A man in overalls with his shirtsleeves rolled up above his biceps stomped across the attic floor of his farmhouse and snatched up an open cardboard box.
As he whisked around to leave, a black and white 3 x 5 photograph jumped from the box and drifted onto the wooden floor. For the next forty-two years it lay hidden amid the dark and the dust and endured season after season of frigid winter drafts and stifling summer heat.
The monotony of buzzing flies and scurrying spiders was broken once a year when a woman, who grayed and slowed with each appearance, would step inside the attic and weep as she fingered the pink and yellow satin ribbons that draped over a nail on the wall.
But this year, the old woman did not return.
Instead when the attic door creaked opened, a middle-aged man in freshly pressed khaki pants tugged a ceiling chain to turn on the naked light bulb.
A woman followed him inside and wrinkled her nose. “Ugh, it’s so musty in here.”
“I’ll make it quick, Cindy,” he said. “All I want is that box over there that has Grandpa’s Army medals and stuff. The rest can go to the thrift store and the dumpster.”
Cindy picked up a black felt hat with a peacock feather stuck in its band and laughed. “I can’t imagine why you’re not interested in saving your grandma’s old clothes.” She tossed it aside when she spied pink and yellow satin ribbons hanging from the wall. “Oh, wouldn’t these make pretty bows for a little girl’s hair?”
Bill weaved his way through stacks of books, plastic bags, wooden crates, and suitcases to an olive green metal box that sat upon a rusted TV tray. When he bent to lift it, he noticed a black and white photograph lying on the floor next to his shoe. He picked it up, wiped the dust with his finger, and stared at the girl looking back at him.
The girl in the picture felt an immediate and electric connection. She recognized his spirit as part of her own and knew she was staring back at her son, an adult older than she.
“What did you find, Bill?” Cindy asked.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” he said, gazing at the photograph. “It’s just an old picture of some teenage girl in the sixties or seventies.”
“What? Let me see.” She plucked the snapshot from his hand. “I love the style back then, the headband, the striped mini-skirt…” She squinted and brought the picture closer. “Oh my gosh, I think she’s pregnant.”
The girl in the picture shouted, “Of course I’m pregnant! C’mon , lady, hand me back to my son!”
Cindy shook her head. “Look at the expression on that girl’s face. What righteous indignation. It’s as if she’s daring you to tell her to wear her skirt longer or to get home before her midnight curfew. God, wouldn’t you have hated to have been her parent?”
“Nobody loves the family truth-teller.”
“Is there anything written on the back of that picture?” Bill asked.
Cindy turned it over. “Alice, July 1968.”
Bill grabbed the photograph.
“Do you know her?”
“Oh God, surely not.” He frowned and bit his lip as he studied the picture.
Cindy pressed against him and peered over his shoulder. “What?”
“My mom’s name was Alice. But this girl looks so young—like sixteen or seventeen and not twenty which she would have been in 1968.”
“So you’ve never seen any pictures of your mother?”
“Grandma said they were destroyed by a fire in Grandpa’s shop.”
The eyes of the girl in the picture flickered with anger.“Yeah, it happened right after I called home with the news that I was pregnant and my boyfriend had left me to go backpacking in Europe. A mysterious little fire somehow destroyed all of my clothes and pictures, but left the rest of dear old Dad’s shop intact. I told Mom that story was a crock. You don’t believe it, do you?”
“Why did your mother run away and leave you with your grandparents?”
Bill sighed. “She didn’t want us, I guess.
“You don’t know, there may be another side to that story.”
The girl in the picture screamed, “I wanted my parents, but they were too ashamed for me to come home. And my boyfriend thought having a family would be a drag. I love my baby and I’d never—”
“Maybe I don’t want to know.” Bill tossed the photo on top of the TV tray. “Besides, that girl is probably no relation. She may be some neighbor-down-the-road’s long lost cousin.”
“What if I took the picture and did a little research?”
Bill shook his head and nudged Cindy toward the door. “Let’s go. I’ll tell Andy to toss the rest of this stuff.”
The light clicked off and the door closed.
The girl in the picture cried, “Hey, you need to hear my—no, our story!”
Thunder shook the house that night as coin-sized drops of rain thumped the roof. Footsteps echoed up the stairwell. The door rattled open. A click of the light bulb revealed Bill standing in a black slicker with water pooling at his feet. He scanned the room until he saw the photograph sitting atop the TV tray. His hands trembled as he picked it up by the edges and stared at the girl in the picture.
“I wish you could tell me why, Mom.”
A tear fell from his eyes to the girl’s face. Her expression softened, her chin lowered, her shoulders stooped. He slipped the photograph inside his coat and clicked off the light. DSS
Terry Cobb, 53, of Harris, Missouri, is a retired radiology supervisor, and has written for magazines and newspapers. She and her husband live on a farm where she gardens and takes photographs. See her blog, with some great photos, here.
This is a bittersweet story, and if you liked it, donate here to keep Downstate Story publishing other fine fiction.
Thanks foor sharing your thoughts on Terry Cobb. Regards
Posted by: kurgis dermatologist | October 10, 2013 at 08:40 AM
Hello there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found that it is truly informative. I'm gonna watch out for brussels. I'll appreciate if you continue this in future. Numerous people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!
Posted by: Eric Gray Buffalo NY | October 11, 2013 at 08:50 PM
I'm impressed, I have to admit. Rarely do I come across a blog that's equally educative and amusing, and without a doubt, you've hit the nail on the head. The problem is something which too few men and women are speaking intelligently about. Now i'm very happy I came across this in my hunt for something relating to this.
Posted by: gratis spilleautomater | October 12, 2013 at 09:53 PM
I am really gratefuul to the owner of this site who has shared this wonderful piece of writing at at this time.
Posted by: http://www.Villa-Plaza.com/norske-spilleautomater | October 13, 2013 at 10:45 AM
I love it whenever people come together and share thoughts. Great blog, stick with it!
Posted by: showup.tv | October 14, 2013 at 04:29 PM
We're a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community. Your site offered us with valuable information to work on. You have done a formidable job and our whole community will be grateful to you.
Posted by: eric gray | October 17, 2013 at 10:48 PM
Thanks for finally writing about >DownstateStory: Terry Cobb: A Story Never Heard
Posted by: Get Away Today Chuck Smith | October 18, 2013 at 06:08 PM
What's up to every one, it's really a fastidious for me to pay a visit this web site, it consists of valuable Information.
Posted by: Terry Bandy | October 21, 2013 at 03:09 PM
Hola! I've been reading your website for a while now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Houston Texas! Just wanted to mention keep up the fantastic work!
Posted by: bradley kurgis | October 25, 2013 at 06:15 PM
Hey, I think your website might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your website in Ie, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other tthen that, fantastic blog!
Posted by: Nino Tinari | October 28, 2013 at 08:11 PM
Terrific post however I was wanting to know if you could write a litte more on this subject? I'd be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit further. Cheers!
Posted by: lee trotman southern california edison | October 28, 2013 at 11:10 PM
Hi, its nice paragraph on the topic of media print, we all understand media is a great source of facts.
Posted by: life insurance quote online | October 30, 2013 at 07:37 PM
hello!,I love your writing so much! share we communicate more approximately your article on AOL? I need a specialist on this area to solve my problem. May be that is you! Having a look forward to look you.
Posted by: Lee Trotman Southern California Edison | November 06, 2013 at 04:32 PM
I seldom leave remarks, however i did a few searching and wound up here DownstateStory: Terry Cobb: A Story Never Heard. And I do have some questions for you if you usually do not mind. Could it be just me or does it look as if like some of these remarks look like they are written by brain dead individuals? :-P And, if you are posting at additional online sites, I would like to keep up with anything fresh you have to post. Could you list of every one of all your community sites like your Facebook page, twitter feed, or linkedin profile?
Posted by: lee trotman southern california edison | November 06, 2013 at 06:25 PM
For most recent information you have to go to see world wide web and on world-wide-web I found this web page as a best site for most up-to-date updates.
Posted by: Eric Gray Buffalo | November 07, 2013 at 12:31 AM
First of all I would like to say awesome blog! I had a quick question that I'd like to ask if you don't mind. I was interested to know how you center yourself and clear your mind before writing. I've had difficulty clearing my thoughts in getting my thoughts out there. I do enjoy writing but it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are wasted simply just trying to figure out how to begin. Any ideas or tips? Thank you!
Posted by: Get Away Today Chuck Smith | November 11, 2013 at 07:02 PM
I feel this is among the most significant information for me. And i am happy reading your article. But want to remark on some general things, The website style is great, the articles is really excellent : D. Excellent activity, cheers
Posted by: Eric Gray Buffalo | November 11, 2013 at 09:09 PM