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Irish Rose
Member Patricius
since 2000-04-06
Posts 10263


0 posted 2001-06-07 04:28 PM



Dark Eyes
Chapter One

It was autumn in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the wind had cooled somewhat on a crisp September morning.  Dana Livingston awakened earlier than usual.  A tall, slender woman in her early 50's,, with strawberry blonde hair and green eyes,  she had enjoyed good health and a nice figure, maintaining a smooth texture to her skin like that of a teenager.  The morning sun signaled the beginning of birth pangs to an adventure already birthed in her imagination.  Dana was about to embark on a trip.  Not just any trip, but a trip halfway around the world.   Her luggage was packed and her papers were in order and she proceeded to make a pot of coffee.  Her hands began to shake and her stomach churned.  She wanted to be the first one up to relish this time before her flight even though she had faced the unknown many times, this time it all seemed panoramic in proportion to anything she had ever done.  She knew that it was.  Months had gone into planning but she could only prepare for what she thought would happen and of course, what she had dreamt of happening.  It was moving toward her now, in waves and washing over her even before she left her home. "This is it."  she thought to herself.

"Penny, I'm in the kitchen" she called to her lifelong friend.  "I'm going to sit for awhile and drink this coffee and try to organize my thoughts."  The coffee sent an aroma of familiar smells throughout the house, soon to be replaced by new aromas that she would come to love.  She gathered her letters, papers and airline ticket   Dana examined her purse one last time to make certain that everything was in order.  "Let's see, my passport, ticket, money, Traveler's Cheques, and the journal that I must have to record every minute.  Yes, I believe I have everything I need."  She took a sip of coffee and curled up in her favorite spot on the sofa, drawing her legs underneath the warmth of a blanket and began to think.  Everything around her was familiar and yet soon she would be catapulted into the unfamiliar.

The clock seemed to tease her with seconds ticking slowly and she knew the airport was going to be her next destination.  Dana's next step would be into a world of discovery, of color and of marvel.  "Dana, please don't forget anything and remember to telephone me as soon as you arrive."  Penny called as she wandered into the room.  It was too early for Dana to think of eating anything before the upcoming trip, but she had planned breakfast with her three children.  She wanted to see them there and not at the airport.  Dana and her children had always remained close even with the times that tested them.  Of all the trips she had ever embarked on, this would be the one her children were most anxious about her taking. Breakfast was out of the question with her schedule for the day and so she quickly picked up the telephone first calling her daughter, Joanna, then Michael, and then Garth. Ending each sentence with a heartfelt "I love you, hon, now please don't worry, I'll call the moment I arrive there and Penny will let you know, ok?"

"What am I doing?"  she thought.  "I have planned this for weeks, pondered the importance of it, anticipate it and not it's here!"  Thoughts of her past seemed to shadow her and how it all came to be.  She noticed the computer in the other room and realized that it was more than a modern machine.  It had been her lifeline to discovering who she really was.   Part of her had been untapped, unrolled like a fine carpet.  Her emotions seemed now free from a cage of uncertainty after years of facing unseen circumstances.  Would she be able to handle the unknown?  Dana had lived the unknown.  She had often walked paths others had not walked and did it with courage but still this was the highlight of her life in her mind.  Was she ready for it?   This  was the question she hesitated to ask of herself.

Her brother, James, had pleaded with her to reconsider and to think about the trip.  She knew he would not be able to resist approaching the subject with her as he was very opinionated but she knew he only had her safety and best interests at heart.   One day while leaving his house, he began in a somber tone "Sis, I don't want you to take this risk. we love you and don't want anything to happen to you, and you cannot believe everything you hear online."  James had his own views about the Internet and was completely against her venture.    And others had warned her as well.  Dana knew about risks.  She had raised three children and at times the candle burned at both ends, in the middle until it was extinguished.   She had known disappointment and yet through it all, she had never been one to compromise for less than what she felt she needed and tried to adhere to her beliefs in who she was.  All she could do was offer, "James, I know, I know you are worried, but I'm going and I've made up my mind.  Please accept my wishes and wish me well."

"I am strong and independent and I can handle this."  she thought.  Yet, inside the feelings came flooding in streaks of fear.  "If I truly am ready for this, everything will evolve beautifully.  If not, at least I'll have my chance, my dream to do the one thing I've always hoped for."  For Dana, the one thing she had always hoped for was to reach for the impossible, someone who completely understood her and saw into her being.  She closed her eyes, leaning back for a brief moment of rest and then opened them to see the pictures and the memories in her home.  She embraced the independence she had at this point in her life but she yearned for something more.   Something beyond what she saw with her eyes.  Perhaps she needed to see herself through another's eyes.  Dana always believed you could see through to another's soul through their eyes.

"Dana, we'd better get moving."  Penny said.    Penny was as much in need of a daily Diet Coke as Dana was her coffee.  A short, nicely built woman with dark hair and a pleasant disposition, Penny and her daughter, Melody, shared a home with Dana along with many good times and memories of their lives separate and together.   "Let's start putting all of this luggage into the trunk if it will fit.  It looks like you are going to be there for a month."  The two women walked toward the door and Dana turned around and took one last look at the pictures of her children and her grandchildren.  "I love you all, but I have to do this for me.  Just for me.  Please understand and accept the changes."  She knew she had already changed and that the trip would only cement those changes.  The two women had enjoyed an uncomplicated friendship for decades and one of the underlying reasons for that was Penny's refusal to press Dana to change herself.  She accepted her for who she was.

Penny turned the key to the ignition and they pulled out of the driveway and onto the street headed for the interstate.  Dana took one last look behind her at the home she was leaving knowing in her heart she would return but yet the feelings were completely jumbled.   There was little traffic for a Saturday morning as most people were still enjoying the laziness of the day before they began their routines.  The sun was bright and the wind was calm and Dana's spirit impatient.

"Well, Dana, any second thoughts?  Not too late to change your mind, you know!"  Penny said knowing it was a futile question.   Dana retorted, "Bite your tongue, you know me and once I make my mind up, nothing and I mean nothing is likely to change it, now drive on!"  Each lit a cigarette and tried with no success to relax.    They would approach the airport soon yet this flight was already underway in her heart.  It had approached the runway in eagerness for journeys most only speak of.  The only obstacle between her and this fulfillment were the miles.  Yet they all seemed inconsequential.

Kathleen Blake

"When red-haired girls scamper like roses over the rain-green grass,
and the sun drips honey."
Laurie Lee


© Copyright 2001 Kathleen - All Rights Reserved
Sharon
Member
since 2001-06-04
Posts 53
Within a whisper
1 posted 2001-06-09 07:17 PM


Hi.

I love what you're doing with your storyline. But I think it would be better if you slowed the story down a bit. Build some suspense. If it gets too long can you post it in two 'chapters'? It held my interest and I'd really like to know where she's going and for how long!

Irish Rose
Member Patricius
since 2000-04-06
Posts 10263

2 posted 2001-06-09 09:18 PM


You're right, I"m going to rewriter chapters one and two and take my time!  thank you so much for reading..   it's about an Internet love affair  

Kathleen Blake

"When red-haired girls scamper like roses over the rain-green grass,
and the sun drips honey."
Laurie Lee


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