A House In The Woods

If walls could talk, they would tell stories about this house I am a part of. This house has been around for just a short time. It is a house in the woods surrounded by several trees. There is a sidewalk that leads to the house with stepping stones. Flowers surround the sidewalk on both sides The lady that lives here is Geraldine. She lives here with her cocker spaniel who she named Scruffy and a five year old son who is the light of her life. She is just a young lady in her twenties. This house has three rooms which includes a basement with a guest bedroom.

She was excited to move here and make memories. After she arrived, she looked at my bare wall. Her hands were calloused after painting me. When she opens the door to let in fresh air in or let Scruffy go outside, I hear the sweet singing of the birds outside.

My wall has a few pictures of Geraldine’s family and a picture of her favorite grandma who she resembles. She often thinks about her husband, who recently passed away from a car accident that was not his fault. Her son listens to her with great interest when she talks to him. He didn’t know his dad before he passed away. She tells him that he read stories to him at night, and he wanted to do many things with him like go fishing, camping, and swimming.

I see her laugh, and I see her cry. I want to comfort Geraldine when tears fall down her face like her son often does. I’ve seen her invite friends over to share memories of her husband. I’ve seen her talk to her husband like he was there. Then she smiles as she remembers all the memories they shared. She often sits silently in a chair reading or crocheting. Sometimes the silence lulls her to sleep, and her son climbs on her lap and gives her a hug to remind her that he loves her. Scruffy likes to lay by her feet during the day. In the winter Geraldine sits by the fireplace to keep her warm.

One day I see Geraldine, her son, and Scruffy leave. She took the pictures off the wall. I hoped she was only leaving for a short time. There were other occupants that lived in this house. All of them left lasting memories.

Then one day several years later she came back for a visit. She put the family pictures back on my wall that were here before. She touched me and said, “I have missed you. I have thought about moving back here, but I just wanted to tell you my son is going to live here with his new baby.”

I wanted to tell her I was glad to see her again, but I remained silent. Before she left, she placed her hand on my surface. She told me “Thank you for being here. I have known you wanted to comfort me when I talked to my son about my husband."

She had a beauty about her I will never forget. I hoped she would never forget me. Then she was gone, and the house was silent for a short time. I knew soon I would I would see her son who will be grown up with a baby of his own.

When her son arrived with his baby, I saw a handsome man. I saw the love he had for his son. His baby looked very much like him. I am sure he looked just like his dad. I heard him talk to his dad. He said he was sorry he never knew him. Tears fell down his face. I knew that he would make lasting memories in this house just like Geraldine did.

And I, this wall that can talk, will be glad for Geraldine’s calloused hands. I will be glad I was a part of her life. I will be a silent strength to her son and baby and remember the times I wanted to reach out to her, but chose to be silent. There is beauty in life and the things that matter most.