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Samm
EVENING SONG
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Darcy glanced out the screen door as the sun began to touch the horizon. The colorful leaves gently waved in the evening breeze, beckoning her outside. She strolled onto the front porch and leaned against the post, breathing the autumn air deep into her very soul, relishing the cool fragrance of leaves on the dampening ground.
The early autumn sky was spray-painted with gorgeous shades of pinks, lavenders, and blues, and the sun highlighted each pop-corn-shaped cloud with its own gilt edging. Darcy felt her face relax into a broad smile of contented pleasure.
"Supper dishes washed up already?" her father questioned from inside the doorway.
Still grinning, Darcy took a quick glimpse over her shoulder as she answered. "Yes, Daddy." She settled on the top step, admiring the darkening vista. "The kitchen's all tidied up. Now I can bask in my favorite time of the day."
She heard the creak of the door spring and felt the heavy footfalls of her father approaching the steps to join her. Neither looked at the other. They both sat in their own serene thoughts for a long while, until stars began to appear.
"The sky looks like dark purple velvet. Oh, look, Daddy," Darcy pointed slightly off to their left. A star glittered white-red-yellow-blue over and over again. "My magic star is dancing for us."
"Your magic star," Jake chuckled. "Sure does bring back lots of memories. Your momma used to love lookin' at the stars, too, after a long day's work. Dark skies come earlier this time of year. It leaves more time to notice things like dancin' stars."
Darcy leaned to her right and rested her head on her father's strong shoulder. "Sweet memories, yes. I've missed the quiet spaciousness I grew up in, Daddy... the pure, fresh peacefulness of it."
"Well, darlin', I'm glad you're able to come and visit every once in a while. It does my heart good knowin' you're doin' well for yourself in the city. An' I like the way your accent has gotten softer. Your words come out more educated, more ladylike. You worked hard at betterin' yourself. Look where you are and what you've accomplished. I'm mighty proud of you."
Glad she wasn't looking her father in the eye, Darcy responded, "I worked hard, all right," she hesitated, "but my motivation was all wrong. It was for selfish reasons, Daddy. I'm so sorry about that."
"Aw, darlin', it don't matter you tryin' to lose your drawl."
He patted her knee, his gentle gesture touching her heart more deeply than any words could. It told her he truly understood the scope of her apology.
Jake began speaking in retrospect. "It sure is a great big ol' world out there. An' talk about selfish. I didn't take your momma no place. But I promised her you wouldn't be stuck here all your life." Jake's chest puffed out a bit. "An' I kept that promise."
Darcy was just about to speak what was on her mind when her father continued more softly.
"Your momma would be proud of you doin' so well, too." He quickly added, "Course your momma was proud of all you kids. Y'all turned out to be fine folks. But, you bein' the only girl 'n all, I think your momma was worried you'd be stuck out here in the country and never get to see nothin'."
Darcy pursed her lips in the darkness and held her thoughts a while longer. When her father nudged her gently with his shoulder, she sat up and studied his face. Where had all of those wrinkles around his eyes and on his forehead come from? When had his hair turned more gray than brown? When had he grown older?
"You still waitin' for someone special to come knockin' at your door?" her father asked. "Life don't come to you. You gotta go lookin' for Life and find what it has to offer," he added gently.
Darcy breathed a light sigh. This wasn't the first time he'd said this to her. "I know, Daddy," she softly responded, and she could see it was her turn to provide reassurance and strength. She giggled at the long-forgotten image of a tall, handsome stranger -- Mr. Right -- knocking at her door, whisking her away to Paradise, rescuing her from herself and her pitiful fate in Nowhereville, USA. She laughed, "I know 'Mr. Right' doesn't make house calls!" She could tell her genuine cheeriness lightened his concern. "I certainly don't know everything, Daddy, but I haven't lived like a shut-in. I've traveled to every corner of this country and all over Europe. More importantly, though, I've lived here and in the city. I finally know where I want to be."
Jake shuffled his feet on the wooden porch steps as he sat, displacing the leaves that had settled there from the earlier breeze.
"You know the old saying, 'You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl'?" Darcy asked, watching her father closely. "Well, that's not always true. You can take the country out of the girl -- but only if she wants it that way."
The older man squinted his eyes at the magic dancing star, only slightly concealing his watery eyes, then cleared his throat. "I knew this day would come." He placed his leathery hand on her chilled arm. "It's gettin' cool. We'd best be gettin' inside," he said as he stood with some effort.
"Daddy, did you know that you can't see these stars when you're in the city?"
Darcy's question brought her father to a standstill.
"And the sounds of the night -- crickets and other little nighttime creatures -- those sounds are evening song to me. It makes me sad to think what the people in the city miss every night. Things I don't intend to deprive myself of any longer. I'm home to stay, Daddy."
© 1999 Susan McLean Russak
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