The Ordinary Extraordinary
A story
In early 2020, when we were all isolated in our homes, hoping the craziness of the pandemic would be over in two weeks, many of us turned to new hobbies or interests to keep us occupied in the newfound solitude.
Personally, I undertook a creative writing challenge, where I had to follow a prompt and write either a poem, reflection, or story every day. Last week, I found the journal where I had recorded these compositions.
Today, I am going to be sharing with you one of them, a short story that I wrote entitled “The Ordinary Extraordinary.” I hope it brings a little delight to your heart.
The Ordinary Extraordinary
She had been ready for a while now. Bathing suit on, hair pinned up, she was waiting by the door for her beloved Henry. Sure, it was only a short walk to the beach from their holiday cabin, but she didn’t want to be alone even for the short time it would take her to venture there on her own. Finally, Henry strode over and Ellie found her pace beside him as they walked in silence down the path to the beach. It wasn’t an antagonistic silence, just the simple mutual acknowledgment that there was nothing that needed to be said.
Early on in their relationship, Ellie had tried to convince Henry to hurry up, but after a few pointless fights, she had come to recognize her own need to grow in patience. Maybe Henry could change, but that wasn’t really up to her. She began to embrace the fact that she was quicker than him at most things and thus, that she would have to learn to wait.
They got to the beach, and Ellie sighed happily as she drank in the landscape of serenity that had become a hidden sanctuary for her. The sun gently kissed her face and arms. The shore was quiet, for the beach was somewhat out of the way and did not attract many people other than the locals. Henry squeezed her hand, and then let go. When their marriage was new, she used to feel a light anxiety whenever Henry would drop her hand casually. Would he let go for good one day? Ten years in, she shared this with him. He had smiled at her and made no promises, but from then on he would squeeze her hand before letting go. Somehow this gesture reassured her, and the anxiety faded with time.
Henry went to set up his beach chair, and Ellie slowly walked towards the water, expecting the usual cold of the lake to hit her strongly. Instead, it was as if a miracle had occurred, just for her. Sticking her toes into the water, she felt sweet warmth creep up her leg and fill her whole body. The lake had somehow been inhabited by the sun, transforming the temperature for her private enjoyment. Ellie giggled and jumped in with a splash that made Henry glance up.
It made him smile, the image of his still youthful wife of forty years splashing in the water like the little girl. What an extraordinary day he thought, as he sat down in his chair with his well-worn copy of To Kill A Mockingbird. He knew that no story could be as heart-warming as the beautiful life he had been given.
I pray that you have a beautiful day and that you may fully enter into your ordinary extraordinary.
Wow! That was beautiful! Thank you for blessing the world with this lovely story:)