The Potter's Daughter (Literary Series) (34 page)
Read The Potter's Daughter (Literary Series) Online
Authors: Daniel Arthur Smith
Abby tried to determine what the
blue painted object was alongside the length of the tree.
Abby coasted to a stop.
She realized the object was part of the
eave of the studio roof.
Then Abby
shifted her eyes to the house and the studio behind the tree.
Abby dropped to her knees.
* * *
* *
Because they had been patched Abby
had not initially noticed that the ends of the eaves were missing.
The materials the workman used to cover
the holes were the same color of the buildings and from a distance blended with
the rest of the buildings.
Now
closer, Abby could see that the top corners of each building had been torn away.
Abby took a deep breath and tried
to brush her tears away.
The tears
still came.
She wept softly at
first.
Her breaths drew deeper and
the weeping grew to a wail.
Abby
tried to rest on her feet behind her, and then slipped to the side so that she
sat upon the cold lake.
And
there
Abby sat on the ice reclaiming the grief that had
bottled up inside her, the grief that she could not find or let loose at the
funeral home.
Abby leaned upon one
hand and bawled out loudly, “We were just working things out!” and then after
sobbing some more, “Damn you Dad!”
Abby hung her head and sobbed
loudly, she had nothing more to yell at the empty yard and the fallen willow
before her.
Though she had lashed
out she was not going to let herself be angry with Will, no more than any anger
she had harbored for her brother or mother before.
Abby knew that she and her father had
made their peace.
Abby had never
doubted his love for her.
She
grieved for time that had been lost that she wanted back and now would never
get.
She grieved the finality of
Will’s absence.
Abby grieved for
the loss of her father.
Abby’s nose was running and her
cheeks were flush.
She sat crumpled
and sobbed heavily.
Abby wrapped
her free hand around her head and continued to break down.
Minutes went by as Abby cleansed her
heart of the agony that had bottled up.
Abby sobbed until her sobs became cooing whimpers.
Still Abby sat and wept.
When she could sob no more she started
to catch her breath and breathe deeply.
Picking her head up Abby looked at the willow lying next to her.
“Poor old girl,” said Abby.
She raised herself back to her
knees.
She began to wipe her face
with her gloves.
Strands of hair matted
by her chin.
She put her hand into
her pocket and fished around and then pulled her hand out, took off the glove
and reached in again.
This time she
produced some tissue to wipe her eyes.
Abby took yet another deep breathe.
She picked herself up from the ice and made her way to the shore.
Close to the base of the willow
Abby could see the deep hole from where the roots had torn free.
Carefully she pulled herself up on the
bank, almost sliding back down for lack of footing for the skates.
Once in the yard Abby examined the
house, and the studio.
Leaning on the corner of the house
with his arms crossed was Mitch, his right hand scratching his chin.
“I just missed you.
Caroline thought you would come straight
over here.
She knows you pretty
well.”
Abby sighed, sniffled, and wiped
her eyes, “That she does.”
“The damage isn’t as bad as it
looks.
Just the ends of the eaves were
torn free.
I can have the boys fix
it up in no time,” said Mitch.
“Good.
I want to move back in as soon as
possible,” said Abby.
Mitch stood up from the wall and
took a few steps from the house.
He
turned and gestured to the eave, “The patchwork is pretty much sealing the
eaves.
I’ll check it out
myself.
But you could move back in
now.”
Abby motioned her head toward the
studio, “What about that?
It looks
a bit worse.”
“That’s just the siding,” said
Mitch.
“Easy enough to repair.
I don’t think there is any foundation
damage but we’ll do a full inspection.”
“That would be great,” said
Abby.
“I tried to talk to Will
about it before.
But now I know
what I need to do.”
“What’s that?”
“This is my house now, my
studio.
I’m the last Bellen.
I’m going to find a way to make it
work.”
“You really thought this through?”
“Not at all, but it just seems
right.
You know, Bellen pots from
Bellen hands?
I think I can make a
life for myself here.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want
to do?” asked Mitch.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said
Abby.
Abby then turned back toward the
willow.
On the other side of the
crater from where the roots had been torn, the split log bench still sat
undisturbed.
“I could use a little help,” said
Abby.
Abby held out her hand behind
her.
She waited for Mitch.
Mitch took her hand firmly, leaned
beside her, and kissed her cheek.
Abby led him over to the bench and the two sat down facing the lake and
the length of the willow shattered on the edge of the ice.
* * *
* *
* * *
* *
The
End
* * *
* *
* * *
* *
A Note from the Author
Thank you for reading The Potter
’
s Daughter.
The seed of this novel began some years
ago as I helped a friend through a troubling time.
Personal matters heavily burdened her and
as a form of therapeutic distraction I created a writing exercise similar to
one I had taught in the classroom.
I had her choose scenarios, characters, locations and then I would write
a short story or chapters based on our discussion and then have her write the
next.
As the writing process goes
none of the initial manuscripts are in this work, still, the stories of a girl
nicknamed Fish by her brother returning to her home on Lake Forrest resonated
with me and remained in the back of my mind so that when several years later I
came across the old chapters I became inspired to create a new story.
There is a bit more to that tale that
may one day be written down, as that friend became my wife and mother of my
sons, as fine a love story as any New York romance ever told.
If you enjoyed The Potter
’
s Daughter I would appreciate if you would share your
thoughts in a review.
Reviews help
other readers that may have similar interest as you decide whether or not this
is a story they would like to read.
And again thank you.
* * *
* *
Daniel Arthur Smith is the international bestselling author
of The Cathari Treasure.
American
born, Daniel has traveled to over 300 cities in 22 countries, residing in Los
Angeles, Kalamazoo, Prague, Crete, and New York.
Daniel was born and raised in Michigan, graduating from
Western Michigan University where he studied philosophy and comparative
religion.
He has been a teacher,
bartender, barista, poetry house proprietor, technologist, and a Fortune 100 consultant
across America and Europe.
Daniel
resides and writes in Manhattan with his wife and young sons.
* * * * *
Discover more at
http://www.danielarthursmith.com
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/authordasmith
Facebook:
http://facebook.com/danielarthursmith
Goodreads
:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6893816.Daniel_Arthur_Smith
And
the serial site:
http://pottersdaughter.com
* * * * *
Also for Kindle by Daniel Arthur
Smith
The Literary Series
The Potter’s Daughter
Opening Day: A Short Story
The Cameron Kincaid Adventures
The Cathari Treasure
The Somali Deception EPISODE I
The Somali Deception EPISODE II
Enjoy Adventure?
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Featuring Once
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* * * * *
A coveted prize has surfaced in New York drawing Celebrity
Chef Cameron Kincaid into an 800-year-old war.
In 1208 the clandestine Rex Mundi began the Albigensian
crusade in an effort to gain control of the treasure held by the Cathar. For
thirty-six years the Languedoc region south of France was washed in blood. By
1244 the last of the Cathari were eradicated when the Château de Montségur
finally fell. Though the Rex Mundi searched everywhere, the Cathari Treasure
remained elusive.
After thwarting assassins in the library of his restaurant
Le Dragon Vert Cameron, a suave former Legionnaire, vows to escort a young
woman and her guardian to safety. Cameron learns from the two the secret
Cathari faith and of the Rex Mundi that believe the women are key to the long
sought Cathari Treasure.
Relentlessly pursued from the Le Dragon Vert in New York,
through the streets of Boston, Montreal, Toronto, and Quebec, Cameron tires of
fleeing. The Rex Mundi will ultimately wipe out the Cathari to get the treasure
unless Cameron takes the battle to them, a confrontation to seal his fate or
ensure the survival of the two women and a faith he does not fully understand.
* * * * *
THE CATHARI TREASURE is an
adventure thriller that features the Cathar and the Rex Mundi, two groups from
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* * * * *