Hope for the Despondent
Gone
Garrett walked through the park, taking in the fresh autumn air. The trees were turning a beautiful mix of orange, yellow and red. Autumn was always his favorite time of the year, only because of the breathtaking colors he would see on the trees.
A round rubber ball hit the side of his head, bringing him back to his surroundings. The ball bounced off of his head and fell to the ground. Garrett looked at the direction the ball came from. He saw a couple of kids who must have been playing catch.
He sighed and walked to where the ball went, right under a tree. He picked it up, but as he did, he saw a corner of light green paper sticking out from under a few leaves. Maybe it’s a dollar bill, he thought to himself. Garrett wasn’t surprised when he pulled out the paper and it was only a letter. Out of curiosity, he read it quickly.
The ball was snatched from his hand from a child who wrinkled her nose at him. “Sorry,” he grumbled as he read the rest of the letter. His eyebrows rose, and he took off as fast as he could. He had to show Michelle.
Panting, he ran into the house. Michelle, who was lounging on the beaten couch with a magazine on her lap, looked up from it when she saw Garrett panting in the doorway.
“Michelle, take a look at this.”
~
Tara picked up the red notebook from the floor and fingered the letters on the worn cover. Carefully she opened it and turned the pages slowly. She stopped. She remembered the letter. The more she thought about it, the more stupid the idea was. Tara regretted it more every minute…
Nathaniel knocked on the open door, startling her. “Tara? You okay?” asked Nathaniel.
“Um, fine,” was Tara’s reply as she closed the notebook and put it aside.
“Good. Do you want to go to Antonio’s today?”
Tara thought about it. Pizza didn’t sound bad. Neither did taking a trip downtown. Her eyebrows rose. Downtown—the word struck her like a brick. The park was downtown—she can take back the letter before some creep reads it and invades her privacy.
“You know, I’d love to go to Antonio’s tonight.”
A car ride and a few slices of pizza later, Nathaniel was paying for the food.
“Hey, Nathaniel… can we go to the park and maybe get a snow-cone?”
Nathaniel raised his eyebrows and agreed.
Once they got there, she instantly but casually headed for the oak tree she lightly buried the letter under. When she got there, Tara pretended to drop her ring. She went down and dug through the leaves and some of the dirt for a while, until it hit her.
Shocked and befuddled, she whispered, “It’s gone.”
A round rubber ball hit the side of his head, bringing him back to his surroundings. The ball bounced off of his head and fell to the ground. Garrett looked at the direction the ball came from. He saw a couple of kids who must have been playing catch.
He sighed and walked to where the ball went, right under a tree. He picked it up, but as he did, he saw a corner of light green paper sticking out from under a few leaves. Maybe it’s a dollar bill, he thought to himself. Garrett wasn’t surprised when he pulled out the paper and it was only a letter. Out of curiosity, he read it quickly.
The ball was snatched from his hand from a child who wrinkled her nose at him. “Sorry,” he grumbled as he read the rest of the letter. His eyebrows rose, and he took off as fast as he could. He had to show Michelle.
Panting, he ran into the house. Michelle, who was lounging on the beaten couch with a magazine on her lap, looked up from it when she saw Garrett panting in the doorway.
“Michelle, take a look at this.”
~
Tara picked up the red notebook from the floor and fingered the letters on the worn cover. Carefully she opened it and turned the pages slowly. She stopped. She remembered the letter. The more she thought about it, the more stupid the idea was. Tara regretted it more every minute…
Nathaniel knocked on the open door, startling her. “Tara? You okay?” asked Nathaniel.
“Um, fine,” was Tara’s reply as she closed the notebook and put it aside.
“Good. Do you want to go to Antonio’s today?”
Tara thought about it. Pizza didn’t sound bad. Neither did taking a trip downtown. Her eyebrows rose. Downtown—the word struck her like a brick. The park was downtown—she can take back the letter before some creep reads it and invades her privacy.
“You know, I’d love to go to Antonio’s tonight.”
A car ride and a few slices of pizza later, Nathaniel was paying for the food.
“Hey, Nathaniel… can we go to the park and maybe get a snow-cone?”
Nathaniel raised his eyebrows and agreed.
Once they got there, she instantly but casually headed for the oak tree she lightly buried the letter under. When she got there, Tara pretended to drop her ring. She went down and dug through the leaves and some of the dirt for a while, until it hit her.
Shocked and befuddled, she whispered, “It’s gone.”