Last Week's Missing Story

 The original Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and eventually taken over by a moveable feast of participants when Delores had computer troubles. Sadly, Delores has now closed her blog forever due to other problems.

The aim of the words is to encourage us to write. A story, a poem, whatever comes to mind.

If you are posting an entry on your own blog, please let us know so we can come along to read it and add a few encouraging words.

This month the words/prompts are were supplied by Sean Jeating and can be found here

This Last week's words/prompts are were:

1.bird  2.window  3.wings  4.span  5.open

and/or:

1.time  2.world  3.laugh  4.all  5.get

Charlotte has provided a new colour for December:

a gorgeous shade of pink.

Here is the story you all missed last Friday as I sat around feeling sorry for myself and my sprained wrist:

Two days later, Jim, Dan and Greg hiked up to the bluff where the trail turned towards the back side of the mountain where William had his cabin. They noticed the path was becoming overgrown along the edges, leaving just a narrow section to walk along, though there was also a nice new railing to hold onto. Each carried a basket of baked goods wrapped in clean cloths.

William knew they were coming and was waiting by his front door, sitting on a stool and working on the cross to mark the spot where the cave had been found. He also had a carved sea bird in flight with a very large wing span and a long body. “What kind of bird is that Uncle William?” asked Greg. “It’s an Albatross,” said William. “They aren’t as common as they used to be, and I don’t think any have been seen around these parts for many years. They were common in the Southern Ocean and I think in the North Pacific.”

“How do you know about them?” asked Dan.” “Let’s put these baskets of yours inside and then I’ll tell you all a story,” said William, rising carefully from his stool and placing the chisel in its leather pouch. Jim held the door open and they all trooped inside. “It’s more spacious than I remember,” said Jim. “I got rid of a few unnecessary things,” said William. ‘A man my age has no need of clutter.”

The baskets were unpacked and breads and fruit cakes were placed in the cold larder, kept at a low temperature by a stone wall which had a mountain creek on the other side. William sliced into the apple pie and handed around plates and cups. “You boys all get yourselves a slice of this pie and a cup of milk and come back outside.”

Once they were all seated on flat rocks, William began his story. “My grandfather Michael was a sailor,” he began in between mouthfuls of pie. “He would tell me tales of a time when the world was much slower than today, a time of sailing ships with many masts and sails, calm seas when ships barely moved and storms that drove many onto reefs or simply blew the ships over and men were lost at sea forever.”

Whenever he came to visit he would bring me something he had bought or bargained for on his latest trip. One time he brought me that Albatross, and I think now I would like to see it placed near this cross, facing the sea. I remember watching from the window to see him coming, back when I was younger than you all are now and racing to open the door for him.”

“Was he a Pirate?” asked Dan. “No, just a merchant sailor,” said William. “He travelled on ships carrying goods to sell or barter for other goods to bring home. He would tell me tales of things they got up to at sea and in far away market places and we would laugh and laugh. I was always sorry to say goodbye and that’s why he gave me the Albatross, it was something he had cherished that I could remember him by.”

“It’s a beautiful bird,” said Jim, “did he carve it himself?” “I don’t know,” said William. “He never told me. Now, your Nanna said something about painting flowers on this cross, so I have carved some into the wood and she can just add the colours,” he said.