Illustration by Dick Rink
The Harbinger
“Our soul is escaped as a bird
out of the snare of the fowlers:
The snare is broken,
and we are escaped.”
Psalms 124.7
It is mid summer, and I am eight months pregnant. My belly is overgrown, and tight, and my ankles and feet are swollen. He fills the tub with tepid water and gently eases me down.
“I’ve got you,” he says. “Now lie back so I can wash your hair.”
His hands are gentle as he massages the shampoo into my hair. He washes my back and my arms like one would wash a newborn. He is humming softly under his breath. At least I think it is humming, and then I realize that he is wheezing a little. I frown.
“Are you o.k.?” I ask.
“Right leg, first!” he says, ignoring my question of concern, and he lathers up and shaves my legs, which I can no longer reach. What man does that! Do you know? He stands me up and grabs the towel.
“Ta daa!!” he proclaims.
“This is not a ‘ta daa’ moment,” I tell him woefully, patting my protruding abdomen. “I’m no longer that slender girl I was when we were fresh and new.”
“Ta daa!” we would say when we stripped off our clothes and fell into bed at night—into each other’s arms. We were young and strong, and tanned from the sun—we were beautiful together, and everyone knew it. Now we are older and quieter, but those people who saw us together still know.
He folds the towel, and slips my white cotton gown over my head, and then he guides me to the bed. He puts pillows under my feet to help with the swelling. Then, sliding in beside me, he takes my hand, and in my palm he writes with his finger the words he writes every night. He puts my palm against his lips, and kisses it, sealing those words in forever.
“Our entire life is a ‘ta daa’ moment,” he says softly, “I will love it till the day I die.”
He did.
This post is linked to Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday. I am experimenting here with "flash fiction," whatever that is. I have decided to TRY to get away from all the political and religious buzz words of 2012. They are so tiring and depressing, don't you think? I don't make New Year's resolutions, so this is not one, but I hope to be more creative this year in a new place. Now if my muses will only support me in this endeavor...
18 comments:
Oh my goodness. How special was this? Loved every last word.
Well written...and so sad but beautiful at the end.
Hi Judie!
Loved every line too - especially the last!
Very thought-provoking - send those talented muses over here to Spain please!
Visiting from Alphabe-Thursday
how sweet :3 I liked your writing style too!
sigh....love this one!!!
My goodness you become romantic, or maybe you always have been, lol ! Fortunately I never had swollen feet and not enough hair on my legs to be shaved ! With the time I become more down to earth ! Or maybe life pulled me down from my romantic cloud !
Absolutely lovely in every way.
=)
Ta-daa! Is the only cool way to live! At first I thought congrats were in order! hehehe! What a smooth and lovely piece of writing- and that bird is so Poe like! I love it all!
wow is this a true story? I thought it was and was thinking, shoot, MY husband never bathed ME when I was fat at 8 months...then I saw your note about flash fiction and how you thought my post was flash -- I don't know what flash fiction is either! You're seems closer to what it must be -- real story telling in a short space. I think my H was more of just a single scene?
Wow what a great post. Loved it
Judie, this is beautiful! Your muse is definitely working and you CAN write Flash Fiction! PS. I agree that political and religious stuff can be so depressing. I say, "Don't Worry, Be Happy!" :)
This was so beautiful ... it left me wanting more, and yet it satisfied me all the same. So glad you are writing.
Such a wonderfully written piece - it's romantic and hopeful while also being a little sad and full of nostalgia and longing. I felt all these emotions while I read it. Well done. It's beautiful.
Aaah, this is simply beautiful! You did a fantastic job of taking a moment real or not and turning it into heart warming experience for the reader. Thanks so much for sharing!
beautiful. simply beautiful.
Well, well, this is so good Judie! I hope you are doing well. Have you moved? Seems like I saw that you have...Brunswick? Peace and blessings
how dreamy and sweet and romantic!
Splendid, splendid writing.
I could see visualize this. I thought of you and your husband and then even thought...well, geez, no wonder she's tired...she's pregnant! ha!
Sweet and romantic with the POW of death at the end.
Loved it!
A+
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