First Home – Tally’s Song
First Home – Tally’s Song
Author’s Note: The story is continued from Jessie Snow – Tally’s Song
Jessie awoke to the sound of soft guitar music. She felt a little fuzzy and light-headed. The chest cold was clearing up and after three days she was still a little weak. They had been up late, talking and sharing their life story and she lay still, thinking about all they had shared. With tears and comfort for each other they talked for so long. Expressing empathy and feeling deep hurt gave them each a sense of healing from the past and hope for the future. They found a friend and a sense of love for themselves. Tally had said that the reason their parents were so uncaring was because they had no sense of pride or love within them for their selves.
“I have thought about this often, Jessie, and began to realize that if one does not find love for self then there is no way you can begin to love others. It’s really sad that our parents never found that out. If only they could have opened up to life outside their warped minds they might have realized that love is the core of life. You only have to look into nature to see what harmony and balance can bring to one. I love nature. Every place I travelled I found more beauty and love in nature than in anything.” Jessie pondered on those thoughts. She was quiet, reflective, for several minutes as he talked so freely of life and love. He was only twenty yet seemed to have wisdom of a much older man.
“You awake, Jessie?” She sat up and stretched. “Yes, and I’m hungry!” He came around to her side. “Me, too. I’m going out to get us some breakfast. You’ll be okay till I get back?”
“Yes, I’ll be fine.” She noticed Tally seemed really excited about something and wondered what was on his mind.
He was excited, for he had a surprise for her up on the second floor. When she was sound asleep he did some searching for anything in the warehouse they could use. What he found up there was like a treasure chest of useful items. He dragged out two mattresses that were still wrapped in plastic. It was unbelievable to him that this was once a warehouse of bedding. Mattresses, linens, pillows and blankets were packed in plastic bags that had never been open. He found a freight elevator and saw it was not working. That was probably why all the items were still stored up there. After a few hours he had set up two bedrooms and a third mattress for them to sit on when eating, talking and just relaxing. It was like a home, a real home, and he felt like a kid at Christmas. He carted boxes over to the area and built short walls all around and between the two mattresses for privacy. When all was ready he went back down to check on Jessie.
“Okay, I’ll be back in a jiffy!” Jessie couldn’t help but giggle at his exuberance and appearance. He had found some clear plastic somewhere and made himself a hooded poncho. A short rope tied around his neck kept the hood from sliding off. “Well, it is still raining out there!” He said when she giggled.
~
Jessie and Tally loved their first home. They both agreed it was the first home they knew that was safe, warm and comfortable. Jessie was ecstatic when Tally took her upstairs to show her their bedrooms. She dove on to her mattress and burrowed under the warm blankets and comforter. Tally laughed so hard at her delightful squealing and giggles.
They had no idea how long it would remain their home, but decided to just take it one day at a time. They formed a mutual bond of love and respect. It was unspoken, but they both felt it deeply.
Two weeks later when Tally came back from the store he heard Jessie screaming as soon as he opened the door. He also heard a dog barking and a man’s voice upstairs. He dropped the bag he was carrying and ran up the stairs two at a time. When he rounded the aisle to where Jessie was he was attacked by the dog.
~~~
© 2017 Phyllis Doyle Burns
I am also an author on TCE and write mainly in poetry and short stories.
I have always liked to write.It is important to me that writing comes from my heart and soul. When writing poetry, if I do not feel a spiritual connection to what I am writing on, I will discard it and go on to something I can connect with on a spiritual level. I live in the moment, I write from the past or beyond the veil. When writing fiction I go with whatever inspires me at the moment - it could be funny, sorrowful, romantic or sometimes done with the use of colloquial language from mountain folk or other cultural regions.
I began writing content online in 2007, starting with BellaOnline - A Voice For Women, where I was the Native American Editor, Folklore & Mythology Editor, and the Appalachian Editor. I also wrote articles forThe Examiner, Daily Two Cents, and Yahoo. I am a freelance writer for Fiverr. I am currently an author on HubPages, a member/author of the Maven Coalition, and Senior Editor and an author for The Creative Exiles.
Most of what I write takes a lot of research and I love it. Even if it is a fictional story, I will research for accuracy in whatever it takes to make my characters, their era, their location, etc. become realistic to the reader.
I hope you enjoy my works. Thank you for visiting.
- Whispers of Lost Souls - March 29, 2023
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- The Wailing Woman: by Elizabeth Mathews - October 30, 2022
That’s right, keep us in suspense, keep everyone coming back to see what happens next. Good job!
Oh so sorry, Ronnie. LOL Thanks. I will pop in the next chapter.
The wonderful story continues and I am off to read what happens next. (Oh, Phyllis, in the first chapter you wrote “each other” a couple too many times. You may like to change it slightly)
Thank you, John. And I will go fix the first chapter.
Okay, John – I took out all but one “each other”. Funny I did not even see that. Guess the story was going faster than my mind.