Patti Diener’s THE CLOCK TOWER OF MAPLE CREEK-Part Three / Read for Free!

It’s been a full month since I last posted and I cannot tell a lie. I have been feeling anxious and overwhelmed. My dogs are the only ones that see how much it upsets me. I try to cover up my emotions and move on, because that’s what strong people do, (right?). All the news and terrible reports daily on the state of our country has put me in a funk. Has this happened to you?

I decided to turn over a new leaf. Ok, well it’s not ALL THAT NEW, but I’m actually implementing some better habits that I always start and have failed to keep going with in the past. I’m putting myself first!

Yes, I know that sounds like something a very selfish person would do, but truly, I am no good to my husband or family if I am a wreck. That means, I am waking up and NOT turning on the news. I am eating better, taking supplements to better my immune system, and reading books that promote positive thinking to begin my day, and set me on a path of feeling good.

I apologize for the delay at giving y’all the next scene in Chapter One, of my new novel, THE CLOCK TOWER OF MAPLE CREEK. It is finally here for you today. But before we dive in, I just want to say, that if you have been like me, and have been overly affected by our current situation, you are not alone. Reach out to friends, family, or pick up a self help book that appeals to you. Get outside when it’s cool, remember all that you have to be grateful for, and for heaven sake, limit your screen time. Like, set a timer! Because it can really be counterproductive to your health if all you expose yourself to is negativity.

I recently started to journal again. This one by Debbie Macomber, is just the ticket to staying positive. I find myself more relaxed and simply happier, when I write down thoughts of joy and inspiration.

ALRIGHT!…without further ado, I am happy to give you the third installment of Chapter One, of THE CLOCK TOWER OF MAPLE CREEK. Now as I said before, this is unedited. I have not gone back and changed anything since writing this, and I am now on Chapter Thirteen. If you leave a comment, I just wanted you to know that in advance-so please be kind. (Ha! Ha!) If you have NOT read the first two posts of the chapter, then please follow these instructions to start from the beginning.

CLICK HERE to take you to the beginning. After reading you can click the GO BACK arrow to bring you back here. CLICK HERE to take you to Part Two, and click the go back button to bring you to this post for Part Three. The reason for this is my website posts my most recent posts first. Yeah…that’s technology.

Thank you for reading and here is PART THREE!

It worked! All the gears, bearings, pendulum, and strike train were all functioning as Albert thought they should. The escapement imparting energy to the pendulum, back and forth, Albert lay inside the tower listening, eyes closed. Concentrating on the sound it made as the whir of the strike train sounded the hour that Friday afternoon at one o’clock for his test run. As the huge clock chimed loudly and clearly a single gong, Albert could faintly hear the gasps and cheers from people on the streets and within the Town Square. The Fourth of July Jubilee decorating committee, was swarming The Square. They were the first to bear witness that Albert had succeeded in keeping his promise to Mayor Jonathan Kemp, and the people of Maple Creek. Now it just had to work again at noon the next day, for the big reveal. 

He fixed it so the clock would not chime again until he reset it to do so. Tomorrow, on Saturday at eleven-thirty in the morning, he’d set it up to start sounding the hour, every hour beginning at noon, and for each hour forever after. Albert would become the clock keeper and lying inside the tower now, he felt a kinship with the precious machine. He felt an intimate relationship with the over seventy-five year old time piece. Anyone to care for it would require enormous patience and have a keen ear. It would be impossible now for him to imagine anyone else caring for it. He would climb up the steps every week to wind it, check the speed, clean the face, and oil the gears. Sitting inside the tower now, he nodded his approval and laughed out loud.

When he walked out onto the street, people were walking towards him in droves. Patting him on the back, his Uncle Zeke came out from the jewelry store just a few shops away to congratulate him.

“I am so proud. You did it!  I knew if anyone around Maple Creek was capable, it was you. That was some undertaking, Son. Guess it’s fair to say that you can fix damn near anything now.”

“Thanks Uncle Zeke. But I still have the reveal tomorra.”

“That’s right Albert,” Mayor Kemp was walking up, cigar in his mouth. “I trust everathang is going according ta plan?”

“Yes, Sir. It will work. You can count on it. And I’d like ta stay on as the Maple Creek Clock Keeper if ya don’t mind.”

Folks were coming out of Parker’s Soda Shop, even Mable. They poured onto the sidewalk, curious, watching the Mayor and Albert speak. People walked closer from The Green, stopping at the street but standing at the edge of the lawn to listen. Albert was confident, looking the Mayor right in the eyes.

“Son, if that thang works as well as you say it does, we can talk.”

From behind the Mayor, Virginia stepped out to grab Albert by the hand and congratulated him. Her pink, fitted dress and heals making her look ever the part of City Hall assistant secretary.

“Oh Daddy isn’t it wonderful what Albert has done? I thank we should have him to suppa or somethin’. I’m just so pleased we will finally have a working clock tower in City Hall! It’s like he’s brought a piece of our town back to life,” she gushed.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Virginia. The boy still has to fulfill his end of the bargain before I’m convinced. I will say, it’s looking quite optimistic though,” he puffed his cigar and smoothed his suit vest. “We’ll see.”

He walked away with city council in tow, including Teddy Gilbert, Theo’s dad. Virginia stood a minute longer and opened her mouth to speak when the mayor bellowed.

“Virginia? Come along Sweet Pea, we have more work ta do before tomorra.”

“Move along Sweet Pea,” Albert whispered in a tease then winked at her. She was adorable and as she quickly trotted off in her white high heels, Albert turned to watch her.

The people slowly returned to their day. Mable and Mr. Parker went back inside Parker’s Soda Shop, the decorating committee went back to The Green to work on the gazebo, and his Uncle Zeke gave him a thumbs up and walked back over to his store. All along The Square, he could see folks return to their business and Albert decided to go home for the day. He’d finally done it!

But as Albert walked with his tools to his beat up 1945 Ford pickup with the dent in the door, Theo Gilbert stopped working on the lights for the gazebo to watch him. Then staring up at the clock tower, Theo rubbed his chin, raised an eyebrow, and smiled.

************

It was show time! The thick July air of Kentucky shrouded the day in humidity, but the streets were full nonetheless. The citizens of Maple Creek came out in droves adorn with red, white, and blue attire. Music came from the gazebo out on The Green, where a local band played patriotic tunes, and there were hotdogs, snow cones, and cotton candy selling near the fountain. On the sidewalks of The Square, folks mingled and weaved in and out of all the open doors of the town businesses.

Albert’s hands were sweating and he knew it wasn’t from the early heat of the day. It was 11:35am when he descended the clock tower from setting the great machine to start its first of hopefully years to come, hourly chimes, to begin at high noon.

 As he stepped out onto the sidewalk, the door to the tower failed to shut all the way behind him. Albert was so deep in thought of finding Virginia, he failed to notice Theo slip quickly through the door and creep up the stairs.

Scouring the streets with his eyes, Albert couldn’t see any sign of Virginia. Where was she? He hoped she’d be with him for the reveal. He walked around aimlessly, hands in and out of his pockets, fidgeting with his tie.

By 11:45am Theo stuck his head out of the door to the clock tower, looking this way then that, quickly snuck back onto the street and firmly shut the door behind him, walking  away from the crowd.

 11:50 am Albert’s parents and his Uncle Zeke, were standing in front of the jewelry store, waiting like the rest of the community to hear the old time piece chime back to life. Albert paced and wrung his hands. Walking back towards City Hall, he spotted the mayor coming his way with Teddy Gilbert. Both men wore white starched shirts with red ties, but the mayor wore a royal blue vest with his. Looking at his own rumpled shirt, Albert quickly straightened his tie and extended his hand to the mayor.

“Mayor Kemp, I wanted ta thank ya for this opportunity ta be the one ta get the clock tower back up and running. It’s been a great honor, Sir.”

The creases of his eyes smiled, as the mayor held his cigar within his teeth. He shook Albert’s hand, but then pulled him closer to say, “I truly hope you’ve pulled this off, Son. There are a lot of people hera that thank I was crazy ta let a young man of your age take a crack at it. My Virginia swears that you are some kind of genius though. I hope she’s right.”

Albert ran his hand through his hair looking around and then at his watch. 11:53am. “Yes, Virginia. Well I was hoping she’d be hera for this. Have you seen her?”

Teddy patted the mayor on the back then, “I believe she’s with my Theo. We just saw them a second ago standing around the corner of the court house entry. They seemed like they wanted some privacy though since they were whipserin’ an all,” and Teddy smiled, nudged Albert with an elbow.

A knot formed in Albert’s stomach as he quickly excused himself to go find her and get her away from that weasel Theo. “Thank ya gentlemen. Happy Fourth of July, Sir.”

Maneuvering the sea of people on the sidewalk like a salmon swimming up-stream, Albert glanced at his watch just before he reached the court house, 11:58am. He didn’t find anyone at the doors of the courthouse. It was locked solid for the day’s festivities. Where was she?

Then he remembered Teddy said around the corner. Just past the building was a little alcove between the courthouse and the title company. Nobody was over there because all the festivities were going the other way.

 Albert turned the corner and felt like someone knocked the air out of him. As if someone punched him in the stomach, he found he couldn’t breathe. Virginia was in a red dress and white shoes, and Theo was holding her face with both hands and kissing her.

“I swear, Virginia!” was all that came out.

She pulled away from Theo and pushed his chest to stumble towards Albert. It looked to him that she took a bit too long to protest though, and Albert spun around to walk back towards the crowd.

“Albert, wait! It’s not what ya thank. Albert!” she tried to catch up to him but he was hot with anger and prideful jealousy. His long legs pumped faster.

It was noon.

The first chime was more of a clank. The next one sounded like someone plucking a mouth harp… then silence. Albert froze. Then he looked around and everyone within the town seemed to stop and stare upward. The paralyzing dread within him seemed to stop time, as he realized that now, everyone in the whole town was looking right at him.

He turned to go back towards the clock tower but Virginia was there breathless and begging for him to listen to her. He turned back the other way and came face to face with the mayor.

“I thought you told me it was working, boy! What the hell was that? You failed!”  

“I… It was fine. I don’t understand,” he stammered.

“Neither do I. I don’t understand how I could have been so stupid to let a kid work on something so important. You made a fool out of me!” the mayor clenched his cigar, face beet red, and he looked like a dog baring his teeth.

“No Daddy! Albert really is a genius. Something must have gone terribly wrong because yesterday we all heard…”

“Oh stay out of this Virginia, darlin’. I know you meant well supportin’ this friend of yours but your misguided advice has cost me terrible embarrassment!” and he stormed off with Teddy close behind.

Albert ran both hands threw his hair, shaking his head. Then Virginia’s hand was on his arm. He pulled it away like it was a hot poker. Slowly, he turned to look at her questioningly, with pain in his eyes. Before she could explain, Theo was there behind her.

“I told y’all that this guy was in way over his head. He’s no genius, Virginia. He was just trying to impress you and get the mayor to like him but he can’t fix that clock tower any more than he can fly to the moon. Face it honey. Albert James just isn’t in your league,” and Theo draped an arm around Virginia’s shoulder. She swat it away and tried to grab Albert’s hand but he pulled away from her, feeling the stares from everyone in town.

What the hell happened? The world seemed to be moving in slow motion and Albert felt the eyes of every single person burning into him. He couldn’t trust himself. He was so sure of everything just yesterday. Now on the street below the clock tower, he felt like an alien in a foreign world. He didn’t belong. He had to get away.

As he walked across to the far right of The Square, he made his way between some buildings to find his truck parked on the next block, on Third Street. He jumped inside and fired up the engine. Albert left that day feeling betrayed, confused, and very much alone.

For weeks Virginia tried to call him, but he refused her calls. He stopped working in his uncle’s shop, because he didn’t want to be seen in town, and although he felt cowardly, his broken heart weighed him down the most.

Before long, he’d heard Virginia left for school, Theo went off to Princeton, and Albert packed his bags as well. But he didn’t leave for school. Albert just moved away. He needed a new town, with different people, and different opportunities. Someplace where every time he turned a corner, he wouldn’t think of Virginia Kemp.

************

Ok, you fabulous readers! That’s it! That’s all of the beginning of THE CLOCK TOWER OF MAPLE CREEK, ya’ll are going to get until I publish. But follow along to get tidbits, hints, and news of my progress. I’m hoping to have the book finished by the end of the summer, edited by the end of November, and we will see after that. I think I might try my hand at TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING again, instead of self-publishing. If you’ve read my posts on self-pub, you know it’s a hole HELLUVA lotta work! But I’m not going to sweat it. I’ll let the Universe lead the way.

Sending loads of love your way. Thank you for reading, and you are all in my thoughts and prayers during this weird-ass time we are in.

Patti Diener