Miss Delphia

Miss Delphia

10.15.2022

As I sit there waking up and looking out the train window.  I suddenly realize I am searching, wanting to see anything that looked familiar.  Nothing, not a thing, I didn’t know where I was or why I was on a train.  I couldn’t recollect how I had even gotten there.

Looking down at my clothes, I gasp.  This is not what I wear, who am I.  My name, I can’t remember even my name.  Someone goes by and says Hi! Miss Delphia.  That’s not my name, at least it doesn’t feel like it’s my name.

Soon, one of the crew members comes walking through the car, saying, last station coming up, everyone must disembark.  I panic, I don’t know if I have any luggage or a handbag.  Where will I go?  Who can I trust?

At the last station I disembark, a crew member came up behind me and said here Miss Delphia, you forgot your things.  How do people know me, I don’t even know me.  I walk slowly, as if in a daze, towards the station.  Things look so different, old, like I went back in time, that’s it, my clothes, my luggage, my shoes, I even have a feather hat on.  Oh! Even my name is old, if that is my name.

Walking inside I am looking to see if anyone is looking at me.  It seems everyone is looking at me, they are tipping their hats and waving their little handkerchiefs and nodding. Why does it seem like they all know me?  No one seems to be coming towards me, as if they were meeting me here.  So I continue walking, going over and sitting by the window.  Again, I start searching for anything familiar.

Six hours I sit there and wander around, not knowing what to do or where to go.  People knew me and would say hello then move on.  Suddenly, a young gentleman comes bursting through the doors in a commotion.  Saying, “Aunt Delphia, I am so sorry my cousin gave me the wrong time to be here and then my Mama, your sister, got a hold of my ear and sent me right away off to pick you up, it still smarts.  How was your trip?  Did you have a good time?  How was the weather?  I bet it was beautiful there.  Someday, I want to go to Paris, maybe even live there”.

Paris!  I can’t remember a thing and I was in Paris!  How did I manage to make my trip back?  I somehow got to the right station I guess.  Something is not right.  I feel like I am back in the old days and yet I am too young to have ever lived in this time.  Sure enough, we get outside and this young man has horses with a coach tied up.  He carried my things and helped me inside.  “It won’t be too long”, he said, “and we will be at your place”.

My place!  I have a place!  Now I try to search my head for anything I can remember about my place.  I cannot think of anything.  I guess I must have dosed of, because it was now sunset and we were just arriving at my place. It was actually beautiful, white picket fence around a large white house, all kinds of flowers, a wraparound porch with a swing on it and a few chairs and tables, I love it. The sidewalk was made with set in, smooth stones of all colors imaginable, I think it is marble stones.  There was nice grass yards on each side of the sidewalk and out back, I could just barely see, but there were some buildings, I couldn’t make out what kind or what they were used for.

Suddenly we stopped and my nephew jump down with my luggage and opened the carriage door for me and assisted me down to the ground.  He said, “I hope your happy to be home, we all missed you and my Mama said you are to come on over to our house tomorrow afternoon for a great big welcome back hoedown.  There is going to be all kinds of food, people and even a group of men playing banjos and such.  It’s going to be a great time and my Mama, you know how she is, she won’t take no for an answer”.

My nephew carries my luggage up into the house. I noticed the door was not locked, good thing I guess as I did not have a key that I knew of. Then as I realize there is no electricity, my nephew was lighting a couple lanterns.  I wish I knew his name. Then I was shocked again when he said, “The neighbors have been taking care of your chickens, cattle and horses for you so you won’t need to worry about them for another couple days as you arrived home early. See you tomorrow Aunt Delphia!”

I was beside myself, awe struck, just standing there not knowing what to do, not even knowing what to think about. I have animals, a farm, a house, a sister and nephew. What else will I learn tomorrow?

After a long time, I finally moved and grabbed a lantern, just wandering around looking everywhere and still nothing rings a bell. I wander into a bedroom, which looks like this one would be mine. I look through the clothes and I am stunned. My feelings are going crazy as this stuff looks so weird to me. Dizzy I fall onto the bed.

Waking up, I still feel dazed. I have no idea what time it is, but I think it must be early morning as I can hear a Rooster crowing. A Rooster, I head outside to see everything. I can hardly believe it. Still nothing seems familiar.  What will I do this afternoon, I know there will be people talking to me and wanting to know how Paris was and remember this or that. I will just be like dumbfounded and then someone will realize that I don’t seem like myself.  To them I must look like myself, but I sure do not feel like myself.

My stomach started to growl, I was hungry. So I head back into the house. The kitchen, no refrigerator, no stove that I am familiar with. I look in the cupboards, no cans of anything. There are jars of vegetables, something that looks like it could be beef. Then I remember that I have chickens, I grab the basket that is on the counter and I head back outside to collect some eggs.

When I get to the chickens, I realize I don’t know what to do. Seeing a chicken coming out of a box on the wall, I go to examine it. Aha! 2 eggs and I find more in the other boxes too. Breakfast is served.

Thinking I should take something to the party today, maybe boiled eggs. I have to first figure out how to use this contraption that maybe looks like some sort of stove. I find this handle looking thing and stick in what I think is lids and see that it must be a wood stove. I heard about them, but I have never seen them or used one that I remember. I figure out how to get a fire going and proceed to boil the eggs I have left in the basket. I need ice, there’s no fridge, and how will I cool the eggs down. Oh! There is no running water either. I know this is not my life, there is no amenities, and I am use to amenities. 

I wander around the kitchen till I find a bucket and proceed outside to see where to get some water. I see a windmill, so I head over that way. There is a pump near it and hanging the bucket I start pumping for water. The first bucket was a bit warm so I through it on to the grass and pump another bucket full of water and it was colder. Going back into the house I put my boiled eggs into the cold water and hope that they don’t look to bad when I crack them open.

Later, now that it is daylight, I explore more of the outside. Learning that I have a couple pigs and geese along with the chickens, cows and horses.  Still this all seems to strange. Where do I get all the feed for the animals? I must have fields as well, but if I do they must be beyond the meadow and the hills that surround my place. What am I saying? This isn’t mine, it can’t be, this is not who I am, is it?

Going back into the house where I see no pictures. I look in the mirror and think I must be going crazy. I go into the kitchen to finish the eggs. I peel all the eggs and cut them down lengthwise to make deviled eggs. They don’t look to bad, I am glad of that. I put all the egg yolks in a bowl and realize again no fridge no mayo. I look around in the cupboards and the drawers, finding some spices, however they are not labeled, having to taste each one, I select the ones I want to use. Trying to figure out what else to use since I have no mayo. Finding what looks like might be some oil, tasting it and thinking I do not know what kind of oil it is, but it taste pretty good so it will work. I finish whipping up the deviled eggs and then again realize there is no fridge. 

Hearing a knock on the door, I walk over and open it. I see I am sitting in a train, an Amtrak heading for D.C., I have a conference to speak at. Then I remember what a dream I had and wonder where that came from.  

My name is Darilynn.

*** The End ***