Moonlight

Chapter 1

I am standing with my friends under the awning at the general store. The weather is  quickly changing from sunny to mucky. The brown dirt roads will begin to turn muddy when the raindrops start falling. My friend Marie was talking about her father seeing a man sneaking around their property last night.

My mind is elsewhere. I am dreaming of the lush fields of the heart lands, the hot air of the desert, the salty mist from the sea, and the bustling sounds of the city. All the things I've been reading about so restlessly. My father worked as a coach driver, so he traveled the countryside from town to town, coast to coast taking people on adventures and getting some of the most beautiful views one could ask for while working. Because of this, he hadn't been home often, and not a lot towards the end of his life.

I heard some commotion from inside the store, so I entered swiftly. The shop keeper, whom I know by name was demanding my brother to return most of the apples he began stuffing into his arms. 

"Elias..." I said calmly. My brother turned his head in a rush and dropped the apples, and I watched them almost in slow motion as they bounced off the wooden floor boards. "Mr. Worth... I am so sorry. Elias, what do you say to Mr. Worth?"

He stayed quiet., but hung his head in shame. His eyes met one of the apples and he reached to pick them up. I did the same and once we both retrieved each apple, I dusted them and walked over to the counter.

"I am so sorry, Mr. Worth.  I will pay you for them-"

"No need, Rosemary. I was friends with your father. You can just take them."

"I must pay you for these. I insist." I pulled out my coin purse and paid him.

He reluctantly took the money. "You are too kind. How is your mother?"

"She is working herself hard. I would be working too if I didn't have to keep such a close eye on my brother."

He sympathetically smiled, and we said goodbye. Elias smiled when I started loading his arms back up with them. I guided him to the door and closed it behind us.

Elias is my older brother, but mentally he is my younger brother. He is slower than most folk, but is as sweet as a peach. I love him and would do anything for him, but some times he holds me back from having fun. Dating is almost impossible since he gets so jealous, and my families current situation requires me to keep an eye on him since my mother works hard as an assistant to the doctor in town.

Its hard enough when you are my age. Everyone expects you to marry. There is no man in Valentine who is going anywhere farther than the cemetery. I want to see the world. I can't have some simple man holding me back.

My friends greeted us as we walked back onto the porch from the store. My friend Joy smiled. "Oh my, Elias, that's a lot of apples!"

He grinned ear to ear. staying silent. He doesn't say much, especially while around my friends. But they adore him."Yes, I spooked him when I came in and he dropped them."

Marie smiled, "I'll take one, Elias." He smiled and handed her one. We all giggled as we stepped off the porch. A tall man, dressed smartly walked in front of us and bumped into Elias.

"Watch it, idiot." He spoke coldly. He began strutting away.

"Excuse me!" I called after him. He stopped in the sloppy dirt, and turned back.

He sighed before speaking. "Yes m'am?" 

"I am so very sorry about my dear brother, but you did bump into him just as much as he did to you."