The Visitor...
We’re getting there. Slowly – but we’re getting there…
The Visitor... belongs to the following groups:
Short stories - Spherical Scriptings and WMGIt was late in the Spring. The sun was warm, fields were green, trees were lush and the air smelled warm and fresh.
Peace reigned in the house of Martin the B Keeper. Onyx the cat lay sleeping on a sunny windowsill. Sunlight flowed through windows and soaked into the walls.
There was a hesitant knock on the front door.
Onyx opened one eye, raised his head and sniffed the air. A moment later there was another knock and Onyx dropped lightly to the floor and padded to the door, meowing and purring.
Martin was not at home. After a short while, footsteps retreated from the front door and faded away. Onyx meowed once more and slunk off in search of another patch of sunshine..
“Oh, hello.” Said Rubber after answering a knock at his own front door. “And what can we do for you?”
“I am looking for Martin.” Said the visitor. “Is he here?”
Rubber thought for a moment.
“Yes.” He said eventually. “He is out the back, fixing my truck. You will find he is very good at fixing things, given the chance…”
The visitor said nothing, but followed Rubber through the house and into the huge yard behind. There, among various old pieces of machinery stood Rubber’s ancient truck, hood raised like a weary old mouth. A pair of legs poked out from under the front guard.
“Hi! Martin!” called Rubber as he strode toward his Old Girl, towing Martin’s visitor in his wake.
“Nearly done!” the pair of legs answered.
“Someone here to see you.” Rubber continued when he was closer.
A hand reached out and grabbed the bumper . Martin hauled himself from under the truck’s rusted engine bay. His arms and face were smeared with old grease, and it was hard to tell what colour the front of his shirt may once have been under the grime.
“Really?” he stood, wiping his hands ineffectually on a grimy cloth. He looked up and saw his visitor for the first time.
“Oh. Hello.” He said flatly.
“Hello Martin…” smiled Rebecca…
The hole that had been in Martin’s chest for the months since Rebecca had left, leaving only a note and a cat, suddenly ached again like it was brand new.
“Well, I had best help Tahoma inside then…” said Rubber into the awkward silence. Martin watched him go, then looked at his feet, the fields, the smoking chimney.
“Martin I’m sorry…” Rebecca began. Martin met her eyes for a moment, but it made the hole hurt too much and he looked away again.
“I watched the train leave…” he told the back door of Rubber’s house.
“I didn’t want to go.” Rebecca said. “But I had to. The City catches up with people. There were things I had to do. To finish. I will tell you all about it one day, I promise I will.”
Martin looked at her again. “Are you staying for a while then?”
“Marty, I don’t ever want to leave again!” Rebecca said earnestly. “I missed it here so much. I love it here.
Martin studied her a little more. Suddenly shy, but intensely glad of the renewed scrutiny, Rebecca smiled a crooked half smile and moved closer to him. “I missed you most of all.” She said, reaching for his hands. Martin let her take them.
“You did?” Martin smiled for the first time since she had arrived. The sun rippled through her long red hair as she stood tip-toe to kiss him lightly on the lips. She still smelled and tasted of Rebecca – better in the flesh than in any of the memories Martin had stored carefully away, thinking they may be all he would have.
“I think Tahoma is baking scones.” ‘Becc said eventually. She dropped one of Martin’s hands but held tight to the other “I smelled them coming through the house.”
“Sounds good.” Said Martin, and they walked to the back door as it swung idly in the balmy Spring breeze.
At last, the hole in Martin’s chest began to fill.
Just a little…
oneperfectkiss
ah, beautiful…..such a lovely story….i love your writing! xx
natapee
yay for Martin!!!!