The Johnston County Project
I’m excited to tell you about my newest project, something that will be keeping me busy for probably the rest of the summer!!
I live in big ol’ Johnston County, North Carolina, 796 square miles of beauty and industry and strength in community. In driving around this place I call home, I’ve seen many rural and also more urban sites that spark and inspire my imagination! In the next few weeks, I will be travelling around, taking photos, making notes, and writing short stories based on these magical places. Please follow along with me on my journey to discover and re-discover the allure and inspiration of Johnston County!!
I’ve completed my first short story about a sparkling place my husband and I recently discovered. I’ve included a photo I took and a link to their website. I hope you enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed writing it!
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Part 1: Mannings
The early morning fog hugged the roof like a fuzzy gray blanket. This was Eddy’s favorite time of day: the special moments before Main Street came to life. There were one or two cars around, but most of the businesses hadn’t opened yet.
Eddy flew lazily to light on top of a string of patio lights that crisscrossed over the flat rooftop. He cocked his head to one side and peered down at the tables, chairs, and the big blue umbrellas that hadn’t been opened yet. He loved it here! This rooftop was the happiest place he knew. He’d seen people fall in love here, dance here, form friendships. He thought about what had happened here the day before.
Yesterday evening, he saw a Father and Daughter at that table over there, the one closest to the door, and they seemed awkward at first. By the end of their meal on the rooftop, though, they were laughing and chatting together, and the smile on the father’s face was warm enough to make even Eddy’s tiny heart beat happily. After that, he saw a married couple who’d finally gotten away for a date night. He watched as they scooted closer and closer during dinner, and the man told jokes that made his wife laugh, even though Eddy didn’t think they were very funny. He saw them fall in love again. Then he saw a teenage girl, dressed fancy, open the door and walk out onto the roof. A large group of friends followed her, and they walked around until they found the perfect spot for a photo. Eddy thought all the spots on this roof were picture perfect, but the group decided to sit in front of a funny statue of a waitress, built from random found objects like car parts. Eddy landed on this statue often and it made him laugh. The group took their photo, the father and daughter finished and left, and the married couple on date night lingered until the patio lights glowed.
The waiter last night was Toby, a young man with dark curling hair and a clean black apron. He wore a gold watch that was a special present from his dad. Eddy had heard him telling someone about it once. Toby greeted everyone with kindness, and he worked hard. He moved from table to table, refilling sweet teas and checking to be sure the food was perfect. It always was.
How Eddy wanted to try a bite of that pink salmon or snack on a crab cake! Once in a while, after all the diners had gone, Eddy would swoop down and have a quick taste before Toby or the other waitresses could clear it all. It was such yummy food! But Eddy was very polite and only did this once everyone was gone. Until then, he enjoyed observing the people. Last night was no exception. He was happily watching from his bird’s eye view, and it’s a good thing he was watching so closely!
Toby had been working especially hard that day. It was summer time and the sunshine was bright and hot on the rooftop. Eddy watched Toby squinting into the light as he conversed with customers, and watched sweat form on his brow as he rushed back and forth from the tables to the kitchen.
He was waiting on a large group of people, a group of family and friends with several young children who kept him running, when the clasp on his gold watch popped loose. Toby was so intent on taking orders and helping his customers, that he didn’t notice, but Eddy did. As Toby spun around a toddler and squeezed between two chairs, dodged a table, and rushed to the kitchen to put an order in, his watch slipped right off his arm and skidded to the rail that lined the rooftop. It clinked on an upright post, and fell right off the side!
Eddy flew down, quick as lightning, all the way to the ground. He looked everywhere, but he couldn’t find the watch. Where could it have gone? He flew back up to the roof and scanned it, but he didn’t see it there, either. Toby came through the door just then with a worried look on his face. He was looking around frantically, and Eddy knew he had realized the watch was missing. Toby was so busy with customers, though, he didn’t have time to search. It was busy until closing, and when the married couple finally left, arm in arm, Toby dove under the tables searching everywhere.
Eddy gave up the fries that he had planned to snatch from a plate, and flew to the rail where he’d seen the watch fall. He pecked around the upright post and something glittering caught his eye.
The watch! It had somehow slipped into a tiny crack just behind the post. He pecked at it and barely nudged the sparkling band. He pushed his beak in as far as it could go and shoved. The watch came loose and Eddy snatched it up before it could fall.
He proudly flew over to where Toby was looking behind some stacked chairs. Eddy dropped the watch carefully and it made a tiny “clink.” Toby looked up and screeched happily!
“Hah!” he saw Eddy standing there next to the watch, and he said, “Did you find this for me, bird? Thank you!!! This watch means so much to me! Here you go!”
Toby grabbed the plate of leftover French fries and set it in front of Eddy. Eddy very happily ate his fill, feeling like a tiny hero.
This rooftop was indeed the happiest place Eddie knew!
The End
