The earliest copyright date for this story is 1990. Mike tells me (during very short breaks from thesis writing) that he first wrote The Expectation while attending Biola University in Southern California. The evenings in that land of perpetual summer brought gentle breezes, which stirred the tree outside his dormitory window and beckoned Mike to pause from his studies. It is these breezes that inspired this story.
--Fezziwig
Saturday, May 19, 2007
The Expectation
Linda gazed out of her window and into the distance. “Where is he?” she wondered. The leaves on the maple tree just outside her second story window showed their fall colors, and “he” was late.
She looked again but to no avail. Linda sighed. One could wait an eternity.
She opened the window and leaned on the sill. A cool breeze stirred the leaves and touched her face. “Mmm,” she said, breathing deeply.
The wind stilled then started again. Soon winds blew one way then the other without pausing, the way wind does in autumn. The sky darkened while the winds strengthened, buffeting Linda time and again. Over distant mountains a full moon shined brightly. Clouds moved in scattered clumps as they journeyed from horizon to horizon. The night winds chilled Linda, sending a shutter down her spine.
Suddenly, as if awakened by the chill, Linda turned, ran out of her room and down the stairs. Not stopping for shoes or a jacket, she ran out the door and onto the cold pavement. Dancing with joy, she whispered to the wind, “He’s here. He’s here. Fall has finally come.”
Copyright 1990, 2006 by M. D. McKinley. All rights reserved.
First published in the third volume of http://www.ece.gatech.edu/ecesis/ in 2006.
She looked again but to no avail. Linda sighed. One could wait an eternity.
She opened the window and leaned on the sill. A cool breeze stirred the leaves and touched her face. “Mmm,” she said, breathing deeply.
The wind stilled then started again. Soon winds blew one way then the other without pausing, the way wind does in autumn. The sky darkened while the winds strengthened, buffeting Linda time and again. Over distant mountains a full moon shined brightly. Clouds moved in scattered clumps as they journeyed from horizon to horizon. The night winds chilled Linda, sending a shutter down her spine.
Suddenly, as if awakened by the chill, Linda turned, ran out of her room and down the stairs. Not stopping for shoes or a jacket, she ran out the door and onto the cold pavement. Dancing with joy, she whispered to the wind, “He’s here. He’s here. Fall has finally come.”
Copyright 1990, 2006 by M. D. McKinley. All rights reserved.
First published in the third volume of http://www.ece.gatech.edu/ecesis/ in 2006.
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