Moonlight Walked in Their Shadows

The Upper Basin Chronicles

Chapter 29

Moonlight Walked in Their Shadows

With a weekday dinner over, Alexander shooed Rose and Michael out of the kitchen toward homework in spite of their keen interest in watching Dad and Laura Paruzzi do the dishes. The children headed reluctantly toward the livingroom exchanging playful elbows and conspiring looks. Grandma Teresa and Grandpa Owen had already settled there to read. Little Lucy curled up in her great-grandmother's lap for another recitation of "Goodnight Moon."

"Leave them be, you two," said Teresa, "They have things to talk about."

Indeed. After Rose's E coli scare and Laura's return from New York, she and Alexander seemed to be spending a significant amount of time together. With school now in session, and Rose no longer in Laura's class, Alexander felt much more comfortable seeking the attention of the attractive elementary school teacher.

"You want a cup of coffee," he asked, leaning against her slightly. He washed and she dried.

Alexander hoped to extend an evening that started with Laura's arrival after school. ("Even before us!" Rosie noticed when she and Michael stepped off the school bus.) Laura had pitched right in with Alexander mounting the bean head on the old combine. They had chatted comfortably while tuning and greasing the machine.

"Mmm, herb tea? I'll put the water on."

Laura turned quickly away from her spot next to Alexander. She left him off balance and looking over his shoulder at her. She smiled at him as she picked up the gallon jug of grocery store drinking water. She filled the kettle half full and set it on the stove to heat.

Laura read the label on the plastic water jug, and wondered briefly about its source.

"Hey, you're getting behind in your work here, buddy!" Alexander teased her.

"You do need an inspector, anyway." Laura stepped back to the sink. She picked up the embroidered white dish towel. The point of her shoulder seemed to fit the notch of his upper arm. They finished the last of the pans.

A clearing sky outside and a cool north breeze spoke frost further north. Twilight moved quickly across the hills, turning a last patch of azure western sky reddish and smoky from the final western forest fires. The fading painting changed yellowed beans, and sandy-tassled corn to tans and browns and rusts. The scene drifted to pale and dark grays as the light fled west. A gibbous moon waited its turn to re-illuminate the evening in silver over long shadow.

The kettle began to whistle. Alexander turned off the burner and found the chamomile and spearmint tea he'd bought at the farmers' market from Lottie Thompson. The Ioway tribe member from Oklahoma, a grad student at the U., had spent the summer collecting, drying, and selling native herbs from all over the county.

He filled the stainless steel tea ball and hung it inside the clay teapot. Laura poured the boiling water. She clicked the lid into place.

"Walk? she asked.

"Good, yeah; let me check on the troops."

Alexander leaned around the corner of the kitchen door frame and into the livingroom.

"We're going for a short walk," he said. "I'll tuck you guys in pretty soon."

"Ok, Dad, don't get lost," said Rosie. She really liked Laura, and enjoyed seeing her as a third grad alumna, now in Mr. Miller's fourth grade class.

Alexander rolled his eyes. He waved at the expectant smiles from his family. Lucy already slept.

Laura wrapped the teapot in a dry towel. She followed Alexander out the back door, pulling on her sweater as she jumped down the two steps. She grabbed his arm with both hands.

"Brrr! Getting pretty chilly, I think."

"Wait 'til the 'arctic express' starts roaring again," he said. "Your next Iowa winter will be better than the last."

"Hey, I hope so, but I lived in Minnesota, you know, so I'm toughened up already."

"Right! I thought all those gophers spend the winter underground," he bantered. They walked rapidly south on the field road toward the wetland.

Alexander looked proudly at his beans and corn stretched all around them. He hoped the prices would be good, and that the moisture, better in this part of the state that elsewhere, had come at the right time for top yields. He was excited to be in the combine again -- to feel the thrum of the harvest from the high seat with the wide view.

Moonlight walked in their shadows beside them, rippling across rows of pale beans nearly ready. Their steps padded on the smooth surface of the field road. Occasional scuffs of dust showed at their feet when long moonlight fell there. The north breeze cooled the land.

The arm-linked walkers paused at the crest of the terrace above tiny prairie remnant. The moonlight began sweeping down on it. They could hear just bits of the last peeper and crickets songs above the persistent rustle of dry corn. Patches of water among bulrushes and cattails blinked silver and black. A few strings of surface fog swirled off the warm water.

"Tea's getting cold," said Laura.

"I know, but this is too beautiful..." He unlinked her arm from his, turned, and looked right at Laura, holding her hands. Moonlight lit one side of each face.

Their kiss would have warmed the coldest tea.

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Next week..."How Come More People Don't Vote?," Chapter 30.

The Upper Basin Chronicles, Chapter 29 was written and edited by John Gabbert.

Your comments are much appreciated. Email feedback to The Upper Basin Chronicles, Chapter 29.

The characters presented here are purely fictional, and neither bear resemblance to persons living or dead, nor represent the views or opinions of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.