“George, what are you doing?!”
“What’d I do, Slim?”
“You was shoutin’ in your sleep. About Lennie”
“I can’t control what I do in my sleep!”
“Well, you’re gonna hafta learn!!!” cried Slim as he stormed off into the abyss of the field facing the bunkhouse.
George thought of his options. He could either; train himself to keep silent in his sleep, or, the option that he had been thinking about quite seriously; leaving the ranch. He decided that very moment that he really only had one option. He wasn’t happy in the ranch at all, and it was reminding too much of Lennie. He needed out!
So that night in the dead of night, he packed his things silently and got up to leave. As he opened the door he heard somebody waking up and then realised it was just Carlson turning over. He stood in the door way creating a breath-taking silhouette of him looking out at the moons glow. He set of on his journey north. He had a picture in his head of what he was going to do. He was going to travel north for as long as his legs could carry him and when he could not go anymore, that’s where he would find his true life’s work. He had convinced himself that his theory will see him through. So he started on the dirt path with a sign post saying; San Francisco. In his head he thought that from there he would try and find a way to get to New York. Where he would fulfil his dreams, or so he thought.
In the end he got to San Francisco. And stayed in San Francisco, where he met Robin. She was standing on the beach. She says she was listening to the waves. The two of them sat on that beach for hours and talked. George learnt that her husband had died in a fight with the town’s bad boy. He was shot. She had never found anybody else to love after that. And George poured his heart and soul out to her.
Over the next few months he began to grow a trusting friendship with this girl. George asked her out. She agreed. This dating went on for over a year. And on the anniversary of Lennie, George proposed to Robin. She said yes right away. George told her that there might be a bit of a wait before they got married because he didn’t have enough money as he was working on a little cottage out in the country which he and Robin would move into in a few weeks.
George felt like he had it all. All in this one girl, he loved. And he truly loved her, with all his heart. One day they went of to a nearby field to have a picnic. Robin stood up and said;
“George hunny? I think…..Well…..I think I might be, well…..Pregnant!” with glee!
George’s face lit up with happiness and he jumped up and took her hand.
“we must go to the doctors now and get you check out” he said with a grin.
They went to the local doctor and it was confirmed. George was going to be a daddy! He rushed home with his soon-to-be-wife and started to plan their small white wedding. They made each decision together, carefully! Their wedding would take place in the summer in a little church just outside of the town they lived in. George was talking about invitations;
“We gotta invite my old friend Slim, and Le-…….” The mood dampened and George hung his head, and Robin walked over and hugged George tight around his shoulders.
“It’ll be fine. He will be there.” She said in a low comforting voice.
Days went by and the wedding past and Robin’s due date was approaching. When she started contracting George got frightened and went into panic mode. He brought her to the front room and closed the dusty curtains and told her to breathe as a miracle took place, the miracle of life.
“What’ll we call it darlin’?”
“Can we call it…?”
“Lennie!” They both said at the same time with the same amount of glee as the each other. And it was settled. So little Lennie grew up with the most loving family in the whole world!
Megan McBride 10F
