Umber: Afterword (Sibyl’s Story)
November 5, 2012 § 3 Comments
Rummaging through the attic, I blew the dust off of a box and lifted the lid. It contained a pile of papers. On the top was a familiar picture. “I miss you, Grandma,” I said to the face in the photograph. I read the lettering on the back; it said “Marla, at the lake, 2021.”
Beneath the photo was a manuscript. I read the words, “I first saw her at an estate sale.”
Sitting in the dim light of the dusty attic, I read the entire story Grandma wrote about someone named Vera. That’s a nice fantasy, I thought. I didn’t know Grandma dabbled in fiction. I checked the first page for a title, but found none. Maybe, I thought, it should be called, “How Dogma Carried to Extremes Almost Ruined Four Generations of the Birdsall Family.” Or, “Lofty Principles Should Be Balanced with Common Sense.” It was nice that Vera had people who loved her enough to want her to be happy. Grandma made her sound like a wonderful woman.
Funny how Vera’s father was redeemed when he abandoned his principles and welcomed his daughter back home, but Vera could only maintain her integrity by being true to her promise never to remarry. Were they both right?
At any rate, in the end they could each respect what they saw in the mirror. That’s even better than going to Picardy.
THE END
What a journey, such a tale. I hate to see it end. Please don’t stop writing though…a gift must be shared.
Thanks, Paula. I am using NaNoWriMo to revise it–by the time I reached the end I knew some things had to change. Hey, I liked the graphics in your email, btw ( [?]–Margo
Just got to this last post….week away from writing/reading….so, now we know the rest of the story….
Will check out the NaNoWriMo site…new to me. Yes, we all need editing help…sifting out the chaff from the seed…can help if you want…enjoy editing almost as much as writing/reading.