Requiem For A Beautiful Lady
The fish smell came to her on the breeze but it was filtered by the ocean waters that slapped against the wharf pilings and made for a joyful smile upon her face.
“Oh, Daddy, I’ve missed our lunches and our wharf walks.” She hugged her father and kissed him on the cheek.
Having just left the restaurant they stood now at the pier railing looking out across the waters at pelicans cawing and flitting from morsel to morsel along the wharf. The sky was a soft blue and sea gulls floated effortlessly above a distant spit of land.
“I’ve missed you, too, my golden-haired princess.” He was still a relatively young father, still handsome without the mid-life paunch and burdensome weight. He looked into the soft blue eyes of his daughter, squeezed her shoulder while milliseconds rapidly retraced in his mind the lovely vignettes of memory.
She was twenty-three now and a most beautiful young woman. Her blond hair tossed about in the wind and her marvelous blue eyes twinkled like tiny stars of wonder.
It was their day together. She was just home from a trip abroad. Mom was at home. Brother was at work. Her fiancé was on a business trip. This was their time together to update their days apart.
She told him about her fiancé’s rental car breaking down on the outskirts of a cobble-stoned city in southern France called Perpignan. She laughed time and again as she tried to pronounce the name of the city. “’Purr-peen-yong’ is the best I can do, Dad, but the car problem was minor and it turned our trip into a delightful fairy tale. We met young people our ages in restaurants and cafés all over France and Spain. Some spoke English. Most did not but it didn’t matter – we laughed and had fun making it into a sort-of ‘Charades’ game.”
So they walked and talked, stopping occasionally to pause and view the boats and landmarks.
It was during one of their stops when the daughter gave a whimper, “Oh, Daddy!” and collapsed in his arms. The shocked father tenderly lowered her to the ground. “What is it, sweetheart? What’s wrong?” He was bewildered as people began to gather. Her eyes were closed, and he felt for a pulse. There was none. His confusion now turned to tears of agony, and he saw the blood coming from her body.
It was determined the daughter was shot by an illegal alien some distance away who was immediately arrested, an illegal alien who it was later reported had been deported five times from the United States, had just recently been released by the sanctuary city of San Francisco. The felonious Illegal alien, deported five times, was in the United States for the sixth time.
This tragedy, this heartbreaking homicide was covered in the media. A great furor came from the crime, and a case was pled by many to do away with sanctuary cities in the United States. Another case pled for a law that would automatically imprison an illegal alien for five years if it was found he/she was illegally in the US and committed a serious crime.
Finally, many believed that,we have a feckless and inept federal government and that this was the year for accountability with a general election coming in November. Many said that our free market system, our freedom and our liberty were being eroded by the liberal progressives. Many more people said that the face of our country was now near unrecognizable, and that it was crucial ‘we the people’ took back our nation by electing only people who pledged and swore under penalty of dismissal to follow the law of the land and follow no action or precept that was not to the benefit of the electorate.
Time would tell.
Flash Fiction from Truth by: Billy Ray Chitwood
March 10, 2016
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The Final Curtain 
I love how you presented this real life tragedy, Billy. Kathryn’s murder should have never happened…and now, only yesterday four murdered in Kansas City. Time will tell indeed.
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Bless you, sweet Jill… So sad our congress could not, would not, pass ‘Kate’s Law’ bill – unconscionable! Hope your world and your writing are going well… I’m writing my 14th and doing my blog, but not doing much in social media or blog hopping…just a bit too much for me. You always make my day, Jill. Thanks so much for taking the time. ♥♥♥
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Aw…thank, Billy. Yes, it was very sad Kate’s Law wasn’t passed. It makes no sense whatsoever. Wow…14th! That’s very impressive. I’m working on my line/copy edits which are due back to my editor on the 21st. It’s difficult to keep up with everything. Have a great evening!
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Good Luck and God Bless! xo
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Such a heart rending story all the more for being true.Billy Ray.
Electing someone who promised to follow the law of the land isn’t hard. It’s getting them to keep their promise without wriggling out from under that’s hard.
I totally agree that those elected must be made answerable to the electorate on how well they’re performing and must be able to be dismissed if found wanting. There was a bill going to go through our Parliament for just this and my own Member promised to support it. He reneged on the instructions of his party and the bill was defeated. There is no doubt in my mind that this bill must be enacted in both our countries to remind the leaders that they represent us the people and not big business or themselves.
Hugs my friend.
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You say it beautifully, good Lord David…power does corrupt and appeals to the baser instincts — the various lobbies and special interest groups buy some of the people we elect, and they soon forget for whom they work…and they get to stay forever – that is, if re-elected and without term limits… Hugs back at you, my good friend. ♥
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