William Strunk

Jasmine William Strunk

I sit in the swing on the front porch each night, look out across my moonlit farm, and experience a quiet solitude that brings me peace. I reminisce about days gone by, and a smile captures my soul. I have no regrets. I've had a wonderful life. I saw Jasmine up close for the first time, and she took my breath away. I thought, "This is the most beautiful creature God has ever put on this earth." We met at church every chance we got. When the service was over, we'd walk out to the parking lot together and then talk for a while. Jasmine's house was only a hundred yards away, and when she left to walk home, I watched her until I knew she was safely home. As I watched her leave, a sad and lonely feeling always came over me. That wasn't the way it was supposed to be. We were supposed to be going home together. "Chase, you and Jasmine are like oil and water. Two people couldn't be more different. You're educated, and she ain't. You come from a rich, highfalutin family, and she comes from poor folks. She'll never fit in. My daughter's just gonna end up unhappy for the rest of her life, and I ain't gonna allow that to happen." I went by the library every day for two weeks to see if Jasmine was there. She wasn't. I went to church every Sunday, hoping to see her, but she never came. "You're wasting your time, Chase. She's never going to come back," I told myself each time. But I kept going back...and waiting...and hoping.