The story of Almanzo Taylor. Whose life is about to change.. It’s today.
Finally cracking open his eyes at the streams of daylight, Almanzo took in the wonder of the moment. Normally on a usual day, his daily routine was sleepily jumping out of bed, grabbing his clothes and choking down breakfast to get through the morning hustle. But today was not normal. His bed had never felt more easy to get out of, or more hard to leave. Almanzo tossed and trembled as the excitement of tonight took over him, almost wanting to close his eyes again to keep this day in the future. Wondering if something would go wrong but excited for what would go right. He was looking forward to it, but he would never have this second again, the second of anticipation. In fact, remembering the journey to get here was a journey all in itself. All those moments of free joy and laughter and love. Never again would he simply lay in bed, contemplating the future of his life - of what would happen tonight. He would find out today. And he was never more ready. It was time to put this anticipation in the past, and take on the real-life. Today he was proposing to his best friend. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Sighing hopefully, he turned his eyes to her as the breeze swiftly prodded him. “Sierra...Do .. you ever think, that you’re not a real person yet? Like, you’re just waiting until you can finally live - somehow?” Sierra shook her head happily. “Almanzo, how could you ever think that? I don’t. I have never felt more alive, never felt more ready to live, never felt more real… than when I’m with you.” The blood rushed back to Almanzo’s head in unexpected relief. All throughout their two-year close friendship, he had always wondered if Sierra was happy being with him. She could be doing so much more, going so many more places with her degree, hanging with more sophisticated people...and maybe she was just waiting for the right opportunity. But she didn’t care about all that it seemed. Maybe... “I want you.” “What?” Almanzo was caught off guard as he stared wide-eyed into the bushes. “Say that again?” “I don’t want any fancy job, I don’t want to have to miss you ever. I want you,” Sierra timidly brushed his heart with her words. He looked into her melty eyes of joy and clenched his jaw to keep from tearing up, but the dimply smile still showed through. And Almanzo knew that if only he could be with her - his love - his forever would be perfect. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… The flowers were ready. Almanzo was getting more jittery by the moment - maybe by the nerves or the six cups of coffee he had somehow drank - no one knows which. Sniffing the pale pink roses he had just picked up from the florist, he closed his eyes and imagined what she would say when she saw them…. “Sir? Your credit card is ready.” What? Oh right. The takeout cheesecake from the restaurant from their first date. The bill. He had paid it. He was at the restaurant. Almanzo jerked out of his daze and found out he had been standing in the middle of the To Go section looking stupid. Trying to concentrate and smother the smile from his face, he opened his eyes into the face of the amused waiter. “Sorry, thanks man,” Almanzo grabbed the credit card and nonchalantly tried to act like a normal person on just any other day, looking around to see if Sierra happened to be there somehow. “I hope she says yes.” What? Almanzo looked back at the waiter who chuckled, then was gone. Oh yeah, he had told him about putting the ring in the cheesecake. Okay, next stop. Central Park. It was going on 5:00, and Sierra was supposed to meet him under the willow tree at 6. As Almanzo walked to the car he mumbled to himself, “I think I’m forgetting something.. The picnic basket! The sparkling cider! The checkered blanket! This is going to be perfect.” Almanzo smiled as he hopped into his car with his goods for his upcoming engagement. “The ring!” he remembered and slipped his fingers into his suit pocket to make sure it was still there. It was. He even already had wedding invitations printed out, he sheepishly recalled - not that he would tell anyone about that. He definitely had everything prepared to the dot. Just like all those other engagement people. Now, all he needed was a bride. 5:30 pm. He’d been waiting at Central Park for 12 minutes only and he didn’t know if he could take the suspense. Contemplating popping open the sparkling cider just to hold him over, he almost started laughing or crying from nervousness but he couldn’t tell. He didn’t know what to do. He just paced around the grassy knoll for what seemed like an eternity. 5:45. It was getting real. Would she show up early, or..? Almanzo didn’t know what they did at such things. He had never been at a proposal before. In fact, he had never proposed before. What do those other guys do? He supposed he should work on his lovey speech since they probably do that. Oh man it’s almost time. 5:58. She should be here any moment.. Okay let’s see-we got the willow tree, and the picnic all set up, and me.. What could be better? Almanzo chuckled as he thought of his hilarious joke but remembered no one else would know what was funny. 6:00. It’s the time I’ve been waiting for for six months.. Almanzo nervously thought. What if it doesn’t happen? What if….. 6:30. 7:00. 8:00. 9:00. The times all excruciatingly passed by, each ding of the clock hurting like the sharp prongs of the arrows were poking him in the heart. Because what he was waiting for never happened. Nothing happened. The what ifs were answered. Because she never came. He lay under the willow tree long after dusk, clutching the picnic blanket for warmth and comfort. The empty cider bottle lay forgotten at his side. The once-lovely flowers were wilted. And the ring? Still cold in his pocket. What happened? What went wrong? What did he ever do? After a long agony of confusion and sorrow.. It was time to find out. He scrolled on his phone to find her number, deciding it was time to finally text her. He had been scared and embarrassed before but now he would go for it. Maybe she forgot… wait.. Where is her profile? He searched her name in his contacts and couldn’t find it. Okay.. let’s try Facebook. He typed in her name and nothing came up. He couldn’t find her name among his friends. He couldn’t find any pictures of anything she was tagged in. And after 5 minutes of panicking and checking every social media on the market, he realized her name had completely disappeared from everywhere. What? What happened? There must be some explanation. He packed up the car and rushed to her house. No answer. The sign in the front yard said “Foreclosed.” Impossible. He rushed to her mom’s house, knocked on the door, and thankfully she answered. “Hello Mrs. Churchill? I was wondering if you had seen Sierra?” “Sierra who?” the confused lady asked. “Sierra Mist … your daughter?” Almanzo asked in fear of what she was about to say. “I don’t have a daughter named Sierra! Now what are you talking about?” Mrs. Churchill said. “I don’t know how she would know you even if I did, you trashy scoundrel.” The door closed in his face. And the gloom of despair closed him in. Enough to insure a private detective. Enough to spend half of his savings and pawn the ring. He needed an answer. He needed Sierra back! He needed his love, his pride, his joy. But the private detective only confirmed what Almanzo feared. Sierra Mist was not a real person.
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about the authorAs a 21 year old aspiring teacher, Karissa loves to write, travel, play piano, and read. Many creative things have her heart. archives
November 2021
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