The Tire Swing

A rather sad story inspired by something my brother said.

There they sat. Two little children swinging back and forth on a tire hung from the great oak tree.

I sat and watched them as they swung that day. And over the years I was there as they grew too big to swing together.

Over the years the swing turned from a symbol of friendship to a symbol of love. It was there they could always find each other. It was there that they felt safe.

Then war came. He talked to her about his fears of being drafted. They shared their first kiss leaning over the tire swing.

Weeks passed and nothing happened. They started to feel hopeful that the letter requiring him to join the army would never come. But come it did.

“Ethan,” she said. “Don't go.”

Ethan sighed. He truly loved Questa. He didn't want to break her heart the way that he felt he would even though it wasn't his fault.

“I have to.”

They shared a final kiss over the tire swing.

Every letter that Ethan sent home was read while Questa sat on the tire swing. It seemed to make the news more bearable.

The one letter that Questa read while standing next to the swing held the worst news. After reading it she crumpled to the ground and didn't come in for hours.

Over the next days she wouldn't eat, she wouldn't sleep. She just cried.

And I had to watch as my older sister broke down. She never visited the tire swing again.

Reviews

[Marie]

This is very sad, quite beautiful.

[Aislinn]

Thank you.

[Juboraj]

Beautiful, very touching, very well written

[Aislinn]

Thank you.