Post by Lady Winter Wolf on Jan 31, 2005 2:17:09 GMT -5
Love’s Long Road
by Lady Winter Wolf
The long road wound on endlessly, seeming to call her name. Ashleeeeey… Her foot pressed down further on the accelerator, making the engine roar as it increased with power. 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 miles per hour, and she wanted more. The wind of a tornado tore around the candy apple red, convertible Corvette. Her long, strawberry blond hair whipped up around her face and head resembling the snake like tendrils of Medusa. She could not fight the force that drew her on.
Honk, Honk, Honk!!!
“Hey lady, this light’s not gonna stay green forever!”, yelled the driver of the blue delivery van behind her. Ashley jumped and immediately felt her cheeks blush from the embarrassment. She lightly tapped on the gas pedal, so as not to make her dark gray Ford Escort jump forward. As she accelerated to the speed limit, the van easily passed her in the next lane. She cringed under the glare from the driver, quickly trained her green eyes forward and continued onwards to work.
“Ashley, sometimes I don’t know where your head is at.”, she admonished herself. “As if anything exciting could ever happen to you. Driving a sports car at 100 miles an hour, you, little miss never ever got a ticket in her life.” Which, of course, was true. In the 10 years she had been driving, not one ticket. She had gotten her license at age 16, and was proud to say that she passed the first time out. Her mother had constantly reminded her that driving was a privilege and a big responsibility, and Ashley had always listened to her mother, Susan
But mother was gone now, and Ashley had to face life on her own. The last six months of the illness had been especially brutal on her mother’s mind and body. But Ashley had suffered too.
She rushed home everyday to relieve Mae, her mother’s hired caregiver. She would fix Susan her very favorite meal, tomato soup, warm biscuits with melting butter and tea. It seemed to be the only evening meal she enjoyed, or could keep down. Ashley would sit in the rocker next to Susan’s bed, and read from a book to her. Her favorite stories were “Wuthering Heights” and
“Jane Eyre”. Ashley could practically recite the books’ passages from memory.
After Susan would fall off into sleep, Ashley would take a warm relaxing bath. She would close her eyes and daydream. She would imagine herself in the arms of Heathcliff or Edward Rochester, feel the touch of their lips upon hers, the strength of their arms around her body. But the cooling of the bath water would propel her out of her reverie with a start. She would quickly dry herself off and put on her long nightgown. In her antique four poster bed, she would snuggle down under her grandmother’s double wedding ring quilt. She willed sleep to come quickly, so that her daydreams would continue on into the night. But they never did.
Now she looked forward to going to work. She enjoyed owning, and running, the café, Heavenly Feasts, with her best friend, Emily Robinson. During her mother’s illness, the café was like an impediment. It was in the way of her being able to stay home and take care of her mother properly. Instead, she had had to rely on another. She turned into the alley that led to the back of the café, and pulled into her reserved parking spot. Entering the café, a long hallway would stretch down to the front of the building. Various openings along the way would lead to the different areas of the café; kitchen, restrooms, her and Emily’s office, and then the main eating area. Ashley headed immediately for her office. She liked getting paperwork out of the way first before she would check on the kitchen, and then mingle among the customers.
Emily was already in the office. “ Hi Em.”, Ashley said cheerfully. “What’s the news for today?” “Oh, you know, same old, same old.”, said Emily without looking up from the recipe book she was perusing. “Wait a moment, there is something you might want to know about. Jeff’s brother, David, has just moved into town.” Jeff being Emily’s husband of six years, and David was his younger brother. Ashley had not met David before, even though she had known Emily since high school. Emily met Jeff after graduating from college, they quickly fell in love, and eloped. Since there had been no fancy wedding or reception, Emily was not able to meet any of Jeff’s relatives. She had heard many things about David, but he had not had the opportunity to travel out their way. Emily kept telling Ashley that David would be the right man for her.
“Em, please don’t start in again. I would like to meet Jeff’s brother, but because he Jeff’s brother, not because I’m looking for a man.”
“Ashley, will you please stop this, “I’m not good enough for anyone” routine. Your mom really did a number on your head, but she was wrong, dead wrong. Oh Ash, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to say dead, like in dead dead, but not right, but ….” Ashley understood exactly what Emily was trying to say. Ashley’s mother had not been loving towards her, or nurturing. Susan
reminded Ashley constantly that her little girl had ruined her life. She blamed Ashley for the death of her husband, Ben, Ashley’s father.
When Susan was pregnant with Ashley, she would complain about every little ache and pain. Ben was happy about the baby, so put up with every whim. One night, Susan complained so much about the back pain that Ben said he would go to the drugstore and buy a heating pad for her. That night, a teenaged boy, high on drugs, decided to rob the store. As Ben entered the store, his rousing “Hello Bob!” to the store’s owner, spooked the hyped up teenager. He turned quickly, and fired the gun he was holding in his shaking hands. Unfortunately, the bullet was able to find it’s mark, and Ben fell to the floor, never even knowing what had just happened.
by Lady Winter Wolf
The long road wound on endlessly, seeming to call her name. Ashleeeeey… Her foot pressed down further on the accelerator, making the engine roar as it increased with power. 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 miles per hour, and she wanted more. The wind of a tornado tore around the candy apple red, convertible Corvette. Her long, strawberry blond hair whipped up around her face and head resembling the snake like tendrils of Medusa. She could not fight the force that drew her on.
Honk, Honk, Honk!!!
“Hey lady, this light’s not gonna stay green forever!”, yelled the driver of the blue delivery van behind her. Ashley jumped and immediately felt her cheeks blush from the embarrassment. She lightly tapped on the gas pedal, so as not to make her dark gray Ford Escort jump forward. As she accelerated to the speed limit, the van easily passed her in the next lane. She cringed under the glare from the driver, quickly trained her green eyes forward and continued onwards to work.
“Ashley, sometimes I don’t know where your head is at.”, she admonished herself. “As if anything exciting could ever happen to you. Driving a sports car at 100 miles an hour, you, little miss never ever got a ticket in her life.” Which, of course, was true. In the 10 years she had been driving, not one ticket. She had gotten her license at age 16, and was proud to say that she passed the first time out. Her mother had constantly reminded her that driving was a privilege and a big responsibility, and Ashley had always listened to her mother, Susan
But mother was gone now, and Ashley had to face life on her own. The last six months of the illness had been especially brutal on her mother’s mind and body. But Ashley had suffered too.
She rushed home everyday to relieve Mae, her mother’s hired caregiver. She would fix Susan her very favorite meal, tomato soup, warm biscuits with melting butter and tea. It seemed to be the only evening meal she enjoyed, or could keep down. Ashley would sit in the rocker next to Susan’s bed, and read from a book to her. Her favorite stories were “Wuthering Heights” and
“Jane Eyre”. Ashley could practically recite the books’ passages from memory.
After Susan would fall off into sleep, Ashley would take a warm relaxing bath. She would close her eyes and daydream. She would imagine herself in the arms of Heathcliff or Edward Rochester, feel the touch of their lips upon hers, the strength of their arms around her body. But the cooling of the bath water would propel her out of her reverie with a start. She would quickly dry herself off and put on her long nightgown. In her antique four poster bed, she would snuggle down under her grandmother’s double wedding ring quilt. She willed sleep to come quickly, so that her daydreams would continue on into the night. But they never did.
Now she looked forward to going to work. She enjoyed owning, and running, the café, Heavenly Feasts, with her best friend, Emily Robinson. During her mother’s illness, the café was like an impediment. It was in the way of her being able to stay home and take care of her mother properly. Instead, she had had to rely on another. She turned into the alley that led to the back of the café, and pulled into her reserved parking spot. Entering the café, a long hallway would stretch down to the front of the building. Various openings along the way would lead to the different areas of the café; kitchen, restrooms, her and Emily’s office, and then the main eating area. Ashley headed immediately for her office. She liked getting paperwork out of the way first before she would check on the kitchen, and then mingle among the customers.
Emily was already in the office. “ Hi Em.”, Ashley said cheerfully. “What’s the news for today?” “Oh, you know, same old, same old.”, said Emily without looking up from the recipe book she was perusing. “Wait a moment, there is something you might want to know about. Jeff’s brother, David, has just moved into town.” Jeff being Emily’s husband of six years, and David was his younger brother. Ashley had not met David before, even though she had known Emily since high school. Emily met Jeff after graduating from college, they quickly fell in love, and eloped. Since there had been no fancy wedding or reception, Emily was not able to meet any of Jeff’s relatives. She had heard many things about David, but he had not had the opportunity to travel out their way. Emily kept telling Ashley that David would be the right man for her.
“Em, please don’t start in again. I would like to meet Jeff’s brother, but because he Jeff’s brother, not because I’m looking for a man.”
“Ashley, will you please stop this, “I’m not good enough for anyone” routine. Your mom really did a number on your head, but she was wrong, dead wrong. Oh Ash, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to say dead, like in dead dead, but not right, but ….” Ashley understood exactly what Emily was trying to say. Ashley’s mother had not been loving towards her, or nurturing. Susan
reminded Ashley constantly that her little girl had ruined her life. She blamed Ashley for the death of her husband, Ben, Ashley’s father.
When Susan was pregnant with Ashley, she would complain about every little ache and pain. Ben was happy about the baby, so put up with every whim. One night, Susan complained so much about the back pain that Ben said he would go to the drugstore and buy a heating pad for her. That night, a teenaged boy, high on drugs, decided to rob the store. As Ben entered the store, his rousing “Hello Bob!” to the store’s owner, spooked the hyped up teenager. He turned quickly, and fired the gun he was holding in his shaking hands. Unfortunately, the bullet was able to find it’s mark, and Ben fell to the floor, never even knowing what had just happened.
