Whisper In The Wind

"Before long Valley View was a booming town with a mercantile, a blacksmith, a church, and finally a doctor.

"One day, a young sprite was born who was feisty from the minute the doctor spanked his rear end. His mother immediately called him Marshall after his very feisty and hard-working grandfather. Marshall continued his grandfather's legacy, filling his shoes well. The people who came before him can be proud of how Marshall Chadwick and all of us keep this town's strong moral values and friendliness amongst our neighbors.

"How did our town come to be known as Valley View? Marshall's wife Ruth walked around the land one day and thought, what a view, mountains around us, a looming, indestructible sign of nature. With mountains surrounding them they must be in a valley, hence Valley View.

"I've talked your ears off enough. Relax, have fun, eat, drink, and be merry."

Everyone clapped while Garrett put his arm around Caitlin. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she said misty eyed. "Mrs. C did a great job. It was nice to hear a different spin on the same story. I never knew, until today, why Granddaddy was named after his grandfather. I asked him once but he said, 'I don't deserve my name. My granddaddy was a one of a kind man. I can never fill his shoes.' Yet, I think he has."

"Marshall was always modest, unless he was telling fish stories," Garrett said.

While sitting at a picnic table near the lawn by the gazebo, eating ribs, Garrett excused himself to talk with Harry, who was setting up the dance floor. Within seconds, Garrett was helping. As Caitlin envisioned them dancing underneath the stars, the wind picked up and brought an ominous feeling. Happy thoughts were thrust aside. The ribs she held dropped to the plate as she shivered.

"What's wrong?" Jen asked, grasping her best friend's arm.

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head. "Just a chill." Speaking the words did nothing to suppress the ominous feeling that had reached inside and grabbed her soul. Someone was trying to deliver a message but the passage kept getting blocked.

She contemplated going home, but then the band started to play. A happy feeling slowly reentered her and the tap on her shoulder brought a smile.

"May I have this dance?" Garrett asked, offering his hand and a smile.

Caitlin took his hand and returned the smile. In his arms she believed all was right in the world. They found an empty space in the ever-growing crowd. Some couples did the waltz, while others, like Garrett and Caitlin, stayed in one spot and swayed.