A sculptress lives in the middle of a
quarry so that she can have her materials ready at hand. Her gardener,
Ramon, observes her as she works at
freeing figures from the stone. He becomes absorbed in doing with wood what she
does with stone. But he becomes frustrated with incomplete and unfinished
figures, begins drinking and she dismisses him, telling him never to return.
But he does, with an unfinished wooden
figurine that copies in wood her unfinished figurine of a girl in stone. The
sculptress recognizes a kindred creative spirit. “Now she knew that Ramon understood…there
were so many in the quarry waiting to be free, and there was so little time.
‘Come with me, Ramon,’ she said, holding her hand out to him and smiling.
‘There is so much more work left to do.’ ” P. 144.
Comment: Belief that the stone contains an object or
a figurine that needs to be freed from the confining stone—or wood. RayS.
Rating: **** out of *****.
About the Author: “A native Texan, born
in 1950, Christopher Woods writes short stories, plays and poetry. He is a
recipient of a grant from the Mary Roberts Rinehart Foundation and a Fellowship
from the Edward Albee Foundation. His stories appear in literary journals.”
Short Story International
#54. Ed. Sylvia Tankel. February 1986. Pp.140-145.
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