The Park & Pumpkin Pie

Isabella Ann Nathaniel looks out from her house overlooking Glenview. (Nice name ain't it!) The small community where she was raised. Taking in the activitys at the park and her childhood surroundings. So close, yet so far away it now seems from the small house of her best friend Natie Owens. Natie still lives in the same house. Laughing out loud, not many people can boast, or would boast, about that, but somehow, that's Natie! Since retiring she's been working up the courage to become reacquainted with Natie. She uses binoculars to view the park, once she saw Natie, that was quite an unexpected thrill. When the time is right, she plans to walk from the park carrying a pumpkin pie, Natie's favorite, knock on the door and say, "I'm Isabella the girl next door looking for my best friend Natie, can she come out to play"? Then they would hug, cry, laugh, just like children once again! That's how it goes in her mind. She has drove by countless times, trying to figure Natie's habits and what kind of vehicle Natie drives. She wants this to work the first time, not knowing if she would have the courage to re-enact the scenario again. Sunday afternoon after church seems the perfect time.

When her family found out she was going to college, everyone was happy! Of course she felt that happiness, but she now questions! What she was feeling then, was not happiness for herself , but the happiness of her family, friends, everyone in the neighborhood and small community felt for one of their own, going off to college, that was really something special, to all concerned!

Isabella never had the desire to be any one other than who she already was! She was successful in business merely because she had brains, was always around savvy business people and the luck of being in the right place at the right time. She never had to work at it like ones you read about working night and day. She was blessed with God given brains, looks and in spite of herself she becomes wealthy! Everyone's dream, right, not her's! The happiest times of her life are the simple childhod times. Not a fairy book story, again she laughs at her own rich, misfortunes of life! Traveling the world, meeting people was interestingly sweet! Tasting other cultures and male encounters would make movie material. Everything a small town girl made good could ever imagine and more! Yes good times, the finest the world has to offer. She's always been a small town girl at heart, silly isn't it! Natie and her are like twins, imagining the obvious most realistic goals of simple common children of their time. Why would they want to be different? Good parents, love family! Their world consist of where they play, sleep, feeling loved! What more is there! She found out! Now, too late, to do anything about it! Laughingly uncontrollably, crying, tears of sorrow for herself, a fairy tale made in hell! The title of her life, "Small town girl makes good, dies alone"! 

Natie and "Isa", that's what Natie called her, were inseparable from toddlers until she goes to college. Both from poor families, luckily! Yeah, maybe not! Thinking to herself! Why doesn't she feel  lucky! She was fortunate to attend the local college on a scholarship, for the gifted, while Natie spends her life working in the local factory, raising children, marrying her high school sweetheart leading the life both girls imaginatively assumed they would while playing as children!

She attends local college for two years, won another college scholarship, a big prestigous, out of state college and was on her way! Way to what! She now thinks back, ironically and sarcastically as she thinks about the impending doom with every want, home and money, but nobody to lie beside you, laugh and cry for you, sitting in her mansion upon the hill, crying, feeling sorry for herself. It all happened, so fast!  She always made good grades without trying. "She was gifted," with a high I. Q. That's what the counselors told her, "you're lucky you can be anything you want to be!" As she ponders back upon her last half century, since leaving her childhood friend and home.

Years have quickly elapsed, half a century of separation, only makes the time away appear more like a dream, than reality. She wishes to visit Natie, but has the distance of years separated the once inseparable kindred spirits?

Natie's husband died two years ago, that would of been the time to be there for Natie. As usual she was in another country. Just like her parents death, she was somewhere else. Toasting and tasting the world now seems bittersweet! Speaking several languages has been a great asset but she longs for the simple country twang she once had, here in Glenview, will it come back she truly hopes so. She doesn't wish to be an outsider in her own childhood community! She's now retired and more than anything wants to re-establish a relationship with Natie if she can? It's funny how after going their separate ways or rather she left, the letters got fewer and farther in between until they stopped. Natie's talk was of love marriage, children. It tore at her heart, because that's what she always wanted, always has! She got caught up in the drain of life, but rather in a strange way. She told herself, plenty of time for marriage children. Before she knew it, a couple marriages, divorces, relationships not to bring children up in, she finds herself at this point in her life. Smiling, also crying, she thinks of that phrase from a song, "ain't it funny how time slips away"!

This Sunday will be the day and she was a nervous wreck already! Easter Sunday seems right! She will park her car on the opposite side of the park and walk slowly smiling ear to ear, carrying a pumpkin pie for her only best friend of her 68 years. She has dreamed of this day forever, actually the need to do so has become obsessive in recent years. The day is set and will happen this Sunday!

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHERE THIS STORY GOES PLEASE LET ME KNOW, MAYBE, POSSIBLY, NEXT WEEKEND I'LL MAKE TIME TO CONTINUE IT. THIS STORY HAS ALREADY GONE FARTHER THAN PLANNED, BUT WHO CARES RIGHT! THE PLEASURE IS SEEING WHERE IT GOES, RIGHT! I DON'T EVEN KNOW BUT WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT! Your good friend here at Glen View, (That sounds a mite familar.) This is the true plesure of writing, taking a story where it leads you and let it come out naturally. It's finding the time and right state of mind for old Glen to do it, hope you like it, a THANKSGIVING STORY FOR YOU.