New Beginnings
New Beginnings
Ch1
As the image before him came into focus, he could see Hillwood park and but the direction and color of the light from the sun he could tell it was evening. As he searched in the back of his mind where and why he was here he glanced around and saw himself several yards away walking along side with Helga "What's going on here?" he asked himself watching the events unfold before his eyes, but it didn't take long for him to realize just what he was watching. "This is the time I told Helga I was moving away" He dared himself and got a little closer to hear himself and Helga talking, first he heard himself. "Listen Helga, I've been thinking about this for awhile and…" He said fading not wanting to say it but Helga looked to him curiously. "Thinking about what Arnold?" He brought himself to look back to her, Well, it all goes back to when we found my parents." Helga gave him a sly grin "How could I forget." She held him littler tighter in an embrace as they walked along the park. "Well I've been thinking of living with them for while, you know to make up for lost time." Helga suddenly stopped dead in her tracks along with Arnold As Arnold watched his memory replay in front of him, the feelings he felt then started to flood him all over again, and just before he could hear Helga's response, the image before him grew in brightness and engulfed everything in front of him, before opening his eyes and seeing the sun light peering into the room waking him up.
Arnold sat up slightly in the bed as he blinked a few times taking in his surroundings then got up rubbing his eyes from being closed all night. He looked to the radio and saw it was eight in the morning, and he remembered he lied down around nine last night. He let out a yawn as he got up to handle the morning routine. A short time later he found his way down stairs, he noticed a note on the edge of the stairs, and he picked it up. "Hey Arnold, sorry I had to get to work but feel free to help your self, I'll be off at five." Arnold let it back down on the sofa table by the stair case. Then after a quick breakfast he got up to head out and take a look around the old neighborhood
Mean while across town…
The sound of pages flipping was the only thing heard as the older women read a newly written novel by the young author who sat on the other side of the room. The young writer was very nervous about her second book, it was last year since the release first book "Call to Duty" about a couple during world war 2 and the man is drafted into service only to never be seen again, that book had been a great success and was on the top seller for a couple months and brought some attention to her home town of Hillwood, as she became a small town celebrity. It was a few years ago when she had decided to put more effort into her writings when famous author Joan Wilder had seen some of her works and decided to teach her more about writing. For the young writer she had been a fan of Joan's books since half way through high school when she picked up a copy of Romancing the Stone, that had been based on true events of her adventures in South America, which may have been what attracted her to the book in the first place with her own adventure in south America. It seemed uncanny sometimes at their similarities which is why she felt like sister to her. Joan Wilder who had been a famous writer had retired some years ago to work for Bench Mark Publishing House so she could give new writers their chance to discover their careers as authors and help further their abilities.
After a couple hours, Joan looked up from the pages of Helga's book; she had to take her reading glasses away to wipe a tear that was forming away from her face. She sniffed lightly as she pulled a tissue from a tissue box on her end table; Joan put the pages down on the coffee table as she regained her composure. Joan lightly brushed her hands through her graying hair that once use to be blonde, gave her over shirt a quick tug to straighten it out. "Well Helga you certainly out done yourself again, the ending really got to me." This brought on a smile on Helga's face. "You like it? Thanks." "Well you are a very talented writer, which is why I chose to give you your shot at the big leagues, but while on the subject of your writing I have a question." Helga suddenly became very puzzled, what problem could Joan have with her writing after all the praise that she had given. "Yeah what is it?" she asked very curiously. "Well it's nothing serious, but I was wondering if you had a similar experience in your own life?" Suddenly a wave of anxiety flooded over Helga, she hadn't really thought about that in years. "Ah, no why?" but the expression on her face betrayed her words, Joan had long since found how to read expressions and listen to how people talk and on some occasions broke through walls that people had built up to protect their secrets, she just gave Helga a piercing stare, "look at me Helga, I know you to well enough to know your not telling the truth. Now tell me the truth what happened?"
Helga could feel the butterflies building up in her stomach; she couldn't believe that she was facing that one chapter in her life she had thought she blocked out of her memory. "Well it was around middle school that it happened, it seemed perfect at first, I had just started dating my long time friend Ar.. my friend from who I have know my entire life." She paused a moment. "It's a bit of a long story." Joan just nodded for her to continue. "Well he was the only one to show me affection but in fear of being laughed at, I started being a bully to everyone especially him, then years later it continued pretty much the same with occasional spout of hope for us. So then in fourth grade the entire class all got to go to south America, but for him it was an opportunity to find his parents who had been missing their most of this life, and through our adventure their we finally came to terms with out relationship and so a couple years later we started dating." Helga seemed she didn't want to say anymore, but one look at Joan told her to keep going. "So a year or two we had an argument about our differences and how wanted to go live with his parents for awhile, and by that he meant well through high school. So yeah, that's pretty much out it ended." Joan leaned back a little in her chair. "And you haven't forgiven him for that ever since nor have you fully moved on with your life."
Helga looked up lightly brushing away a tear that had started to form. "Yeah I guess so." The older woman let out a soft sigh. "Well Helga unless you want to keep writing stories with very depressing endings, you have to move on with your life, that was the past. Look Helga you have a very bright future as a writer, and I don't want you to be characterized as the writer who always separates the happy couple." Helga knew deep down that she was right she had to move on, go out to places and meet new people. After a few moments of silence Joan stood up while picking up the many pages that made up Helga's newest book. "Well Helga, I'll have this made up as soon as possible, thanks for your hard work, and well send out your first copies in a week." Helga followed suit and stood up across from Joan. "And thank you for the opportunity to write for New Horizons Publishing." They shook hands and Helga took her leave keeping in mind the advice Joan had given her, maybe go out on a night on the town with her friend Phoebe. Well here's to a new life Helga ol girl.