Chapter 27
- Epilogue –
Alone on a green pastured hillside, one of the Elders waited for the visitor from the City. It wasn’t an event that happened often, but when a request came from the city’s board, the Elders no longer saw any reason to disallow it. The woman approaching looked old, which was usually the way of such visits. They tended to be granted later in life and only on request from an outstanding citizen. The woman approached. A selected Elder met her and introduced herself as Lita.
“What can I show you of our world?” Lita asked. “Do you want to see a river, the mountains or the ocean?” These were the three most common requests. The older woman’s reply brought a smile to Lita’s face, and she instantly understood why she, out of all the Elders, had been chosen to escort this visitor.
“I’m looking for the grave of Callen Helfner,” the old woman said. Lita nodded and began leading the way across the grasses to an open field of impressive gravestones. As they walked, she took pride in announcing her relationship to Callen.
“He’s my grandfather.”
The comment brought the old women to a halt. Lita was in her late forties. The old woman couldn’t help but stare at every inch of her bright face.
“Is everything all right?” Lita asked. Her question snapped the old woman from staring and brought back her shuffling steps as they continued.
“Wonderful, everything’s wonderful,” she said. Lita continued her gentle narration as they walked. She detailed how Callen had risen to become a great leader amongst their people. How he replaced Lien, who himself had long reigned as Chief Elder.
“It’s the only time two consecutive Chief Elders have come from the same family,” Lita offered proudly. She told of the success of their consecutive reigns; the changes they implemented between the Outlocked communities and the world of the nearby city. She also listed some of the many important sons and daughters Callen and Eve had, and now grandchildren, some of whom, like Lita, had gone on to become Elders themselves.
The two reached the sight of the graves and walked between the headstones. Lita stopped and rested her hand on Callen’s stone. It read, Callen (Helfner) Carrus, born 2464, died 2541. Husband to Eve, Father to Lien, Jonathan, Leona, Annie, Raegher and Ky.
“You must remember him from the time he spent in the city?” Lita asked.
“Yes, yes I do,” the old woman replied. “When he was very young, I was his mother.”
Leona’s eyes sparkled on forming those words. It was the first time she’d said them out loud in well over a hundred years.
“And you’re right. He was a great man. A great teacher and I was a poor student.”
Lita stepped forward to support Leona who was struggling to stay upright in the heat. It had been many years since Leona had called upon her weary limbs to exert themselves to this extent and she was grateful for the helping hand.
“Please, just find me somewhere to rest a while,” she said.
Lita helped her down to a natural seat, formed by a large root at the base of a nearby tree. Here, in the shade, with a gentle breeze washing over her and a few shrilled calls from birds above, she found rest. Leona closed her eyes to concentrate on recuperation and began to suck large breaths of naturally scented air into her lungs. The simple act was one of the most peaceful of her life, but the moment didn’t last long.
Lita’s concerns about her guest’s condition grew to a point she headed away to find someone to provide medical assistance. Lita would be the last person to see Leona Carrus alive. Her life had stretched almost one hundred and seventy-four years. One hundred and seventy-four hollow years that paled in comparison to the brief but brilliant seventy-seven years of Callen’s life; seventy-seven years that set alight so many others, determined to better their lives and fight for the changes he’d begun.
THE END.
Thank you for reading my book. If you enjoyed it, and feel like telling others, rate it or review it at Goodreads or any other of your favorite book forums. I will love you for it!
Many Thanks.
Scott Norton Taylor
You can read more from Scott at his blog - https://scott-norton.blogspot.com.au/
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About the author:
Scott Norton Taylor won the Australian Writer’s Guild Award for Theatre before moving to write for Television. He has headed the script departments of five television dramas, developed and set up shows around the world. He developed and set up Na Wspolnej in Poland, a show that is still in production after 15 years.
Scott asseses treatments and screenplays from both BFA (Screenwriting) and MFA (Screenwriting) students attending one of Australia’s premier writing courses, The Victorian College of the Arts.
He most recently created and wrote Moonman, a half hour TV comedy that premiered on Australia’s national network, ABC, in July 2016.
Scott lives in Melbourne Australia with his partner, San. He is a die hard StKilda football fan and owns a Labradoodle who is too cute for his own good.
Inner City Page 26
