| goddess in my garden |
| *2* |
| have lost so much in my life. So many of my loves have withered away and died. Mother, Grandmother, my beautiful Sophia... now I fear, I may be losing my daughter as well. Celeste is so discontent these days. Her tutors say she lacks any depth in feeling, that all her work is a thinly veiled facade, masking her true pain. They worry for her, as do I. As of late, she has been asking after a trip. She wants to go abroad, to Europe, to see the sights. I fear she would never come back if I were to let her go. I can not lose her as well. I shall keep putting her off and promise her something else. Perhaps a garden? Yes, a new garden to design and entertain herself in. Natural beauty seems to be one of the few things that soothes her. I wished I knew what makes her so desperate to flee from life. I long to see true happiness gace her beautiful face with a radiance. So deserves to be happy, at least once in her life. |
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| Life in the city was slowly growing more tiresome. He longed for the open country of his home. Even if he were to leave the city to find work elsewhere, he knew he'd be happier. He worked hard for his wages, he was young and strong, he could work long hours to gain more in his new life in America. He was willing to work hard for what he wanted, but he was disenchanted with city life, it wore thin on him now. He began asking around if anyone knew of a job outside the city where he might find a new path to his dream. If he had to, he would start walking and offer his services along to way from farm to farm until he found a position to his likeing. Then he was pushed from his safe haven and forced to do just what he could to survive in the city. A fire raged in the mill he had been earning his way, wiping out half the property, and damageing some of the surrounding buildings as well. He was in shock, but soon shook out his dismay and resolved to find new employment. He headed to the shipyards, once hearing that there was alway work to be had there. Certainly he found someone willing to pay him wages soon enough, but he had no means of traveling back and forth from his job and the boarding house where he had been staying. He found a room to rent in a shabby hotel near the waterfront and settled in. He worked long hard hours, straining even his youthful health with the heavy burden. In time he grew stronger still, his acheing back a sure sign of a days work done. By the time he was finnished he was so tired he would just collapse on his lumpy bed in the dirty sheets. Disheveled and unshaven, he crawled from his meager resbit one morning to find his room had been broken into. All his money was gone, even his Grandfather's watch that he'd had since he was a young boy. It was one of his most prized possessions... and now it was gone. Angered to the point of tears almost, he stormed from his tiny hovel and barged into the hotel owners office with fury on his breath. He found the owner of the dive counting a large amount of money, some of it suspiciously rolled up tightly laying upon the pile. Rolled up just like his was at the bottom of his rucksack! Too quick to think,he accused the man of stealing from him, and promptly found himself tossed out on his ear, his rucksack and belongings thrown atop him soon after. On his knees in the filthy street, he picked up his few possessions, as he fought back his ire. Slowly he got to his feet, determined not to let this fall back bring him down. He headed toward the shipyards, ready to drown his woes in work. His day dragged on, and the thought of where he was going to sleep nagged at him. When the work was finnished, he picked up his rucksack and headed out into the seedy underbelly of the city. Everything was dirty and stunk of decay. This was nothing like what he had been told of America. He found a sheltered door in an alleyway and settled against his rucksack, pulling out the small bit of cheese and bread he'd bought. A repast unworthy of dwelling upon, so he ate quickly, and fell asleep as a light rain began to fall just beyond where he lay on the hard concrete step. When he woke at dawn the next morning, it was still raining. There was a damp chill clinging to his clothes too. Miserably he traipsed back to the dock, and back to his work to slave away for the pennies he earned. When they broke for dinner, he kept on working, casting longing glances at the food being enjoyed by everyone else. A large man, by the name McCarn, stood up and meandered over to him, large leg of turkey in hand. "What's the matter boy? 'Aven't ya got not dinner?" "I'm not hungry." He lied. The man surprized Isaac with a bellow of a laugh that sounded to very like the growl of a merry bear. He clapped him on the back so hard, he nearly knocked him down. "Don't be like that lad! Speak up if you be hungry, there's plenty to be had!" He gestured towards a large basket previously being pilfered by himself. "The wife, she likes to cook you know, and I can do without a bit of it if it'll mean you won't faint on us!" He grinned widely at Isaac, the laughter more in his eyes. Finally, here was a decent human amongst the wolves. With a shake of his head Isaac relented and settled to a short lunch with the large jovial man. They talked and Isaac grew to like the man greatly. He admired his tenacity, enjoyed his laughter, and benifited from the mans generous honesty. By days end, Isaac was following him home like a puppy, hat in hand as he wiped his feet at the door to a tiny, but cheerful little apartment. He was introduced to James, Jimbo to his friends, McCarn's family, and given a warm welcome into a good christian home. He set to a large table, laden with simple, yet hearty food. He was treated just like one of them. Now he had found his hope again. That night, he didn't sleep on a stone step in a doorway. No, that night, he took a bath, got to shave for the first time in weeks, though he left his new mustache behind, and went to bed swimming in a borrowed nightshirt, on a well worn couch. Life was looking back up. He said a prayer before closing his eyes, hopeing his mother wouldn't be too upset for not hearing from him in so long. He decided, in the morning, he'd write a letter to his Mama. He missed her and home as he drifted off to the first restful sleep he'd had in months. |
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