"How right you were," he said. "The wedding lasted one week. Then the priest ordered that Tom be placed in a home for the insane. She died. He lived". One of the sods of turf fell on its side. They stared. The heat soothed their hard faces. A nest once stood on those logs. The birds raised and fed their young on it. The mother pushed them out. They attempted to fly; struggled; failed and tried again. They succeeded and departed. The mother stood on the branch. She screeched to relieve her agony, and fed worms to an empty nest. She died. It had supported them. Now it burns gloriously.
"Nearly everybody has a car now a days", he said.
"Their first appearance terrified me. I was carrying a bucket of water, when I heard a strange sound. It shook the road. I thought it might be thunder. It grew louder. Then I saw it-a carriage of the devil. I dropped the bucket and hid in a ditch. It passed".
They laughed, as the fire blazed brightly and wonderfully. Then she cried.
"How long will this winter last ?"
"How long will loneliness be our companion ? Thanks be to God we have each other." They embraced. "Sean will be home for Christmas," he said.
"I hope he doesn't bring those noisy children," she said.
"The last time I didn't get time to sit down."
"He should bring them anyway-a family should always go together," he said.
The fire became weak. It made one last attempt to produce heat. It blazed; stopped; tried again and failed. Poisoned with its own remains. He stared into the empty fire. Those logs had supported a family of birds. They had given joy and comfort to this house. He poked the heap of ashes. She had fed it. Now they shared the same form. They sat alone. Winter is a long season.
| |
| |
| |