Verified answer

Dearest Mother,

Since I told you the date of my execution, you don't bring me flowers anymore….it is just as well. I want you to know that the day I burst into tears after inhaling the sweetness of the bouquet you brought, I was thinking of the wildflowers I picked for you when I was 7…and knowing that I would never be able to pick you flowers again or stop your heart from breaking after I was gone.

So far I have refused to discuss my crime and I would like to leave it that way. Perhaps you will read between the lines here. I wanted no more shame to fall upon the family. As for Lord Byron, may he rest in peace.

To those who knew him casually…he was a well respected man, a

good God fearing man, who went to church every Sunday, and sent his children to the finest schools, but to those of us who suffered his abuses daily…. we knew better. His beautiful young daughter, Lady Greta and I are the same age, 19.

In her favor…I must say, she had no idea of what her father was doing. Please tell her I am sorry.

I know the other scullery maids will be there to watch me pay for my crime, a crime that freed them from their nightly tortures. I know that their prayers must weigh heavy on God’s mind!

For the past 3 nights I have been asking God if what I did was wrong but so far I have received no reply. Perhaps He is still deciding my fate in His mind! I can only pray!

From a small window in my holding cell, I can see the gallows being prepared for my arrival. Time is no longer on my side...the day of reckoning has finally come.

In 30 minutes time I shall go to meet my end.

I’m not afraid, I have made my case with God and with this world both, and I am ready to face whatever eternity has in store for me. Please don’t worry about me or be sad! Be happy that we shared in all of the happy moments we did…it is allot more than many are given…..Until we meet again!

Sincerely, Meredith

Back when I was a kid, I used to watch Engine Engine #9 from a window in my room. I always expected to one day hop that train and be King of the Road. But instead I married young and remained in my home town. I am a well-respected man about town but still long for the road, especially since my wife left me. I know I would never be one to suffer from those Subterranean Homesick Blues. I keep telling my friends I am going to leave, but they keep encouraging me to stay here and take care of my business. “Time is on your side” they tell me. But when I ask how long I should wait, I get no reply. “Don’t worry, Be Happy” they tell me, but I still worry that I will not ever be the King of the Road.

As time is on my side,I'm going to sit with my parrot and ring a well respected man and state that you don't bring me flowers anymore. If there is no reply, I will take in the view from a window where I usually see the king of the road riding on his engine engine#9, humming subterranean homesick blues. He spoke to me once and said, 'Don't worry, be happy, you and your bird can sing along with me. The parrot and I declined, we didn't know the words.

"Polly, is time on my side?" I asked but the silent bird gave no reply. It stood there as stiff as a soldier, its beady eyes staring at the silk tablecloth hanging from a window of a well respected man's house. His car purred through the streets and he was king of the road but the king had gone away to rid himself of what he liked to call the 'Subterranean Homesick Blues'. I listened to the skipping chant rising from the street, "Engine! Engine! Number 9!" and I was sad. It reminded me of when my grandmother was very sick and she used to yell as loudly as she could at my father Eugene, "ENGINE! You don't bring me flowers anymore until I'm dead? Yeh hear me?" So he didn't. My father gave me Polly for Christmas that year when everybody was too busy drinking bitter alcohol singing offkey "And your bird can sing... ring-a-ding-ding!" I looked at Polly who had shared the ups and downs and said, "Don't worry be happy!"

I knocked on the door. (No reply.) I knocked again. Still no reply. (Time is on my side) and I'm in no hurry. I start to knock again but, (from a window) I see an aged and deeply lined face peering out at me. The man smiled innocently at me as he gave me an almost child-like wave, Shortly the door opened just a crack as the wizened little man grinned at me through the crack. "Did you bring flowers?". he asked. I shook my head. "I'm sorry," I told him. "I didn't know but I will next time." He frowned saddly. ("You don't bring me flowers anymore,") he muttered. "No one does."

"May I come in?" I asked. He gave me an impish little smile, his eyes twinkling. "Do you have a bird?" he asked as he opened the door wide for me to enter. Without giving me a chance to reply, he continued. "I like birds. (And your bird can sing?") I told him I didn't have a bird because I had a cat but I liked birds also. "Oh well," he smiled back. "(Don't worry. Be happy) any way. Cat's are okay too." He led me into the livingroom. "You want me to tell you about the summer I was "(king of the road)?" he asked excitedly.as I took a seat on the sofa. He sat down beside me. "I was a (well respected man) back then," he started relating with a far away look in his eyes. "Two friends and I set out on one last adventure before settling down. We hopped a freight train being pulled by (engine....Engine #9!) Oh, we had ourselves a summer alright. But before the summer's end we were singing the (subterranean homesick blues.")

A young woman rushed through the front door ushering a young boy of about six in front of her. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I had to rush to the school to pick up Timmy. His teacher called to say he was running a little temp." I assured her it was no problem. I had been enjoying talking to her father. She excused herself as she left the room with Timmy and soon returned alone. She sent her father to the kitchen for milk and cookies, then sat down beside me. "I'm sorry I've put you to all this trouble," she began. "But I can't go through with it. I can't put Dad in a home just because he's a little senile. I love him too much and I've decided I want to keep him with me as long as possible. Besides, he and Timmy are great friends and playmates."

I left that day with a smile on my face and a good feeling in my heart. I loved my job as a social worker for the aged, especially when it had a happy ending like today.

EDIT: I hope this is not too long. I'm new to this. Also I used all your titles because once I got started, they just fell in place by themselves almost.