.  I hope that's okay.” 

Then she noticed the old turntable sitting in the corner.  She wondered if it still worked  Whatever was on there she decided she would play because it's the last thing her Ma and Pa would have been listening too. 

She ran outside in the dark, and clipped some roses off  her Ma's prized pink rose bush.  Went in the kitchen, put the flowers in an old Mason jar and put them on the table.  Then she took the plate and put her food on it.  Grabbed a bottle of wine and wine glass and she was ready to sit down except for getting up one more time and turning the turntable on.  As she sat back down she heard familiar voices and smiled.  After all those years they still listened to Simon and Garfunkel. 

 

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What a show

This evening around 7, I was sitting in the patio enclosure with all the windows open.  It was a gorgeous day (finally again).  It was in the high 70's but very breezy.

I don't know if I mentioned, before winter came, Hippie hung the bird feeder out again right next to the garden.

Anyhow while I was sitting there, the birds (sparrows, blue jays, cardinals) were eating out of the bird feeder.  There was a squirrel underneath the feeder eating the seed the birds flicked out of it.

Then lo and behold, the bunny rabbit came into the backyard.  He went and checked out the garden where the squirrel was but didn't find anything.  He ended up staying on the grass and eating the weeds.

I wanted to go get the camera but I knew if I did everyone would scatter so I just sat and watched.  I felt like I was in my own little nature preserve LOL. 

Centus #102

The prompt this week is: "Why oh why oh why..."
Number of words: 100 PLUS the five words of the prompt for a maximum word count of 105
Style of writing: Query
Pictures: As many extra pictures as you like

 Check out other Centus'

lhttp://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/2012/04/saturday-centus-why.html

 The prompt is in blue.  BTW, this is true. I don't live there now.

 

My neighborhood in my younger days was a time when people took great pride in caring for their homes. 

Why oh why oh why did the city allow slum landlords to buy there?  The area slowly started to deteriorate.  Then the housing crisis happened which didn’t help matters.        

There are a lot of homes in disrepair, abandoned and empty lots where homes once stood. You can find homes though where people still care.

My brother told me this weekend the home my great grandparent’s, grandparent’s and mom lived in was torn down a while ago.          

 I was mad; then just sad.

Mary #4

If anyone does Saturday Centus you might somewhat remember this story started as a centus.  In  June of 2010, I wrote a few chapters on Mary and then stopped.  I had so much to write about her, writing weekly for centus wasn't enough.  I then wrote and wrote until I had over 30,000 words so far.  In writing it though as I got further and further my original premise somehow got blown out of the water, ha, ha. I stopped writing her story in March of 2011.   I still haven't quite figured out how I'm going to work this out but I thought I would put out what I have so far.   Please remember this is a really rough draft and when I wrote it, I had no chapters.  Before I decided to put this on the blog I had to go back and figure out where I could make them.  I would suggest this is a terrible way of doing it lol.  The first chapter started on March 23rd, 2012.

4

Mary and Lulu slept in the next morning getting up around 10.  Mary felt refreshed and hungry.  She was determined to go upstairs today to at least get a shower.  Even she could tell she didn’t smell too fresh.  She went in the kitchen and fed Lulu.  Then she turned on the coffee pot and made herself some bacon, eggs, toast and jam. She took it to her favorite place the rocker and watched as a stray cat was playing with Lulu. 

When she was done, she thought it's now or never.  In the house, she went.  Picked up some of the luggage and went up the steps, not even looking in the direction of her parents’ room.  

Down the hall was her old room.  She opened the door and stood in stunned silence.  Nothing had changed.  The beautiful mulberry, green and blue quilt was still on her bed.  All the shelves that her Pa had made for her angel collection were still up with all the angels still standing there. The pictures that she painted of angels that her Ma framed still hung on the walls.   The pink furniture  she decided she had to have that her Pa painstakingly painted even though her Ma said it looked gaudy.  It was all there just like it was waiting for her return all these years later to welcome her back home.  Home she thought.  Oh how I wish this could be home again and she started to choke up.   

"Now Mary" she said out loud to no one "Let's get on with this.” 

She put the two bags of luggage she brought up on the bed and opened the closet door.  Thankfully, there were hangers. 

She went to the dresser and opened up some drawers and there were things in some of them.  The bottom drawer was full of books.  She looked; there were Little House on the Prairie books.  She remembered how she and Ma would read those together before she went to sleep for the night.  Then there were the Nancy Drew books when she got a little older.  On the very bottom, she was amazed to see some of her old diaries still securely locked.  She looked through the rest of the drawer for the keys but couldn't find them. 

The next drawer she found clothes.  As she pulled them out, each one had a piece of paper attached with a safety pin with a year and said Mary's Christmas outfit. Some years they couldn't afford a lot of new clothes but her Ma always made sure she had a new outfit for Christmas even if that meant she had to sew one up for Mary.  It looked like her Ma had saved every Christmas outfit she had worn from the time she was born up until about the age of 10.  I wonder why she would have done that Mary thought. 

The last drawer was empty.  Mary put clothes in the drawer and in the closet. 

She then went into the bathroom and turned on the water.  She looked at the tub and thought what she wouldn't give to have a bathtub like this in her apartment.  Her tub was so tiny she could barely fit. 

She ran downstairs, let Lulu in, got a bottle of wine and a glass, went and got a Little House on the Prairie book and settled into the bathtub. 

"I might just stay in this bathtub all day"  she said, as Lulu settled on the sage green rug next to the tub for a nap.

Jimmy pulled into the driveway around back.  He looked in the window of the garage and saw Mary's car.  He went to the back door and knocked.  He waited a while and knocked again and no one answered.  He opened the door with his key and went to the car and got the four bags of groceries he bought and put them on the kitchen table.  He looked in the refrigerator and saw food.  That's just like Johnny he thought.  I should have known he would have already gotten stuff for Mary. 

All of a sudden he heard hissing.  "Lulu, your usual greeting to me, I see.  Even with Mary back, you still don't like me.  I wish I knew what I ever did to you.  Where's she at?”  Lulu took off and went upstairs.  "Mary, Mary are you up there" Jimmy yelled.

"Is that you Jimmy? I'm in the bath.  I'll be right down.”  

Jimmy sat on the couch.  He mumbled to himself  "A couple days, she's home and the house looks a wreck.   Some of her luggage is still down here.  It looks like she's been sleeping on the couch and there are dishes in the sink."  Mary was never one to do indoor chores he remembered; she always liked doing outside stuff.  I'll have to compliment her on the flower beds out front.  I can see that she's worked hard on weeding he thought.   

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Some Links

Here are some links some you may have seen, some maybe not.  I look at these when I don't have anything to do.

1.  http://www.damnyouautocorrect.com/

2.  http://www.fmylife.com/

3.  http://eyebombing.com/

4.  http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/

5.  http://dearphotograph.com/


Viki

Random thoughts

1.  I'm noticing on some blogs some of the the words on the posts are connected together - likethis.   What's up with that?

2.  We are going to have our outside front steps and back steps re-built. It should be in May.   We'll see how that goes.

3.  I haven't heard from the patio guy yet this spring.  He said if I didn't hear from them by March 20th, I should call.  I just haven't had the heart to do that yet.

4.  It ended up being hippie and me for Easter.  My brother called on Holy Saturday and mentioned they were going to his in-laws and wanted to set up a different time to come here.  I said let's forget it.  He wasn't so keen on it but I was, ha.  We met him at the nursing home on Easter morning and I gave him some of the food I had already prepared.  So, I had an Easter nap lol.  

5. We got our new garbage cans last week for the automated trucks.  We were supposed to start using them this week.  However, when they came today it was the old trucks.  The guy said they won't be starting until next week@@.

6.  I know this is a pretty boring post, ha,ha.  I don't feel like I have anything interesting to say unless you consider whining exciting and then I could probably write more.

1940 census

Has anyone looked at this yet?  I tried to print something, and it didn't print correctly.  I only got a portion and it wasn't even anything useful.  Then I tried to download it but couldn't.  It was too slow.  I think too many people are trying to do the same thing.  But it still doesn't answer the question on why I can't print it.  Anyone?

I think I've been watching too much of Who Do You Think You are on Fridays nights lol. 

Happy Easter

Mary #3

If anyone does Saturday Centus you might somewhat remember this story started as a centus.  In  June of 2010, I wrote a few chapters on Mary and then stopped.  I had so much to write about her, writing weekly for centus wasn't enough.  I then wrote and wrote until I had over 30,000 words so far.  In writing it though as I got further and further my original premise somehow got blown out of the water, ha, ha. I stopped writing her story in March of 2011.   I still haven't quite figured out how I'm going to work this out but I thought I would put out what I have so far.   Please remember this is a really rough draft and when I wrote it, I had no chapters.  Before I decided to put this on the blog I had to go back and figure out where I could make them.  I would suggest this is a terrible way of doing it lol.  The first chapter started on March 23rd, 2012.

3

While sitting there for an hour or so, while a gentle breeze blew, Lulu was playing in the flower bed.  She noticed it was just filled with weeds.  That was her job when she was little.  She wondered who did it when she left, probably Pa she thought.  He would be so disappointed to see all those weeds messing up her Ma's flowers.  She decided to do something about it. 

She went to the barn and got a trowel and an old rug.  She put the rug down and got to pulling and digging the weeds.  Mary was out there for hours.  She forgot how much she liked being outside with her hands in the dirt.  In the city, there was no chance of that happening. 

"Mar, what are you doing?” 

She was startled and jumped.  "What does it look like I'm doing Johnny, weeding!” she said in an exasperated tone.   

"I can see that but why?”

 "I came here to get things fixed up so we could sell.  I noticed no one's felt the need to do any weeding so I thought I'd get to it.  Didn't you ever hear of curb appeal?”  

He just shrugged and went to the car to get the groceries to put on the porch. 

I've got to get my act together she thought.  Johnny was the brother closest to her in age and was always the peacemaker between her and Jimmy.  She needed him on her side just in case. 

"Johnny,” Mary said while he was putting the bags on the porch.  "I really appreciate the angel and the note, thank you.”

 "No problem.  I remembered how much you liked them and as far as the note that's how I feel but I can't vouch for Jimmy.  You know he's still very upset about Ma and Pa and other stuff but he promised he wouldn't mention to anyone that you were here.  How long are you planning on staying?”

 "I'm not really sure, but I took a leave of absence for a couple of months. I figured I'd wait and see how it goes.” 

"Well, I better get going.  I'll leave you to yourself.  One more thing, Jimmy, Donna and the kids are going on a two week vacation so at least you won't have to worry about him for a while.”

"That should be fun, where are they going?” 

"Elizabeth's grandmother left her a cabin somewhere in Canada.  Mitch is still Jimmy's best friend so they asked if they wanted to come." 

Mary abruptly said "I'd better get those groceries in the house before they spoil, thanks for bringing them" and she was in the house like a flash.

Mary took the groceries in the kitchen and she heard Johnny's car leaving.  She chastised herself for leaving so quickly.    Oh well, there's nothing that can be done about it now. 

She sat down at the table and started talking to Lulu who had barely made it in the house when she shut the door.  "So  Jimmy and he are still best friends.  I just hope Jimmy keeps his mouth shut.  They'll have a lot of time together on vacation to talk.  Mitch is the last person on earth I want to know that I'm here.  Oh, how I've missed Elizabeth all these years but that can't be helped.  I've got at least two weeks before I have to be concerned with what Jimmy said or didn't say.  I'll just forget about it for now."

With that Mary, started taking the groceries out of the bags and putting them away. Johnny must think I'm a big eater; he sure bought a lot of stuff.   Although she hadn't had breakfast or lunch, she wasn't that hungry.  Even with the breeze reaching the evening, it was getting hot.   She decided to have a little something and decided to make herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  She laughed when she thought how many times her Ma had made them eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches when her Pa's crops didn't grow.  Now she was willingly going to eat it.  Her Ma would sure get a good laugh out of that. 

She took her sandwich and a glass of wine and went to the front porch.  She thought about what her city friends would think of her now.  She was still wearing the same clothes that she came in yesterday, no shower, eating a PB & J sandwich and a glass of wine.  Well, at least they would approve of the wine.  Mary ate, drank and rocked looking at how nicely the flowerbed was coming along.  Another day and it should be up to her Pa's standards she thought. 

It was starting to get dark and she could feel the mosquito's starting to bite so she went in.  "Well, Lulu I guess I should take my luggage upstairs and take a quick shower".  He quickly ran up to the top of the stairs.  As Mary was walking up the steps, she noticed her Ma had put photos on the wall next to the staircase since she'd been away.  She smiled as she saw her brothers, her and other family members.  She got further and further up the steps until she got to the last picture of her Ma and Pa's wedding.  There was their bedroom when she looked across from the last step.  The door was closed.   Suddenly, Mary was paralyzed and couldn't breathe.  She couldn't go any further.  She ran back down the steps with Lulu following close behind. 

"Maybe I'll try again tomorrow, Lulu.  I think I'll sleep on the couch with grandma's quilt one more night."

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