The day Annmarie posted this prompt, I had just watched a Delfest concert from 2019 with Sierra Hull. During her set I was reminded of a song she sang at the end of her show the last time I saw her at the Lyric Theater. Immediately I knew I wanted to create a story around the song, because it fits this prompt so perfectly. I think it is one of the best love songs ever written. (It is posted below the story. Please watch to get the full effect!)
What I can't believe is how long it took me to pull this together. At first I thought it was pretty simple, but as time went on, I just couldn't find the right way in. It finally started to pull together these past five days or so. I hope it works!
Right On Time
Ted and Trudy met in 1950 when they were seniors
in high school,
and they married shortly after graduation.
I’ve often heard Ted say he met Trudy “right on time,”
as he was planning on joining the army
Now, that’s not a bad thing. But Ted has proclaimed
more than once he loves his life just the way it turned out.
Let me introduce myself.
I’m the grandfather clock that has graced
Ted and Trudy’s living room ever since their
5th wedding anniversary when Ted surprised
Trudy, giving her me, an unusual version of the
traditional clock. Most clocks like me play
“The Westminster Quarters”
every fifteen minutes.
I only play on the hour and half hour:
Da de da dum
Da de dum dum
Yeah – I know it's weird.
I suppose that made me somehow defective,
although I never felt that way.
Ted and Trudy love me a lot.
And I love them.
About the time I came into their lives,
so did their son Gerald.
He was the only child they ever had.
Of course, he’s all grown up now, and had a son
of his own along the way.
Joshua.
Who is also all grown up.
Now it is Christmas, decades later,
and the grandson and new bride have come to visit
for the holidays. Little did they know that the night
they arrived, Ted would have a stroke, putting him
in the hospital, and leaving the young couple here
to take care of Trudy.
The sad part about Trudy these days is she has
advancing Alzheimers, and she fades in and out.
Joshua and his lovely wife Shiane are musicians,
so they spend a lot of time playing and singing
various instruments: guitars, banjos, and mandolins.
Joshua even plays the fiddle.
Trudy loves when they play “Jingle Bells.”
She is able to sing along, every word.
It was wonderful having them here for a week.
I was grateful there was someone to look after Trudy.
It could be the last Christmas here,
from all indications,
and so the future looks mighty uncertain for me.
March
Hospice has been here taking care of Ted.
His days are numbered.
Gerald has arranged for Trudy to go to an
Alzheimer’s facility after Ted passes.
Joshua and Shiane take time from their
busy schedule to come and say goodbye.
While they are here, I notice Shiane keeps
picking out on her mandolin the chime
I play twice every hour.
It was kind of surreal to hear my music
being played back to me. She seemed
to be forming a song around it.
Listening to her create was balm
for my pendulum soul,
as I know Ted is dying in the next
room, and everything else is so somber.
Joshua treats everyone with such tenderness.
I’ve known him all his life, and he has grown
into an exceptional man.
This was reinforced the night
I heard Shiane say to him,
The way you love your
grandmother, makes me love you even more.
If it had been possible,
this old clock burst into tears.
June
The house has been quiet and empty since Ted
passed in late March.
I continue do my chiming duty,
even though no one is around to hear.
One day, to my surprise,
Joshua and Shiane arrive.
They have suitcases and instruments
lots of boxes, and groceries.
They spend the days going through
Ted and Trudy’s personal stuff,
tossing things out,
setting aside other items.
I overhear that most of the
good furniture will be given
to a resale shop.
Every evening, they fill the house up
with the smells
of delicious food,
something I’ve missed so much,
being here all by myself.
And music – of course they play music.
One night Shiane plays the song for Joshua
that she has finally completed, the one
she was working on in March, the one
called “Father Time.”
When she is done, they go into a very long hug.
I kind of felt like I was eavesdropping but hey,
what could I do?
It happened to be 7:30 in the evening,
and so I struck the time,
and they both turned and looked at me.
Shiane was still staring at me when she said,
Do you think we could
take the grandfather clock home with us?
It seems like it
should stay in the family.
It didn’t take long for Joshua to arrange it with Gerald,
and the young couple started looking up YouTube
videos on how to dismantle and transport me.
The whole time I was in a bit of a daze. I mean, just
yesterday I wondered what would become of me.
Now I know.
I will be living with the next generation and,
with any luck, generations after that.
Ted and Trudy’s legacy.
But even better, I will continue to be surrounded
with peaceful and gentle love, as well as incredible music.
My fear of being shipped off to some dusty antique shop
is gone because
Joshua and Shiane showed up in my life.
They arrived, right on time.
