Summary: Don DiMarco has a very good life – a family he loves, a comfortable lifestyle, passions and interests that keep him amused. He also thought he had time, but that turned out not to be the case. Faced with news that might have immediately felled most, Don now wonders if he has time enough. Time enough to show his wife the romance he didn’t always lavish on her. Time enough to live out his most ambitious fantasies. Time enough to close the circle on some of his most aching unresolved relationships. Summoning an inner strength he barely realized he possessed, Don sets off to prove that twelve months is time enough to live a life in full. A glorious celebration of each and every moment that we’re given here on Earth, as well as the eternal bonds that we all share, Twelve Months is a stirring testament to the power of the human spirit.
About the Author: Steven Manchester is the published author of Pressed Pennies, The Unexpected Storm: The Gulf War Legacy and Jacob Evans, as well as several books under the pseudonym, Steven Herberts. His work has appeared on NBC's Today Show, CBS's The Early Show, CNN’s American Morning and BET’s Nightly News. Recently, three of his short stories were selected "101 Best" for Chicken Soup for the Soul series.
Hand-in-hand and dressed in thick
sweaters, we took our first stroll down Main Street in Vineyard
Haven. Shops, untouched by time, lined both sides of the narrow
street; art galleries, sellers of home accents and furniture,
antiques and collectibles. We walked by a French restaurant. I looked
at Bella. “Maybe tonight?”
She shook her head.
"I was hoping for something a little more casual."
“And healthy?”
I teased.
She nodded.
There was another
B&B beside a gourmet shop that Bella stepped into. They had all
the ingredients she needed to make bruschetta. “Now we're talking,"
she said, "We’ll be back for some things tomorrow.”
We took our time
and looked at everything. There were nostalgic candy stores that
still twisted saltwater taffy – in every pastel color imaginable –
right in the front window for everyone to see. Fudge was also made by
hand; most things done like days of old. We bought a half-pound of
chocolate walnut fudge and took turns with the small white bag as we
went along. There were jewelers, gift shops and clothiers. Led by my
curious wife, I poked my head into each and wasted the afternoon
away. Past the goldsmith, photographer and realtor’s office, we
made it to the Mansion House Inn on the corner. And then it was time
to make our way back up the other side of the street.
The Island Theater,
closed for renovations, was a definite glimpse of yesterday. I
dragged Bella back across the street to check out Bunch of Grapes
Bookstore.
It was a busy,
independent shop that seemed to capture the spirit of the island. We
browsed for a while. They had a wide range of island books, from
local hiking-trail guides to cookbooks and collections of poetry by
local artists. The atmosphere was personal and made book shopping a
pleasure, something the major franchises had long abandoned. I walked
upstairs to find a small parlor where they hosted local authors and
poets. Unfortunately, there were none scheduled for the weekend. I
bought a copy of Roland Merullo’s Revere Beach Elegy and
followed Bella out into the early spring sun.
We spent an hour or
so comparing prices at a few of the mom and pop souvenir shops. Each
one had an abundance of similar items to tempt buyers: scrimshaw
jewelry and other imports from Cape Cod (most including cranberries),
seashell wind chimes, old lobster pots converted into tables, and
buoys for sale in every primary color. I considered buying a puzzle
of the island, but thought, I doubt I’ll have the time to finish
it – and quickly pushed the thought out of my head. Even if I
hadn’t known, I would have been able to tell we were at an artist’s
colony. There were sculptures, watercolor paintings and beautiful
pieces done in metal. Nantucket lightship baskets and gold charms led
me to the white braided bracelets that children soaked and let shrink
to their skin. They were the same ones that turned black by the end
of summer and had to be cut off before school, leaving behind a white
ring around the wrist where the sun hadn't touched. I grabbed two for
the kids. “Let’s pick up the rest of the souvenirs before we
leave, so we don’t have to carry them around,” Bella said.
I paid for the
white bracelets and put them into my pocket. “Let’s go eat,” I
said. “I’m starving.”
We walked the two
blocks to The Black Dog, the historic and legendary tavern whose
world-famous ambassador represented the easy Vineyard way of life. It
was a big tourist draw, but I was happy to find that the specials
featured freshly caught fish and a collection of delicious desserts.
After we ate our clam cakes and chowder by an empty fireplace, I
ordered apple pie with vanilla ice cream. Cashing out, Bella bought
us two matching sweatshirts and one bumper sticker.
“That’s going
to be heavy to carry all the way back,” I teased.
She made a funny
face. “I’ll be fine.”
As we made our way
back to our room, the air temperature dropped and the streets began
to fill with people coming out for the night. There were plenty of
interesting characters and I’m certainly not shy, but this was a
time for just Bella and me. So we kept to ourselves, held hands and
walked along in comfortable silence.
After watching a
magical sunset, on bended knees I prayed. Father, bless my family
– Bella, Riley, Michael and the kids – with good health, both of
mind and body. Shroud them in the safety of your angels and allow
them to live in a world of peace and harmony. Bless those who have
passed from this world. May they live in Your presence for all
eternity. Forgive us of our sins and help us on our daily path back
to You – Amen.
I realized that for
the first time since I'd gotten sick, I'd prayed for only those I
loved and not for myself. It felt good. "Good-night," I
said.
"Good-night…and
don't forget to take your medicine before you fall asleep."
There’s no way
I could, I thought. I’ve been in pain all day.
I grabbed an extra
blanket from the closet for Bella so I could keep the screen windows
open. I took my pills and turned in early for the night. I loved the
smell of the ocean and its music lulled me to sleep.
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