Wee snippet from Wounded Cowboy
It seems a long time since I've done this, but I thought I'd share a wee snippet from Wounded Cowboy, someting I'm working on now. It's about half written. This is work safe.
Charlie teaches restorative yoga part time to recovering cancer patients.
Charlie was never sure how many students he'd have from class to class. This time he was happy to see a woman who had never given her name, in fact had barely spoken, but who he'd named 'Mrs. Twinkle' in his mind because of the way she seemed to sparkle. She was about the age his father would have been if he'd lived and she gave their shared practice the same kind of energy.
He was grateful she was here today because when he walked into the small space they used as a studio, chilly carpeted floors with yoga mats spread in a half fan around the room, he was still shaking from his confrontation with Luka.
As if she sensed his agitation, Mrs. Twinkle got up from her mat and made her way over to Charlie's at the centre of the fan. "Everything all right?" she asked gently, brown eyes solemn on his face.
Charlie fought with himself, not wanting to distract her with his stuff, but then gusted out a sigh. "No." He looked around but he saw no sign of Luka. Where had the other man gone? "I, uh, just had an argument with someone."
"Someone you care about enough to get you all stirred up. Good," she said, pitching her voice low so what they exchanged wouldn't be overheard by the other students as they brought bolsters and blankets out from storage.
Charlie raised his brows. "Good? I don't think so."
But Mrs. Twinkle merely smiled. "You're entirely too comfortable in your rut, Charlie. It's a good rut with lots of ways to fulfil yourself, but it's still a rut. You need someone to shake you up. You need to be desperate, to be unhappy."
"That's...a very interesting philosophy."
"Thank you." She grinned at his sour look. "I lived very happily for forty years with a man who did just that for me, but he also made me happy." She got up and made her way back to her own mat, giving him a moment to reflect. He closed his eyes, listening to himself.
Luka made me happy but Luka hurt me.
Damned if he knew what made him more afraid, that someone could make him happy...or hurt him. Reluctantly, he had to admit Mrs. Twinkle had a point. He liked things comfortable and uncomplicated. And that just wasn't Luka.
Charlie teaches restorative yoga part time to recovering cancer patients.
Charlie was never sure how many students he'd have from class to class. This time he was happy to see a woman who had never given her name, in fact had barely spoken, but who he'd named 'Mrs. Twinkle' in his mind because of the way she seemed to sparkle. She was about the age his father would have been if he'd lived and she gave their shared practice the same kind of energy.
He was grateful she was here today because when he walked into the small space they used as a studio, chilly carpeted floors with yoga mats spread in a half fan around the room, he was still shaking from his confrontation with Luka.
As if she sensed his agitation, Mrs. Twinkle got up from her mat and made her way over to Charlie's at the centre of the fan. "Everything all right?" she asked gently, brown eyes solemn on his face.
Charlie fought with himself, not wanting to distract her with his stuff, but then gusted out a sigh. "No." He looked around but he saw no sign of Luka. Where had the other man gone? "I, uh, just had an argument with someone."
"Someone you care about enough to get you all stirred up. Good," she said, pitching her voice low so what they exchanged wouldn't be overheard by the other students as they brought bolsters and blankets out from storage.
Charlie raised his brows. "Good? I don't think so."
But Mrs. Twinkle merely smiled. "You're entirely too comfortable in your rut, Charlie. It's a good rut with lots of ways to fulfil yourself, but it's still a rut. You need someone to shake you up. You need to be desperate, to be unhappy."
"That's...a very interesting philosophy."
"Thank you." She grinned at his sour look. "I lived very happily for forty years with a man who did just that for me, but he also made me happy." She got up and made her way back to her own mat, giving him a moment to reflect. He closed his eyes, listening to himself.
Luka made me happy but Luka hurt me.
Damned if he knew what made him more afraid, that someone could make him happy...or hurt him. Reluctantly, he had to admit Mrs. Twinkle had a point. He liked things comfortable and uncomplicated. And that just wasn't Luka.
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