Chapter 47: From the Greatest Love Story Ever Told

Part 1: THE AWAKENING

Cherrie stood outside the entranceway to the tavern for what seemed to be an eternity. She was there to meet someone, and didn't as a habit come to taverns. It just wasn't proper for an unescorted lady to enter a tavern, not here in Scotland anyway. But Cherrie felt compelled to do this. Ian Stuart had told Cherrie he would stop at the tavern to sell his trinkets on his way home. Cherrie had come to the tavern, with money, in guise of buying some trinkets from Ian Stuart. Cherrie and Ian had met on a chance encounter, only once -- and only for a moment. Cherrie wanted to see him again.

This was crazy, Cherrie thought, but she longed to see Ian one more time. Standing outside the tavern, she was able to get a few glimpses inside the tavern but couldn't determine whether Ian was there or not.

Finally, with raw courage abounding, Cherrie entered the tavern. The music and festive atmosphere continued and didn't change because of her entrance. There were a lot of eyes on her as she first came in, but those eyes quickly returned to what they were doing before. Cherrie looked all around. She observed several men playing darts in one corner, and others engulfed in a card game. There was an attractive and shapely young lady playing the piano with a man by her side playing a banjo and a guy next to him playing the harmonica. Quickly glancing around the bar she spotted an open table. At the table next to it sat two elderly men. As she approached the table, both these men stood. One of them leaned over and pulled out the chair for Cherrie. As Cherrie sat down the man said, "Good Evening, Lassie, I am Lerner and this is my distinguished friend Loewe." Cherrie nodded her head several times in their direction as she sat down into her chair. Cherrie began combing the tavern with her eyes. She quickly ascertained Ian was not present, at least not yet.

Before too long the barmaid approached and asked Cherrie, "Would ya like something to drink, my lady," and Cherrie responded, "no thank-you, I am waiting for someone." The tavern was crowded and busy this Saturday evening so the barmaid gave a nod and began making her way through the crowd. The crowd was composed predominantly of men between the ages of 23 and all the way up into the 80's. There were three women in the tavern, four if you counted Molly, the barmaid.

Cherrie was mentally trying to guess the ages of Lerner and Loewe when Loewe leaned over and said, "You'll be okay in here, Lassie, there's no one gonna bother you." "Why thank-you," replied Cherrie. Lerner asked, "So are you waiting for your mate, Lassie?" "No," replied Cherrie, "just waiting for a friend." For the next fifteen to twenty minutes there wasn't a word exchanged between Cherrie, Lerner or Loewe. Cherrie had become busy studying the bar, its decor, the lighting, the smoke and the people. Every time the squeaky entrance door moved, Cherrie's eyes were there. Cherrie had observed several people coming and going into and out of the tavern, but none of them was Ian.

Molly, the barmaid, was making her way back to Cherrie's table. When she arrived Molly quipped, "Honey, if he ain't here by now, I don't think he's a coming." "Aw, go on," said Lerner to Molly, "leave her be." With that, Molly trekked back behind the bar.

Loewe leaned over to Cherrie and said, "Ah, but Molly, as rude as she may seem is right, almost everyone who is coming here this evening is already here, or has been here and gone I am afraid." "Who are you waiting for," asked Lerner? Within a split second, Cherrie responded, "I am waiting for my friend, Ian Stuart." No sooner had the words left her lips when she noticed a look of astonishment in the eyes of Loewe and Lerner. "Well, then, Lassie, " said Lerner, "you'd better sit with us and let us get you a drink because we have a story to tell you." Reluctantly, Cherrie got up and moved to the table where Loewe and Lerner were sitting. She positioned herself between them and sat down. Meanwhile, Loewe had ordered three cognacs from the bar. "I don't drink," said Cherrie. Loewe responded, "Maybe you didn't drink yesterday and perhaps you will not drink tomorrow, but tonight you will drink." Loewe and Lerner held up their glasses and made a toast to "Ian Stuart." Cherrie's curiosity was showing. Cherrie took a little sip of the cognac and quickly set the glass back onto the table.

Without waiting, Cherrie spoke, "I met Ian Stuart several days ago on the road between Brigadoon and here," Cherrie continued, "He is so remarkable and handsome. He told me he comes to this tavern to sell his trinkets and I want to see him again."

With those comments, Loewe and Lerner downed their glasses of cognac and ordered three more. Cherrie wouldn't touch her glass again. Cherrie continued, "Ian is so handsome and so full of life and he said he would be at the tavern." "Yes, dear," replied Lerner, "but he didn't say tonight, did he?" "Well, no he didn't," responded Cherrie.

Lerner and Loewe moved closer to Cherrie and began telling her the story of Brigadoon.

Loewe began, "Brigadoon is a mythical city here in Scotland. No one has ever seen it or been there. Legend has it that this town, Brigadoon, appears one day every one hundred years. And that tomorrow in Brigadoon would be 100 years for you or me. Almost immediately the tears began to stream down Cherrie's cheeks. Her heart was suddenly overcome with a certain emptiness, disbelief, pain and sorrow. "This cannot be," Cherrie cried, continuing, "he said he would be at the tavern."

Lerner replied, "Yes, child, Ian was here last evening, we bought some trinkets from him, and so did most of the people in the tavern last night. Ian is known to everyone, Lassie, and what a fine young man he is." Cherrie interrupted, "Why can't he be here tonight?" Loewe explained, "Centuries ago, many cities had fallen under evil and magical curses. To avoid a similar fate, a spell was cast upon Brigadoon where it would remain unchanging and invisible to the outside world except for one special day every one hundred years, when it could be seen and visited by strangers. Visitors might be allowed to stay, but if anyone ever left Brigadoon, the miracle would be broken and that would mean the end of them all." Cherrie had tears freely flowing from her eyes at this point. Loewe offered her a cognac and she refused.

Lerner added, "Don't cry, Lassie. Ian was here most the night last night and spoke to Molly. Maybe Molly knows something. Lerner called Molly, the barmaid, back over to the table and explained to her, "Molly, this here lassie was supposed to meet Ian, did he leave any word for her?" "Ah, me lady," Molly chided, "he was here all right, last night and waiting for you. All he could do was talk about some lassie he had met on his way into town, and how she had taken away his breath. Surely you aren't the one?" With those comments from Molly, tears began to flow again from Cherrie's eyes.

Loewe and Lerner both escorted Molly away from Cherrie and back toward the bar. They returned to sit down besides Cherrie.

"My dear child," stated Lerner, "Ian was here last night selling his wares and bragging about a Lassie he had met on his way into town." Loewe added, "Ian said she was the fairest maid in all the lands and for all of time, certainly you made an impression on him too." Cherrie began wiping the tears from her eyes and took a little (a very little) sip of the cognac before setting the glass back onto the table. Cherrie cried out, "But I thought he meant tonight, tonight he would be here; not last night, tonight."

"I'm sorry me love," said Loewe, "but Ian is gone for 100 years." This brought tears flowing from Cherrie's eyes. Lerner offered Cherrie a tissue as Molly was approaching the table again. Molly said, "I don't know what Ian saw in the tearful one there, but tell her she's drawing attention from the customers with her bawling." With those comments said, Molly darted back behind the bar.

The stream of tears flowing from Cherrie's eyes brought tears to Loewe and Lerner. They both felt helpless for her. Loewe leaned over and held Cherrie against his shoulder and said, "It will be okay, Lassie, I know it will, I just know it will."

With those comments Cherrie noticed Molly leaning over from behind the bar dangling a bag or something like a satchel in her hand and calling out to Cherrie, "When your done feeling sorry for yourself, Ian left this for you." In an instant, almost like a jackrabbit, Cherrie was up and out of her seat making her way to the bar. Once Cherrie got close enough to Molly, she asked, "Why didn't you tell me Ian had left something for me?" Molly responded, "Listen Lassie, I didn't know the package was for you. You were too busy crying and carrying on over there like a lamb and I couldn't ask you and certainly Ian could have picked someone prettier, such as myself, over you."

Cherrie took two steps backwards before opening the bag. Inside the bag she discovered a note and a smaller bag inside the larger one.

The note was handwritten and read:

"My Beloved,

I waited and waited and waited for you all evening. Certainly my impression of you has exceeded your impression of me. So, I guess it's safe to tell that when I first laid eyes upon you, it was as though God had cleared a few clouds with his hands and looked down upon you. There you were inside a single, golden ray of sunshine that gently touched your skin, which was then cast upon my eyes. You probably think I am a clown!

I have come this evening to sell my wares before returning to Brigadoon and thought and hoped I would see you again. I must return by midnight. I am certain patrons in the bar will explain the legend to you.

Please my love, do me this one huge favor? �� I want you to tell your children about how we met, and have them tell their children, and then their children's children. Will you do this for me?� Now quit reading this silly letter and open the gift I have left for you."

Inside the bag Cherrie removed a small leather crafted box. Upon opening the box, she saw a magnificent, marquise cut, green emerald ring, set in gold and platinum and with several diamonds. The ring was exquisite and not busy. Under the ring was a card and another note.

Cherrie read the card first.

"I truly do not know which is prettier, � the color of your eyes or the color of this stone,� help me decide.
���������������������������������������������������������� Love,
������������������������������������������������������������������ Ian"

As the tears began flowing, Cherrie placed the ring on her finger and opened the note and read:

"One day, tomorrow, which will be 100 years from now, I will seek out your children's children and tell them I was in love with their grandmother. I will ask if any of them are carrying a message from you to me about the day we first met a long, long time ago. Be Well.

������������������������������������ Love,
�������������������������������������������� Ian Stuart"

�

To be continued

About Chapter 47

Behind the Scene of Chapter 47

The Re-Write of Easy-D