just enough light

For three minutes last Saturday, people across China stopped what they were doing. In urban centers, all traffic lights went to red, everything came to halt. People bowed their heads, stood in silence, and paid respect to the thousands of friends, family, patients and medical workers who had died in the pandemic. How wise. A […]

As with any project sanctioned by a governmental body of any size, the project took longer than the size of the project would indicate. Digger had warned the board, “This will be more complicated than you think,” and he was right. No one anticipated the number of regulations involved and permits required to expand a […]

The Board, as one, lurched forward, stunned. The townspeople gasped, riveted, but confused. David paused, then continued quietly, “This is my proposal. Plans may proceed as proposed; a road may be built over my plots, with these conditions. When the road is laid out, I want a speed bump built into the road over the […]

Those in attendance grew restless as the Board went through all their normal gyrations of approving notes from the previous meeting, making announcements, and inquiring about old business that needed a revisit. When Board member, Randy Turner, raised a question about a detail pertaining to the payment date for the town’s liability insurance policy, an […]

None other than A. J. Barnett himself volunteered to talk with David. After all, it was his great need for the cemetery plots that brought the issue to light, and A. J. was certain of his persuasive ability in a matter such as this. He began his appeal by inviting David to lunch at the […]

“That’s not a problem,” blurted A. J. “Whoever it is will be offered some prime spots in the new annex.  Who is it?” Digger lowered his gaze as if talking to someone at his feet, “It’s David Murphy.” An audible groan came from all corners of the boardroom.  Eyes rolled, heads wagged, and many shifted […]

Raymond “Digger” Cummings had seen this coming for several years. Digger was the grounds keeper and record keeper for Hillside Cemetery, and had been so for more than 20 years. Digger was slim, some might call him scrawny, with a large adam’s apple for a man his size, and receding hairline always covered with a […]

Addison Jonas Barnett was speechless when told there were no more cemetery plots available in Hillside Cemetery. Being speechless was not familiar territory for him. His eyes widened, he got all puffed up, and finally blurted with his normal bluster, “Well, I’ve never heard of such a thing. That just can’t be.” He paused to […]

When Alice’s body finally died, long after her spirit had taken leave, the girls spread out into separate rooms. Alice’s room was redecorated with posters of boy bands, and soon the whole house became a flurry of clothes, curlers, and the intense noise of young teenaged girls.  Henry Junior didn’t much like the noise and […]

He hadn’t counted on the old man dying that fall. Henry was putting a truck tire on a rim when his heart gave out as suddenly as a blowout on a tire. Henry Junior was called out of English class with the news. It took a few anguishing days for Henry’s heart to finally give […]