Raindrops and Sawdust
by
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John stood silently watching for Elvina's reaction. He was much more encouraged now by her actions than when they first arrived. Yet, he hesitated, afraid to ask her what she was thinking.
It was getting on into the afternoon and a sudden rush of cold wind whipped their coats about them, causing Elvina to shiver violently. John moved close to her, wrapping his great coat around her, holding her close within the confines of his big arms, feeling the warmth and closeness of her.
"The first thing I must do is get a large fire going in the fireplace," John stated emphatically, concern drawing his eyebrows close together as he stood shielding her from the wind and looking down into her beloved face. He let go of his coat and reached up to cup her face in his large hands. Across his memory flashed a play back of all the years that he had planned for this moment, and all the years Elvina had uncomplainingly waited and planned with him, helping him arrive at this time and place. It seemed that the gratitude and love that he felt for her would make his chest explode.
"It seems almost a sin to be so happy," he whispered gruffly, dropping his arms to embrace her once again, lowering his head to press his face against her hair.
Elvina stood quietly in his arms, her gaze traveling across their land. Off in the distance a crow cawed, and nearby, she could hear the rippling of the water. She thought about Boston and the security she had given up, where comfort was a way of life and there was never a real lack of anything as far as material needs. "But I was lonely there," she mused, "because John wasn't an integral part of it." Then, a profound truth came to rest in her heart; that even in this backwoods place, she would never really feel entirely alone as long as she had John. That somehow, everything would work out all right.
"It's good to be home," she said softly, shifting her gaze upward to meet his, tilting her head so that their lips could meet.
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About the Book
Raindrops and Sawdust is the story of a family's victorious plight through crisis just prior to, during, and after the Civil War. Determination, hardship, friendship, romance, and one character's struggle to find lasting faith in God have been intertwined in a plot filled with intrigue and passion; however; unlike most of today's novels, it is so graciously shared in a way that even a parent would feel encouraged by having a teenage son or daughter read the simple, yet touching story.
About the Author
At age fifteen Afton wrote her first short story that received recognition and her dream since then has been to write a novel. Raindrops and Sawdust is her first. She has a collection of poetry that she has written, and she occasionally enters a short story in the local newspaper. Recently, Afton was awarded first place for a short story she entered in a writing contest sponsored by the Northeast Writer's Forum, Booneville, Mississippi. Judges for the contest were members of the English Department, Northeast Community College, Booneville, Mississippi.