The Lost

An old woman sits on the porch of her split level brick house and remises about her lost childhood. She rocks back and forth in her chair and smiles shakily and the memories that invade her mind.

Grass growing high over her and her small sister’s head, the bright blue sky overhead and their father nearby picking the corn that had grown for the summer. He turned toward them and smiled yelling, “Girls be careful!! Don’t fall into the lake!” The girls ran around the yard laughing and giggling as they did so. Mandy was young then…she was full of sun and laughter and joyfulness. Her younger sister, Landis, was shy and sweet. Full of happiness is what a lot of her family said.

Around and around the two girls ran chasing each other and laughing picking up leaves and throwing them trying to hit each other. The more they chased one another the closer they came to the lake. The beautiful blue-green of the water shown like jewels in the later afternoon sun. Trees were high over head and an eagle flew up above them. A gentle breeze shifted the two girls’ dresses. They looked back and noticed that their father wasn’t watching them anymore. So they grinned broadly at each other and ran closer to the edge of the lake.

The closer the girls got the faster they ran. All of a sudden Landis tripped and fell into the lake…she screamed right before she splashed into the water. Mandy screamed calling for her father and for Landis. Neither of the girls could swim and Landis was rapidly sinking into the water…drowning as her older sister watched in stunned horror.

Their father came running and jumped into the lake trying to get to Landis before it was too late. When she went under the last time she didn’t come back up and Mandy was so scared. Her father dove and pulled Landis up, he brought her to the surface and swam to the bank. He put her on the ground and knelt beside her. She wasn’t breathing. He tried everything: CPR, breathing exercises, and even smacking her. Nothing worked, Landis was lost to them.

Mandy shakes the memory from her mind and looks out over the yard one more time. She sees the shinning lake and the tears fall from her eyes. She looks over beside the house at the two solid tombstones standing side by side. Landis Leeanne Marrow one says and the other, Ronald Larry Marrow…Beloved Father.