Tales Around the Fire

Here is a segment from a life long work. My goal is to get it published this Fall. So many years of research are now becoming the fulfillment of a story that haunted my family for generations. The biggest surprise of all to me was it turned out to be a story of redemption. I had a fascination with Nancy from the 1st time I heard her story told, and have come to love her and cherish her journey. The fireplace  cracked in the brisk morning air. Nancy’s old pale eyes flutter open. She has been quite ill for some time now. This morning however she feels energetic. Not only energy but a great peace has taken over her heart. Her mother described herself the same way only hours before she passed. Nancy now knew in her heart she too only had hours left. She had no desire to spend it in this stuffy room of the dead. She wanted laughter and communion with others in these her final hours. An idea fluttered through her head and she sat up tentatively. She swung her legs over the side...

It was a cold torrential downpour that afternoon in June when Abigail stepped out of J.F.K Airport. She spent a few seconds in the door deciding if she should go back in and get an umbrella from the duty-free shop. She was also taking in the assault on all her senses, a noise level that made her head ring. Smells both good and extremely bad in the hundreds maybe thousands all in one breath. So many people and vehicles moving so fast her eyes had trouble fixing on any one thing. She caught sight of a bench just off to her left and turned out of the door to sit and give herself time to adjust. Just then a man and woman passed her discussing the umbrella situation. The woman turned to the gentleman. “It’s down pouring! I can’t show up at my meeting completely soaked. I have a white shirt on for God sake!” “Dear those airport shops cost a small fortune. New York is the wholesale capital of the world. Let get a cab to take us to a place we can get it cheaper.” “Charles how d...