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Friday, November 6, 2015

William's Day

Alas I have found you !  On waking this morning your memory was running film like through my mind  in Fellini like story boards of montages . The brown paper box the size of a thick book arrived in the mail was address to you . So busy I have been chasing rainbows on water slides connecting decades of my life. The ringing bells which awoke me this morning were memories of you , father . On the night before  you died mom called me  on the  phone in a panic . Mom could not help you get into your bed . For 20 minutes you sat on the edge of your bed  frightened , unable to move .  Your entire body had stiffened . Your legs had become like anchors to earths surface . Clearly your state of mind had undergone significant turmoil .  You steadfastly were refusing moms assistance and you would not help yourself . A stalemate had been reached . Your house was falling like the House of Usher .                                                                                                                           Mom was frustrated and at her wits end . I listened to moms bewilderment . I listened to her anger. I listened to her complaints . Mom told me she did not know how much longer she could go on . " I am coming over  to help  "  I said .  There was silence in the conversation . Composure had taken hold of mom . " No do not come over . I will be all right ." In  motherly tones she assured me she would manage . Mom told that she only needed to vent the cares away of a caregiver . The illness that had seized hold over your life had gradually tightened like vice clamp tightening  for 10 years . Now no longer the man nor husband . The marriage had become caregiver and the cantankerous patient . Mom thanked me for listening . I allowed myself the luxury of believing her assurances   . I told mom that I loved her and she told me that she loved me and we said goodnight .                                                                               The next morning the ringing bells which awoke me were from the phone . My sister was calling to tell me that you , dad ,  had died . Dad for nearly 10 years since your death  I have continued jumping ropes and dancing with rainbows .  I have continued a one-sided relationship with you in my dreams . I remember you bending my little boy body over your knee. Your big hand coming down in one blow on my bottom. I wet myself in reaction to that hit and i wet your knee too . Memories  of  long ago play out in black and white  pictures  that need only Alfred Hitchcock to walk by and look backward with me . Existing  in the bare bones many memories are contained wrapped in plain brown paper boxes neatly stacked in the card catalogues of remembrance .                                                                        The day was sunny on the cusp of spring leading up to a summer warmness  and summer recess form  school . A country custom of taking a floral bouquet to the grade school teacher on the last day of school before summer vacation   William had fulfilled .  The third grade school teacher ,  Miss Granatta  had gratefully accepted the  flowers and placed the bouquet in a mason jar filled with water upon  her desk . Miss Granatta had been a kind teacher to William although something of an enigma to him . Much to Williams wonder Miss Granatta wore her hair teased high upon her head , a  sort of  football helmet  style , William deduced . Her clothing was in the current styles of dresses  affordably purchased  .  Mostly boat collard neck or scoop cut necks . Polyester was all the  no wrinkle rage . Sporting  gold colored chain belts and necklaces upon which hung a single pendent  .  From time to time young William's attention would be drawn to Miss Granattas bare  neck . Although she was by all means a young women Miss Granatta"s neck  had creases between the  plump olive colored skin upon which were visible several brown colored small moles . Miss Granatta for ever the sensible  young lady never wore stiletto  heels . Miss Granatta wore only half heels of the wedge style of patent leather from the most sensible  stores  .  Throughout the rest of this last school day before  summer vacation William would zone out as his eyes rested upon   the pink colored peonies of the bouquet in the water filled mason jar reflecting light from the nearby windows and refracting light into rainbows at the same time reaching young William's hungry eyes . William felt great pride as he gazed upon those luscious peony pink  petals , their ruffled edges whose  gentle  scent  of sweet rain drops wafting on  warm spring air currents were  ushering in the early summer  .  At this last day of Williams  third year of school Miss Granatta would ask William to stay after school to help with the yearly closing of the class room . There were many text books to place back unto the bookshelves . There were yards of  brown paper to place across the book case fronts to keep the dust out . All the window shades had to be pulled full down to combat the suns uv rays which at that that time were still thought to good for children to play in . When Miss Granatta and William had accomplished  these simple chores  she  walked over to her wooden desk at the front of the classroom while thanking William for helping her . William listened to the clapping sounds her half heal shoes made while they struck the floor on the way .  Miss Granatta  than opened a lower desk drawer and pulled out a two handled strap   patent leather purse . It was the style hand bag which Queen Elizabeth always carried . By the by what do queens carry in their hand bags? Ok never mind that . Miss Granatta then opened the hand bag and withdrew one quarter , two  dimes and one nickel . As William out stretched his hand  to accept the coins he profusely thanked Miss Granatta . All that was left were good byes and wishes for a good summer . Williams exalted  state of mind carried him ten feet off the floor . Through out the darkened long corridor hallways as he walked to the only light available , the out side light of the sun . The school was of the old type built many many years before Williams time there . The school was built of old coal stained red bricks and stood three stories tall over most of the two story neighboring two family homes . William's father too had attended this factory assembly line  sized structure for turning out students with a public education of the grades pre k through the sixth grade .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Outside the  sun was in the middle of a cloudless blue sky listing forever to the West . The angle of the powerful sun rays cast shadows to the East . William walked alone upon the old cracked gray slate sidewalks . All the other students  had already been long gone  . The neighborhood was made up of  two family structures two stories high  .   Side by side in rows like tiered old  soldiers  in a battle of   poverty. Block after block like a river of madness ran these old structures of wooden bones covered in tar paper singles and leaking roofs . Yes the old neighborhood was in a constant state of transition from bad to worse  and good verses evil . Some occupants felt the old cemetery long ago  moved to reuse the land and reclaim it for poor  immigrants  to have been a much better use than that which replaced it . For sure some  soles never  left their burial sites and merely haunted  the basements and attics of the homes of many  . In some of the old houses elderly people resided , retired  hard working blue collars , railroad lineman , retail store clerks , domestics , servants and young families like Williams  . Not all were  honest nor law abiding . Good and bad and gray areas  made this   hodge-podge  of a quilted neighborhood . A quilt emerging   unlike that of  which grandma would  have created by   hand  using careful  measured  beautiful stitches  using just the right length needle  on  beautiful cut scraps of fabric  .  As William walked along he always studied the postage stamp sized patches of lawn and yards . Some had given in and given up to black topping to their front doors giving away  any semblance to a city size front yard .  Others still maintained a standard  of edged  green grass  and trimmed floral gardens  the likes of which dreams are made . Oh how much the young can learn by being aware of their environments and taking in all as sponges of  the seas  .                                                                                                                                                                 Upon arriving home William found the house deserted with his brother and sisters already onto their after school activities and his parents  still  away at work . With his stomach feeling the pangs of hunger  William went directly to the refrigerator  his parents still called the ice box.  A slice of family white bread which sold 4 loaves to the dollar , butter and chop left over from last nights supper . William himself was ready for his after school activity  which was to watch   the last of the days soap operas on television  .                                                                                                                                            The houses floor plan was economical  and simple .  35 feet wide by 45 feet long set up with one room joining directly to another front to back with out hallway . A straight walk from kitchen through dinning room into the family living room . The dominating fixture of the lining room was the black and white picture television set given to his parents as a wedding gift from  their  parents . The television sat upon a veneered hollow wood  box made to look like a cabinet with 2 front doors which did not open . This same television  top heavy with picture tubes , would one day topple   over   falling nearly   upon  the families youngest child .                                                                                                           William turned on the television and picked one of the then 3 channels that domineered the air waves. Today William caught the tail end of General Hospital.   William allowed himself to believe that head nurse Jessie Brewer and the doctor to be real characters living out their lives    in black and white . Williams most favorite soap opera was Dark Shadows . Today as the organ music of the soap opera  played out against  ocean crashing waves upon  stone boulders William took notice of a small size box upon the end table next to his fathers favorite chair . At once William walked over to the end table and picked up  the box to  read the name of his father over his homes  address   . William thought the box must have been delivered in todays mail and had been brought in by one of his 2 older sisters . With his interest fully engaged and peeked William studied the return address . Readers Digest , his fathers favorite monthly periodical  . Only this plain brown box was of a different size than the regular  monthly . In side of him self a struggle of right and wrong began intensely  going on . Williams intense need to know the boxes contents would be assuaged by the  thought  of his fathers retribution .    William placed the brown box back down on the table and resolved his father may tell him or show him what was in this box or later or William may just have to find out for himself . William sat  down on the floor directly in front of the television . For now Jessie Brewers problems and Barnabas Collins   victims and disciples would preoccupy his imagination .                                                                      The late afternoon sun poured directly through the windows behind the television . The hot sun light lit up the patterns of orange and yellow roses printed upon the fiber glass draperies . The sheer curtains hung behind the  over drapery were glowing white  with dark gray lines horizontally , shadows created by the metal venetian   blinds from behind  . Today during the soap opera commercial   breaks William looked around his family's living room . The differences between the Elizabethan rooms of Collinwood   and the rooms of his family's home were painfully obvious to his sensibilities . A type of hopeful  longing took  hold of his desires  .                                                                                                        The room's  little wall spaces were covered in lacy patterned wall paper left over from the homes past owners . The floor was covered in wall to wall carpeting  of olive green whose hook  nap had become so flat with wear . The carpeting always had a peculiar order  . That aroma  odor  of  past lodgers  dirty foot tread of leather mud smears  could strangle one  if one let it .  Ghosts  from prior owners  whose bones or talons   hold on to  the living ones days .  From the cracks of wooden floors  and old felt carpet padding emerged apparitions so delft  as to strangle life of the  living .                                   Today Barnabas would bite Willy Lumas' neck  . Poor Willy was forever  doomed like William to be one of Barnabas' disciples  and manservant . As the soap operas closing credits  rolled across the small television screen the shows theme music played out through the televisions single mono speaker . Shivers ran down the back of William   and his body shook a little convulsively .                               The living room grew darker as the shadow from the house next door cast upon Williams' home placed  it in premature darkness . William turned the television off . The living room was quiet .                                                                                                                                             William realized he was alone save his eldest sister who was in the bedroom she shared with her two other sisters  with the door securely closed .                                                                                      These alone times for William  were increasing . Strange that out of a  family of seven that anyone would or could  choose to be alone .  Not  strange for  William !  For William being alone was natural . His imagination kept him busy for hours on end . William had discovered his love of creating art work . For three years now all of his grade school teachers have been  praising his talent in art work . William had the desire too for floral gardening and could spend hours fussing about creating flower gardens .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Another  passion William was developing was creating and building  doll houses and decorating them for his youngest sister  .  William had found a near by carpeting tile and decorating  store and would rummage through their garbage for out dated wall paper books , old carpeting and tile samples .    From top to bottom William created a house for Barbie  and handsome Ken .    All furniture  was  custom made  by William . William was pleased at the amount of time his younger sister and her girlfriends would play at the doll house he created in the basement of their home .                                                                                                                                                      William's family consisted of a father who worked two jobs  , a working mother and house keeper  , two older sisters , William , one younger brother and one younger sister . William's mother would describe the first four of her five children her Irish twins  and were all born  one year apart .  The fourth child  was  born four years later .  William knew there was time to kill before his mother and father would return home from work . So William took this time to make a few changes in the living rooms furniture placement . William looked about the twelve by twelve  room  . One  double doorway leading to the dinning room in the middle of one . William thought there was nothing  to do  here . The entire wall was designated to the double doorway . To the left of this doorway a channel backed chair was placed kitty corner . This chair was covered in maroon mohair. No one sat in this chair that did not face the television .  The next wall over had two windows dominating it . From these windows one could see the neighbors house ten feet away .  Between these windows the television was placed  for close proximity to the antenna wire  connecting the television set to  the antenna   placed out side on top of the house .  Next to this wall was the wall that had three doorways .  One of these door ways lead  to the front porch which William had once heard his mother describe as a  Victorian verandah  wrap around .    William liked very much thinking of his family's front porch as  a Victorian verandah wrap around . Next to this front door  was three feet of wall in front of which stood his fathers favorite   chair and a small end table  . This chair was covered in blue mohair . Next to this was the other front door . Then came the door way to his sisters bedroom  . Directly next to this doorway  came the only wall large enough to place a sofa .  The right arm of the sofa practically  touched his sisters bedroom door . The left arm of the sofa came directly up to but not touching the door way to  Williams and his brother shared bedroom .  The sofa was covered with a throw  style slipcover  printed with yellow and orange  roses like the fiberglass over draperies .   With all these considerations taken into account William seized hold of the ottoman given to them by a grandmother and placed it next to the left side of the television  . William then grabbed two of the sofas  end throw  pillows and placed them upon the ottoman resting against the television for support  of a back .  What William was reaching for was to create a type of foyer into which had been placed a small settee from  representing and far reaching the foyer and settee from Collinwood .  William felt a little better after deciding he liked this picture .  William thought ,oh , if only Joan Bennet who played the Matriarch  Elizebeth  Stoddard  of Dark Shadows could only walk through the front door and feel the desired effect of  the just  created foyer and to summon the entire household to gather and take note of Williams latest creation !  As William looked at this addition he remembered once asking his mother where she had brought the family living room furniture . His mother replied  '' Oh from  from second hand furniture stores " . 'Did it look better back then '. William asked  . "Oh not much better " , she replied .  William deduced no matter how hard he worked or tried the family living room would always be this way with the same furniture plan . His attention was again seized by the brown box . With his index finger he raised the boxes cellophane window behind which his fathers name and address appeared to perhaps get a glimpse of what was in the box . No luck to be had by this attempt .                                                                                                                                           Having grown tired of this  William walked out the front door across the verandah to the houses side yard . William  stopped at garden and began fussing about pulling some weeds and assessing  what  flowers still had more blooming time . Checking on the zinnias seedlings he had just transplanted they were coming along fine .  What flowers would soon be blooming  ?   Yes  thought William , the hollyhocks would be next to bloom . There were still same yellow and purple bearded iris' in bloom and oh yes the peony's too had plenty blooms . The climbing roses growing next to the wire fence were fully loaded with small pink roses and buds . These small pink roses always reminded William of old fashioned fabric squares sewn together to make quilts . He wandered  over to the rose of sharon  hedge he just finished planting . He was satisfied with the hedges progress and was assured of the future of blooms to come .  Williams turned back to the house . His  thoughts began to wonder . William looked up the houses wall towards  the roof  .  William studied the window placement . The wall was full of 36 inch  wide by 64 inch long windows side by side  along the  first floor as well as the second floor . Small windows in front of small square rooms . William deduced this house left nothing to the imagination . He found himself again longing and thinking oh if only , if only this house could be more like Collinwood ! Gothic mystery , period clothing , vampires or a werewolf or two ! William thought of his family and  here too his mind longed if only they had the heritage of the Collins ! William's father was a meat cutter not the head of a Main located shipping company . Williams mother worked at a state run mental hospital in the laboratory . She would be on call one weekend out of the month and would take William to work with her . It was here at the state hospitals laboratory William's imagination would work overtime too .  The State run mental hospital was an old gothic building which started out being a retreat for the wealthy from New York city many years ago . William too loved his siblings . His brother and sisters would spend many hours away playing house . William's part in the game was to play a little girl called Whimily  . William was sure of his place in the family and felt safe .  He studied the green tar paper shingles covering the entire house . So many of the shingles had powdery white streak stains from years of rain water running off the houses' window framing . Some of the shingles had broken edges .  William concluded  perhaps when the singles were new they may have looked  pleasing to the eye .                                                                                                                          Above the sun had continued its silent spinning  dance through the sky  . The west side of the house glowed brightly . The concrete driveway reflected the yellow white heat back into the air .                                                                                                                                            The shadow from the neighboring house had grown to  enveloped the entire side yard in a premature day light to dusk as if  the early heavens and stars were  soon follow . William    gazed passed the houses steep roof edge . Above the sky was still clear bright blue . William stood there his thoughts of revery were his flights of fancy . Who's house this was William clearly did not  know . Though it had been built so long long ago . For now William knew  this house to be that in which his family lived . William than began picking some flowers in which he would place in a vase upon the living  room's television console top as the finishing touch for his newly created foyer . The sound of his mothers automobile 's engine awoke his fancy flights of daydreams  . All at once he broke into a run to get back into the house  .   William found the desired vase  and put water and the floral bouquet he already held in the arrangement he wanted . Quickly back to the living room he ran to place the arrangement by the little settee .                                                                                                                                                    The door to his parents bedroom opened  .  His mother appeared  . Her white uniform had been changed  . She was in her at home clothing .   Much to Williams disappointment   ,  his mother did not comment on the newly created foyer  or vase of flowers. "High mom " William cheerily greeted his mother . William recognized the usual tiredness displayed at the end her days work upon arriving home . Through her tiredness she mustered up a mothers strength to return as cheerily a greeting back to  him " Hello   there William  !  Where is everybody  ? " First and foremost upon arriving home William's mother was relieved to have seen the house still standing and directly onto  " Where are the children ?  "  William relayed to his mother to the best of his knowledge the where abouts of his siblings . "Well they better be home by the time your father gets home   William  ! " I must go lay down for twenty minutes and then come out and make supper . I will talk to you when  I come back out " " Ok  mom " William replied  . William proceeded to the bedroom  he shared with his  brother .                                                                                                                                                  Any one could see clearly that two very different boys shared this room  . There was the clean orderly side and there was the other much lived in side  . William  took pride at neatly tidying his side of the bedroom . The bedroom was small with two twin beds pushed apart separated  by a window . William walked over to the shelves where he kept his prided collection of ceramic  and  porcelain figurines  . There was the real  white rabbit fir covered ceramic dog in the likeness of a French  poodle that William got his father to buy for him  from Sears Department  Store . There were the collection of lady head vases  purchased  second hand from The Volunteers of America . These lady head vases were a source of great pride to William . Each lady head had a  hole in the top of her head in witch to put a small bouquet of flowers . Each lady held her head at an angle of refined distinction . Each ceramic lady had closed eyes with long painted black lashes . Brightly painted red lips contrasted so well their refined lady like skin . Each lady head vase had painted pearl earrings  and matching necklaces . The figurines made of ocean shells and the glass nick-nacks   came from The Trade Winds Gift Gallery . Some of the collection came from Canada where his family vacationed every year , the last two weeks of august . William saved his weekly allowance his mother paid him for helping with house hold chores just to add to his collection .                                                                                                                                          The sound of pots and pans clanging around could be heard from the kitchen . William's excitement began to grow for these sounds of domesticity could only mean that his mother was preparing the family's evening meal . Every night of the week his mother had the meal ready to be served soon after his father returned home after work . The sound of trains screeching brakes on the railroad tracks   at the end of the street permeated through the neighborhood . The days trains were beginning  to return   to the station .  The aroma of cooking food started filling the houses air . William walked out to the kitchen . He sat down at a table pushed up  to the corner walls  a sorta make shift table height counter, so that only two sides of the table could be sat at . Even with this space saving effort one of the available chairs would be in the way of traffic flow to the dinning room  when anyone ever sat in it . William chose this chair turned it side ways to totally face his mother as she stood at the stove cooking the family's evening  meal . His mother was stirring a large  aluminum pot . William could tell that it was a pot of tomato sauce . Meat balls were in a cast iron fry pay on a nearby gas burner . His mother had another large aluminum pot of steaming hot water . William loved his mothers spaghetti and meat balls ." Is that for tonight  Mom  ? " William  asked .                                                                                   " Yes  " she responded .                                                                                                                              " Do you know what is in that brown paper box by dad's chair ? "  William asked .                                        " No dear . You will have to ask your father when he gets home " said his mother .                                     William sat there in silence. He had often watched her preparing meals . She continued turning the browning meat balls . The sounds of sizzling meat sugars  caramelizing escaped into the kitchens air .    From time to time she would talk to him about her methods of cooking . On weekends his mother would prepare meals ahead of time to save time during the week . There were family favorites  she could cook with her eyes half closed if necessary . Pot roasts in dutch ovens , meat loafs in large cake pans . Some times she had the entire week already cooked ahead of time so that all that were necessary was to heat them up . It was not long before William knew how to help cook  before his sisters ever did . From braising meats and preparing roux for sauces and even pie crusts William was receiving an over all good beginning of finding his way around the kitchen . William continued watching his mother cooking . Her silhouette stood out against the screen door that the stove practically stood in front of . The angle of the sun was reflecting off the garage windows back towards the house . His mothers figure was practically out lined in halo light . The suns great yellow white shape was beginning to settle behind the hills which surrounded the valley  city .                                                                                At once the back screen door began opening and closing . As Williams siblings were  returning home one  practically after another . William's mother  began to give them all direction . So and so  "wash your hands  and  set the table  . To another go run the vacuum in the living room . The bath room needs cleaning and it is your turn to that one " William too was told to wash his hands and help set the table .  All were moving about like robots knowing well the expected routine of all contributing to keep the household running smoothly .                                                                                                                        William heard the engine sound of his fathers automobile pulling in the driveway . William listened intently as his father closed the garage doors . He next heard the sound of his foot steps crossing the driveway . There was ensuing excitement of  greetings . William's father  was told that dinner was practically ready and his evening paper had been placed by his chair on the end table .                                                          William allowed his father to settle down for what seemed like to William an hour . William then too proceeded to the living room . His father sat holding the paper all the while listening to the evening news from the television  . William waited at least for a commercial to come on the television   set interrupting the news .                                                                                                                                      The time was now right . William asked , "Dad what's in the brown paper box ? " AS William asked this he noticed that the box was no longer visible on the end table top . Shock struck  William . Oh no he thought !                                                                                                                                                   "What box ?  " Asked Williams father .                                                                                                         " The box that was on your table " William responded . William 's father  was a born kidder . He was always helping his children sharpen their wits by verbally challenging them  to expand their knowledge and verbal skills  to his level . " I will show you what is in the box after dinner   " William's father replied  .                                                                                                                                       William's mother had smoothly transitioned  from preparation  of dinner to the table of piping hot food   to be served family style . There was toss salad  , Italian bread and butter , spaghetti and tomato sauce  and piping hot meat balls covered with tomato sauce  , and parmesan  cheese .  William' s mother  called all to the supper table ! The dinner scene rapidly unfolded  . Father sat at the head of the table with Williams mother to his left . To mothers left sat William's younger brother . At the other head of the table sat the eldest William's sister . Next to the eldest sat another sister to her left sat the youngest a sister named  Margaret   .  Directly to fathers right sat William . During dinner Williams father would direct any conversation this evening . He would not tolerate   talking out of turn . William kept getting hushed this evening by a gentle  touch of his fathers hand on his arm followed by a verbal reminder to wait ones turn . So complete  was Williams frustration   his will rescinded  and resignedly he gobbled all food before him that was on his plate and washed it down with a tall glass of milk . Meanwhile William's father would ask questions of all. Some answers  were more elaborate than others . No one ever talked with their mouths full . William's  father would sip a glass of beer . Williams mother mostly drank water . Elbows on the table would be corrected .                                                                                                                  Tick tock , tick tock , times pendulum  never stops . We sense  the now as it  could be forever . Lulled   into complacency the time being is changing before our non-seeing eyes . Dinners are always over all to soon especially  when the cook has fulfilled her job to prepare a tasty meal whose best ingredient is parental love  served with any means possible from contents of ones cupboard  be they what they may . No special shopping trips .  Go to your cupboard to find what you have and give it freely . What ever is placed on the shelves of your cupboard must be brought back out .  It all ends up with serving the best you have and giving all till you drop in a quiet life shuddering quiver   and you cease to take a breath and your ever loving heart stops pumping  like  yours  did  dad  . There was no fanfare at this end .                                                                                              Williams mother governed like an executrix  . All were given assignment to help clean up the dishes , the table , the garbage  and the never endings of so-forths or so William thought ! William's father had meekly  retired to his favorite  chair , quietly without any one noticing . It was miraculous how fast every thing could be cleaned up and  put back together again till the next meal !  All thought it would be time to watch television as was the usual for  Williams family . Not so !                                                    Tonight Williams father pulled out from underneath the end table by his favorite chair the Brown paper box with the end ripped  open .  William would always take for granted that very big hand which sewed together  a mend on the dress of Williams favorite teddy bear  , Cracky  . William's father deftly placed his big hand at the open end of the brown paper box to pull out a book ! Williams father read the books title ;  "Fairy Tales of Hans Christian  Anderson " , illustrated . Tonight the living rooms lights had to be turned on .   Williams father would read  to his children gathered around him . All was relaxed . All todays work  had been done . Now was the time to be together and relaxidaly  live  .   Williams father was a natural   reader and entertainer . His voice had inflection and could take on any character  in a mimicry role of the character  he was reading   and re-read for many summer nights to come .                                                                                                                                                            Outside the family house the sun was completely vanished   welcoming an early summer evening sky of red to blue kissing  purple darkness of night fall . Day light had resigned to night times hammock to swing in  times pendulum , back forth , back forth ,  ever more back forth .    The rolling  hills to the  West  cast shadows      across  the parlor  city to it's  central railroad tracks . Steam  escaping from train breaks and train whistles could be heard compressed  through the valley .                                     William had gone to bed next to an open window . At once William heard a robin singing through the opened bedroom window into the nights  ever loving darkness when all things could be possible . Oh yes there could be room for improvement  here on Emmit Street  , thought William  .  Perhaps  tomorrow some detail will change . Who knows perhaps  Jonathan Frid will rise again as a poignant savior for all of tomorrows children who rush home everyday to tune  their i-phones and tablets for more Dark Shadows of purple clouds to caress their imaginations . Yes  Elizabethan  gothic will always   produce fertile fruit for the imagination of little boys who live as little girls . Creation is as a God dose  . Going forth bravely through many train whistled nights and screeching train  breaks while robins sing a last song  of a day . Rivers will flow through  their  landscapes changing all as a flood plays topsy turvy games through their  tomorrows .                                                                                                                                                              Ok Dad I have confessed . You and I need have no secrets . Hell man , we played and play  in each others dreams ! Some times I take on the role of the butcher cutting away and serving up the  meats of life . At times you took  on the role of the artist  and care giver . Dad we are different and yet so twin like   . Dad you read stories  to your children that entertained them . Your children will always be grateful for the many gifts of your time  freely  given to them  .                                                                                     The heels of my leather shoes sink into the soft spring thawing soil as I made my  way to your grave site in Port Crane  .  My socks feel wet  as I stand with your wife , my mother , my husband and sisters and brother . A father of the faith  is there  presiding  in black attire . I hear not the words he speaks . The near by trees of ever green speak to me   that they will become the green plant  life  in the front of any  yard of the home in which I and my husband live . We  will forever be with you two no matter where you two reside . The greenery of their ever green will contrast  and balance  our love for years to come . The song of a bird becomes louder and  more important than any words that  the   man in black attire is saying . I focussed on the bird song and the evergreens . Remember  dad , how you told me  to focus on small details to get through painful events like having my finger pricked to have blood drawn . This day cold and wet the evergreens and singing bird helped me to get through . Some of the old ghosts from Emmet Street have followed me no matter where I live . Lucky for me dad, you to follow me about in my dreams . Only now I am your protector .                                                                                                                                              

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