Historical Setting, 629 C.E. Vosges Mts. Will talks of nothing but the great wonders of this son we all have yet to meet. But now in this sudden silence, Ana comes out and whispers to me, “it’s a girl.” Then a baby cries. Will pushes his way in and all of us follow. HereContinue reading “#56.8, Thurs., May 16, 2024”
Category Archives: Serial Fiction
#56.7, Weds., May 15, 2024
Historical Setting, 629 C.E. Vosges Mts. The birth of the baby is eminent. So now, I’m heading back to the castle fields to get Will. It’s his own thoughtfulness now to bring along the baby blanket and the ceramic feeder. Of course, everything is already prepared by the women at the cottage so nothingContinue reading “#56.7, Weds., May 15, 2024”
#56.6, Tues., May 14, 2024
Historical Setting, 629 C.E. Vosges Mts. I’m glad I came. God answered my casual prayer that I may love my enemy, Will, with this obligation to persist in unearthing his kindness. Dear God, may Layla and the baby find his huge hands gentle. I can, in a strange way of empathy, understandContinue reading “#56.6, Tues., May 14, 2024”
#56.5, Thurs., May 9, 2024
Historical Setting, 629 C.E. Vosges Mts. When this donkey and I have helped a neighbor here plow a strip for planting, I ask a deep favor of this neighbor. “We have Will’s wife hidden away with her family because Will can have a cruel hand.” The neighbor has a knowing smirk. IContinue reading “#56.5, Thurs., May 9, 2024”
#56.4, Weds., May 8, 2024
Historical Setting, 629 C.E. Vosges Mts. Our donkey is old and not trained to work the fields, but if I walk him, and Will holds the plow steady we can plow this unturned earth much more easily than one man could do it simply by hand. These new fields are a great consternation toContinue reading “#56.4, Weds., May 8, 2024”
#56.3, Tues., May 7, 2024
Historical Setting, 629 C.E. Vosges Mts. Tenderness, father love, turning all will’s frustrated fervor to lullaby is a task no man can teach another. Dear God, give the patience of parent love to this house. Let the baby teach this father gentleness. We pull the cart into the lean-too house and together weContinue reading “#56.3, Tues., May 7, 2024”
#56.2, Thurs., May 2, 2024
Historical Setting, 629 C.E. Vosges Mts. I plan to take my son-in-law up to the castle to beg a better bag of seed. He’s not gracious so already my lip is bloodied. The water pitcher is empty and he has no rag for washing up my wound. In another version of justice, I wouldContinue reading “#56.2, Thurs., May 2, 2024”
#56.1, Weds., May 1, 2024
Historical Setting, 629 C.E. Vosges Mts. The castle was built where once there was a hunters’ woods and now around its outer walls are little plots of tillable land. Each tiny field has a little hut on the edge which is the place where the poorest of poor farmers are kept safe from dangersContinue reading “#56.1, Weds., May 1, 2024”
#55.13, Tues., April 30, 2024
Historical Setting, 629 C.E. Vosges We ‘ve tucked Layla away in a safe place hidden from Will, safe with her mother and her sister. Now I’ve come to this little land patch where people try to nurture family despite the poverty. It would all be so simple if Layla could just leave Will andContinue reading “#55.13, Tues., April 30, 2024”
#55.12, Thurs., April 25, 2024
Historical Setting, 629 C.E. Vosges Mts. Like some kind of other-worldly hero or saint, or maybe simple rote righteousness, I let the prayer in my heart be that I could love the ‘enemy’ – the idiot who beats my daughter and who most certainly threatens the life of my unborn grandchild. How can GodContinue reading “#55.12, Thurs., April 25, 2024”
Lazarus Ink 