Summary

A woman reflects on her unrequited love for a man, sharing a spiritual connection with nature as she grapples with her emotions and the man's detachment from her and his own life.

Abstract

In the twilight of dusk, a woman sits quietly, her thoughts consumed by a man she loves deeply but who remains distant and absorbed in his own world. She imagines him lost in thought, oblivious to his surroundings and the people who care for him, including his daughter and herself. As she contemplates his struggles with diabetes and his emotional unavailability, she finds solace in the company of a blackbird, drawing a parallel between her situation and the celestial dance of the sun and moon. The woman and the bird share a moment of understanding, acknowledging the man's choice to distance himself, yet they resolve to remember him. The arrival of a second blackbird mirrors the complexity of relationships, and as the birds take flight, she is left with a feather—a tangible reminder of her love. The story concludes with the woman sending a silent message to the man, encapsulating the theme of silent communication and the profound impact of unspoken emotions.

Opinions

The author suggests that emotional connections can transcend human interactions, extending into the natural world.
There is an underlying belief that love persists despite a lack of reciprocity or acknowledgment.
The narrative implies that observing nature can offer insights into human relationships and personal introspection.
The story posits that silent messages and subtle cues can carry significant emotional weight.
The woman's contemplation of the sun and moon symbolizes the interplay between presence and absence in relationships.
The author invites readers to engage with the text by identifying hidden messages, emphasizing the layered nature of storytelling.
The publication encourages readers to follow for more contemplative fiction and to participate in a community that values the exploration of silent messages in narrative form.

PURE FICTION

In My Mother’s Arms, I Hear Her Silent Message

She sat quietly in the dim light of dusk, contemplating the relationship between the sun and moon. Looking across toward the horizon, the sliver of the waning moon would soon disappear beyond the overhang of the porch.

“I barely see you,” she whispered.

No sooner had the words been spoken than his image stole its way into her thoughts. A tender smile touched her face, slightly curving the corners of her mouth upward. She watched the image unfold in her mind’s eye.

He was barely visible. Facing forward, he seemed lost in his own cascading thoughts. His eyes were fixed in a world beyond his eyesight, not really seeing anything around him. His environment hummed with white noise he had long ago lost to becoming acclimated. A television played in the distance. There was the occasional conversation between his parents, and no doubt his young daughter was reading with her book-light under her covers once again. All of this was lost to his oblivion. His eyes never moved with his thoughts as he was statuesque, letting his thoughts disregard the remaining tasks he would normally finish before turning in for the evening. He stood, slowly and a bit stiff before walking off somewhere.

The vision faded away and she wondered how much pain he was pushing through, knowing his disregard for his diabetes. She felt a tear in her heart and returned her mind to her own environment. She barely heard the creaking of the camping rocker, feeling it more than the sound as she swung slowly, gently. The breeze echoed through the trees as it pretended to mimic ocean waves caressing a shoreline somewhere. Several blocks below, the occasional passing car added to nature’s symphony as if waves were breaking against rocks.

She watched as a blackbird flew down to land on the branch of a tree nearby. She smiled at it as it seemed to watch her back. Her mind was still on the man who pulled away from her mind only moments before.

A soft chuckle escaped as she looked at the bird.

“I know. He doesn’t see me,” she said to the patient listener perched nearby, “and he doesn’t have enough emotional energy for me either. Or for you, for that matter! He hasn’t spoken with you in…weeks? Months? Ah, he seems to be endeavoring to forget us both. I suppose we shall just have to keep each other company, no?”

The blackbird and the woman’s gaze met. Onlookers would likely suggest they were squaring off in a staring contest, both unblinking. In truth, careful observers would see the two were linked in a spiritual connection.

“Well, let him forget, then. After all, we must never try to choose the path for another. He is choosing his path and I must let him. But I shan’t forget. Nor will you, I imagine.”

She inclined her head ever so slightly in reverent respect.

She looked up and sighed, noticing a second blackbird gliding toward them. It swooped in, landing near the first as it upset the branch enough to cause the first to span its wings and flap. For an instant, the woman watched curiously wondering at the relationship between these two, as she did earlier with the sun and moon. Her eyes turned away allowing the two birds some privacy and time to greet one another quietly. She stole a glance noticing their heads bowed together as if telling secrets and chuckled as she turned her attention away again.

As she returned her gaze to the birds, a heavier breeze swept through the trees. Almost as if they felt a protest in nature, the two creatures took to the air. She watched as they worked in flight, their wings carrying the creatures high overhead and out of sight beyond the overhang.

Her eyes continued to watch in their direction, noticing the moon was also gone. Dusk was in its final breath, and thoughts of him again in her memory provided her to bask in her love for him. In the final refrains of his voice in song, his eyes closed as his fingers gently stroked the piano keys…

“…if there’s a god, then maybe I’ll confess.”

The last of the music drifted away in her mind. His hands drifted away from the keyboard to his lap. His expression left her breathless.

She looked down to see a blackbird feather resting on her bare knee, with her feet curled up beneath her where she rocked. She tenderly picked it up before cupping it between her hands and resting them on her lap.

She leaned back and looked toward the stars in the sky beginning to shine before closing her eyes. His image burned brightly in her soul. She let the cool night air envelop her as she let the rocker slowly stop.

“Maybe.” She whispered to the blanket of the night pulling over her, be-spelling a kiss into the night to find him.

Many of you may not ponder the messages we can receive. They are silent, lost in the generations of myths and old wives’ tales. There is imagery we can use to tell stories within stories. For example, there are five hidden within this little parable. If you see any of them, please comment and share what you know. Have fun and enjoy your journey!
Please follow me if you would like to see more like this, and if you have questions about some of the possible silent messages you feel you hear, share and let’s explore together.
If you enjoy short fiction or even fiction in general, don’t forget to follow Pure Fiction! There are some fabulous writers sharing in this publication.