Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Camping (07/11/05)
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TITLE: Aunt Rosemary�s Quilt | Previous Challenge Entry
By Robert Bronkhorst
07/15/05 -
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He enjoyed the walk through the woods and seeing all the wonderful things that God had made. He enjoyed hearing all the different varieties of birds as they sang their praises to the Creator. He loved the refreshing swim in the crystal clear lake, or the feeling of sand as it squeezed through his toes. Most of all, he loved the evenings when all the campers would gather around the huge bonfire and sing.
It was then that he saw her. She was sitting across from him. Her name was Allison Jensen, but all her friends called her A.J. She had dark hair and a pretty smile, but when their eyes met, Michael knew that this would be the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
"My name is Michael," he said shyly.
"I know," she answered. Her eyes briefly looked at him, then at the bonfire. "I’m Allison."
A few uncomfortable minutes of silence were interrupted by the sound of a crackling log. The large bonfire was filled with orange and red flames as the two of them sat next to each other. Neither one of them said anything the rest of the night, but they didn’t have to. They knew that a connection was made.
Michael and Allison spent most of the next night talking and he even got the nerve to hold her hand, once. Allison gracefully allowed him that privilege.
Five years later, they got married on her parents farm and, since both of them were nature lovers, it was no surprise that they would spend their honeymoon camping.
The two of them snuggled next to each other under the handmade quilt that Aunt Rosemary had given them as a wedding gift and they gave thanks to God. They looked at the stars. They listened to the peaceful chirping of crickets, and heard owls hooting under the full moon.
That night, they vowed that, no matter what, they would always stay together.
Unfortunately, times and people change. It became increasingly harder for the two of them to keep that vow that they made.
First came the endless sniping. Allison became cold and bitter, he became selfish and uncaring. She wanted a family. He wanted toys. He won, but he paid the price. Finally, one day she had enough and left him and the house that he had painstakingly built from the ground up.
Visits to lawyers ensued, as well as her requests for monetary compensation. They were followed by his refusal to pay anything. It was getting harder for them to find love amid all the hate and they felt that a day in court would solve everything.
He should be happy, yet deep down, he had a sense of regret. Was he doing the right thing? Was he willing to throw everything away? Was he going to allow purely selfish and insignificant things ruin his life with a woman that he truly loved?
The sight of that quilt had brought him back to his senses. He thought about that retreat and about the honeymoon in the woods. He thought about how the two of them were able to explore nature and learn about each other.
Michael found himself smiling again. He found himself reliving the past and he knew that all the minor disagreements that had caused them to drift apart were just that. He reached for his cell phone and placed a call…
Allison and Michael packed up their gear and the kids into the SUV. They had everything that was needed to survive camping in the woods for a week. They had a tent, a propane grill, some lanterns and fishing poles. They also had that handmade quilt that Aunt Rosemary had made for them as a wedding gift.
As they snuggled under the quilt, they thanked God for giving them another chance to enjoy nature, and each others company. They looked up at the stars, heard the crickets chirping and listened to the soothing sounds of the creek as it ran through the woods.
That night, they found each other…again. This time, it would be forever.
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Nicely put. God bless, littlelight