http://dversepoets.com/2016/02/29/haibun-monday-8/

They had been pen pals for two years.  It felt like forever, he had been waiting to meet her again but Genvieve had to wait until she was seventeen. Maman would never had allowed this meeting until then. Jean-Claude Tremblay was her third cousin or as they said in Saint Félicien,  “cousin de la fesse gauche”.  He was twenty-six when they first met at les funérailles de mon oncle Léo two years ago.  It was love at first sight.  He, with his liquid blue eyes and Genevieve with her golden blonde locks and chocolate brown eyes.  Her life was never the same after their encounter.  Waiting was like being deprived of chocolate during Lent for over one hundred weeks. “Impossible!!” she thought, “ C’était de la torture!”  Now this June 24th, la fête de la Saint-Jean Baptiste,  he had decided it was time to speak to her parents as well as celebrate la fête nationale.

They corresponded every two weeks for two years and now, the wait was over.  She sighed, feeling a little sensation below her abdomen her mother had not quite explained to her when they had “the talk” quand on deviant femme.

She sat in the boudoir of la gare Windsor pretending to read a novel de Victor Hugo.  She had arrived from les canton de l’est early in the morning.  She looked at the clock on the wall.  It read twenty minutes to noon.  She felt a flip flop in her tummy, crossed the room to face the mirror and patted her chignon and pinched her cheeks.  “Parfait!” she whispered staring at her eyes swimming in love and want.

She went into the main hall of the station near Gate 24.

 heat of suspense
summer solstice hangs on,
lovers’ desires

© Tournesol ’16/03/01

Written for Dverse Poets ~ Haibun Monday

23 responses to “summer solstice (haibun)”

  1. Grace Avatar

    Well I hope it all turns out well ~ I love the details of their relationship, the waiting and finally the suspense of meeting ~

    Like

    1. Cheryl-Lynn Avatar

      I turned a truth into a romance story. My grandmother met my grandfather when she was 15 and he 25. He was riding on his horse and stopped to tell her that he would wait for her to grow up before asking her hand in marriage. GrandMaman always talked about their marriage with such love in her eyes. Now that would have been in 1915 they met and married in 1917.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. thotpurge Avatar

    What a lovely description of young love… enjoyed this one!!

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    1. Cheryl-Lynn Avatar

      I always forget Monday Haibun but this week I was sure it would have been next week. Thankfully I read a few lovely responses. Thank you for your kind words…it was fun.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Melinda Kucsera Avatar

    Such sweet anticipation! Your poem capped off the story perfectly!

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    1. Cheryl-Lynn Avatar

      Thanks, Melinda, that photo reminded me of Windsor Station that is closed now.I used to take the train every week from my small town to Montreal. Last summer I took tons of photos of the renovated station but they kept the old woodwork; from the outside it looks like a castle. I am not sure what the city or Canadian Pacific have in mind for it. I was raised in a small “hog town” meaning railway engineers. Lived by railway tracks most of my youth.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Melinda Kucsera Avatar

        oh wow, my dad would have loved the town you grew up in. He’s a train lover.

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      2. Cheryl-Lynn Avatar

        It is also an old military town…Camp Farnham used to be a busy place…they still “practice” war there 😦

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  4. Björn Rudberg (brudberg) Avatar

    This is so lovely.. the anticipation and the buildup, and your wonderful use of French… it all builds up to such a real story (and when I read it almost was it made sense)… and then I understand it was worth the wait.

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    1. Cheryl-Lynn Avatar

      Thanks so much, Bjorn. They had such a strong love, married 41 years until Granapapa died too young at 68.

      Like

  5. Margaret Elizabeth Bednar Avatar

    I read above this is based on a true story! So sweet to honor it in this lovely way.

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    1. Cheryl-Lynn Avatar

      Thank you, glad you enjoyed it 🙂

      Like

  6. writersdream9 Avatar

    Sweet romance!!

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    1. Cheryl-Lynn Avatar

      yes it was for real…I love romance stories especially from the turn of the century.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. janicead Avatar

    Lovely, lovely, lovely,, Cherly-Lynn. Wonderful to read stories based on your family!

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    1. Cheryl-Lynn Avatar

      Thanks so much, Janice. I like remember good memories:)

      Like

  8. katiemiafrederick Avatar

    My grandfather.. a
    Catholic Priest.. vow
    to never marry
    at age 36..
    until 17 year
    old Cajun eYes
    say otherwise
    iN pews of Please..

    Ah .. desire..
    thanks God..
    oh.. My Life..:)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Cheryl-Lynn Avatar

      Interesting comment. I never heard of a Catholic priest who was a grandfather …(smiles)

      Liked by 1 person

      1. katiemiafrederick Avatar

        SMiLes.. Excommunicated after that.. Author next.. Including dining with Einstein in Socialist party social circles of New York.. Winks.. Even had a Wiki page..:)

        Like

      2. Cheryl-Lynn Avatar

        haha!!! you’re famous by blood!!! You must write something about this. My mother and sister were excommunicated becuase they were divorced but the never stopped my mom from still going to communioin because she felt the new parish priest was silly…the former parish priest advised my mom to leave our father (wink) becuase of the damage he was doing to us (he knew only by listening to our confessions) and he never told on us. So I had good experiences when I needed it and not so good when it was less important.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. katiemiafrederick Avatar

        Ha! i still go and have been known to give the priest hell.. As they say.. Change starts within.. Hope one day.. all we be equal partners in pews of Love.. SMiLes.. Again..:)

        Like

      4. Cheryl-Lynn Avatar

        pews of love
        harmony
        echoes

        Liked by 1 person

      5. katiemiafrederick Avatar

        SMiLes again
        iN echo way..:)

        Liked by 1 person

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