January 20, 2010 – From a Journal entry
“I’m so excited about my new computer…
yet again. I wrote out the story of the computer once, then the
computer along with the story was stolen in a slightly tragic moment
in Costa Rica. The good news, my computer was insured and I only had
that one journal entry on it. The bad news… I lost that entry! So
today the new machine is here. It is so amazing to have something
that’s truly dedicated to writing. I’m excited that now I have a
tool to help translate thoughts from my overactive ADD brain onto a
beautiful white page.
yet again. I wrote out the story of the computer once, then the
computer along with the story was stolen in a slightly tragic moment
in Costa Rica. The good news, my computer was insured and I only had
that one journal entry on it. The bad news… I lost that entry! So
today the new machine is here. It is so amazing to have something
that’s truly dedicated to writing. I’m excited that now I have a
tool to help translate thoughts from my overactive ADD brain onto a
beautiful white page.
I love knowing that this is a new
start. For so long I’ve been disobeying God about writing. Instead
of doing what God has asked, I’ve been avoiding, turning to TV,
friends, internet, food, anything! But this is a new season, and
this is my new computer and I’m excited.”
start. For so long I’ve been disobeying God about writing. Instead
of doing what God has asked, I’ve been avoiding, turning to TV,
friends, internet, food, anything! But this is a new season, and
this is my new computer and I’m excited.”
Tonight I wrote, just for the joy of fitting words together on a page until the story emerged. I did something I haven’t done since creative writing my sophomore year of high school, I wrote fiction. Now in a slightly vulnerable, awkwardly self conscious blog, I’ve decided to post my rough beginning. Enjoy!
Her feet lightly pounded as theyslapped the dry earth, one in front of the other, faster and faster
as tiny clouds of dust swirled skyward leaving a wake of pain and
grief. The red particles danced upwards, towards the cloudless arc
of bright blue sky and the unforgiving orange sun. She pushed harder
and harder, her lungs screaming, her heart pounding. Through the dry
river bed, along the beaten path, past the bore hole, then she turned
into the sugar cane fields. Her momma had always warned her, “Eliza,
you are not allowed in the fields, the black mamba’s attack there. I
don’t want my baby meeting black death.” But it was too late, her
momma was gone, taken by the sickness, her mamma had withered dying
the slow death of those who couldn’t afford the hospitals or pills
which some claimed pushed back the sickness.
Eliza pushed forward, every breath
agony. The daylight faded and the tall stalks of the sugar cane
stretched high above her head. Here the earth was soft, squishing
damp between her toes, here the field owners could afford water.
Fear gripped her, the mambas were here, black and quiet until they
struck. One bite would kill. Three years before Eliza’s classmate
Spongiele had been bitten by a different snake, the skin rotted off
her bone, leaving white flesh exposed. After weeks in a hospital
Spongiele lived but her arm did not. Now she could only tend the
fire and stir the soup, she could no longer fetch the water, but
Spongiele danced, she was a beautiful dancer. When the others would
clap and sway in church Spongiele would perfectly reproduce the
rhythmic, melodies and harmonies with her hips, feet and torso.
agony. The daylight faded and the tall stalks of the sugar cane
stretched high above her head. Here the earth was soft, squishing
damp between her toes, here the field owners could afford water.
Fear gripped her, the mambas were here, black and quiet until they
struck. One bite would kill. Three years before Eliza’s classmate
Spongiele had been bitten by a different snake, the skin rotted off
her bone, leaving white flesh exposed. After weeks in a hospital
Spongiele lived but her arm did not. Now she could only tend the
fire and stir the soup, she could no longer fetch the water, but
Spongiele danced, she was a beautiful dancer. When the others would
clap and sway in church Spongiele would perfectly reproduce the
rhythmic, melodies and harmonies with her hips, feet and torso.
Eliza’s breaths were getting short, the
sharp leaves cut her legs and arms as she flew from row to row. The
endless plantation stretched from the single road to the distant
hillside. She had to find him, he was her only hope, time was
running out, in just a few moments the sun would be pulled into the
western flat topped hills and it would be too late. She would be
lost in the maze of green and the animals would abandon their hiding
spots. Her belly cramped then released, her head was light and fuzzy
like the seeds that floated on the wind after the rains. A sharp
ringing begin between her ears and then intensified until it
surrounded her head, incessant, high, piercing. Eliza tried to remember
when her last meal was, yesterday, the day before. All the days were
as one since her father couldn’t pay the school fees.
sharp leaves cut her legs and arms as she flew from row to row. The
endless plantation stretched from the single road to the distant
hillside. She had to find him, he was her only hope, time was
running out, in just a few moments the sun would be pulled into the
western flat topped hills and it would be too late. She would be
lost in the maze of green and the animals would abandon their hiding
spots. Her belly cramped then released, her head was light and fuzzy
like the seeds that floated on the wind after the rains. A sharp
ringing begin between her ears and then intensified until it
surrounded her head, incessant, high, piercing. Eliza tried to remember
when her last meal was, yesterday, the day before. All the days were
as one since her father couldn’t pay the school fees.
The white, like the fresh paint on the
small corner store, begin at the sides, and started to force it’s way
into her vision. The ringing was stronger, still her legs pushed on.
Then all the green, blue and red was gone, replaced by white. The
hum of the insects and cries of the birds grew muted reminding Eliza
of the hot days when she would dunk her head under the murky river
water. She did not feel the slightly damp ground as her body
collapsed, nor did she see the large man standing in the clearing
just meters away.
small corner store, begin at the sides, and started to force it’s way
into her vision. The ringing was stronger, still her legs pushed on.
Then all the green, blue and red was gone, replaced by white. The
hum of the insects and cries of the birds grew muted reminding Eliza
of the hot days when she would dunk her head under the murky river
water. She did not feel the slightly damp ground as her body
collapsed, nor did she see the large man standing in the clearing
just meters away.
