Returning Home

        It was a dark gloomy day. The clouds cry on concrete sidewalks while people walk around with their Umbrellas trying to avoid the rain. Nearby in a park there is a gathering, but this gathering was not for a celebration, but for the passing of a person. This person was Jeff Stevens. During the gathering his son Malcom Stevens gave some words “My father was a man of hard work, and never complained about working.” He continued choking on his words “I don’t know why I didn’t visit maybe I didn’t have time, or that I didn’t make time. If I could go back and visit him every day I would.” He dropped his head and walked off because he was getting too emotional. After a few more people spoke the service ended with people leaving to go to the wake with tears in their eyes.

     After the service he drove back to the place he once called home. a small wooden cabin in the middle of the forests with chickens, sheep, and a lake nearby. Entering the old rickety cabin, he had a blast of memories both good and bad. Asking himself why at 18 he left and never came back. Not much had changed since he moved out accept the old dog in corner, which was gray, and looked as old as the house it lives in. The old floors creaked with every step. Old picture hang on the walls with memories of his childhood.

      Sitting on the old chair looking out the window he saw the old memories as if they were being re-played on a TV. He saw himself as a child trying to help his father build the big barn outside. Then it started to rain, and they spent the day playing out in the rain and coming in the house full of mud. His mother mad that they were getting mud on the floor. While he was sitting there looking out of his window his mother came up and was asking him how he was holding up with a quick lie he said he was fine. His mother picking up on the lie. Gave him a hug and said, “you can stay however long you want.”  After talking to some more family members he decided to go outside. Outside there were puddles everywhere with children splashing in them smiling and playing. It seemed that the trees themselves carried sorrow. the ground sticking to his shoes while walking through the forest he came across his old tree house where he had another flashback to the time him and his father built it. They sat up there and played army men. Seeing this brought tears to his eyes. He was not crying just tearing up as he quickly wiped them away because he heard someone coming. That person was his cousin rick who said, “hey man I know this is a lot to take, but I know you’ll make it through it. I just wanted to say hi and tell you that.” As he was walking away, he looked back at Malcom just staring at the tree house.

     After looking at the treehouse some more he walked back to the house and entered the barn which smelled like animals, with straw all over the place. He heard the cry of baby calling for its mother. The mother called back too, and a small lamb with its wool starting to come in jumped out and saw him. Frightened the lamb just stood still not daring to make a move. He took a step forward to say hi, but the lamb ran fast to it mother. The sheep stayed close together for protection. Some chickens lay in the hay hatching their babies, and a big rooster with all kinds of colors strutted in front of the hens showing off. As a kid stevens was afraid of roosters because he was attacked by one before, but now he is not afraid and goes up to pick up the rooster who at first struggled but then calmed down. The rooster has never been picked up by a human before but liked getting his feathers smoothed down and his comb scratched. when he put the rooster down it went and sat in the hay, and stevens left the barn.

   The sky was coming back to life with colors, so he decided to take a trip down to the lake. The path to the lake was old with weeds growing in the path finally reaching the end he saw the big lake with ducks and all sorts of life living in it. He went and sat down at the edge of the lake and saw a big swan with its baby’s fallowing it. There were fish swimming in the lake looking for food and traveling together. Steven remembered when he and his father use to come down to the lake and fish all the time. Malcom would get bored sometimes and go and skip rocks. Skipping rocks was stevens favorite thing, so he picked up a rock and skipped it in the algae filled water. It skipped 6 times and scared away a duck. looking at the end of the lake he saw a crane hunting for Its food. With a blink of an eye he thrust his long beak into the water and captured a fish in his beak like a claw. With that he made his way back to his house and entered it. His whole family was in there talking incredibly quiet. His mother signaled him to come and sit. His whole family was looking at him with sad eyes. After some more conversations the guest start leaving one by one.

    Later that night in the cabin she told him that she wanted him to move into the old cabin and continue the farm, or they could sell it, and she move across the country to live with him. He said that he would like her to move in with him. He has a nice place, and she will not have to work at all. When he said that his mother was thrilled, she started packing right away. A couple week go by, and they were able to sell all the animals and the house. With the money from the house and the animals they bought her a ticket and she moved in with her son Malcom Stevens.