Spencer by Jahri Ann Spence�s life is filled with ups-and-downs. Police is after him, circumstances keep arising. He is invo... [4,984 words]
Liberia by Jahri Ann About a girl that lived in New York but now lives in Jamaica and is appalled at the delapidated culture... [2,260 words]
Cemetery Road by Randall Barfield "What was that? There's someone out there," she exclaimed. [444 words]
Cornileus Capers:A World Of Darkness-Episode 1...The Light In The Dark,The Beginning by Jay Little It's about a man surviving... [1,800 words]
Stanley by Jimmy Mason A short story of a woman and a boy caught in reversal of life. [721 words]
White Horses
Uncle Reggie's Study Room by Randall Barfield - [268 words]
Una Ma�ana Mas - One More Tomorrow by Theresa C Newbill - [1,007 words]
Tom's Moon by Liilia Morrison A little doll makes a difference [857 words]
The Talisman Trilogy: The Emperor's Nine Lives by Mariah Neuhauser An archaeologist and a New York Times journalist set out on an a... [1,770 words]
The Salty Skeleton by Theresa C Newbill Haitian Voodoo [1,000 words]
The Night Falls by Jeremiah Semien The story is about one brother, who decided to fake, his own death, to collect money until, one... [9,673 words]
The Mystic Vagabond by Theresa C Newbill - [525 words]
The Mysterious Gypsy by Liilia Morrison Among old photos of Northern people, an exotic gypsy's photo appears. Who is she? [1,457 words]
The Little Gods by Michael Potter A short story fantasy about a young couple who are given a flying saucer. [4,814 words]
The Engagement by Theresa C Newbill - [1,641 words]
The Child Prophet by Newbill - [990 words]
The Airport by Newbill - [346 words]
Thank You For Not Sleeping by Liilia Morrison Thoughts go all over the page during the night [1,257 words]
Taxman by Neil Southern Taxman or Bounty Hunter? [592 words]
Residual Effect by Theresa C Newbill - [623 words]
Reflections 1 by Theresa C Newbill - [534 words]
Phantasmagoria by Leanne Nev A teenage girl experiences the peer pressure of a bully disguised as a best friend [2,080 words]
Peter The Goldfish by Kaitlin Kingdon - [428 words]
Nostradamus's Revenge by Theresa C Newbill - [197 words]
My Journey by Kevin Miller The interpretation is up to you. [765 words]
Menopause by Doc Byron A woman going through the ''change of life'' has had enough [297 words]
Latifondo At Sunset by Tarek Karkoutly The Matazarro crime family has been collaborating with a representative of the christian de... [2,721 words]
Kylie by Liilia Morrison Success is not always what we think it is. A girl chooses between fame or love. [1,700 words]
Just Another Joe by Liilia Morrison A gumshoe takes it as it comes [1,096 words]
It Was Raining by Randall Barfield "Let's not talk about it right now, Mama..." [368 words]
I Will Kill You by Doc Byron - [196 words]
I Have Chosen You by Neil Southern This is just for you and no-one else. [198 words]
How Lizard Lenny Svaed My Life by Liilia Morrison A woman escapes life under the El thanks to a man called Lizard Lenny [1,255 words]
Garlic, Ginger And Golden Seal by Liilia Morrison An old woman's recipe for a long life [1,868 words]
Flicker Of Light by Jeffrey Williams Randall Barker, a retired republican strategist, seeks to make the city repair a broken street... [2,146 words]
First Boom (He & Salman) by Anoop Menon first boom is my collection of short stories about the new age citizens of Bombay (in... [1,744 words]
El Gallito (The Rooster) by Theresa C Newbill Political [745 words]
Dragon's Salvation by Brian Money As the title suggests, a short story about dragons which i used for my GCSE English coursewo... [2,736 words]
Down In The Country by Liilia Morrison The end of the line ain't what it's cracked up to be. [840 words]
Dogs, Cats, And Babies by Doc Byron A tale of pet/sibling rivalry [237 words]
Doctor Trek - Sammy's War by Ian Kidd When Cody vanishes, Sammy Davis Jnr (no relation) finds himself on the run in a unive... [12,485 words]
Desert by Gabriel Campbell - [855 words]
Child Predator by Brian J Hankins Please don't read this if you are easily offended by harse laungage, or obsenities towards manki... [738 words]
Catch A Rising Star by Randall Barfield "It's Luis, Jaime..." the old man stammered. [496 words]
Beautiful Is The Night by Newbill - [247 words]
As It Comes by Liilia Morrison A discarded, ragged notebook found on the sidewalk brings impressions and thoughts to the person wh... [756 words]
Abigail's Blessing by Newbill - [592 words]
A Werewolf? by Liilia Morrison A man entrances a woman in Miami, or is he a werewolf? [1,492 words]
A Treat For Heinke by Liilia Morrison A girl finds hope during wartime [1,028 words]
A Tale Of Exile by Newbill - [432 words]
A Rainly Day In New York City by Newbill - [585 words]
A Man Named Joe by Brian J Hankins One man's wasted life as an alcoholic and the impact it had on his son. [2,532 words]
A Gun On A Summers Day by Jessi A couple of random sentences about guns. And nature. [123 words]
Go to page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 [14] 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
| |
TITLE (EDIT)
White Horses |
DESCRIPTION
-
[993 words] |
AUTHOR
Theresa C Newbill |
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
-
[May 2007] |
AUTHOR'S OTHER TITLES (8)
El Gallito (The Rooster) (Short Stories) Political [745 words]
Nostradamus's Revenge (Short Stories) - [197 words]
Reflections 1 (Short Stories) - [534 words]
Residual Effect (Short Stories) - [623 words]
The Engagement (Short Stories) - [1,641 words]
The Mystic Vagabond (Short Stories) - [525 words]
The Salty Skeleton (Short Stories) Haitian Voodoo [1,000 words]
Una Ma�ana Mas - One More Tomorrow (Short Stories) - [1,007 words]
|
White Horses
Theresa C Newbill
White Horses by Theresa Cecilia Newbill
The blue stained glass windows dimmed the moon making an eerie cross pattern on the floor. From nods to winks the faithful came to pay their respects obeying the call among lavish saints painted on emblazoned glass, a stintless attempt at glorifying the Lord. My mother responded in kind to their cares, griefs and guile but I found no burning faith among the enkindled crowd or the votive candles. The dark casket that held my father reflected a solitary light that seemed to dangle in mockery. I knew he was going to die. I knew it when I walked through the hygienic corridors of the hospital. I could smell it; death. No amount of good deeds or prayer-induced ravaged knees bent on a church aisles would change the fact that death haunted those halls far and near. Phantom smells lingered; a mixture of medications, disinfectants, alcohol, iodine, perfume, blood and food. I saw him there in gaunt gardens, alone, eaten away by cancer and deep pain. I experienced his likeness each and every day for many years until he moved me not at all; but the heart like those walls retains the tale telling tears of time, like a picture, like a spell...
The new Surgical and Pregnancy wing of the hospital opened today while I was in Julian's room spoon feeding him like his mother once did. He had already left a good part of this world and could scarcely speak but his sense of humor was still sharp. "I'll have a martini straight up, very cold, and stirred to perfection, " he said. We could hear the festivities taking place as we both struggled to find comforting words for one another. He had neither appetite nor taste for even his favorite things and it was difficult for him to keep a bowl of chicken broth down without vomiting. I tried to make this night a positive night because I knew it was the last time I would ever see Julian alive again. There was a certain smell in his room that was never present before. It was the same smell that rose from my father's body right before he died. A wintergreen alcohol and licorice smell against layers of dry, dying epidermis. I spoke to him about James while I was bathing him in bed. James was Julian's life partner and true soul mate. We all met back in college while boarding at Fordham University. I was looking for my room when I walked in on Julian and James. They were naked in bed together and Julian was giving James a massage with his favorite chocolate mint Kama Sutra oil. I remember the flow of his hands as he smoothed the oil on to James' body with such beautiful tenderness. Now I'm frightened. Frightened to talk about James knowing the same fate awaits Julian. But Julian loves to be reminded of James and the times we all shared together. "I felt so alive beneath the warmth of his breath. His beautiful eyes made me think about anything but death, " he says. "I don't mean to make you cry. Do you remember the time you wore those gaudy silver glittered shoes to Tavern On The Green?" he asks. I remembered. It was the day we found out that James was HIV positive. A waltz was playing in the background and Julian and I held eachother listening to violins while slow dancing, saying good-bye to the blue afternoon.
I have a secret: before James died I went to church, got down on my knees and prayed a chaplet to Saint Michael The Archangel begging him to spare James'life. It was then that I saw this angelic figure floating down over me, shimmering in the light. It was a familiar figure. I had seen it before in my youth when it was time to say good-bye to my father. There was a faint breeze, a cool innerness that wedged itself into my very soul and I realized that tomorrow is a gift and the people we love are everywhere, even the ones who have passed on. You can touch them, call upon them, they are not lost. I lay on Julian's bed now recalling the amazing afternoon of angelic light falling among prayers, burned candles and incense. He's in pain again. This time more intense than ever before. He manages to ask me if I have written any new poetry lately. I don't have the courage to tell him that I can't put the words together. That my heart is heavy with sadness. He always thought of me as being such a tough bitch. "Nothing ever gets to you, " he would tell me. It was a facade I was trying to uphold for his sake, for his inner strength. I tell him I've become bored with writing poetry, it's just not enough of a challenge anymore. I take out his favorite book of verse by Rudyard Kipling open to page 143 and start to read White Horses. He loved this one particular passage and through the gasps of sheer pain he recites it with me...
Trust ye the curdled hollows-
Trust ye the neighing wind-
Trust ye the moaning groundswell-
Our herds are close behind!
To bray your foeman's armies-
To chill and snap his sword-
Trust ye the wild White Horses,
The Horses of the Lord!
Saying I love you has never come easy for me but I took a deep breath as he took his last and I did it.
Walking home I couldn't help but fall in love with the full moon over the evening sky. A deep orange washed with the blue and I was reminded just how fragile it all can be. How much relationships mean and how connected we all really are.
That night the winds rose up and ranged blowing dead leaves into my bedroom through an open window. One leaf touched my hand and I thought...life's tending, it's ending once again.
|
|
Submit Your Review for White Horses
Required fields are marked with (*).
Your e-mail address will not be displayed.
|
|
Submit Your Rating for White Horses
|
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2007 Theresa C Newbill |
STORYMANIA PUBLICATION DATE
May 2007 |
NUMBER OF TIMES TITLE VIEWED
1758
|
|
