Disclaimer: The Characters used are the property of MGM and
Trilogy. No financial or creative rights are claimed to the characters from the
Magnificent Seven Television series.
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Spoilers: Achilles
Notes: Just a little sentimental snippet that has not been beta-ed.
Feedback ~ Kimberly
She had been crying. He
could tell by the reddening of her eyes and the soft sounds of an occasional
sniffle. Vin wasn't sure what to do. It was not like
him to intrude on other people's concerns, too afraid
to offer people comfort, too afraid his words were not good enough.
Vin closed the door behind him as he entered the
Clarion and Mary raised her eyes startled by the quiet man that stood before
her. He looked as if he would take flight at the slightest sound. He became
unnerved and distressed by her discernible sorrow.
"Vin . . . sit down, please." Mary pushed strands of hair away
from her face as she brought a linen handkerchief to her eyes. "I must be
getting a cold."
Mary felt flustered at
being caught with her tears and wanted to bring ease to the tracker.
"I c'n come back later, Mary. If'n yer
not feelin' up t' our lessons." Vin did not want Mary to feel obliged to work with him.
"Nonsense, Vin. You're
here and I'm fine." Mary sighed as she took out the books and a Bible.
"It will be a wonderful diversion for me."
"Diversion?" Vin questioned Mary,
not quite sure why she needed the distraction. Mary looked at Vin's troubled face and nodded her head.
"The lesson will
keep me pleasantly occupied." Mary smiled at Vin
seeing a light flash in his often too serious blue eyes. Working with Vin was a pleasure. He was so bright and very eager to
learn.
"Here." Mary handed Vin her
family Bible. "Why don't we read a bit from this today.
It's more difficult, but I know you can do it."
Vin held the Bible reverently as he thumbed through
the pages letting it fall open and he began to decipher the script as best that
he could. He falteringly read aloud, "All flesh is grass, and all it's lo..ve...li..ness, loveliness is like the
flower of the fi..ee..lld,
field. The grass wii..th..ers,
withers, the flower fades, b'cause the brea..th,
breath of the Lord, blows u..p..on,
upon it...*" Vin looked up into Mary's eyes hoping that she was feeling
less saddened.
"Why were ya cryin', Mary?" Vin said it
out plain, knowing that he didn't have the fancy words of Josiah or Ezra. The
only thing he had was a willingness to carry her burden and to offer a comfort
if he could Mary's head snapped up at Vin's
directness. She didn't have time to hide her sentiment and began to softly
weep, angry at her display of emotions, but unable to quell the heartache.
Mary spoke to Vin trying to overcome her grief. "My son's birthday
would have been today."
"Billy's
birthday?" Vin
asked confused by Mary's statement.
"No. I lost a child
some years ago. I was only five months along, but . . .it
hurt just the same. I can't seem to stop mourning for him." Mary looked at
Vin apologetically. "I know it seems a bit
sentimental, but he was my baby. People don't seem to understand why I would be
crying over a child that never actually took a breath or even was complete . .
."
Vin felt anger rise up in him as he listened to
Mary's words. "Ain't no one got a right t' tell
ya what t' mourn 'n what not ta."
Mary smiled at Vin with tears clinging to her lashes like morning dew and
her blue eyes shone brighter with the sadness. "I don't mean to be
burdening you with this, Vin. You came for your
lessons, not my sad tale of woe." Mary tried to be light-hearted and
reached for the Bible. "Why don't you continue reading to me?"
Vin nodded and began again. "Fer His anger is but fer a
moment, His favor is fer life; weepin'
may endure fer a night, but joy comes in the mornin'."
Vin placed the Bible on the desk and smiled
thoughtfully. "Ain't that
nice."
"Yes, it is
lovely." Mary's mouth quirked up at the corners as she watched Vin ponder on the passage. Mary waited for Vin to begin reading, but instead she looked up to see him gazing
at her. His eyes reflected deep thought as Vin watched
her. He began to talk, but hesitated and then began again with a growing
anxiety.
"My Ma loved
flowers." Mary's face showed surprise knowing Vin
rarely talked about himself or his mother.
She knew Vin had been orphaned at a young age, but that was all he
really shared with any of them. Mary knew he had spoken to Nettie about his
mother and she felt blessed that he was at ease enough to speak to her.
Vin looked down at his hands and continued speaking,
hoping that his skittishness would pass. "I got a misty remembrance of a
flower garden. The house was horny toad ugly, but the garden was full of these
colors that jist 'bout could make yer
eyes pop." Vin's features softened and his eyes
were distant as he wandered in memories so real and his words flowed from him
in the wanting of it.
"One summer there
weren't 'nough water t' be wastin'
on her flowers 'n they died. I 'member my ma cryin' fer those flowers.
I tried t' make her feel better, told her I loved her 'n they were jist flowers. I could git her a passel of 'em."
Vin's eyes saddened at the memory of his mother's
tears. "She said it ain't so much the flowers
but, more 'bout the joy they coulda given. She
mourned fer the loss of 'em."
Vin looked at Mary and then averted his eyes hastily
feeling foolish. Vin took a deep breath. "She
must of had a passel of losses that I couldn't even
count. But, that was no never mind t' her 'cause the next day she was out there
workin' on that garden of hers. Gittin'
it ready fer next summer she said. Gittin' it ready. . .but, she died
'fore that. Couldn't fix that darn
garden."
"I'm so sorry, Vin." Tears streamed down Mary's face and Vin watched distressed that his words caused Mary more
anguish.
Stupid, stupid, stupid! Vin was silently rebuking himself when Mary reached over and
squeezed his hand. "Thank you for telling me about your mother, Vin. I know she was very special to you. She sounds like a
lovely woman."
Vin nodded. "That she was, Mary." He
smiled at her his bearing imparting a shyness.
"When my ma cried fer her flowers, people told
her she was bein' foolish. There was things needed tendin' not frettin'
over some good fer nothin'
flowers. But, they was wrong 'bout those flowers. They
were special, like yer baby was special, even though
they didn't bloom. You and my ma had a right to mourn. Ain't
no two ways 'bout it."
"I'd love to help
you with that garden someday, Vin." Mary offered
not sure if her words would scare off the reticent man. Vin
raised his head with a warm smile and nodded.
"That's mighty nice
of ya, Mary." Vin cocked his head to the side
with one eye squinted slightly. "Mebbe, we can
find us a nice flower box jist fer
Chris' window." Vin smiled and a quiet raspy
laugh danced softly through the Clarion. "Reckon he'd be less ornery with
some *joy* in his life."
Mary laughed at that and
turned her eyes to Vin. "*Reckon* we all could
use a little of that Vin. *Reckon* we could."
The End
*Isaiah 40:6,7
*Psalm 30:5
Feedback ~ Kimberly