Rainy Day

 

 

Cold rain droplets fell from the grey February sky. Blown here and there by errant winds, some dashed themselves against Leah's dining room window.

Tap. Tap-tap-tap.

Sitting alone at her table, she gazed out at the wet,  inhospitable world and sought what comfort a cup of hot tea might provide.

Christmas and New Years have passed, taking their joy and bright lights with them. A lonely chill invades my soul, and this awful weather doesn't help.  

An old blue Mustang passed by on the road outside, driven by a man with longish, dark hair.

Oh, my. That old car and the young man driving it, they remind me so much of.....

Leah's heart jumped and she took a deep breath.

No, I can't let myself think about it. The past must stay in the past.

The car drove by again--in the opposite direction. Something seized control of her mouth and forced it into a slight smile.

 Look--he's lost. Travis never seemed to know where he was going, either.

Leah bit her lip.

 No, I don't want to go there! Please. Don't make me...

Tap! Tap-tap!

Something stood outside on frigid, fluid feet, longing to come in. Longing to be remembered.

Must you do this to me?

Tap! Tap!

As if compelled by some unseen force, Leah got up from her chair and went to the hallway closet. On the top shelf, way in the back was a shoebox, and she pulled it down. Like a sacred object, she handled it with care, holding it close to her breast until she’d placed it safely on the bedroom dresser and sat down in front of it. 

You've not been opened in years. I should put you back. No, I can't!

Leah's hands trembled, and she loosened the pink ribbon that bound it. Pulling on the faded ribbon, trying to straighten out the wrinkles, she remembered the carnival.

“Travis, you’re going to spend all your money on me!”

“No, I’m not--I’m going to win you a teddy bear this time!” said Travis, and he took aim once more at the moving wooden ducks.

“You will, too. Those guns don’t even shoot straight.”

Travis fired the b-b gun, 'P-ting!' Miraculously, the duck fell.

“See, I told you so! Now aren’t you sorry you said I couldn’t do it?”

“Oh, I am sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you. You’re a regular Roy Rodgers.” Leah took the teddy bear and gave Travis a kiss, just as prudish old Mrs. Rice walked by.

Travis licked the sweet cotton candy kiss from his lips and said, “The old biddy saw us! Aren’t you afraid your dad will find out?”

“Ha-ha! No, I’m not afraid! Hey, let’s go ride the Ferris wheel!”

The young lovebirds sat with arms around each other and rode high in the sky on the giant, slow-turning wheel.

“I can see the whole world from up here, Travis! There’s the courthouse over there, and there’s the school gymnasium.”

“No, that’s the Methodist church. The school’s over that way, silly!”

“Well, you love me anyhow, don’t you?”

“Of course I do. I love you more than mother's buttermilk biscuits!”

Leah slapped Travis on the arm. “You’d better love me more than some old biscuits, or I’m gonna cry!”

Travis laughed out loud and hugged her. “You know I'm just kidding. My mom does make some pretty good biscuits, though.”

Leah wrinkled her nose and pinched Travis on his side.

“Ouch! Hey, that hurt!”

“Serves you right! What am I doing up here in all this wind with a boy that doesn’t love me more than food? Just look at my hair; it’s blowing all over the place!”

Travis took the ribbon from around the teddy bear’s neck and handed it to Leah. “Here--tie your hair up with this. It’s a peace offering. I love you more than biscuits, more than cake--I love you more than anything in the whole, wide world, Leah Martin!”

Leah squeezed the ribbon tight between her fingers, as if to better feel those forty-year old, happy moments.  A tear ran down her cheek, and she smiled, not bothering to wipe it. A little plastic bag contained the brittle remains of a carnation. A blink of the eyes, and another memory came.

“A blue Mustang! Gosh almighty, where did you get this, Travis? It’s beautiful!”

“It’s mine! Dad helped me get it. It’s a graduation present, but I'll have to get a job and make the payments on it.”

“Oh Travis,” said Leah, jumping into the car, “we’re going to blow people’s minds when they see us arrive at the prom in this!”

“Nothing’s too good for you, my princess. You look really nice in that dress, Leah. I hope that’s the world’s most beautiful carnation you’re wearing, because you’re the world’s most beautiful girl!”

Oh, my goodness. I'm smiling like the silly young girl I was that night. That was some big flattering talk, and gosh, did I love it.

Leah laid the fragile carnation aside and said, “We’ve both seen better days.” 

Okay, what's next? I can't stop now.

Ragged restaurant napkin love notes came from the box and Leah remembered each one of them, right down to what they’d ordered to eat that day. Concert tickets for “The Who” and “Jefferson Airplane” reminded her of a wonderful summer she’d spent with Travis. Some memories didn’t have tangible reminders in the box, but they were there, nonetheless. Between the aged mementos of her summer of love and her first college photos, there laid a bitter, smoldering memory, and it stabbed her like a knife.

On his knees, the nineteen year-old Travis said, “I know it’s not much, but I’ll get you a better ring just as soon as I can afford it. They’re giving me a raise at the furniture factory and I’ll soon be making three dollars an hour! We can make it--I promise. Please, please say you’ll marry me, Leah.”

“But what about me going to college, a-and, what if you get drafted? What will I do then?”

“I’ll work two jobs if I have to, and you can still go to college. I heard that they won't draft guys if they're married. Everything will be fine, you’ll see! Leah, I want you more than anything. Please, will you marry me?”

***

Why didn’t I just say yes? I was such a fool!

Tears, like the rain outside, ran down Leah's cheeks. She pulled a picture from the box and gazed at it with deep longing and sorrow.

You shouldn’t have let me say no. You should have just taken me to the justice of the peace, slid that ring on my finger and made me marry you right then!

 Forever young and smiling in the photo, Travis looked sharp in his Army uniform.  On the back it said “You broke my heart, but I still love you, Leah. When I come back, I hope you’ll change your mind about marrying me. Forever yours, Travis.”

Leah heard the back door close and quickly put everything back into the box. Wiping away her tears, she got up and went to the kitchen.

“God, it's nasty out there! What did you make me for lunch?”

“Soup and a sandwich.”

“Ohhhh. There wasn't any of that casserole left?"

Leah sniffled and said, "No, I'm Sorry. I'll make you something nice for supper."

"You've been crying, haven't you?"

"Yes, but I'll be fine if you'll just give me a hug."

Large arms embraced Leah.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you, Travis?"

"Yeah, mom. You tell me that all the time."

              

Author's Note

This is an old one that I've re-written.

Reviews

[Angi]

I just read Leah's Rainy day and came straight here. The ending had me tearing up! She should have said yes! Oh, she should have! ...I am so happy she has her son to remember, though. You pull my heartstrings, Sam! I am heading back over to the rewrite to give my thoughts, there. Angi~

[Samuel Dickens]

Thank you, Angi. During that era, there were many such stories, I'm afraid.

[Angi]

My pleasure, Sam. Always!

[Renée]

I love them both...I can see why you you did not just delete this ending and had this story become two..
each ending leaves a different feel in my heart....

[Samuel Dickens]

Thanks, Renee. I'm so happy you enjoyed it.

[Renée]

Always Sam ( :

[Dean Kuch®]

Okay, I like the ending to this version of the story, but for me, the other is more ethereal, and that's more my style. I take it in this one, Travis got killed in 'Nam, and left Leah behind in a 'family way', but not realizing that she was pregnant? When the boy was born, she named him after his father in honor of his memory. Is that about right? This ending is a bit sweeter, more grounded in reality. But, I still like the other version better. Not much, but a little...

[Samuel Dickens]

Thanks, Dean. Your interpretation is the one most would probably arrive at, although her Travis might have been fathered by someone else. I wanted to leave enough ambiguity to make the reader think. I'd say your right, though.

[roarke]

Whoa.... snap!
Yer a tricky one old Sam. This story sets the hook and reels ya in.
And, such a romantic too,.... better than biscuits huh? Must really be love....
This genre you really shine in buddy.

[Samuel Dickens]

I'm honored. Thank you.

[Mark]

Sam?
Samsamsamsamsam!
You have got it, ole son. I've never read anybody who could grab my heartstrings and pluck them so effectively EVERY time!

[Samuel Dickens]

I'm honored, Mark. Thanks a million.

[Sheila Kline]

Sam, you are indeed a born story teller!! You are always able to capture my attention from the first word to the last with the way you tell a story so "true and life-like"! I love this. I am wondering if Travis is the son of the one she did not marry???? It makes me feel sad they did not marry!

[Samuel Dickens]

Thank you, Sheila. You know as I do that there was an awful lot of heartbreak during that time.

[Marie]

This is very good, touching and delightful at the same time. But I couldn't tell if the man in the Mustang was real or a figmane of Leah's imagination. Does it tie in?

[Samuel Dickens]

Thanks, Marie. The man in the mustang was real and just reminded her of Travis. Maybe I'll need to make that more obvious.

[Mark]

That's odd, I thought the man in the Mustang WAS Travis, as all the blue type was flashbacks...Did I miss something? And why did the tapping of the raindrops elicit the memory of her most-wondeful-most-painful summer? (re-read...) Never mind, found what I missed, sentence 5.

[Mark]

But, in reference to your comment above, Sam, this opens all kinds of story potentials! You never explicitly stated (even though strongly implied) that Travis was killed in Nam. But what if his dog tags had been stolen., or lost, and erroneously added to the KIA list? And this is, in fact, Travis, severely shell shocked, and driving up down this street because he knows there is something vitally important here, but can't QUITE remember what? And as to whether the kid is Travis's genetically or merely nostalgically, well..'67 WAS the Summer of Love, after all! Not EVERY detail has to be expressly stated! I smell another book coming on!

[Marie]

I honestly believe that Travis is her son. And I'm not sure but what the man in the Mustang could have been left out, and another way found to immerse Leah in her memories.

[Samuel Dickens]

She thinks, "That's just like Travis was--always getting lost". The key word is WAS. I'll make changes to the wording.

[Claire Twinn]

A sad but sweet love story, mixed with a nice sense of mystery. I can't decide if the now Travis is his son or just named longingly after him.

[Samuel Dickens]

Thanks, Claire. Yes, there's a bit of mystery.