So, a couple of weeks ago I wrote a short story "Hannah Gets Her Hat Back" as a short exercise, and wrote it in about two and a half hours. I would have spent at least another thirty minutes on it but I had plans that evening and felt like I rushed it near the end. So, I took that story and spent another thirty minutes on it today, this is the result of the revision.
*****
Hannah Gets Her Hat Back
by Michael Francis Torelli
The stone laden wall was built quite high but knelt below the majesty of the trees, of which there were several on each side, branching out close enough to the wall that their leaves mingled together in the breeze, and that one with agility and audaciousness might be able make their way up, over the wall, then down another tree and back again, or so thought Kevin.
Hannah, a woman as beautiful as the most splendid summer season, of which she’d lived to see twenty-seven, stood with the wind blowing her long blonde curls, curiously watching a devilishly handsome stranger dwell on the dynamics of defeating the perceptible deterrent of a wall. She thought perchance his age close to hers.
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m afraid it is lost.” proclaimed Hannah.
“Nonsense, I can see it right there, in those hedges.” pointed Kevin, through the large iron gates that connected two sections of wall surrounding a grand historical building, and several acres of well kept grass, gardens, and hedges, one of which held Hannah’s summer hat captive from whence moments earlier a gust of air removed it from her head and hurled it up over the wall and out of her reach. Kevin, merely passing by, witnessed Hannah’s distress and kindly offered his services in retrieving it.
“Well yes it is there, but we are here, and this wall divides us.” says Hannah.
“A minor detail.” responds Kevin, meandering towards one of the trees.
“You can’t be serious?” she delivers, placing her hand to her hip for emphasis.
“I can be whatever I want, lady, within the realm of reality at least. Having said that, yes, I am quite serious.” says Kevin, touching the tree plotting hand and foot holds.
“Why are you doing this?” asks Hannah, who in her adult years had grown accustom to all sorts of men doting on her, and trying to impress her, which she found amusing as well as annoying, but in this case more than all the others, charmed.
“Because I haven’t climbed anything yet today.”
“You climb something every day then?”
“No, but I believe it is important in life to try new things.” says Kevin, beginning his ascent of the tree with a fair amount of ease.
“Yes, but it looks dangerous. I don’t think you should do it.”
“Well it would be ungentlemanly of me to suggest that you climb wearing a floral summer dress and heels. My parents raised me better than that.”
“Indeed they did.”
“I am living in the moment. Today is the best day in the history of the world. I’d rather die right now without a doubt in my mind that I couldn’t do something I believed in my heart I could.”
“Who said that?”
“I did. There is a possibility that was someone’s famous last words.”
“Could be yours?”
“That’s ridiculous. I’m not famous.”
Hannah explodes into laughter, causing Kevin to stop as he is nearing a set of thick branches that extend out over the top of the wall. “I don’t have a hole in the butt of my pants do I?” questions Kevin.
“No.”
“Made you look.”
“Very funny, monkey man. You’re really good at this you know?”
“The tree is doing most of the work. In fact, I think I could let go and it would hold me in place. Should I try?” says Kevin, releasing an arm from the tree.
“No! Please don’t do that. You’re almost there, don’t fall.”
“Almost? Top of the wall is the half way point, this is more like, one-third.”
“Very true. Just being supportive, you know?”
Kevin begins crossing the outstretched branches toward the wall, when he again stops and diverts his attention to Hannah. “I’m going to go out on a limb here, I’ve got to tell you something...”
“What?” wonders Hannah aloud, her mind ablaze with what might follow.
“Out on a limb, get it?” smiles Kevin.
“Oh my god! Was that it?” smiles Hannah, containing her contagious laughter.
“Not quite.”
“What? Continue, please.” insists Hannah.
“Well earlier, I thought maybe you were slightly pessimistic, but now I’m pretty sure you’re optimistic, and assertive...” says Kevin, starring Hannah directly in the eye.
“And?”
“I like that.” Kevin replies, the both of them smiling amorously. Kevin breaks away and makes his way across the branch, places his feet firmly atop the wall, then shuffles a few steps over towards the branches of a tree that will take him down the other side.
“What is your name?” asks Hannah, totally enamored with her new hero.
“Kevin, Kevin Hannah. Yours?”
“Hannah Smith.”
They both smile and almost laugh a little bit, relishing romanticized thoughts that were they to marry, Hannah would be squared, even though she was every shape Kevin could possibly imagine.
“I’d shake your hand but, I’m up on this wall.” says Kevin, miming the act of shaking hands, then shrugging his shoulders.
“That’s okay. How’s the view from up there?”
“Beautiful.” says Kevin without looking away from Hannah.
“Well now. Its a pleasure to meet you, Kevin.” says Hannah, blushing.
“I am honored, and I’ll be exhausted by the time I get back over this wall.”
“I didn’t ask you to do this you know?” says Hannah, trying not to laugh.
“I know, its a pleasure to do it for you though.”
“Thank-you.”
“Thank-you? I still have to rescue your hat.” says Kevin, crossing the branch.
“Its a rescue now?” says Hannah, intrigued.
“Yes, I heard some squirrels talking about using it for a love nest.”
“Oh no. You better hurry then, please, but carefully!”
“As you wish.” says Kevin, crossing the branch to the tree in record time.
Hannah watches with an ear to ear smile as Kevin jogs towards the hedge where her hat awaits a valiant rescue. She takes note of his athleticism and broad shoulders while indulging thoughts of being in his arms, and entertaining the notion of his reward as he returns to the large iron gate to pass the hat through to her. “Thank-you sir.” she says bashfully, trying to mask any indication that she is lusting for him.
“You’re most welcome.” says Kevin, still holding onto the hat, lost in the endless ocean of Hannah’s blue eyes.
“Have you grown that fond of my hat already?” Hannah asks, coyly, fixed on his sleepy green eyes, wondering if he wanted them to be in a dream state next to hers.
“It is a beautiful hat, so maybe. There’s a little more to it.” replies Kevin, the butterflies in his stomach making him feel as light as air that he could fly over to her.
“Something on your mind?” inquires Hannah, taking a step closer to the gate.
“Yes...” replies Kevin, taking a step closer in tandem with her.
“I am swelling with curiosity to hear about it.” Hannah says, her eyes widening in disbelief of herself and the words forming on her pouty lips.
“Wow. Yes... Will you still be on the other side of this wall waiting for me when I climb back over?” Kevin asks, as if the moments that had unfolded around him were just fictitious creations of his mind he feared might come to an end.
“I will if you want me-”
“-I do.” Kevin interjects, before Hannah can complete her conjecture, smirking at the timing of his words in correlation with hers. He did want her, and now he was certain that she knew it. He releases his hold on Hannah’s hat, and takes a deep breath.
“What will we do?” asks Hannah, blushing yet again.
“I suppose we could just see where the wind takes us.” answers Kevin.
“That sounds delightful.” says Hannah, affixing her hat to hear head. “Hurry back to this side before I lose my nerve, please.”
“I’ll be there before you can say ‘Hannah has her hat back’ one-point-four-seven million times fast, and if you lose your nerve before then, I’ll help you retrieve that too.”
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