Reflection

By S.C. Clarke

Eleanor Clara Edwards was sitting alone in her room, she had just buried her husband Henry of over sixty years yesterday. Eleanor's eightieth birthday was also today, her only wish was to be able to spend it with her husband and her sons. During their more than sixty year marriage Eleanor and Henry had two sons, Michael and Andrew, who both were killed in action overseas during World War II, both were fighter pilots and were shot down in combat. They never had a chance to marry so Eleanor and Henry didn’t have any grandchildren. Eleanor was an only child, and she did not have any other relatives, although she was never alone she always had her Henry and now all she has is herself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: S.C. Clarke
• Release date: Dec 12, 2013
• ISBN: 9781310545511

S.C. Clarke

S C Clarke Bio Born and raised in Pennsylvania, I am the first generation American on my mothers side. I am a proud mother of four all almost grown children, two boys, two girls, ages seventeen to twenty-three. In the early 1950's my grandmother (Oma), uncle and mother arrived at Ellis Island on Christmas Eve. My mother was only about seven at the time, the only thing she received for Christmas that year was a doll which she still has today. I have often been asked where do I get my strength from...I would have to say from my grandmother, my Oma, whenever I feel discouraged, I think of what she had gone through when she lived in Germany during World War II. She was arrested and held in a camp for sheltering, and assisting many Jewish families escape, also during this time she was the mother of two young children, my uncle who was born during the war, and my mother who was born three months before the end of the war. Falling in love with an American soldier who was also part African American, and moving herself and her children here to America where back in the 1950's, mixed marriages were much frowned upon. Oma however did not care, she was a woman of strong will and strong passions. When I was eight years old I traveled to Germany with my Oma, mother, and brother, seeing such sights as the castles along the Rhine River, The Black Forest, and other places. And of course Neuschwanstein Castle, which is my favorite place in the world, and I have longed to return there ever since. Writing has been a dream of mine for many years, I never had the courage to pursue this passion, always doubting myself and thinking I will never be good enough. Now that I have written two books in my Halcyon Isle Series and am working on the third, not to mention other works I have completed, along with other books I am currently working on. I see now that being successful with my writing has more to do with the feeling of accomplishment I have when I finally finish a book I worked so hard on, giving me the strength to go on to the next one.

Book preview

REFLECTION

S.C. Clarke

Copyright 2013 by S.C. Clarke

Published at Smashwords

Eleanor Clara Edwards was sitting alone in her room, she had just buried her husband Henry of over sixty years yesterday. Eleanor's eightieth birthday was also today, her only wish was to be able to spend it with her husband and her sons. During their more than sixty year marriage Eleanor and Henry had two sons, Michael and Andrew, who both were killed in action overseas during World War II, both were fighter pilots and were shot down in combat. They never had a chance to marry so Eleanor and Henry didn’t have any grandchildren. Eleanor was an only child, and she did not have any other relatives, although she was never alone she always had her Henry and now all she has is herself.

Looking over at her bedside table there are pictures of her wedding and her sons in their uniforms. She picks up the picture of her and Henry in her left hand and one of her sons in her right. She sighs, and begins to talk to them as if they were still there with her, Michael, Andrew you boys look after your father and take care of him. Then one by one tears began to fall from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks and landing on the photos. She placed the photos on the bed, got up and went over to her vanity to dry her eyes.

Eleanor looked into the mirror, her face even though wrinkled still captured the essence of her beauty, her eyes an Aqua green color sparkled even today as they did in her youth. Her hair, long, wavy and a sort of brownish gray was pulled up into a bun atop her head. This was the first time she realized that she was truly alone, Eleanor had friends and she adored them so, but it was inevitable of what was to come, she one day would be joining her husband and sons and she accepted this.

The day was young, Eleanor went downstairs to get herself some breakfast and coffee. As she was preparing the coffee pot she says out of habit, Henry can you get the eggs out of the fridge, I feel like an omelet this morning. She turned around and once again realized she was talking to herself. This is going to take a little getting used to she