In the late 20's of the twentieth century, in a small suburb of Grey, Mississippi, next to the old warehouse with the vegetable stand that now stands empty, there is a mailbox. Walter Fox loved that mailbox. Everyday, at 2:25 in the afternoon, Gloria Taylor would appear and unlock the door and retrieve the mail. She was the most punctual person he had ever known. And she was also the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Now, in a small town like Grey people come to know one another. And this was no different between Walter and Gloria. Gloria would wave politely and ask Walter how he was. And Walter would tell Gloria the same thing every day. "The sun will shine everyday Miss Taylor. It's only the clouds that get in the way." Gloria would smile and gently nod her head. She was actually quite fond of Walter but etiquette demanded certain things of a young lady. He would have to ask her out first. Now Walter was not opposed to such a proposition but shyness and a gentlemanly quality demanded the right moment. Everyday, as Walter would see Gloria approaching, he would ask himself if today was the day. And Walter would give in to the brevity of the moment and would always politely say the same thing. It wasn't actually an original thought. His father would say the same thing to his mother every day after dinner as he was preparing to go back out in the field. His father would gently grab his mother's hands and repeat the same line to her and she would grab his hat and tell him the clouds would never get in the way. And Walter's father would continue his work in the life they loved. Walter had fond memories of the gentleness he witnessed between his parents and held it dear to his heart. He dreamed of such a life with Gloria. So it was on this day that Walter Fox made a decision. He would change the format for their usual afternoon exchange. He would wait for Gloria by the mailbox. He would not pretend to be accidentally strolling by. He would purposely stand by the box and find the courage to ask Gloria out. As the afternoon sun gave way to the storm brewing from the east, Walter Fox checked his tie and hat one last time as he exited his house. The time had come and he would be as punctual as Gloria had always shown in her duties. The sidewalk was empty except for a few of the ladies returning from their shopping for the week. He glanced down at his watch and noticed the time. He quickened his pace as the time approached. The box was in sight as Walter noted the time - 2:20 p.m. In moments she would appear coming around the corner of the Quigley Drug Store. She always made the same approach. He could feel the perspiration forming on his back as his pulse quickened. What was he going to say? Would the words even come? The worst possible reactions from Gloria darted through his mind as he struggled with his thoughts. There would be no turning back once the conversation began. Would she smile or look away in disgust? The pressure was building inside of him as he looked at his watch one last time. 2:24 p.m. and no sign of her yet. Normally she would have rounded the corner by now. What was going on? From across the street he could sense a commotion building. Store clerks and merchants were running from their shops towards the drugstore. It was in that moment Walter knew. His feet were moving before he even commanded them. His pace quickened as he felt the dread of certainty fill his heart. As he approached the corner his eyes saw the accident. Gloria was injured on the sidewalk. A man stood in front of car with his hands over his mouth in the realization of what he had done. Walter stopped and filtered out the images of the strangers surrounding Gloria. He focused upon her face which had held such a fondness for the world around her. He would never see her smile again and somehow he just couldn't fathom such a thought. He wanted to run to her and pick her up in his arms but the doctor was already checking her. Walter stood quietly and waited for some sign from the doctor as he conducted his examination. In that moment, when the doctor's head slowly shook side to side, Walter knew he would never again see Miss Taylor smile again. As the crowd slowly dissipated Walter remained and thought of the words he had spoken so many times at the daily meetings between him and Gloria. He looked up at the sky and watched the storm approach and knew the sun was shining somewhere but not here. And the clouds were in the way. My name is Rueuhy and I approve this blog.
No comments:
Post a Comment