Carrie's Creek
Shelly was a fourteen year old girl visiting her grandparents in the country, the only thing was she hated the country, she was city born and was lost without internet cell phone and video games. She would spend most of her time in the upstairs room by herself and her grandfather was getting pretty tired of it all. So the morning she woke up and went downstairs to eat breakfast her grandfather put a lock on the bed room door and locked it up. When she came back upstairs she saw the lock and got angry. "Grandpa what's the big idea with the lock?" The grandfather looked at her and told her. "Little girl your getting out of that room today whether you like it or not, grandma has clothes for you so you won't need to go back in there until tonight". Shelly was so angry she could barley speak. "You hateful old man you know I hate it here how do you live here like this in the stone age." The grandfather was deeply hurt but he was the type that you couldn't tell if you had hurt him because his expressions never change. "Don't worry if that is how you feel I'll call your daddy and he can come get you, we never see you anyways". Shelly relived that the tantrum had worked shouted back at him "Good; that's what I want". She turned around stormed out of the house but she heard her grandfathers voice one more time, "Shelly you can't keep doing this running away from your problems when something doesn't go your way how's your life going to turn out". Shelly couldn't resist she turned back around and shouted "What has this family ever done that was so great!". Shelly wheeled around and ran out of the house through the yard and down to the creek. Ida turned to John "Do you think you were a little hard on her?" John wasn't amused "Ida if we back down from her now she'll think she can walk over anyone she wants". Ida saw this look before "Well I can tell there is not talking to you today". Shelly's thoughts became so loud in her mind she said it out loud "I can't stand it here" She mumbled to herself as she sat down on the hard ground next to the stream. As she sat there she noticed the stream how cold the water was on this really warm day in the fall, she noticed the sound that it made, she noticed the colors of the leaves and the smells of the red and brown leaves mixing themselves with the field grass. She sat there for what seemed like hours and she finally noticed something about it, "Its so pretty here how come I never noticed before". "Child are you alright?" this voice startled Shelly but she knew the voice it was her grandmother, Ida. "Yeah Grandma I'm fine, I'm sorry about that in there but he makes me so mad". Ida smiled a little and said: "Shelly I know he and I have been in an argument for the last forty-five years started the day we got married and it's been going on ever since". Shelly couldn't help but laugh and hug Ida. "Did you notice this tree your sitting next to?" Shelly looked and saw an engraving of two names "Peter and Carrie". "Who is Peter and Carrie, Grandma". The older woman smiled "They were a couple from a long time ago that used to live here this creek is called "Carries Creek" Shelly taking an interest couldn't resist "But who were they?" Ida sat down next to her granddaughter and took a deep breath. "1921 two families lived in this valley the McCormick's and the Watson's, they were in a feud and there were killings on both parts, Carrie McCormick met young Peter Watson here on this spot but instead of hating each other like they tried they fell in love. They knew they couldn't be together because neither family would agree to it, and Peter unfortunately was supposed to marry another girl. That didn't stop Peter and Carrie from meeting each day here in this spot, but in 1921 there was a drought and there wasn't any water so that delayed the wedding crops were dying people were starting to die and that worried Carrie but her heart is what hurt her the worst. One day she was out looking for berries if they were any to be had, what she was really doing was just taking a walk. She noticed in a certain spot on the ground near a cliff the ground was wet, she looked around and saw a trickle of water coming out of the hill side. A tree from the night before had fallen and shaken away rocks from the hillside and exposed a water source. She knew from living in the woods for so many years that there was a river of water just on the other side of the rock wall. She also knew that if she were to release the water it would run right past her place right to the Watson's at first she was excited but then she remembered Peter and his marriage was only being held off by the drought. She devised a plan and set to work, she went home and built a dam near her home wither her brother James then she and James came back up to the rock side and began clearing the rocks, the water rushed out so fast that it knocked James back ten feet, but down off the hill the water came, past the foot of the hill, past the field and right into the dam. Carrie knew she had something to bargain with so she called a meeting between the McCormick's and the Watson's to make a deal. The water would be released as long as the feud was over between the families so she and Peter could be married. Well the Watson's were surprised that a Watson could ever love a McCormick and when they asked Peter about it he told them how they met and that he didn't want to marry the woman he was supposed to marry, but in truth really want to marry Carrie. The Watson's couldn't do anything but agree or loose their crops and their life so Peter and Carrie were married and the whole valley named the creek Carries Creek." The grand-daughter with a fuller understanding of this place and what it meant had to ask, "How do you know about all this Grandma?" "Well honey your grandpa was a Watson, Peter and Carrie were your great grand parents, so when you asked if this family has done anything with their life, the answer is no, we do something about life". Shelly realized what she had done to her grandfather and instantly regretted it, "Grandma I don't know how to apologize to Grandpa" Grandma had to laugh out loud, "That's the Watson's in you they didn't know how to apologize for anything either, just go back to the house work with your grandpa today, don't even say a word just start working, if he tells you to leave the work alone be just as stubborn as he is and keep at it. At the end of the day you'll see." Shelly looked up at Ida and gave her a big hug. "Thank you Grandma" As Shelly walked back up to the house she could see her grandpa under the tractor and just as she got to him he yelled "Ida turn the steering wheel would you?" Shelly not telling him that it was her got on the tractor and turned the wheel after four or five times of doing this grandpa got from beneath the tractor and saw it was Shelly. "Shelly I called your dad he's going to be out here in about three hours so you go get ready locks off the door." Shelly remembered her grandma Ida told her to be stubborn. "Well good I'll call his cell phone and tell him not to come, or that he should come so he could show me where the creek begins because my Grandfather hasn't shown it to me yet." Grandpa had to smile "So your grandma told you the story, huh, well that don't change the fact you hate it here". Shelly kinda hurt but was steadfast said "Because I never knew anything about this place and someone didn't tell me about it" Grandpa laughed out loud "Your a Watson alright, just as stubborn as I am, fine let's let him come anyways and we'll all go together and we'll make him stay the night too". Shelly couldn't stop the tears and wrapped her arms around John's neck, "I'm so sorry Grandpa, I love you" John couldn't help but be over joyed and smiled despite a single tear streaming down his face, "Now that's your grandmother in you".
Sometimes when we are angry, it's better to just let a person have room, then after a while, talk to them calmly.
Tomorrow Scenic View.
Shelly was a fourteen year old girl visiting her grandparents in the country, the only thing was she hated the country, she was city born and was lost without internet cell phone and video games. She would spend most of her time in the upstairs room by herself and her grandfather was getting pretty tired of it all. So the morning she woke up and went downstairs to eat breakfast her grandfather put a lock on the bed room door and locked it up. When she came back upstairs she saw the lock and got angry. "Grandpa what's the big idea with the lock?" The grandfather looked at her and told her. "Little girl your getting out of that room today whether you like it or not, grandma has clothes for you so you won't need to go back in there until tonight". Shelly was so angry she could barley speak. "You hateful old man you know I hate it here how do you live here like this in the stone age." The grandfather was deeply hurt but he was the type that you couldn't tell if you had hurt him because his expressions never change. "Don't worry if that is how you feel I'll call your daddy and he can come get you, we never see you anyways". Shelly relived that the tantrum had worked shouted back at him "Good; that's what I want". She turned around stormed out of the house but she heard her grandfathers voice one more time, "Shelly you can't keep doing this running away from your problems when something doesn't go your way how's your life going to turn out". Shelly couldn't resist she turned back around and shouted "What has this family ever done that was so great!". Shelly wheeled around and ran out of the house through the yard and down to the creek. Ida turned to John "Do you think you were a little hard on her?" John wasn't amused "Ida if we back down from her now she'll think she can walk over anyone she wants". Ida saw this look before "Well I can tell there is not talking to you today". Shelly's thoughts became so loud in her mind she said it out loud "I can't stand it here" She mumbled to herself as she sat down on the hard ground next to the stream. As she sat there she noticed the stream how cold the water was on this really warm day in the fall, she noticed the sound that it made, she noticed the colors of the leaves and the smells of the red and brown leaves mixing themselves with the field grass. She sat there for what seemed like hours and she finally noticed something about it, "Its so pretty here how come I never noticed before". "Child are you alright?" this voice startled Shelly but she knew the voice it was her grandmother, Ida. "Yeah Grandma I'm fine, I'm sorry about that in there but he makes me so mad". Ida smiled a little and said: "Shelly I know he and I have been in an argument for the last forty-five years started the day we got married and it's been going on ever since". Shelly couldn't help but laugh and hug Ida. "Did you notice this tree your sitting next to?" Shelly looked and saw an engraving of two names "Peter and Carrie". "Who is Peter and Carrie, Grandma". The older woman smiled "They were a couple from a long time ago that used to live here this creek is called "Carries Creek" Shelly taking an interest couldn't resist "But who were they?" Ida sat down next to her granddaughter and took a deep breath. "1921 two families lived in this valley the McCormick's and the Watson's, they were in a feud and there were killings on both parts, Carrie McCormick met young Peter Watson here on this spot but instead of hating each other like they tried they fell in love. They knew they couldn't be together because neither family would agree to it, and Peter unfortunately was supposed to marry another girl. That didn't stop Peter and Carrie from meeting each day here in this spot, but in 1921 there was a drought and there wasn't any water so that delayed the wedding crops were dying people were starting to die and that worried Carrie but her heart is what hurt her the worst. One day she was out looking for berries if they were any to be had, what she was really doing was just taking a walk. She noticed in a certain spot on the ground near a cliff the ground was wet, she looked around and saw a trickle of water coming out of the hill side. A tree from the night before had fallen and shaken away rocks from the hillside and exposed a water source. She knew from living in the woods for so many years that there was a river of water just on the other side of the rock wall. She also knew that if she were to release the water it would run right past her place right to the Watson's at first she was excited but then she remembered Peter and his marriage was only being held off by the drought. She devised a plan and set to work, she went home and built a dam near her home wither her brother James then she and James came back up to the rock side and began clearing the rocks, the water rushed out so fast that it knocked James back ten feet, but down off the hill the water came, past the foot of the hill, past the field and right into the dam. Carrie knew she had something to bargain with so she called a meeting between the McCormick's and the Watson's to make a deal. The water would be released as long as the feud was over between the families so she and Peter could be married. Well the Watson's were surprised that a Watson could ever love a McCormick and when they asked Peter about it he told them how they met and that he didn't want to marry the woman he was supposed to marry, but in truth really want to marry Carrie. The Watson's couldn't do anything but agree or loose their crops and their life so Peter and Carrie were married and the whole valley named the creek Carries Creek." The grand-daughter with a fuller understanding of this place and what it meant had to ask, "How do you know about all this Grandma?" "Well honey your grandpa was a Watson, Peter and Carrie were your great grand parents, so when you asked if this family has done anything with their life, the answer is no, we do something about life". Shelly realized what she had done to her grandfather and instantly regretted it, "Grandma I don't know how to apologize to Grandpa" Grandma had to laugh out loud, "That's the Watson's in you they didn't know how to apologize for anything either, just go back to the house work with your grandpa today, don't even say a word just start working, if he tells you to leave the work alone be just as stubborn as he is and keep at it. At the end of the day you'll see." Shelly looked up at Ida and gave her a big hug. "Thank you Grandma" As Shelly walked back up to the house she could see her grandpa under the tractor and just as she got to him he yelled "Ida turn the steering wheel would you?" Shelly not telling him that it was her got on the tractor and turned the wheel after four or five times of doing this grandpa got from beneath the tractor and saw it was Shelly. "Shelly I called your dad he's going to be out here in about three hours so you go get ready locks off the door." Shelly remembered her grandma Ida told her to be stubborn. "Well good I'll call his cell phone and tell him not to come, or that he should come so he could show me where the creek begins because my Grandfather hasn't shown it to me yet." Grandpa had to smile "So your grandma told you the story, huh, well that don't change the fact you hate it here". Shelly kinda hurt but was steadfast said "Because I never knew anything about this place and someone didn't tell me about it" Grandpa laughed out loud "Your a Watson alright, just as stubborn as I am, fine let's let him come anyways and we'll all go together and we'll make him stay the night too". Shelly couldn't stop the tears and wrapped her arms around John's neck, "I'm so sorry Grandpa, I love you" John couldn't help but be over joyed and smiled despite a single tear streaming down his face, "Now that's your grandmother in you".
Sometimes when we are angry, it's better to just let a person have room, then after a while, talk to them calmly.
Tomorrow Scenic View.
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