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| Jul 29 2007, 9:15 AM EDT (current) | robinayele | 1 photo added, 1 photo deleted |
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Short Story – fiction
Star Struck By Robbie Ayele
I woke up feeling kind of strange. Not that I had not felt like that before but this time was, well, different because instead of my hand tingling, my entire arm felt like pins and needles had been stuck in it. My eyes shifted to the empty, indented spot next to me. I ran my hand over it, smoothing out the wrinkles like the ones that had been in my heart before Tony came along. I had to smile to myself at the thought of that because it was so true he had straightened out the parts that were crooked. He had changed my whole life and we had turned our little cottage in to a bona fide love nest. Our love nest. And if I had my choice, we would never leave it for any reason and stay entangled in the soft whispers and gentle love making on satiny green sheets. It was our special hide away from the world, a place where all problems and issues vanished in a vapor of sweet nothings. There was never anything better than this. Never would be. I stretched my arms towards the midnight blue ceiling with the milky white stars tipping from one side to the other. My Tony had painted that for me because he knew how much I absolutely adored the galaxy. Had ever since I had been a wet behind-the-ears kid living on the blue banks of the Eastern Shore. There the stars and moon were always visible, clear as day and my brother and I would stretch out our worn cotton blanket, nibbling on mama’s hot cornbread as we stared up at the wide universe. We would imagine what it would be like to be up there looking down on the earth, almost like God surveying his amazing handiwork. Yes, those were the days and I was always reminded of them when I lay out underneath Tony getting a bit of heaven as I gazed on the perfectly round yellow moon. I pushed back the light covers and stood, sinking my toes into the gray carpet, which was as thick as the green grass in mama’s back yard. I closed my eyes, smelling French Roast coffee percolating like every single morning. It was the thing we had in common. Yes, we both absolutely loved coffee and it was the only way to start our busy days. In fact java had brought us together over two years ago in a Bronx coffee shop. I thought he was adorable and he found me the cutest thing in jeans. Ever since then we have been inseparable like peanut butter and jelly, yes ma’am. And of course there were some differences, which was okay because God made all of us uniquely. It was okay that he was an immigrant and I was American born but we never let a slight language barrier come between us. In fact it made things sweeter because we had to work harder than most people to understand each other. And through it all we had managed to stay together because love conquers all right? As for me I don’t care where he came from no ma’am. All I did care about was that he was mine and I wanted him to be with me forever, I thought peeking out from between the blush pink blinds and admiring the dazzling azure skies. Oh it was going to be beautiful today, which wasn’t surprising really. It was early September and Indian summer had set up shop in little town New Jersey. I pulled out one of my favorite knit suits thankful that I could still fit it with my expanding belly. Yes I was with child. God had blessed me even in my old age, which was forty-one and three months to be exact. I called this my miracle baby because we had tried for over a year until we finally hit gold. Tony called her our love child. I giggled, remembering how much fun it had been conceiving her, on one of those hot summer nights in June. We would give this bundle of joy all the love and support she needed in this crazy, topsy turvy world. Yes I called it a girl even though it was way too early for any doctor to confirm it with a sonogram. No my body was a much better indicator. My hair was growing faster than weeds and everybody told me that happened only when women carried girls. Yes ma’am I would be happy to have her but even more overjoyed for a healthy baby with all ten toes and fingers. That would suffice as mama used to say. “Tonnnnnnyyyyy! Babyyyyyyyyy!” I called at the top of my lungs passing the bathroom and hearing the sound of water pattering in the shower. “Oh that’s right how could I forget?” He was going in to work earlier than usual because he had traded shifts with the other waiter so he could get home earlier. He wanted to go with me to my doctor’s appointment especially since this was my first visit. We were both so excited about it and he had really gone to a lot of trouble to rearrange his schedule just to be there for me. He was such a hard worker too. I could not have done better in selecting a man no ma’am. It was like I had finally found everything I ever wanted from a man. He had proven that there were still some good guys out there. “Bless his heart,” I whispered heading straight for the tiny kitchen. A man like that needed a hot breakfast to start his day. I hummed to myself as I pulled out the flour, baking powder and sugar for homemade buttermilk pancakes. I never went for the box stuff no ma’am. I wasn’t raised like that. I always made everything from scratch following mama’s belief that the best way to get and keep a man was through his stomach. Oh yes ma’am and Tony loved my cooking. Said it was better than anything he could ever get in any of these cafes. He looked forward to it every day. “Sunshine.” Tony stood in the doorway wearing just his uniform pants and black shoes so shiny that I could see the reflection of my face. His hair was wavy wet from the shower and his almond eyes drunk me faster than that homemade wine mama used to make. My, my he was like some god yes ma’am like the Adonis I remember seeing in some museum years ago but better. Much, much better in fact. Yes ma’am he was something with those bulging muscles and flat stomach that I laid across every night. Yes he was my man and nobody could take him away maybe not even God himself. He nibbled at my earlobe like it was that expensive chocolate. “Don’t bother today. I have to get ready to go in. I don’t want to be docked and we need every dime.” “No I don’t want that but darn.” I whined, disappointed. I showed it by sticking out my bottom lip lie a two-year old child but he was used to it. He pinched my cheek. “Baby you need to have something in your stomach.” “I’ll grab something at the restaurant.” He checked his watch. “It’s already six and I’m late.” “You’ll meet me at four though?” I asked knowing the answer. “I’ll be there and Sunshine.” He paused lifting my face towards him. “I am trying to provide a better life for us. The kind of life you always wanted Sunshine. With the best of everything. Believe that it is not far off either. This is the last month at the restaurant and then we start our own. The renovations are almost done to the place and then we can hire the staff. We are on our way. I’ll manage and you can keep the books just as we discussed okay? Our dreams are coming true finally after all this time.” I wanted to melt just gazing at my gorgeous husband. He had such hope in his eyes too. “All my dreams are about you,” I whispered, so happy I wanted to cry. “Ditto Sunshine. Ditto,” he said kissing me so passionately on the lips that I dropped the spatula I had been holding. Then without warning I felt the tingling again but this time it was in my right arm. What was happening and why? Why? Tony rushed over. “Are you okay? Is it the baby?” He rubbed my stomach, a look of love and worry on his handsome face. “No I’m fine. Just be careful today,” I whispered like there were other people around to hear. “Please be careful.” He winked and touched the end of my nose. “I always do.” “Promise to be extra safe today.” I rubbed my arm nervously. He threw on his white shirt, so crisp and starched it could stand up on its own because I had just ironed it last night. “I promise I’ll do my best to come home to you. I know how to protect myself in the big city.” “Yes I know you do,” I said softly wondering why I had a knot in my stomach and what it all meant but I keeping a smile on my face knowing Tony never believed in my feelings. It was just silly superstition to him. “So all I need you to do is relax because negative feelings could transfer to the baby and we want a happy child. Remember the world is a good place Sunshine. It really is.” He trailed the side of my face with his index finger like always and for a moment I believed him. Everything was going to be fine because he had said so. There was power in words. “Are you hearing me?” He looked into my eyes and I saw my own soul in his. I nodded. He gave me a bear hug and then was gone before I could even blink or break down and beg him not to go. I stood in the shadows of our love nest, praying that I was wrong this time. That was all I could do just like mama when she used to get these feelings. She would go to her makeshift altar with the wooden cross and rosary beads and speak to God. And since she had passed these feelings to me, I did as she had done. Slowly I walked to the window holding my stomach and feeling it almost vibrate with the life growing inside. I went over and drew the thick curtains and watched Tony rush to his old blue Chevy car with the rusted exterior that he had been meaning to get painted. I listened as he started her up and she whined loudly like in horrible pain. It would be time to trade her in soon with the baby coming and all. He pulled away from the curb as the tingling snaked down my back and I knew I was spooked. Jesus just help us please, I prayed as he crept down our eerily quiet tree-lined street, heading toward the gigantic dock parking lot a few short blocks away. He always left her there and took the ferry over to New York and then caught the train to the Windows Restaurant on the top floor of the World Trade Center. My eyes went up to the sky again knowing the stars and moon were hiding out until nightfall. I sighed, letting go of the curtain and going to get ready for work. I just hoped Tony would make it on time for our appointment later. It would be the happiest moment of our lives. What we have been waiting for. (Fictional story and fictional characters dedicated to the memory of 911 victims.) Copyright: February 2006 