The Long Wait For September
-Chapter One: Mabel-
The hand of the goddess moved the black mouse across the wooden desk. The cursor slowly found the tiny icon with the little face. Left-click. She waited as the opening screens came up.
Finally, the screen with the big green arrow. The goddess clicked the arrow, to begin work at giving her newest creation a cybernetic semblance of life.
The first to appear was a girl. She was already somewhat pretty with long wavy brown hair. A quick zoom revealed that her eyes were also brown.
After some consideration, it was decided that her features were fine as they were.
The clothes, however, were another matter. After all, black mesh stockings were not suitable on someone wearing a cowboy hat. The pink, white and black plaid skirt and leather vest would also have to go.
After a moment, the goddess selected a pair of faded jeans, cowboy boots and a brown t-shirt.
Another zoom and the goddess looked into the brown eyes of her creation.
Those eyes, rimmed with thick lashes, seemed almost alive. Full of awe and anticipation, they blinked, moving around a little. Almost as if to keep their moisture.
~I wonder what my name will be,~ she wondered. ~Sue, maybe. Or Pam. Or Maggie. That's a good name for a nice country gal like me.~
The goddess knew what she was thinking and smiled.
"I have just the name for you," she said. And with a smile she typed in the name 'Mabel Donahoe'.
A few more mouse-clicks and keystrokes Mabel a sweet voice.
"Dear Mabel," the goddess thought to herself. "What do you walk like?"
"I strut," said the look in Mabel's eyes. "I definitely strut."
The goddess tested this with the closest option. A swagger.
"Yes, I agree," she said. "You swagger. But now that I see you from the side, your feet look a tad long. Not too much so, but if you want me to shrink them a bit, I will."
Mabel smiled at the goddess's kindness. And shook her head. Her feet were, after all, just the right size for cowboy boots.
The next step was to help Mabel choose which path in life she would follow.
As a down-to-earth country gal, she asked her goddess to give her a goal that would be right for such a woman.
The goddess thought about it and decided to lead her down the path to family rather than to fortune.
Mabel smiled as she was endowed with traits which made her family-oriented, neat, and a lover of the great outdoors.
The goddess decided to take a break from her creation to enjoy a supper of pasta smothered in a nice meaty sauce. As she waited for the water to boil, she thought of the husband she would create for Mabel.
He would be a cowboy. That was the perfect man to start a long line. Good moral fiber, and strong character. And she would name him Hank or Frank. Those sounded like good solid cowboy names.
She paused in her thoughts to check the water on the stove. Little bubbles at the bottom of the pan, but not yet boiling.
Perhaps she would create Mabel's husband before dinner.
-Chapter Two: Hank-
As soon as Hank appeared on screen, the goddess thought "That haircut has got to go. It's not terrible, but it's not what a cowboy would have."
After a couple of tries. The goddess selected a short well-groomed style. She picked a medium brown color and gave him blue eyes.
She also noticed that he had a neatly trimmed beard and moustache. After a pause, she decided to let him keep it.
It was time to check the water again. So the goddess went into the kitchen to see if it was boiling at last.
Not quite yet. Deciding that she had filled the pot with too much water, the goddess dumped out about half and went back to working on Hank.
Hank laughed as he thought of what traits the goddess would bestow upon him. Smiling as she gave him the hat that would grace his brow during the day.
Since she had already given Mabel the aspiration for a happy family, she gave Hank that for a successful family.
Now it was time to bestow the traits. After less than a moment's hesitation, Hank became and good and cheerful family-oriented man.
"What do you sound like?" The goddess asked Hank.
"I have a deep and rich voice. Nice and clear," Hank told her. And that is exactly how his voice sounded.
"I bet you have a nice touch cowboy walk."
"I do," Hank said, walking tough and proud in his cowboy hat.
"Oh my," the goddess said. "I must check the water, but when I come back we have to dress you properly."
Boiling at last! The goddess tossed the angel hair pasta into the water, then returned to her screen to help Hank find just the right outfit.
First adjusting his weight and muscles, she picked out a pair of stone-washed jeans for him. Cowboy boots went on next. Then a good old-fashioned blue and white checked shirt.
Finally, she fixed his eyebrows. making them nice and thick, the way a good cowboy's should be.
Happy, the goddess stored the young couple in her library.
"Now," she thought to herself, "let's see how well they fare in September."