Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Story-Time Tuesday Chapter 6

If you missed STORIES FROM HOME - Chapter 5 just click here.

Jenny Matlock

STORIES FROM HOME - Chapter Six

When the sun came up over the mountain the next morning, the few tiny chips of white paint left on the house turned a lovely shade of pink.

And the hopeful little house waited.

The sun rose higher in a sky filled with horse-tail clouds and edged the cool, lovely summer leaves in lemony-yellow light.

And the hopeful little house waited.

The sadness inside the little house from being lonely for so long grew into worry as the minutes ticked by. And as time continued to pass, the little house agonized even more. “What if the children don’t want to stay? What if the children don’t like me?” the little house wondered.

But, just when the hopeful little house thought it could not bear to wait any longer, it heard the chatter of children!

Listening very carefully, the little house realized that was actually only the sweet murmur of a single child.

Everyone who has ever been around small children knows, there is nothing quite as tender as a child with tousled, morning hair and bright, shining eyes, chattering and planning adventures for a late spring morning .

“Julia! Riley! Wake up!” Morgan stood on the mattress with her hands fisted on her hips and a determined look on her face. “Julia! Riley! Come on! Get up!”

With a giant yawn, Julia poked her head out from under the quilt and opened one big, blue eye.

“Morgan, lay down!” she grumbled.

“Julia! Riley! Let’s go!”

With a colossal stretch, Riley reluctantly opened both gray-blue eyes and looked around. Remembering where they were, she sat up quickly and pulled her little sister down beside her.

Both girls looked curiously around the small room they had slept in. The white sheets pulled from the bed the night before lay crumpled by a small door that looked like it might be a closet. The sunlight could hardly find its way inside the two grimy windows, but in the faint light the two girls could still see wallpaper covered in faded pink roses decorating the walls. The bed and three other pieces of furniture covered in old sheets filled the remaining space in the bedroom. A quilt in washed out colors of pink, purple and green covered the tall, old bed and their sleeping sister, Julia.

As Riley and Morgan whispered excitedly about their discoveries, Julia finally opened her eyes. Rubbing the sleep from them, she suddenly remembered where she was and sat up quickly. Climbing down from the tall mattress, she stumbled over to one of the windows to look outside. Her sisters jumped down and joined her.

The girls saw the blue-mirrored water they had splashed in yesterday. And from this high perch, they could also see that the little pond was at the edge of a woods, at the edge of a mountain.

No matter the circumstances, children have a strong sense of adventure and these three little girls were no exception.

And no matter the circumstances, big sisters will be big sisters, and Julia was no exception either!

“Morgan, Riley, pull the dust sheets off the furniture,” she ordered. The small door in the corner of the room was, indeed, an empty closet and Julia rolled up the discarded sheets and put them inside as her sisters began their assigned task. The first cloud of dust revealed a small dresser with a marble top now gleaming in the light from the windows. Uncovering the small rocking chair and table, more dust filled the room making the girls cough and sputter. As soon as the remaining sheets were shoved into the closet, the girls escaped the dust and continued their exploration.

The other two doors at the top of the steps opened into bedrooms as well. Both were filled with furnitured covered in sheets. One cozy rooms was decorated with faded yellow roses and the other with pale purple violets.

But since it wasn’t bedtime, and since the three little girls weren’t tired, and since there was a whole bunch of things to still explore, the girls just closed the doors and headed down the stairs.

With a thud and a thump they all jumped from the second step into the little hallway they had been in last night.

Two doorways opened from the hallway. Julia peered through the doorway on the right to see a small living room. Riley glanced in the doorway on the left to see an ancient kitchen.

Julia took Morgan’s hand and pulled her into the living room with Riley following close behind. The room was filled with dust-sheeted furniture and a gray, stone fireplace. A single, large window drew the girls like a magnet. Rubbing peepholes into the grime with their fists, the little girls peered outside to see a weed-filled yard stretching away beyond a weathered and worn front porch.

An open doorway in the corner of the living room led into the kitchen. Chipped white cupboards lined one wall. A white metal table surrounded by four red chairs was the only furniture in the room, but a giant, black stove took up most of the remaining space. The girls were puzzled to see a dark red hand pump bolted to the counter beside a chipped, white enamel sink. Red and white checkered fabric hung in tatters from the small window behind it.

Morgan peeked through another open doorway in the room and let out a squeak when she saw it led back to the hallway. She took off running from the kitchen to the hallway to the living room to the kitchen again. She was on her second time around when she saw her sisters had opened a back door in the kitchen and were heading outside.

To be continued on Tuesday, June 1.

(c) 2010 Jennifer R. Matlock
This publication is the exclusive property of Jennifer R. Matlock and is protected
under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Jennifer R. Matlock. All rights reserved.

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26 comments:

Jocelyn said...

Oh how wonderful this segment was!!!! I am so excited.....I want more!!!! Now my curiosity is peaked....where are the parents....will they be able to stay here!!!!

Thanks sweet Jenny!!!!! I can't wait til next week!!!

Cheryl Kohan said...

Well, this is so exciting! I love your story and I can hardly wait to read the first few chapters!

Jeanie said...

It was fun to "meet" the house with the girls and your descriptions were wonderful. Can't wait to hear more.

Tina said...

You made me "see" that house, and those rooms so vividly! Nicely done. Now begins the agony of waiting another week...

Marlene said...

Well done! Can't wait for the next excerpt!

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, even a floor plan! Be still my heart! :-)

Now, if only you could sketch it out and show us a pic [of your sketch] of the way you see it. Because it's YOUR house, after all. YOU imagined it. :-)

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

I see a lot of window cleaning, in the future. :-)))

Julia Christie said...

Loving your descriptions and so obvious you have children and grandchildren as you write the inside of a child's head so very well! Can't wait for next week.

Smiles

People Who Know Me Would Say: said...

Well, since you've already 'hit your stride', I'd have to save you've really 'found your groove' with this chapter.

You left us waiting to see what we'll all discover together next week!

Blast off!!!!

Susan Anderson said...

Looking forward to next week's adventure...!

=)

"Cottage By The Sea" said...

I love, love, love a visual story with quilts and patches of sunlight and little children. I can't wait to read the rest of it! You sure are good with the written word.

Ms. A said...

My aunt had a hand pump in her kitchen!

Andrea said...

Oh my gosh! This is good! Maybe these little girls have found a new home? I think my daughter would like this story. I may have to read it to her all together so far next week! Thanks Jenny!

Jo said...

love the hand pump ... this was so descriptive ... the light, the wallpaper, the grime ... i can feel it. love it Jenny!

Holly Lefevre said...

I am completley entranced and what to know more. I must go back and read all the other chapters...but just this one got me hooked.

Tara said...

What little adventure is around the corner next for these sweet girls...

Brenda said...

Thumbs up! I did read yesterday but found myself short on time to comment. Going to Granddaughter number 1's preschool graduation today. It's an hour drive so I need to boogy but wanted to say hi! Have a good day!

Terra said...

the exploration is wonderful, the thud and thump off the second step made me want to get up and do just that! I can see it all in my head, I am watching as I read - you know you have sucked me in and I truly love to read this each week...waiting patiently for more!

Paula ~ castleandcottagesigns said...

I missed last week and went back to read...how fun! I hope the sisters find lot's of fun and adventure...can't wait for next week!

Julie Kwiatkowski Schuler said...

Really lovely descriptions!

The Quintessential Magpie said...

I'm enjoying this, Jenny! You are doing a great job w/the imagery.

XO,

Sheila :-)

Unknown said...

I wanna live there....The red pump did it.....Melinda

Lisa said...

I love this old house!! I will move right in next time it is empty!
Hugs, Lisa

Mrs. M said...

This is just becoming the loveliest of houses!

Lourie said...

I am so glad you always link back to the previous chapter, because somehow I missed this one!!

Cheryl said...

When you first started this, I thought you were going to tell short little tales. Watching and reading along as this book unfolds is a treasure.