It is now 2013. Thirteen has long been thought of as an unlucky number. For our fiction today, however, thirteen is the luckiest of numbers. See where the numerology will take you when 13 becomes lucky.
I am to meet with Dr. Standish. I not even sure it they’d let me see Philly this time around. After all I’m not really family. The orphan was dropped off at our door on year and our family took care of her for ten years. And the foundling shared my room tor ten years. We thought we were quite lucky having a thirteenth sibling. But the girl had more issues than a simple country family could cope with. So one day without a word we all watched as Social Services came to take her away. After I went off to college and found an affinity for city living and writing I thought I’d look up the lost girl. It is a pipe dream I suppose of reuniting her - even briefly with the family for a holiday.
Relief and disappointment often make strange bedfellows. While I didn’t get to see Phenomena this time Dr. Standish gave me one of the her old journals. It looks like pure gibberish. They can’t make heads or tails out of the miniscule letters and number lining the pages. They say she still hasn’t said a word. But she is helpful with calming some of the distraught older folks in the asylum which it is actually called the Wilfred Center - the fine print on the stationary says it is a facility for caring for those with the greatest of need but without any resources or family. Something like that anyway.
While I’m not the greatest puzzle person in the world I thought I recognized a pattern. Though I’ll need all of my vacation time at the farm and all of my wits to figure it out. When I was sure Philly new all her letters and numbers we would play number and letter substitution puzzles when our chores were done - especially on long cold winter nights. Dr. Standish seems nice enough, she says she is doing all she can. Which at this point is just providing basic needs for about thirty people who would otherwise be homeless. Most are older folks. One of the founders of Riversburg had a relative with early onset alzheimer's and established Wilferd Center. But even with good investments, endowed monies only goes so far. I’ve never been superstitious, personally I still think thirteen is a lucky number.
Triskaidekaphobia?
ReplyDeleteI am to meet with Dr. Standish. I not even sure it they’d let me see Philly this time around. After all I’m not really family. The orphan was dropped off at our door on year and our family took care of her for ten years. And the foundling shared my room tor ten years. We thought we were quite lucky having a thirteenth sibling. But the girl had more issues than a simple country family could cope with. So one day without a word we all watched as Social Services came to take her away. After I went off to college and found an affinity for city living and writing I thought I’d look up the lost girl. It is a pipe dream I suppose of reuniting her - even briefly with the family for a holiday.
Relief and disappointment often make strange bedfellows. While I didn’t get to see Phenomena this time Dr. Standish gave me one of the her old journals. It looks like pure gibberish. They can’t make heads or tails out of the miniscule letters and number lining the pages. They say she still hasn’t said a word. But she is helpful with calming some of the distraught older folks in the asylum which it is actually called the Wilfred Center - the fine print on the stationary says it is a facility for caring for those with the greatest of need but without any resources or family. Something like that anyway.
While I’m not the greatest puzzle person in the world I thought I recognized a pattern. Though I’ll need all of my vacation time at the farm and all of my wits to figure it out. When I was sure Philly new all her letters and numbers we would play number and letter substitution puzzles when our chores were done - especially on long cold winter nights.
Dr. Standish seems nice enough, she says she is doing all she can. Which at this point is just providing basic needs for about thirty people who would otherwise be homeless. Most are older folks. One of the founders of Riversburg had a relative with early onset alzheimer's and established Wilferd Center. But even with good investments, endowed monies only goes so far. I’ve never been superstitious, personally I still think thirteen is a lucky number.
© JP/davh *Wanting, Absent, and Obsession are related pieces to this Flashy Fiction story and can be found at : http://julesinflashyfiction.wordpress.com/