Bridging the Gap
Sweat Over The Town
When the grandfather clock in the entryway chimed eleven and most of the children and been escorted back to their beds at the local inn, Jesse decided to leave. Michelle insisted he take a plate of leftovers, it was the least she could do for such a friend of her great grandmother. So there sat Jesse on the stiff backed loveseat in the living area, curling his fingers against the striped rosy fabric. He listen to the silence broken by Michelle dishing out spoonfuls of casserole and macaroni on a plate. A scratching sound came from the corner of the room, a woman clearing her throat. She was the same woman that had been in the blue blouse the day before. Jesse smiled politely. She was young, but he was younger to her.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” She said.
“Uh, Jesse.” He wasn’t quite sure if his surname would be readily welcomed, considering how well it seemed Michelle knew about the Tucks.
The woman smiled as if to say she’d expected more, “Well, that’s a nice name. I’m Claire. I’m getting married in a week. Are you a friend of Danny’s?”
Before Jesse could come up with an elaborate answer Michelle came into the room with a china plate wrapped in foil. She handed the plate to Jesse and scoffed at Claire, “Don’t interrogate my guest, Claire. He’s done nothing to you.”
“Your guest? Well, Michelle. I didn’t think you dated. He’s cute too.” The red haired young woman winked at Jesse and took a sip of her drink, leaning just so on the arm of her chair.
“I-I’m not her, her date.” Jesse stuttered.
Michelle pushed at Jesse’s shoulder, moving him from the loveseat to the hallway, “See, he’s not anything of the like. Besides, you’re an engaged woman.”
Jesse could hear Claire laughing as Michelle pushed him on down the hall to the front door of the small house. Holding the plate in both hands Jesse walked quietly next to Michelle. She was only a few inches shorter than he, even in the ankle boots she wore with her skirt. Crickets had begun to cry and the wind had died down to fall as a muggy mask of sweat over the town. A single car rolled down the street. The gate appeared more quickly than he had hoped. The blue eyed girl reluctantly flipped the latch on the gate, but stopped before pulling it open. Her hand lingered on the handle.
“Are you sticking around for a while, Jesse?”
“I haven’t been back in a while, so probably for a little bit.” He shifted the warm bottomed plate in his hands. He couldn’t keep his eyes on her’s.
“Come back tomorrow morning. Around seven?” She pulled open the gate wide enough for him to walk through. As he passed through the opening he nodded.
“Yeah. Um, thanks for the food.” He waved and went on his way down the middle of the street, off in the direction of the inn.
Michelle watched him as he disappeared. He hadn’t mentioned seeing Winnie after he had come in. She was a distraction. She locked the gate back up and tucked her hair behind her ears. Following a worn path in the grass to a plot just behind a tall rosebush, she hummed a tune Winnie had sang to her as a child. She had called it an elf song. Michelle pushed back a limb of the plant and kneeled down into the grass. The granite plaque was etched with numbers and letters; that was all Winnie would be in the years to come. A simple statistic. She finished the light tune and dazed in thought. She lifted her eyes to the grave marker.
“He’s going to ask about why I know so much. Might as well tell him the truth when it does come around, right? He’s just like you said, though a bit more apprehensive with people. I think you scared him off. But I can tell he wants to see you. He’ll come around. He still loves you.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” She said.
“Uh, Jesse.” He wasn’t quite sure if his surname would be readily welcomed, considering how well it seemed Michelle knew about the Tucks.
The woman smiled as if to say she’d expected more, “Well, that’s a nice name. I’m Claire. I’m getting married in a week. Are you a friend of Danny’s?”
Before Jesse could come up with an elaborate answer Michelle came into the room with a china plate wrapped in foil. She handed the plate to Jesse and scoffed at Claire, “Don’t interrogate my guest, Claire. He’s done nothing to you.”
“Your guest? Well, Michelle. I didn’t think you dated. He’s cute too.” The red haired young woman winked at Jesse and took a sip of her drink, leaning just so on the arm of her chair.
“I-I’m not her, her date.” Jesse stuttered.
Michelle pushed at Jesse’s shoulder, moving him from the loveseat to the hallway, “See, he’s not anything of the like. Besides, you’re an engaged woman.”
Jesse could hear Claire laughing as Michelle pushed him on down the hall to the front door of the small house. Holding the plate in both hands Jesse walked quietly next to Michelle. She was only a few inches shorter than he, even in the ankle boots she wore with her skirt. Crickets had begun to cry and the wind had died down to fall as a muggy mask of sweat over the town. A single car rolled down the street. The gate appeared more quickly than he had hoped. The blue eyed girl reluctantly flipped the latch on the gate, but stopped before pulling it open. Her hand lingered on the handle.
“Are you sticking around for a while, Jesse?”
“I haven’t been back in a while, so probably for a little bit.” He shifted the warm bottomed plate in his hands. He couldn’t keep his eyes on her’s.
“Come back tomorrow morning. Around seven?” She pulled open the gate wide enough for him to walk through. As he passed through the opening he nodded.
“Yeah. Um, thanks for the food.” He waved and went on his way down the middle of the street, off in the direction of the inn.
Michelle watched him as he disappeared. He hadn’t mentioned seeing Winnie after he had come in. She was a distraction. She locked the gate back up and tucked her hair behind her ears. Following a worn path in the grass to a plot just behind a tall rosebush, she hummed a tune Winnie had sang to her as a child. She had called it an elf song. Michelle pushed back a limb of the plant and kneeled down into the grass. The granite plaque was etched with numbers and letters; that was all Winnie would be in the years to come. A simple statistic. She finished the light tune and dazed in thought. She lifted her eyes to the grave marker.
“He’s going to ask about why I know so much. Might as well tell him the truth when it does come around, right? He’s just like you said, though a bit more apprehensive with people. I think you scared him off. But I can tell he wants to see you. He’ll come around. He still loves you.”