Fields Of Barley...Vol. 15

Fields of Barley, Vol. 15

(If you want to read this from the beginning, click the Stories, Short & Otherwise Link above)

The two invisible observers watched the scene play out before them. Anna-Lisa turned to Mark and noticed that he was laughing to himself and tears streamed from his eyes. He had told the story so many times that he forgot how completely unbelievable the event actually was. Now he was able to see it all again and it brought a feeling of joy he had never experienced before.

“Mark, do you know why we’re here watching this?” Her question did not stop him from laughing. The two of them continued observing as the ambulance arrived, and the two drivers shared a ride to the nearest hospital. The emergency vehicle rounded the corner and a haze appeared, clouding the vision before them.

Long after the final memory had past, Mark finally answered her question. “To be honest, I thought you’d show me the day I was married, or the day we found out Janie was pregnant, but not this day,” he said turning to her. “And I’m glad we picked this day. It turned out to be one of the best days of my life, but I guess you already know that.”

“Not all life changing events are centered around personal tragedies or triumphs, Mark,” she said. “Sometimes the best days, or even days you never remember hold the keys to the mysteries of life. Each decision builds upon the next until a life is complete.  Imagine each memory—each choice—contains a piece of thread constantly weaving itself until it forms a tapestry that becomes one’s life. No two tapestries are alike, each wonderfully unique—each beautiful in its own perfection.

“Here, I’ll show you what I mean.”

As soft as a whisper the two were once again transported in time. And again Mark’s ’63 VW Beetle came into focus, its undersized engine strained to climb one of the many hills leading to the university. Mark thought he would recognize this moment as he had the others, but he was confused by what he saw. Nothing unique about the day came to mind. The two watched as Mark drove the old German import; a car he only drove his freshman year (Janie saw to that). Mark tried remembering something special about this particular day and came up with nothing. It looked to be just another 

ordinary day in the life of a young student.

They looked on and watched the car eventually crest the hill coming to rest in Mark’s favorite parking spot, a secluded spot behind an old church the university long ago converted to a children’s theater. The campus police never found his secret parking spot, nor did anyone else, and if they did, 

they never issued a citation.

The car sputtered to a stop and Mark got out. As the student walked away, a noise caught his attention. It was the inescapable sound of air finding freedom from the car’s front passenger side tire. First, the inevitable cursing to which the older Mark felt embarrassed in the presence of Anna-Lisa. Then, the thought of fixing the tire occurred to the younger Mark, the decision to leave the tire until after class eventually won out. Mark and Anna-Lisa watched in silence as the young man scurried to 

class, the old automobile hidden in the shadows of a prized parking spot.

To be continued...

NaNoWriMo Tracker: 1016 words written Wednesday, 1023 words written Thursday,

24709 words total