September Song

By

Pepper L. Bauer

The sun tinted the landscape with golden highlights, accentuating the exquisite fall day. Laura pulled the front door shut, turned, and walked in a daze down the steps of her comfortable home. The magnificence of the day soothed her aching soul. She pulled her sweater tighter around her shoulders, and crossed the street to the little park that served as her "Fortress of Solitude".

Laura was functioning on automatic, her mind many miles away. More accurately, many years away. She just received a letter that turned her neat and predictable little world upside down. It was from an old love. With a wry smile, she corrected the thought ruefully. "No, my only love".

Twenty years ago, Dan had been Laura’s entire world. The remembered passion of those times was a foreign emotion to her now. When she reviewed the images in her mind of their years together, she felt like a window peeper, peeking in on another woman’s life. Her feelings were as dead as the fall leaves crunching beneath her feet.

Laura headed for a quaint wooden bench under a magnificent, ancient Oak and sat. Her thoughts were a confused jangle of memories. The heart wrenching beauty of the fall day brought back so many recollections. This magical season was the backdrop of extraordinary times with Dan. During autumn, their love had seemed as vibrant as the fiery leaves flickering against the cobalt sky above.

Laura remembered touring the fall festivals; laughing, holding hands, and feeling like no one else could ever be as much in love as they were at that moment. She closed her eyes and relived the heady rush she experienced when she looked into his piercing steel blue eyes, as his warm arms hugged her shoulders on a frosty morning.

A slight smile tugged at Laura’s lips as she recalled a backpacking trip into the Chequamegon National Forrest. A canopy of flaming leaves closed over their heads as they walked on the rugged cross-country ski trail, enclosing them in a cathedral of dazzling color. They hiked through blazing beauty to a clearing on the peak of a large hill, and gazed at a panoramic view so inspirational it brought tears to their eyes.

A rustic lean-to ski shelter nestled against the edge of the vivid hardwoods at the overlook. Laura and Dan sat entwined for hours on the picnic table, totally absorbed in the scene, and their intimacy. Time stopped, and there was nothing in the world but their love.

Later in the year, after winter redecorated the forest with silent, white elegance, Laura and Dan skied back to the overlook. At the summit they snuggled close, and thawed frozen cheeks in the intensity of their love as they viewed an incredible snowy vista.

Laura shook her head. That was the past. Those memories were better off dead and buried, like their love. She rose from the bench and started down the trail towards home. She stopped and aimlessly rubbed the leaves on a small tree alongside the path. Her thoughts traveled back to the day her world ended.

Dan arrived breathlessly at her house to share his fantastic news. He was just offered the position he longed for his entire life. It was a childhood dream come true. However, if he accepted the offer, he would have to relocate across the country.

Laura’s heart froze at the announcement. She was so happy for Dan, and proud; but she couldn’t leave town. She had family obligations and responsibilities. She wouldn’t abandon them, but she didn’t want him to lose this chance of a lifetime.

Dan wanted to refuse the job, but Laura pressed him to accept it. She told him to go ahead and move; she would join him later. She insisted their love would hold until they were reunited. After days of soul searching, he gave in to her urging and took the post.

Time passed, and it became clear that it would be a very long time before Laura could join Dan. She decided that the arrangement wasn’t fair to him, so she wrote and released her only love from his obligation to her. He resisted, and tried to contact her countless times, but she avoided his attempts. After a while, the communications became less frequent. Eventually they stopped.

On a cold, gray day in November, Laura received a wedding announcement from Dan. It was at that precise moment she died. Oh, her body continued to function, and she went about her daily tasks in an efficient manner. A casual acquaintance would never know the difference. Nevertheless, the emotions and passions that made up the woman known as Laura were gone. Dried and crumbled like these leaves in her hand, blown away by the lonely years.

Laura continued to cling tightly to the branch as her mind whirled. Today she received a letter from Dan. His wife passed away last year, and he was transferring to a town near Laura. He wanted to see her.

Tears stung Laura’s eyes as the chill wind tickled her face. "God please", she implored, "don’t do this". She was so afraid of trying to resurrect entombed emotions. It was impossible. Life can’t flourish after death, and she couldn’t bear the pain of failure.

Laura continued to absentmindedly rub the branch in her hand. Her thumb felt something warm and furry. Suddenly, she looked at it with intense interest. There were fuzzy buds growing alongside of the dried leaves. In the midst of death, life was renewed.

With a feeling of wonder, Laura realized that resurrection miracles were taking place all around her. Dried plants rustled heavily with precious seeds filled with potential life. Pods opened and released their dainty passengers to the wind, floating merrily on their way to colonize new territories. In the ending of one season was the hope of a life-giving new season.

Still deep in thought, Laura raised her eyes and noticed a person standing at her front door. Her heart beat faster as she realized that it was a man, and he looked very familiar. He turned, spotted her, bounded down the steps, and started to run towards the park. She moved towards him as if in a dream, her heart attempting to tear its way out of her chest.

Laura and Dan embraced under the brilliant sapphire sky, framed by the trees, resplendent in their autumn glory. As his strong arms encircled her, she felt the familiar warmth of love as it broke out of its dreary tomb, infusing her with joy. It was then that she knew that like dying embers fanned by wind, life could burst forth from death, and the bud of her love would bloom again.