Dreaming Big
  • Home
    • Staff
    • Members Only
  • Contact
  • Our Books
    • Non Fiction
    • Fiction
    • Poetry
    • Children's Books
    • Audio Books
  • Coming Soon
  • Blog
  • Opportunities
    • Call For Submissions
    • Submissions Guidelines
    • FAQ
  • Gifts and More

'Albeit of Salt', by Donal Mahoney

2/4/2016

0 Comments

 
Albeit of Salt


Seth and Abigail were a young couple who had run away from their Amish community in Ohio. They wanted to get married and start a new life. After stopping in a number of cities, some big and some small, they found themselves in San Francisco on a Sunday morning in July after riding many a Greyhound bus. 


Seth and Abigail had some legitimate concerns about starting a new life among the English, as the Amish call Americans who are not Amish. They both were still very spiritual but they had decided they would like to strike out on their own. They wouldn't be the first Amish couple to leave the community. Some Amish leave and do very well among the English and others have to turn around and go back home. 


Down deep, the young couple thought they could make it once they solved a couple of immediate needs--namely, find jobs and a place to live because otherwise their money would run out soon. Once they had jobs and an apartment they could get married. At least that was their plan.


San Francisco, they agreed, was a beautiful city, much nicer than some of the other cities they had seen between Greyhound bus stops. And it was especially bright and sunny on this particular Sunday morning. It looked like the kind of place they'd like to live.


Walking around, trying to figure out what to do next, they came upon a large park and noticed the start of what appeared to be a big celebration. They saw maybe 200 people, young and old, in tuxedoes and wedding gowns gathered on the grass as if they were waiting for something to happen. There was a big stage in front of the people but no one was on the stage. 


"Looks like a big wedding," Seth said. "If we were dressed the right way, we might be able to join in." But that was not the case. Although Seth had left his black hat at home in Ohio and Abigail her bonnet, they still looked very much like a rural couple, not at all like anyone seen very often in San Francisco. But they had heard the city was open to everyone. It would be expensive to live there but they hoped they would eventually become part of the community.


Then Seth noticed something about the big gathering in the park. The men in tuxedoes were holding hands with each other and the women in wedding gowns were also holding hands with each other. Seth didn't understand exactly what was going on but he realized it was something different, probably, even for the English, many of whose customs confused the Amish back home. 


"Abigail, even if we were all dressed up, I don't think we'd fit in." 


Abigail, however, was truly entranced by the gathering. She knew less than Seth about how the English lived but she knew the people in the park were in a very good mood. She smiled and waved to them a couple of times and they all waved back. She even waved to the minister who walked onto the big stage. He was wearing a dark suit and tie and appeared to be holding a bible. 


Seth was getting antsy. He figured they ought to be moving on so they could find a place to stay for the night and then get ready to look for work on Monday morning. He figured he could handle the grill in a diner and Abigail would make a good waitress, what with all her experience feeding long tables of Amish men after  their day in the fields harvesting crops.


"C'mon, Abigail. Let's get going. We've got things to do."


Abigail started walking with Seth, even though she really wanted to stay and watch the people in the park get married if that indeed was what they were going to do. She and Seth had walked about half a block when Abigail stopped and let go of Seth's hand. She turned around and looked back at the people in the park. She had never seen anything like it. She just stood there, immobile and mesmerized.


Seth figured if he kept walking eventually Abigail would catch up with him. She knew less about life in a big city than he did and he didn't know all that much. But Abigail never caught up with him. At the end of the block Seth turned around and saw that she was still in the same spot, with her back turned, watching the ceremonies in the park. She looked frozen in time. 


It's a long story, all that happened that day and afterwards, with Abigail and Seth. And some people have a hard time believing how it all worked out. 


About a week later Seth got on a Greyhound bus and went back to Ohio alone. He hadn't been able to find a job and ran out of money. He had never talked to Abigail again after she had stayed to watch the people in the park. Eventually, two men and two women had come out of the park and had carried Abigail back with them into the park so she could be part of the fun. 


Unlike Seth, Abigail never went back to Ohio. In fact, she is still in San Francisco and can be found every day in that park. There is no question she is now a pillar of the community, albeit of salt.




Donal Mahoney




-------------------------------
Nominated for Best of the Net and Pushcart prizes, Donal Mahoney has had poetry and fiction published in a variety of print and electronic publications in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Some of his work can be found here:http://eyeonlifemag.com/the-poetry-locksmith/donal-mahoney-poet.html
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Picture
    Challenge Participant
    Parajunkee Design
    I review for BookLook Bloggers
    Professional Reader
    Book Reviewer Sign Up

    1888PressRelease
    YA Bound Book Tours

Services

Ask A Therapist
Blog
Our Books
Coming Soon

Company

About Us
Staff
​

Support

Contact
FAQ

Find and follow us on social media 
© COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.