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Something About Love

A Peek at Life in 3 Seasons

By Renita ShadwickPublished 3 years ago 10 min read
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Something About Love

Part I

Love takes pleasure in the flowering of the truth. 1 Cor. 13:6

The Message Bible

And They Call It Puppy Love. (His Story)

I guess I stole a bike. Well, that’s what they are all saying. It’s not like I went around looking for a bike…it was just leaned up against a fence by a vacant lot. I called out, looked around and no one responded, so I jumped on and rode it home.

Then our new neighbor, Mr. Davis, comes over and says I stole his daughter’s bike. My parents are so embarrassed, they don’t listen to me at all. Tell me to clean up because we are going next door to apologize. Said, we new to this neighborhood and don’t want to make a bad impression, and don’t want no mess outta me!

Bad impression! Just cause some bucktoothed, ashy-legged, bug-eyed, nappy headed ugmo said I stole her bike. I got a bad impression of her!

Momma takes one of her good pies, Dad grabs a bottle of wine and off we go. Oh…everybody gonna listen to me, before I apologize to ugmo the girl. I aint no thief. They Blah, blah, blah, Daddy pushed me forward, and Mr. Davis calls her downstairs. “Zazu”, someone here to talk to you. Like I just popped over to say hello. Ugh… All eyes are on the staircase as Zazu descends…

She takes the landing. My heart starts racing. Why is my heart racing? I feel my mouth going dry, and my heart is pounding so… can you hear that? My hands are wet. Am I having a heart attack?

She had on a skirt that stopped high above the knee and a sleeveless shirt that was tied in the front, with a sliver, just a sliver of skin showing at the waist. (12 yr. old boys notice stuff like that, you know) Her skin looked like melted caramel. She is had an afro. A big curly sandy brown fro! It circles her head like a halo. She, she could a been an angel. She lifted her eyes and looked into my soul. Can she tell what I’m thinkin? ok, stop thinkin. There was a fire in her green eyes that danced beneath dark brown lashes. She smiled at me. My knees turn to jello. Her lips are full and pinkish brown with pearls…that’s right, I said pearls for teeth….

Hello, she sang, my name is Zazu…why is she singing? I hear singing and I see butterflies and flowers and stuff. It’s not a heart attack, it’s a stroke, I’m 12 and I’m having a stroke.

I try to speak, but all I can do is gurgle. Gurgle! she smiles bigger! I am being pulled in by the rays of her smile beam. I’m mum…mumum my name is, what’s my name? Ahhh, my name is Aaa-andrew, I stammer. Nice, she says. I am gonna call you Drew. My chin is wet. Am I drooling? I’m drooling like a baby. Yep, it’s a stroke alright. Sure, I manage to say. She reaches out her hand and places it on my shoulder. I glance down and see my sneakers start to melt into the carpet. Did the witch in OZ feel this way? My shirt is bouncing up and down like in the cartoons. The impression of a heart beneath the fabric. I think I’m in love, I say. “Excuse me” she sang. Oh no, did I say that out loud! A trickle of sweat rolls down my face. I close my eyes a moment to break the spell. I say, I would love for you to accept my apology. No need, she sings, and I am captured again. I knew you didn’t steal my bike, I told daddy that It was my fault for leaving it like that. I’m sorry too. Hey, you want some Kool-Aid. Sure, I manage to slobber. Come on, she says and turns to lead the way. When I turn around, I see our parents, sniggling and smiling like the Cheshire cat! Parents can be so annoying sometimes

PART II

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 1 Cor 13:7 KJV Bible

They Call It Cheating (Her Story)

She wanted to slap him to sleep. She sat in the car for a few minutes before she went into the house. She sat there trying to meditate, like they insisted on in her yoga class. Stupid class she said out loud. Nothing I can’t get from pilates, and all the mumbo jumbo about chakras and third eyes and snakes coiled at the base of your spine, didn’t do a thing for what she was feeling now. Why she let Camilla talk her into that mess anyway…

He must have drunk 4 cups of tea, spiked the last two and still his belly was a knot of nerves. So, this is how it ends, he thought. My entire life will be over when she walks through that door. He started to cuss. A long string of expletives that he never used. He hated profanity, even though it fit this predicament, it was useless and foolish coming out of his mouth.

She entered the house thru the back door. She knew he would be standing in the living room waiting to greet her with his arms outstretched, a routine they had developed over the years. A way to say we close the door on the outside world and embrace this world we create together. She did not want to look into his eyes and feel safe. She did not want to feel the comfort of his arms or the loving tender way he would kiss her. There was an invader in their world. An invader whose very existence shattered their trust and upset her belief in him. She grabbed a coke and walked towards the living room.

He was standing there too. When he saw her, he stretched out his arms as he had done every evening, they spent together for the past 27 years. Please, he thought, please let’s just…She broke his thought by asking are those the same two arms that you held her with when you were busy getting your swerve on? Huh? You broke a No-No rule. And not only did you break it, but you let it live. Live long enough to mature and burst and ooze its pus all over me….

He didn’t want to go to church that morning because he had 3 wisdom teeth removed and was still in great discomfort. So, she went by herself. No big deal at all. As the choir was singing the final music selection before the Word, she quickly made her way to the ladies. There was a young man waiting outside the lady’s room door that asked if he could speak to her.

He said his name was Aubrey Collier. Are you a relative of

Andrew’s she asked? Of a sort, the young man said. I am his son. Wait…what? How? She listened to him tell his tale and when he ended, she told him that if what he said was true, after DNA tests of course, he had some family to meet, but if not, I know a few people that are going to have a long chat with his mother.

Sugarlump…sugarlump , please….

She tried to listen to Drew, but after he said something about they were in a bad place in the marriage and it was only one time, her ears closed up. She walked away from whatever he was saying. Went into the bathroom took 2 valiums, washed it down with the coke, and laid across their bed. Before the drugs took her to a precarious peace, she kept hearing, but I love him so much, so much, so much, I love him.

He pounded on his chest with a fist, as if he were beating himself up. Idiot, he said out loud. And for what? For What? That kid is not mine! How many times did I have to tell them to leave me alone! And he stepped to my wife…in church! And they refuse a DNA. Could be anybody’s boy. He looks just like Randall. Everybody says so. Randall was her cut buddy. They were inseparable. Grade school, high school, and college. Now Randall went and got him a wife, so now you after me!

When she woke up it was dark. He was sitting at her dressing table. That kid’s not mine, Zazu. I was with Candy before we married. Really? The boy is 26 yrs. old. A year younger than our own son. So, you would have had to have been with her during our marriage. You broke a No-No. and have caused me public embarrassment. You broke covenant with me. The tears started to flow then. Big hot tears…you broke me, you broke us. And as angry as I am with you, I still love you so much, so much I love you and you don’t deserve it.

But Haven’t I been forgiven? I’m not perfect, I’ve made my mistakes…and Jesus never seems to hold them against me.

She hadn’t taken anything out the freezer for Sunday dinner. He asked her what she wanted to eat. She said chicken from Tops would be fine. He told her he was going to go to that market that she liked across town and buy some crab cakes. She said I’m thinking cheesy potatoes and asparagus to go with ‘em. He took her hand and walked to the door. She followed him out to the first landing. He proceeded down the stairs and suddenly she saw that tongued tied boy that looked at her with pure admiration 38 years ago. She knew then that they would be alright. He put his hand on the door and without turning around, he asked her, Sugarlump, Will you be here when I get back? Hurry up, she said.

The counselor asked him if he loved her. He noticed that Drew’s face radiated when the talked about her, their life, and their marriage.

The counselor asked her if she loved him. He noticed that Zazu’s eyes filled with tears and she said, yes. I can’t seem to help myself.

The counselor told them they had a great foundation to re-build upon if they were willing to do some work…

Weeks later, they stopped laying back-to-back. they faced each other and coupled like lovers do, fell asleep in each other arms and rested for the 1st time in months.

Part III

Love never ends. 1 Cor. 13 8a ESV Bible

They Called it Sacrifice (Their Story)

They always ask me why I don’t put him away. I don’t think I can…, In fact I know I can’t! We said for better or worse, til death, do us part. We meant it then and I mean it now. I aint broke my vows in 60 years, and we still right here. Humph! Last month he asked me what his shoes were. I just explain it to him. I don’t talk to him no different than I ever did. I found a piece of old black rug. I cut it into a circle and laid it down before the front door…back door too. He thinks it’s a hole in the ground and he don’t want to fall in, and so now I don’t have to worry about him leaving the house on his own. Last time it took us and the police 7 hours to find him. Said he was out for a walk...walked all the way to the waterfront. Thank you, Lord. He was just a little cold cause he got caught in a rain. He doesn’t remember how to brush his teeth, or put on his shoes, but yesterday he reached and got ahold of my hand. Looked me in my face and spoke. “Hey, Sugarlump”. I live with him in whatever moment he’s in. He still sings. I sing with him. He still put on his own clothes, all but the shoes of course. They ask me why I keep him, because he don’t even know who I am, most of the time. Say I should put him away. Who you think he is calling Sugarlump when he does, I tell them? ‘Sides, it’s alright he don’t know who I am. I know who he is…and that’s enough.

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