Branch of Hopes

Branch of Hopes

"Stupid Kickball" - Candy mumbles.

"Yeah, They could've picked you." Joey looks downward, after also not being picked.

"Um, Are you Hungry?" Joey asks, pulling at his lunch box sitting on the gym floor against the wall.

"Uhh, OK. Thank you. What's your name?" The awkward pig-tailed girl asks warmly after, Sitting & accepting half a sandwich.

"Mmm. Joey.." The shy boy says, looking away from the tall girl.

"I'm Candace, Joey... And I'm over here silly." She pulls his face rightward to hers. Giggling.

He, even though brown skin, is visibly blushing as he now must forcibly look at the girl eye to eye.

For a second, He's lost in a wonderous land of Hazel.

"Hi Candace. Do you wear glasses... For like, reading?" Joe asks. His way of wondering what she looks like without them.

"Oui oui... For reading yes." She says without shame.

"Wee-wee?? What's that?" Joey asks nervously. Smacking his food while eating his half of sandwich.

"It's French. I'm 13 but I'm getting tutored at home. I love Edith Piaf, I'd like to see paris someday. I wanna be a translator when i grow up." Candace proudly makes known to hopefully a new friend. Neither kid is popular amongst their peers.

"Oh French right! Oui means Yes! I heard that on 'Hey Arnold' once." The kid says wide-eyed. She laughs both *at and *With him as they enjoy the delicious sandwich.

"I like 'Arnold'.. What do you wanna be in a few years?"

"Mmmm.... Well. I haven't quite figured it out yet. I Love Poetry. Everyone thinks im really good at words. My report card from on the 13th? Guess what my grade in 'Writing was? Guess? - Joey. "An 'A' i assume? - C.

"A Nice, Juicy, Scarlet, Red 'F'..." Joey swallows.

" Wha-? I thought you said-"

"I did. I just can't help enjoying the Irony. The 'Poet Laureate', flunks the English language." Joey chuckles up the sentence, making Candace laugh in a twisted way also.

She laughs and snorts covering her mouth and nose.

Joey looks down at his watch with a brown leather band. There's 26 minutes left in gym. "French eh? Hey you wanna walk & talk? The Fields outside?"

"Okay!" She agrees loudly out of nervous excitement. Candy is very outdoorsy. She often feels solace in taking walks through the woods near her suburbs. A month ago she was obsessed with colors pink and especially yellow. But her parents have started to see a new phase in her. Almost tomboy-like.

They hear the joyful screams of their peers fade as they walk far out into the fields of the school. Baseball fields. Beautiful new soccer field.

Candace, about 2 inches taller than Joey leads the way through a few trees and to a nice shaded spot almost off of school property. They rest on old tree stumps.

The wind blows a pleasing breeze. A woodpecker is heard. Birds sing a song of joy.

Silence. They just listen. Enjoying natures organic love ballad.

"I love being in tune with nature......

Hey, Cool shoes Joe! They match your watch." She says of his loafers which look very comfy.

"Oh, thanks. They bag on me in the locker room cause i don't have nikes. But since it's thursday, i go to bible study. So im breaking em in for church. They're a little tight. I enjoy church. I got baptised last summer." Joe

"Really?? What was that like?" Candace, ever so curious.

"My adrenalin was just, Like on fire at first. But once i came up from the water, there's been a calmness over me that's never left since.Though right after i also felt.... I dunno... Like..."

"Regretful? Like you weren't ready?"

"Yeah! Exactly. I was stealing candy, & games since about 8. For Cash. For pleasure. Etc. After being baptized I'm like 'Shit man. I can't do that stuff ever again! Ahahaha!"

"Aha! Who would've thought? A quiet boy like you; poet, with nice shoes... that you're secretly Al Capone." She snorts and snickers briefly. They chuckle the minutes away.

Joey bites his lip shyly. He rubs his shins up & down. Still avoiding eye contact when possible. He loves her dorky

laugh, braces & pigtails. Everything he ever thought nerdy in other people was suddenly attractive. A cute outdoorsy Girl, Who speaks french at 13 & loves nature.

Over Candy's head is a branch stemming from a Peach tree. Joey squints, arising. There's something carved. Fading words it appears. "What? What's that?" Candy curious.

The tree says something. She hops up and looks deeply at it with her new buddy. She pushes her glasses up on her nose. "Bran....- Branch of " - C

"Hopes." - J

"Branch of Hopes" they both read it aloud. There's a hole in the tree where birds make nests that's right under the carving.

"Looks like something is there. In the tree." Candace is more excited, to Joey's curiosity, she without blinking digs her thin yet athletic forearm inside. Feeling fuzzy moss growth, she digs deeper and pulls out something yellowish-white.

It's a molded piece of paper. She outstretches the stiff and dirty paper.

"Check it out!"

"What's that?"

"It's a note, look."

Joey's eyes grow wide, as an English buff.

"Gosh look! Marked '1943' "- Candace

"I'll read it, lemme see.... Umm"

'June 11th, 1943

Dear Teddy,

I've just graduated last month. Finally huh? Golly, i wish you were here. I wish you were able to walk across that stage with me and that we could've thrown our caps up in the air together like promised. Curtis, Steph, Gareth and the rest of the gang are all missing you. Curtis is off to college and Gareth still has a bad ankle from you guy's historic basketball season. Leading our school to a perfect 35-0. A record I'm sure will never be beaten. Though Gary and Curt both feel a pang of guilt, that you got drafted to go over there and fight those awful 'Japs' without them. We miss you. And I am especially...Thrilled to be the wife of a Hero Ted.."

I've no doubt in my mind under the leadership of President Roosevelt and your commander General MacArthur, that you boys will come out victorious. Liberating France. Italy. And Great Britain. Mr. Churchill sure talks a big game on the radio. He's inspiring as FDR, if not moreover, but i question how confident he really was before great American soldiers like my husband Teddy showed up with his 7th regiment. I even read in the library about how the negro soldiers in Harlem really kicked some butt over there in the first war over 20 years ago. They are a tough, talented group of people 'the Blacks' even though our country would be last to admit it. Could you imagine jazz without their influence?

I couldn't. I'm sitting at our old spot in the woods behind the school. When i get home, I'll turn on my Fitzgerald records. She cheers me up. Such a light in her voice. Oddly enough, as depressing as Holiday sounds while singing torch songs, i enjoy her more. I guess her melancholy feeling in her songs resonates with me even more now that you're gone. You know, Billie was sexually abused constantly as a girl and even forced to work in houses of ill repute for a stretch. Look at her now. Won Best Jazz Vocalist for the last 2 years.

I can no longer listen to Sinatra. It reminds of great times long gone.

And in my dreams i still see us at the Top of the Statue of Liberty exactly like we were on our senior class field trip. I wake up thinking you'll be next to me. Hogging the sheets as you always seem to. But next to me regardless. Your curly blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes. Your skin is like a beautiful sun baked Italian Prince's. Your slightly crooked teeth. Your sense of duty but also sense of humor. I love every bit about you. I miss every inch of you. I know we're only 18 but i want to spend our lives together Teddy Bear.

"I remember Mr. Simmons said we would do time capsule letters.... Yet that was before he attracted polio and retired. I hear he is gravely ill. I must go to visit him very soon. I'm making a copy of this letter but I'm leaving the original right here. Under our branch of Hopes. Hopefully for some other young girl to find it in the future when we're long gone. And it can put her in a time machine back to this very day by reading it. I am still going through with becoming a teacher this fall for the special needs children at the elementary school. I'm so passionate about those beautiful kids. As 'meemaw' always said down in Alabama 'The Lord looks after Babies and Fools'... I tend to agree. But these tots are not fools. They are babies. But when i see one; whether white, or negro, boy or girl...i see only angels. Angels who need a little extra care and attention. If this doesn't work out for me, i promised myself to train to be a red cross nurse and hopefully i can be sent right where you are. Anything for my country. Anything for you my dear.

Please. Wear your helmet always. Keep your rifle polished and always be a leader of your fellow men. Even at a mere 18 years you have this capacity. Also, if you ever become injured and need a medic. They will inject you with a substance called 'Morphine'. I'm sure you know this. But remember.. It's pleasures are temporary & it's not something for you. I've seen what it's done to discharged G.I.'s. They're hooked & are like zombies.

Signing off now, Beloved.

I'm enclosing an updated picture of me. I know you love my curls. I taped a lock of hair to the back of the photo.

- Forever Yours.".

"Woww..." - Candace

"Yeah..... " - J

"Holy S**T WHAT TIME IS IT!?" Candace snaps!

"OH!! gym ended half hour ago we're gonna get IT" - J

"I'm supposed to be in history watching an important film on Malcolm X." - C

"Look. C. Take this to Mr. West. Before he writes you up show him this letter! He'lll forget all about how late you are!" Joey suggests.

"You're RIGHT! I know WEST, he'll go crazy for this thing. What about you Joey!?"

"I'll be fine... Don't worry about me.. I really umm. Had fun today. With, You."

"Ohh Me too" she wraps a friendly arm around him as they walk back towards Campus.

Joey's palms are sweaty & C's breathing is heavy.

"What's your last bell?" C asks as they almost head opposite each other.

"Ms Redd. Math. Those... damn fractions, *sighs*. How can a teacher so attractive teach something so crappy."

"She IS Pretty. 'Metro Goldwyn' Pretty'' ...OH! Ms. Redd! It's a school secret but Mr. West is mad about her. He finds any ol excuse to go in her class. Once West see's this. He'll let me off &I'll tell em, you found it with me & he's headed to Ms. Redd. He'll wanna walk you down to get you off the hook and see his crush! We should be fine!"

1 hour later the school bell rings and students pile out of classrooms loud, bustling to get home.

Joey just can't wait for tomorrow as he thinks in bed at night. Candace 10 miles away in a different neighborhood has the same thoughts in the shower.

They both think of one other. A cool breeze, ham sandwich, and WW2 under a Peach Tree.

- Joey(Papi) Candace (Mami)