The Will to be True
In The Shadow of the Blackbird
by
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The seconds ticked by as Stephanie made an effort to think clearly. She really couldn’t remember what happened in February and March. She very much needed to speak with Peter. On second thought she wondered what she would tell him anyway. They had been so patient at the beginning, then almost giving up. She just did not think it could be possible. Thoughts became jumbled in her head. She began to feel nauseated even as excitement coursed through her veins. Weeks, days and numbers all tumbled over and over each other. She counted backwards and forwards, reaching a fairly conclusive end. Her mouth was one big ‘O’, but the excitement of the discovery was too much for her nervous system. Beth who was well practiced, soon had the white face of her dinner partner discreetly tucked between two very wobbly knees.
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About the Book
There is a great divide between Classical music and Pop/Rock with many musical genre filling the in between space. Before the Beatles came on the scene back in the 60's, Country Music filled the great divide. It has a way of telling a story in a short yet meaningful way. One of my favourite songs was the Hank Locklin hit, 'Please Help Me I'm Falling'. It arrived my curiosity. I wanted to find a situation in which someone would need to beg for help because they were 'losing the will to be true.' I have always wanted to bring that story to life. Daphne DuMaurier did it in 'Frenchman's Creek' and recently a similar story was retold in 'Bridges of Madison County'. This story is my twist on that theme. Each writer will have their own thoughts about ending the complexities of this type of challenging relationship. It was important to have my own resolution to a troubling and tortuous but not uncommon love story.
About the Author
All the stories I write are a compilation of the numerous events I have heard in a lifetime of interaction with people. As a Nurse working in maternal and newborn care, a Minister involved in a spiritual organization dedicated to a path of openness, and a health and wellness Counselor, I have worked with people from all over the world. I thank them for sharing their stories with me. I am deeply grateful to them for trusting me with their confidences. I hope their struggles and triumphs are heard in the words of my stories. I have been writing since I was a child, and reading others with equal interest. Story telling is a part of my cultural heritage. In my experience, I see that sharing personal anecdotes is a way of helping people to easily connect with and understand complex human issues. I have never accepted the status quo. As a wife, mother and grandmother, it is important to me to access information through many venues because I accept that we are all different and our styles of learning and understanding are as multifaceted as the issues. I have lived in different countries long enough to be aware of how culture, values and belief are deeply ingrained and help to form our character. Culture is at the heart of our souls. Currently, I live in Southern Ontario with my husband Harold. We have two sons David, Paul and four grandsons. My sister, Gertrude King, and I operate a women's health and wellness service in a small community where part of the story originates. I continue to work as a nurse helping new mothers negotiate the ups and downs of early motherhood. My ministry work consists of officiating at weddings, funerals and baptisms or baby naming ceremonies. Each role offers a unique way for me to touch people and to learn from them. I feel blessed to have found my eternal muse, an energy which has given me the steadfastness to complete what I start, something I have not done consistently. I am moved to write from the heart by the music I listen to every day. This story, in particular was inspired by songs written by Jane Sibbery and ably performed by k.d. lang. 'The Valley' and 'Love is Everything' and of course, Please Help Me I'm Falling, made popular by Hank Locklin. The lyrics of 'Please Help Me I’m Falling' challenged me to find a reason why someone could unknowingly be drawn into a situation like that. My favourite author, Daphne duMaurier wrote a similar type of love story called Frenchman’s Creek. As I move through my autumn years, it is imperative to me that lifelong goals be fulfilled with as much energy as I put into my early career. Maturity allows me the wisdom to be more open and understanding seeing the value in facing life’s challenges with courage, not always accepting that the status quo is best.