My Wild Sorrel Filly

By Vic Berkshire

Though times are changing, it wasn't that long ago that people who were considered ‘different' were shunned by most. Anyone who's own adjectives fall under weird, different, unique, strange, to name a few of a long list of synonyms, long to feel normal. Marilyn is the only person that I ever met that could see past our ‘differentnesses'. She saw ‘who' each and everyone was and treated everyone as normal human beings. Having an uncanny ability to make people feel special about themselves, she would draw people from all walks of life, to her. Everyone wanted her to be their Pied Piper and she did so, graciously.

Though everyone was perplexed, including myself, as to why she chose me as her husband, I was greatly honored that she did so. For 12 years I had a true Angel at my side and, though I am saddened by her passing, I am also saddened that so many missed out on being touched by her.

Sharing my life with her is my way of sharing her with the world. Then we can all morn the loss of her together.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Newman Springs Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781636923857

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My Wild Sorrel Filly

Vic Berkshire

Copyright © 2021 Vic Berkshire

All rights reserved

First Edition

NEWMAN SPRINGS PUBLISHING

320 Broad Street

Red Bank, NJ 07701

First originally published by Newman Springs Publishing 2021

ISBN 978-1-63692-384-0 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63692-385-7 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

The Beginning

The Wedding

Frolicking through Life

Recalculating

Heaven on Earth

End of the World

Aftermath

Diary

To my best friend, my love, my lover, my Mrs. Booger Butt, my wild sorrel filly, my world, my everything, and my wife—Marilyn Marie Berkshire, 1950–2017

Chapter 1

The Beginning

Through the dirty, streaked window of our community Laundromat, my attention was immediately drawn toward a redheaded lady inside.

As a neighbor walked by, I asked, Who is that? while nodding toward the window.

Oh, that lady is totally crazy and dangerous. You’ll want to stay clear of that one.

As an Oh passed my lips, my eyes peeled gradually away from their view. I had no idea as to why my interest was drawn toward her. I have never been interested in redheads in the past, and though she was cute, getting involved with anyone now was the last thing on my mind.

Our lives are like books, and I was starting a new chapter in my life. Now in my forties, I had been through many, many chapters. Though there are many different reasons that I start new chapters in my life, I always start over from scratch. So here I am! Short, chubby middle-aged man with a past best forgotten starting all over again in the game of life. Now add in all my idiosyncrasies—avoiding crowds, loud noises, clowns, balloons, and drawing attention to myself, to name a few. Misfit is a label that fits me though I’ve been called weird, unique, different, and strange among many, many less charming terms. At this point in my life, I had absolutely nothing to offer any woman with the exception of a ton of baggage.

Having grown up in the Northwest, I had missed the greenness of it, fond of the clean, crisp aroma in the air after a rain. So I decided to start this chapter in my life back in the Northwest. Though I am definitely a country boy, jobs are easier to come by in the city. These are the reasons that I wound up living in a fifteen-foot travel trailer in a dumpy, grimy manufactured home/RV park. The stereotyping of trailer trash fit this place like a size small T-shirt on a bodybuilder. This dive was positioned just on the outskirts of Seattle, Washington, just a block from Aurora.

It never took me long in the past to land a job, so I was quite certain that I would have a job in no time. The plan was to relocate closer to my job or that my job would lead me to directions unknown. I was willing to float wherever. However, with each passing day, weeks, and then months, my arrogant attitude toward finding a job dwindled into nothingness.

I finally landed a job as a security officer at a hospital. Great benefits with low pay, but I was not looking a gift horse in the mouth. I was relieved that I had found something—anything! I happily buckled down and got serious about getting my finances in order.

As I gradually chipped away at the piles of bills, I realized that I was going to be stuck in my location for a while, so I decided to try to make the best of a bad situation. The spot that my trailer was in was so small that I could not open my awning. I asked if there was another site that had more room that I could move to. The manager had me move to a center site which was directly across the driveway from the crazy and dangerous lady.

The day I moved was a bit warm, so I had my shirt off while getting the trailer set up. As I was adjusting my satellite dish, I noticed that this same lady was watching me. I quickly grabbed a T-shirt and threw it on. I’m very self-conscious of the scars that I have on my potbelly and barrel chest. I once was berated by a lady for not covering my ugliness in public, and I was mortified to ever have that happen again. Once my ugliness was covered, I continued my work and totally ignored my audience. I was used to people staring at me, and I find that ignoring the behavior was the easiest way for me to deal with it.

As luck would have it, the largest RV site that this park had, had become available the very next month; and I found myself moving once again. This time, it happened to be directly next to the crazy and dangerous lady. I soon discovered that she had three Chihuahuas living with her in her fifteen-foot travel trailer. I found myself watching her quite often as she reminded me of the Pied Piper when she would take them out into the yard behind her trailer. She had put up a makeshift picket fence around her trailer and would walk the Chihuahuas several times a day. Sitting in a chair with the Chihuahuas pawing at her, she would pet and chat with each one. I was feeling drawn to her just as those Chihuahuas did. Her Pied Piper magic was working on me just as well.

My social skills are very much on the lacking side, so I had no idea as to how to start up a conversation with my new neighbor. Within days, to my relief, she started up a conversation with me. I cannot recall any of that first conversation. I was so struck by her soft blue eyes and her long auburn hair that I found myself feeling totally detached from myself. Inwardly, maybe outwardly as well, I was grinning from ear to ear. I felt just like those Chihuahuas, longing to always be close to her. She was such a captivating, beautiful woman, I felt privileged that she even took the time to speak to me.

Soon we were talking every day, and she was the one who eagerly started each conversation. Why was I so drawn to this woman? She did tell me that she was a practicing Wicca; maybe she had a spell on me. There was no way any woman would ever find me such a catch that they’d have to put a spell on me. So nope, that can’t be it. I just could not seem to get enough of her, which is really strange for me because I