Here's the FINAL CHAPTER to "Yellow Flowers"
Chapter #4
A Yellow Flower and new hope for Love.
Albert and Carrie set off to school that morning. He was the first one out the door and he waited for Carrie, who was searching for her homework paper. What he saw next to the door amazed him.
There, right beside the doorframe, grew a beautiful, yellow flower. Its petals shone in the sunlight. It hadn't been there yesterday, Albert knew. He knelt down to take a closer look at it and the words Sylvia had said to him before and that he'd dreamed of last night echoed in his mind: "Why don't you keep it this time? That way you can have something to remember me by until I see you again."
Until I see you again…Albert gasped. "Oh, my God," he whispered under his breath.
"Albert? What are you doing?" Carrie asked. He hadn't realized that she'd finally come outside and was standing beside him.
"Nothing…um, you go on ahead, Carrie. I'll catch up in a minute." When she looked at him doubtfully Albert said, "I promise, now go on."
Once she left, Albert studied the flower again. There was no doubt in his mind that this wasn't a coincidence. This was surely a sign, a reassurance, like Albert had been wanting. He knew Sylvia would be watching over him and that it was okay for him to move on. He left the flower where it was and whispered, "I'll always love you," then hurried off to catch up with Carrie.
The last person he wanted to see that morning was Willie Oleson, but there he was, standing by the school steps. Albert wanted to talk to Belinda, so he walked right past him. But Willie stopped him.
"Albert, can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Sorry Willie, but I really don't have time for you to ruin my life today," Albert said shortly.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about!" Willie exclaimed. "I'm sorry."
Albert stopped walking. "What?"
"I'm sorry for all the things I said. I'm sorry for spreading rumors about you and about Sylvia. And I'm sorry for what happened to her."
Albert was stunned. "Look, Willie, I don't know what you're trying to pull now, but I really have better things to do. Now get out of my way."
"Albert, you gotta believe me, I really am sorry!"
Albert was still doubtful. "Even if you were sorry, it's not that easy. You really hurt me, Willie, a lot. Just saying you're sorry isn't gonna fix that."
"I know," Willie said quietly. "Listen, I'm really trying to be sincere. It was stupid; it was hurtful of me to say those things to you and about you. It was…something my sister would do," he admitted. "My ma has a way of saying things…I don't know, she just makes them sound so convincing and I believed what she said. Not only that, but I said them, too. I should've known better than to listen to her. I should've known better than to do what I did. I'm trying to learn better and figure things out for myself. I promise I'm not gonna do that again. I'm not gonna go around hurting people."
Still having not moved, Albert had no idea what to say. "Willie…if you really mean what you said, then thank you. I appreciate it." Then he turned to walk away.
"Albert?" Willie called. "Can we be friends again?"
Albert shrugged. "Maybe someday…not now, but someday." He kept walking until he got to Belinda, who was sitting by the water pump studying.
"Hi," Albert said. "What are you studying?"
"Just looking at the songs I'm singing Sunday," she replied.
"Oh." Albert shifted his books from one arm to the other. "Are you, uh, still going to the social? Tomorrow night?"
Belinda didn't look up at him. "I suppose so. My folks are going."
"Oh. That's…that's good," Albert replied. He shifted his books again.
"Yes." Belinda still hadn't looked up at him.
Albert took a deep breath. "Would you do me the honor of…of…escorting me, I mean, letting me escort you…" he sighed. "Would you like to go to the social with me?"
Belinda was stifling a laugh. "Of course I would."
"Great." Albert smiled at her.
The bell rang then, and Albert extended a hand to help her up. "Here, let me carry your books."
Belinda smiled back at him. "Thanks."
Friday night arrived sooner than anyone had expected. The entire Ingalls family was getting ready to go into town after supper that evening. Albert stood at the mirror, tying and re-tying his tie until Caroline called to him that they would be late if they didn't leave soon.
Albert had agreed to meet Belinda outside the church, so after his family arrived, they all went inside and he waited by the steps, holding a bouquet of orange flowers. Yellow, he decided, would always be for Sylvia, but he wanted to give Belinda something nice too.
Her family arrived not too long after, and he ran to the buckboard to help her down. He didn't even notice he was staring at her until Belinda laughed and said, "What is it?"
"Oh! Nothing. I mean, you look really nice," Albert said softly. "Here, these are for you," he added, handing her the flowers. She did look very nice, in a beautiful blue-colored dress and a matching ribbon tied in her shiny brown hair. Her eyes laughed at him and he extended his arm to her. "Ready to go inside?"
The church was filled with laughter and talking. Charles was just getting ready to play the fiddle in the front of the room with Mr. Jacobs, who had brought along an accordion, and Caroline and Laura were helping set out cookies and cakes that people had donated. Albert and Belinda stayed with her family at first and Albert spoke with them a little bit. But when the music started, they slipped away by themselves to a corner of the room. "I'm really glad you're here with me," Albert whispered and Belinda smiled back at him. "Me, too."
As they twirled around and around, Albert felt his heart swell with happiness once more. He couldn't believe that he was there, feeling so happy and free. It had taken awhile, but he had gotten through what was the biggest heartbreak of his life, and somehow he was okay. He had learned to accept it and go on; he had found happiness again, in his family and now in another special person. He would never forget what he had once had with Sylvia, but for the first time since she had died, he felt optimistic about the future. He knew that he would count his blessings that night for the first time in a long while.
THE END
