She lived in the corner house and she was a spinster. She had moved in three years ago and kept kept to herself so even her neighbors claimed they didn't know her. He wondered. Was the reason for her aloofness due to shyness or was it something else? Gosh dang, don’t think me a Romeo, but the other stories did remind me of a Lovely Laura my last great crush. The wife had been gone for three months, helping the daughter in law out since she had an operation plus a three month old baby. This lady had moved into the green house up on the hill, well the next house to mine up the lane. I had not seen them move in but had seen the lady go in and out in her small blue Datsun pickup. On the lane any vehicle I see going up or coming down, I always give them a wave, regardless of whether it is a private vehicle or it is the UPS man or a plumbing truck. Every since I moved to the lane it is something I just do out of force of habit. Once day I started to the mail box which is only like a hundred yards down the lane, close to the Powderhouse intersection when I saw the blue Datsun at the mail boxes. “Nice day isn’t it, the clouds are so bright and fluffy,” I said as I waited for her to move so I could get my mail. It was the first time I had seen the lady, a tri, well dang nigh thin lady, white hair, which looked as if she had just come form the beauty salon and bright sparkly blue eyes. The brightest blue eyes I ever saw. She smiled a smile which was so infectious a smile which just melted me. “Hi there, my truck died, could you give me a jump,” she asked. “I am Clem Clump, I always wave but you do not seem to see me, sure let me get my truck.” I turned and walked back to the house and fired up the old yellow truck. When I returned she had the hook up and her hand out for the jumper cables. “I will do this end, you hook yours,” she said. Quickly and efficiently, she clipped the cables, jumped into her truck and turned the engine. It immediately fired and the little blue truck’s engine purred. I quickly unhooked the jumper cables from both vehicles and closed the hood, carefully closed the hood for her actions said this little blue truck was like her child. “Thanks she yelled and immediately drove home when I had moved my truck out of the road. Dang I was smitten with this white haired, blue eye vixen. Even with her coat on I could see she had a good figure and was not a blimp. I went about my chores and was out picking up trash in the field when I saw her come outside. I waved. She walked toward the fence and beckoned me to come that way. I did. As I got to fence I could see she was all bundled with a big scarf around her head. “Could I hire you to help me for ten minutes, please?” she asked. “I need . . . “ “You cannot hire me, but I will gladly help you if I can,” I said as I crawled the fence, making sure to push and hold the barbed wired down. Without saying a word she walked at a good clip toward her house and entered the front door. I laughed and thought, dang it is not boarded up. We entered a dim lit room, I could not see anything, but she walked through into the next room where a large shelf lay against the wall. “I was trying to move it an it fell, I cannot get it back up.” She said. As she pointed and stepped aside. “Where do you want it, “ I asked, as I straightened the seven foot oak up against the wall. “If I put a small ‘L” bracket on each side it would not tip over. And tell me what you want on it and I will move the stuff for you. I could see the boxes of books and of course this was a large handmade oak bookcase. She led me to a small work bench with some jars of screws and doo-dads. I found what I wanted and anchored the bookcase to the overhead floor joists. Soon we were unpacking books and discussing different books and their authors. All at once she sort of stopped and got pale, I helped her upstairs, “Oh my, my goodness, I have not eaten, I am sorry, I did not realize the time.” She was all apologetic and soon we were sharing some cheese and crackers and some fresh apple cider. Oh those blue eyes, oh the sparkle in those blue eyes. I looked at her, across the corner of the table, “May I ask you a personal question, what is your name, I only know you as the lady with the blue Datsun?” she smiled, then her face got all red as she realized it. “Laura, Laura Woods, I am sorry, I live alone and have contact with so few people I seemed to have lost my manners.” I looked at my watch, “ I have a man coming at three to bring me a chair to fix, I am sorry but I must go,” I stood and headed for the back door. As I reached for the door knob, I stopped, turned and said, “I would very much like to come back and help you finish if you want some help.” She just smiled as I departed. All the rest of the day and that night I thought about Laura Woods. I was in love. Yes I know I was married and all of that but I had fallen for this mystery lady, this lady who no one knew and did not see. Later in the day, a bottle of my favorite wine and one long stem red rose, to her I did take. I knocked on the back door and when she to it came, I did get weak knees, for she was in a velvet gown, looking like a belle ready to the ball go. “Why come in, Oh those are for me?” and then her thin hand did slide behind my neck and pull me forward and a kiss she did upon my cheek impart. “How did you know I get all lovey over a rose?” I made a point to just stay a few minutes, for I was not certain what I would do. But on the way home, I did fall over the fence and tripped over the new trees, finally getting to the house. Then I hung my coat in the wrong place and walked into the closet. Oh am I really smitten, am I in love. Will she have me, will it work out, what about my real life? That lady has me around her finger, I wonder what or if of me she does think? ~ © Tom (tomWYO@aol.com) ~ November 16, 2003 If you enjoyed this page, check these out: Red Velvet A Christmas Story A Christmas Carol Christmas Cheer When Santa Was A Boy Snowballing And.......for many others, click the link for HOME. Home: Writers' Corner Index