The fireplace. A story

The tagline for this blog promises plants-gardening-stories.  Today we have a story about a well crafted beautiful fireplace.  It is a story with a twist to get you in the mood for the upcoming season.

The Fireplace–a story.

Grandma’s chin was nestled on her ample chest as she dozed through the Christmas eve Bible reading.  Her ten year old granddaughter sat on the hearth, her knees pulled up under her chin as she listened to her mother reading.

Grandma caught herself dozing.  Her head jerked up and she motioned sharply at her grandson.  “Bubba, throw another log on the fire.  I’m cold.”  She adjusted her shawl around her shoulders and her chin fell down again to her chest.

Bubba had been sitting there whittling in front of the fire.  He slowly laid down his piece of cedar, folded his pocket knife, rose with a grunt, and walked to the stack of split firewood in the corner of the room.  He carefully chose just the right piece of wood, walked over and placed it on the fire and adjusted it.  He picked up the poker and stirred up the red embers.

“There you go, Grandma”. Bubba said as he sat back down and resumed his whittling.

As the mother paused in her reading about the Baby Jesus, the ten year old daughter spoke up.  “This is so wonderful.  I want to sit by this fireplace every Christmas of my life.  Just like this.  I love this fireplace.”

Sam put on his hard hat and grinned at Bill.

“Damn, Bill, you oughta been a writer.  You sure do have a good imagination.  I can just picture all of that happening.  I bet it did.”

The both turned and gazed at the freestanding fireplace with a two story chimney– all that was left of the comfortable old house that had been there two days ago.

Sam climbed into his dump truck.  “Let’s tear that sucker down.” He yelled.

By john schulz

On watching the chimney at the corner of Martha Berry and the Bypass.