Per Sempre
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THINKING BACK
An old man sat by his his window watching the rain pound like bullets upon it. "Margaret,it sure is bad out there,"he told his told his housekeeper while running his fingers through his thin,white hair. "Oh yes, Mr. Joiner,oh yes,"she said as she folded clothes. He began to sing in rhythm with the the rain.
Only a rose,I give you
Only a song dying away
Only a smile ---
"I'm sorry to interupt Mr. Joiner,but what would you like in your evening coffee?"Margaret asked while removing two mugs from the cabinet. "Oh just same as last night,thanks,"he said still staring at the rain. "Alright then," she said as she filled the two mugs to the top. "Hmpphhh,"Mr. Joiner said as he took one of the two mugs. "Mr. Joiner,are you Okay, ever since she d--" Margaret stopped and took a long sip of her coffee looking as though she had never said anything. He looked hard at her pale face and said,"Margaret, tonight's not the night."
Margaret began,"What d'ya mea--" She stopped speaking and drained the cup of coffee. She hurried off to the kitchen and came back with a full mug of the hot,steamy drink. "It's alright Maggie,what I mean is,tonight is not the night to talk about the death of my wife,"he said,a calm facial expression replacing the "Mona Lisa" one.
"But you were singing th- the song,... your song... no Rose and your song,"Margaret said,now staring at the rain herself, for the sun had not shone for them since Rose had passed that cold,dreary day, that was also a beautiful day,as there were pictures painted in swirl of gray and white. They both remembered it perfectly.
Margaret said,"Mr. Joiner, there's just so much I don't know about you,and I've been here thirty years,"she said trying to take the subject off Rose. "I remember when you came,Lily was just a week old,"he said changing the subject again. He smiled. "Would you like to here a story,Margaret?"he asked,the smile remaining on his face. "That would be nice,"she said expecting some folk tale,and not looking very excited. "It would answer some of your questions,"he said looking at his Irish housekeeper. "Yes,yes..."she said.
He sighed and began the story of his life,which was not a folktale.
A FEW MEMORIES
"John, William, time for supper,you better hurry if you want to eat,now!" Mrs. Helen Joiner yelled at her two sons who were rolling around on the grass with the dog. They ran through the door,and up the stares to wash their hands and faces. "I can run faster!"William yelled at John. "No you can't,on your mark,get set, Go!"John yelled at the bottom of the stairs as the two young boys started racing to the top. They were halfway up the stairs when their mother shouted,"No running now boys!"
They lived in a small house on 2nd street,and always had neighbors for dinner. Tonight the Johnsons were coming,and John and William had been given a stern talk by their father earlier that morning.
There was something that John had that William did not. They both well behaved and smart and all,but...something.
Jesse had musical talent from the day he was born. He had no proper teaching,but he could sound out small tunes on the piano and organ,Louis down the street had let him blow his horn. John liked Louis. He was a Negro from Louisiana,that came there for work.
Sometimes John worried about Louis. He knew that there were people out there who who could murder Louis, and sometimes when he was with Louis, he could feel the horror flowing through his veins.
The boys bathed,and changed into their nice clothes,and put on big,fake smiles for the Johnsons as their mother had instructed. "Oh hello,Jenny,Robert,and little Ruth," Helen said as pecked the small child on the top of the the head. "Oh thank you for inviting us Helen,good to see you Jim," Jenny Johnson said to Helen and Jim Joiner. "It is wonderful to have you here,make yourselves at home,"said John,only doing as he was told. "You look very pretty Mrs. Johnson,"said William looking at John and mouthing "Did I say it right?"
12 YEARS LATER,WASHINGTON DC
The people pushed him along through the crowded streets of the nation's capital, and as he turned and swore loudly he recieved a slap in the face by an angry woman with long shawls draped around her neck and waste. He was pushed along more and more until he turned again and got the full package, a sharp blow from a bearded man dressed in what looked like a tattered overcoat and ripped trousers.
Army life wasn't too bad on John,although he had an extremely short temper these days which amounted to pointless fights and the losing of his friends. It was all stress related, and it didn't help that he was quite depressed and down on himself. For many reasons.
His mother had died of cancer,and shortly after his miserable father passed because of his heart. And three children were left to William and his new wife. The foolish couple couldn't raise those children right,and John seemed to be the the only one who thought so.
All of this brought back terrible memories. Like seeing Louis' stone cold body. No breath,no life,no soul. Sometimes John felt like his life had let him down. His soul had let him down. The only thing he had was breath.
He did like Washington though. He thought it was a good change. Just to get out of his little town. To leave Mississippi behind,and venture ahead.
He held his cheek and and made pointless attempts to stop the bleeding. He was going with Jimmy and Dan to The Lagoon, a little club about three blocks from Georgetown University,and he didn't want a deep slit stretching across his cheek and a bruise to go with it. He walked some more and then escaped through an alleyway leaving the sea of people behind in a hurry to see if he had gotten anything in the mail. He ran past a beggar, a group of negroes, and a little boy holding the hand of his forlorn mother,until he got back to the army base. He ran up the stairs for what seemed like forever,and finally came to room 204. He barged in and found Jimmy and Dan staring at a magazine. "Hey,I got anything in the mail?"John asked as he took off his hat and boots and plopped down on his bed. "Uh yeah,here's somethin,"said Dan not looking up from the magazine as he threw a an envelope over to across the room to John. It landed at his feet and he picked up and read:
(I'll post more soon. I'm in need of a better name,though.)
An old man sat by his his window watching the rain pound like bullets upon it. "Margaret,it sure is bad out there,"he told his told his housekeeper while running his fingers through his thin,white hair. "Oh yes, Mr. Joiner,oh yes,"she said as she folded clothes. He began to sing in rhythm with the the rain.
Only a rose,I give you
Only a song dying away
Only a smile ---
"I'm sorry to interupt Mr. Joiner,but what would you like in your evening coffee?"Margaret asked while removing two mugs from the cabinet. "Oh just same as last night,thanks,"he said still staring at the rain. "Alright then," she said as she filled the two mugs to the top. "Hmpphhh,"Mr. Joiner said as he took one of the two mugs. "Mr. Joiner,are you Okay, ever since she d--" Margaret stopped and took a long sip of her coffee looking as though she had never said anything. He looked hard at her pale face and said,"Margaret, tonight's not the night."
Margaret began,"What d'ya mea--" She stopped speaking and drained the cup of coffee. She hurried off to the kitchen and came back with a full mug of the hot,steamy drink. "It's alright Maggie,what I mean is,tonight is not the night to talk about the death of my wife,"he said,a calm facial expression replacing the "Mona Lisa" one.
"But you were singing th- the song,... your song... no Rose and your song,"Margaret said,now staring at the rain herself, for the sun had not shone for them since Rose had passed that cold,dreary day, that was also a beautiful day,as there were pictures painted in swirl of gray and white. They both remembered it perfectly.
Margaret said,"Mr. Joiner, there's just so much I don't know about you,and I've been here thirty years,"she said trying to take the subject off Rose. "I remember when you came,Lily was just a week old,"he said changing the subject again. He smiled. "Would you like to here a story,Margaret?"he asked,the smile remaining on his face. "That would be nice,"she said expecting some folk tale,and not looking very excited. "It would answer some of your questions,"he said looking at his Irish housekeeper. "Yes,yes..."she said.
He sighed and began the story of his life,which was not a folktale.
A FEW MEMORIES
"John, William, time for supper,you better hurry if you want to eat,now!" Mrs. Helen Joiner yelled at her two sons who were rolling around on the grass with the dog. They ran through the door,and up the stares to wash their hands and faces. "I can run faster!"William yelled at John. "No you can't,on your mark,get set, Go!"John yelled at the bottom of the stairs as the two young boys started racing to the top. They were halfway up the stairs when their mother shouted,"No running now boys!"
They lived in a small house on 2nd street,and always had neighbors for dinner. Tonight the Johnsons were coming,and John and William had been given a stern talk by their father earlier that morning.
There was something that John had that William did not. They both well behaved and smart and all,but...something.
Jesse had musical talent from the day he was born. He had no proper teaching,but he could sound out small tunes on the piano and organ,Louis down the street had let him blow his horn. John liked Louis. He was a Negro from Louisiana,that came there for work.
Sometimes John worried about Louis. He knew that there were people out there who who could murder Louis, and sometimes when he was with Louis, he could feel the horror flowing through his veins.
The boys bathed,and changed into their nice clothes,and put on big,fake smiles for the Johnsons as their mother had instructed. "Oh hello,Jenny,Robert,and little Ruth," Helen said as pecked the small child on the top of the the head. "Oh thank you for inviting us Helen,good to see you Jim," Jenny Johnson said to Helen and Jim Joiner. "It is wonderful to have you here,make yourselves at home,"said John,only doing as he was told. "You look very pretty Mrs. Johnson,"said William looking at John and mouthing "Did I say it right?"
12 YEARS LATER,WASHINGTON DC
The people pushed him along through the crowded streets of the nation's capital, and as he turned and swore loudly he recieved a slap in the face by an angry woman with long shawls draped around her neck and waste. He was pushed along more and more until he turned again and got the full package, a sharp blow from a bearded man dressed in what looked like a tattered overcoat and ripped trousers.
Army life wasn't too bad on John,although he had an extremely short temper these days which amounted to pointless fights and the losing of his friends. It was all stress related, and it didn't help that he was quite depressed and down on himself. For many reasons.
His mother had died of cancer,and shortly after his miserable father passed because of his heart. And three children were left to William and his new wife. The foolish couple couldn't raise those children right,and John seemed to be the the only one who thought so.
All of this brought back terrible memories. Like seeing Louis' stone cold body. No breath,no life,no soul. Sometimes John felt like his life had let him down. His soul had let him down. The only thing he had was breath.
He did like Washington though. He thought it was a good change. Just to get out of his little town. To leave Mississippi behind,and venture ahead.
He held his cheek and and made pointless attempts to stop the bleeding. He was going with Jimmy and Dan to The Lagoon, a little club about three blocks from Georgetown University,and he didn't want a deep slit stretching across his cheek and a bruise to go with it. He walked some more and then escaped through an alleyway leaving the sea of people behind in a hurry to see if he had gotten anything in the mail. He ran past a beggar, a group of negroes, and a little boy holding the hand of his forlorn mother,until he got back to the army base. He ran up the stairs for what seemed like forever,and finally came to room 204. He barged in and found Jimmy and Dan staring at a magazine. "Hey,I got anything in the mail?"John asked as he took off his hat and boots and plopped down on his bed. "Uh yeah,here's somethin,"said Dan not looking up from the magazine as he threw a an envelope over to across the room to John. It landed at his feet and he picked up and read:
(I'll post more soon. I'm in need of a better name,though.)
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