Penance
Today’s random word is anxiety; the genre is historical fiction.
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James: “Sometimes I feel like I am doing penance.”
Edward: “How long was your third great-grandfather governor of Mississippi?”
James: “Four years, 1904–1908. He was a complicated man. But a racist, even by the standards of the time.”
Edward: “You’re not like him.”
James: “After we close, at dusk, I walk around the grounds full of anxiety. It’s like I’m holding something back.”
Edward: “Hey, you’re the only white guy on the staff. Are you thinking about quitting?
James: “While walking around last night, I stopped at the Akoto-Bamfo sculpture and wept.
I’m sticking around.”
Edward: “Thank You.”
I took this photo from the Rosa Parks Library and Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. You can read about James K. Vardaman here.
You’ll enjoy the tension in this story by Victoria Virgo.
More Drabbles here.
