It was one of those early spring days. One that opens with frost on the grass and old Mrs. Paisley’s feet propped on a heater, but by noon has all her motherless grandchildren fanning themselves and whining from heat. One of those very early spring days where the river out back runs too cold to swim in without catching ill, yet the silt banks are baked and cracked. One of those days when the kittens cry no matter where you put them.
You know what? Screw that spring day.
It was one of those summer days that’s hot and stays hot and nothing much happens outside of routine. One of those days several months removed from the mysterious drowning of Mrs. Paisley’s eldest grandson. Why was it mysterious? That day was simply too intemperate to bother explaining. No, it was one of those days where the entire incident had been explained, mourned over and put behind them. Everyone was okay.
It was one of those summer days without drama or intrigue. Enjoy.
Nice! It's looking like more of a summer type of day today around these parts.
ReplyDeleteThis snippet is so tantalizing, John, and evocative. I'm puzzled by the meaning of the sentence near the end, "...where the entire incident had explained..." I can't make it out grammatically. Where the incident "had been" explained?
ReplyDeleteStill.
I need more days without drama or intrigue.
ReplyDeleteMike, thank you for catching the bad line. I'd left out a verb. Fixed it now. Does it read more sensibly to you?
ReplyDeleteI wish such a spring day on you all. The latter one, I mean.
Nice shift of focus. Time heals all. Or puts it to sleep in a hammock.
ReplyDeleteI liked the shift in focus in this one, put behind them those bad moments, just another day without drama - nice!
ReplyDeleteThis one has such an unusual cadence to it... I think I need to read it again in a couple days and see how it feels then.
ReplyDelete