The clouds had shifted their priorities, waltzing in numbers toward a distant horizon. The Sun’s intent fluttered (its shadow) among them. Songs of silence filled the air. Chill strutted his stuff.
“Excuse me, Sir. I was asked to deliver this.”
Glancing at it then folding it again, he tucked it halfway among the ambered pages. It quietly disappeared.
Thank you, Na-iem. The answer is yes.
“I have read your works,” her voice shattered the silence. “Racism as the Cancer of these United States is not among them.”
After the 7th edition it became a collector’s item.
“And yet it remains applicable?”
Some things exceed infinity. Truth exceeds infinity. Matters of the heart exceed infinity. Life exceeds infinity.
You said the alchemy of the nature of words was the portal that would allow me to navigate beneath the ocean’s surface.
Yes.
Then I’d love to learn this magic! To portal the ocean’s treasures. To understand your simplification of that complex.”
His heart smiled.
“How long might this take?”
Only revelations, epiphanies and questions come quickly-
“-And a poor lover!” Her disdain streaked past embarrassed lips.
But he erupted into laughter quicker than her cheeks blushed. It was a warming laugh. It was a comforting laugh. It was a laugh of acceptance, of safety, of understanding.
Her laugh of hesitancy melted into relief then crescendo with his.
They laughed all the more. The kind of laughter that telepaths between old friends.
Telepathy ended, they settled down, between short giggles and deep breaths. They avoided eye contact, fearing laughter might spark again.
“I am so sorry…I was speaking of brunch. If it will interfere with your flow I can skip it. And on that note , please excuse me for a moment. Our laugh has hastened the summons of two cups of coffee.”
My mistake…please, go. I am a patient man.
His hands at the back of her chair, he gingerly removed it as she rose.
Her grace was as the warmth of a butterfly’s wings.
Sitting again, his glimpse of her was cut short of a trance as she cornered the doorway.
Never hath so imperial a line of a woman swathed the Sun’s shadow, he groqled.
On the inside. In accordance with The Gentleman’s Code.
Section Three. Subsection Seven. Line Twelve.
Whereof the first three words read “Lawd! Have Mercy…”
His shoulders made faint but fluidic moves. His right shoe tightly scribed a cacophony of moves. Smokey Robinson’s medley quietly stormed.
“Remind me to ask you for a dance sometime-“ Her gentle voice swooped mere inches from his right ear.
His felined from sitting to a point at her side. Hand offered, he positioned her seat with the other.
I’m sorry, I didn’t see you coming.
“Oohhh…such chivalry,” she falsettoed. “A product of your upbringing?”
Uhh…somewhat. More so an experience, actually.
“Can you share?”
More than a heartbeat passed.
In short, it was her tears. With the eyes of a little puppy and moisture-cascaded cheeks, her lips anguished the words, “Why did you make me love you?”
His vision blurred. His voice cracked as leaves in a distant hollow.
He paused. Her eyes softened.
Her words seared my heart. I no longer fancied myself a playa-
“-Humph. More men should be so lucky to-“
I had vowed as a young child never to make a lady cry, no matter what. In that moment this vow bubbled into consciousness.
“Kind of heavy wouldn’t you say? I mean…like, how old were you? “
I learned many things by way of my Dad. Some by simply observing to do his opposite. He once made my Mother cry…that I did not like that. I really did not like that.
Understand: He did not hit my Mother. Ever. He didn’t roll like ‘dat. But the man’s tongue was no slouch.
Home is an incubator. Home is a laboratory. Home is life’s university.
We only learn by experience. Yours. Mine. It matters not. One only learns by experience. But one trick that escapes many is this: We can redecide any decision.
Silence serenaded their thoughts.
Taking reprieve, she spoke.
“A playa, huh? I got my eye on you, young man,” wagging her finger in jest.
