A Winter Promise

Chapter 10, special times, special summers.

A Winter Promise

As thoughts of summer faded, and autumn waned, I began to dread the onset of winter. The only things we could count on in the winter months were snow, and lots of days with sub-zero temperatures. Snow and cold. The first snow had come in on the Saturday following Thanksgiving day, and the total snowfall for that day was 6 inches. I was forced to shovel that blasted stuff. And just as I finished the sidewalk, the snow plow went through. Why, oh why, could that not have happened earlier? I was forced to do it a second time.

December was a month I loved and yet hated. I loved Christmas, but hated the snow, the cold, the expenses of December. My English class had been assigned reading for the vacation period. Of course, since I loved to read, I had already finished the book. I had actually finished the book more than 2 years ago. I just scanned the book to refresh my memory on the main points.

I had not talked to Diane or Karl since that last day in August. I had my address book and had to use it when I couldn’t remember their number. After I looked it up, I decided I would call right after Christmas. I had finished my shopping, but I wondered: Should I get something for Karl and something for Diane? I had some ideas what to get for Karl, if I went that route. But for Diane? I had absolutely no idea. And with only 3 days until Christmas I made a decision that I would send a card, instead. It was just to let them know I hadn’t forgotten them. I had never developed a friendship so quickly as I had with Karl. And I had never developed a crush on anyone--until Diane.

My thoughts turned to the new year. Diane’s birthday was still months away, Karl’s birthday was only a little closer. I thought about getting back to the lake again, the new summer. Oh, how I longed for an end to winter, even though it had just begun.

Oh, goodness. I realized I had a chance to get something for Diane for Valentine’s day, which was getting closer by the day. She was still very young as compared to me, the “old man.” What to get her, what to get her? Candy? I didn’t know what she would like. Flowers? A necklace, or a promise ring? Oh, give me a break, Mike, I thought. You still don’t really know this girl, and you want to give her flowers, candy, or jewelry? Are you nuts?

Finally, on December 30th, I called Karl. We chatted for nearly a half hour, just about school and the football game that was my team’s homecoming game. Karl and I discussed the new year, and the fact that he had recently had an appendectomy came out. It seems that he had his appendix burst while in school, and he was taken to the hospital. And it was on the day that the game was. What bad luck.

I asked Karl some questions about Diane. What was her favorite food, her favorite flower, her favorite candy? The confusion in his voice was obvious as he answered the questions. Diane had two flowers that were her favorites: Daisies were second only to the rose. And she loved Red roses. I made a mental note of that. Candy was a bit general: Chocolate. Well, who doesn’t like chocolate? As for her favorite food, well, she didn’t have one, but she was partial to seafood, especially shrimp.

That was lovely. Shrimp was one of my favorites. Karl volunteered her favorite song, an Elvis tune called “Love me Tender.” I wasn’t an Elvis fan, but what difference did that make?

Finally, I asked to have Diane come to the phone. Nuts, she wasn’t at home. I told Karl to tell her that I asked about her. Just so she would know I was thinking about her, of course. And I suggested that if she had the time, she should give me a call.

So, as the call ended, I took out my guitar and sat playing some of my tunes. It was this night that I wrote a song called “Don’t go overboard”, based on some advice that Wayne had given me months ago. But I didn’t apply it to me, I applied it to him as I wrote. And while his statement “Sooner or later, she will crush you” came back to me, I laughed at how wrong he seemed to be.

And I made a promise to myself. I would get Diane something for Valentine’s day. I would give her a little gift, a card, and ask her to be my valentine for a year. This was my winter promise, and I knew it was something I would carry through.

On December 31st, I received a call from Diane. It was shortly before midnight, but she was up like most people I knew would be. We talked into the New Year, and I loved every minute of it. I asked her why she didn’t tell me she was going to be at the game as a Cheerleader.

“I was a reserve. I didn’t know, but one of our girls got injured. I needed to remain open that night,” she said. It seemed logical to me, since my school did the same. She told me that this was her first year on the squad, and she planned to be on the squad for as long as they would have her. I wished her good luck for that.

As we approached Valentine’s day, I began to search for something special for Diane. I really had no idea what it could be, but I would look and if I saw it, I would know it! That was the way I shopped. I picked out a card. I looked for 45 minutes for the right one. I didn’t want one that was too mushy, too funny, or suggestive. I wanted one that stated how I felt, without being ridiculous. I was about to give up when the one I wanted finally came into my sights. What a relief.

The present was harder. The obvious box of chocolates came to mind first. Then, I thought that maybe a cassette of some of her favorite music would be more appropriate. I started looking at jewelry, but I couldn’t explain to the girl behind the counter what I sought. I looked young, and there was no way possible I could explain that I sought something for a girl who was younger than I!

Finally, I had an idea. I purchased a small box of chocolates, and a bracelet. While neither item was really expensive, it ate away at my funds. When I got home, I carefully opened the box, and removed just one piece of candy. In that spot, I placed the bracelet.

I had recently earned my driver’s license. I called Diane on the 12th, and asked if she’d be around on the 14th. I purposely “forgot” to tell her it was Valentine’s day. She said she’d be home that evening.

I drove over to her house on the 14th. I was disappointed to find that nobody was home. I left the card, a note, and the box inside the door, and left for home.

My note read, simply: “Diane, will you be my Valentine?”

I didn’t sign the card, or the note. It turned out to be a error on my part. While I learned she got the items, she never realized who sent them. So much for my promise… but I would ask her during the next time I saw her, whenever that might be. I pledged to myself that I would not let her slip away. And I began to realize that this crush that Wayne said I had developed had become more serious to me than I could have ever realized. And once again, his words echoed in my mind. “Sooner or later, she will crush you.” Seven months had passed. There was no sign of that occurring, or that it would ever occur.

In the summer months, when I saw she was wearing the bracelet, I asked her where she got it.

“It was delivered anonymously, back in February. I still don’t know who sent it.”

I said, “Let me guess. It came with a Valentine’s card, a note, and you found it in a box of candy.”

“Exactly,” she said. Then the truth of it hit her. “Mikey! You were the one who sent it?” I nodded. We would spend the rest of that summer together in a very close friendship. No romance. Just a close friendship.

Alien Thought: (Chapter 8)

Alien Thought
The sky outside was a brilliant blue, so much depth to the coloring that the critic might say, of an artist who had painted it, “Too bright, too blue! What have you been drinking, anyway?” But in my world the sky wasn’t blue. It was a flaming, blood red. My anger was at a peak, and anyone who knew me would know that I would blow at the next person to cross path in the wrong way.
Steve. Even the mention of the name was enough to raise my blood pressure. Steve. The 6'2" hunk as Diane had recently called him. Steve. The heavy-set, and muscular football player. It was just too much for me to bear.
It wasn’t that I didn’t like Steve. He was a close friend of both Diane and me. We had been friends for years. We had gone frogging together. He had bowled against each other, played golf together. We had gone fishing together, played Chess. But this situation was unacceptable. He was now intruding upon my territory. Operation Superspy was over, and I had given him plenty of time to back off. He had not.
I was outside, and I noted that Karl was bringing stuff down to the boat. I wandered over to greet him. We talked for a few moments, and I learned that they would be leaving the cabin in about a week, for several days. There were some things that they had to do in town; things that could only be done in the cities. Then I got up my nerve.
“Is Diane around this morning?”
Karl didn’t reply immediately, and I had a feeling that he didn’t want to answer that question. Then he said, “No. She went into town with Steve.”
That name again! I clenched my fist. Karl noticed my clenched fist, I guess, because he looked at me a bit oddly and asked “Is something wrong?”
I forced my hand open with a little difficulty. “No, I just wanted to see her again,” was my reply.
He excused himself to allow himself to continue the loading of the boat. He and his dad would be going fishing. I went over to the mini-golf course in back, and began to play a few rounds. Time passed, as I watched for the familiar Chevy to pull up in the driveway next door. After an hour, I gave up, and went inside to read. But I kept an eye peeled for the car that would pull up. An hour passed, then a second. Finally, I saw the red Chevy that I had been waiting to see. Steve was driving, and Diane was sitting next to him.
“Good God!” I muttered. “Tell me it isn’t so!” They were sitting much too close to each other for just a casual chat. They sat for a few minutes, then Diane opened the door. Then, my worst fears became a reality. They were kissing. They both got out of the car, and they met in front of it. As I watched, they kissed again–a little too passionately for my tastes! This was not good. I felt as if someone had stuck a knife into my chest and was twisting it to make the wound worse. I didn’t breathe for a almost a minute as I began to see “Operation Superspy” as “Operation Benedict Arnold.” I had, apparently, been betrayed. Steve had betrayed me, and over a girl I knew better than he did! Or, at least, I thought I knew better. Apparently, that wasn’t the case anymore.
I closed the curtain. Since I was home alone at this time, I began kicking things. Throwing things. I pounded the mattress on the bed. Finally, exhausted, I stopped. But the red sky of my world had not dissipated. It remained, if anything darker and more ominous than before. Now, I sat, thinking, trying to figure out what I was going to do. I simply could not allow this to continue!
There was a reason, I rationalized. I had heard it through the grapevine, as the song had said. But I verified the truth of what was rumored, and knew the situation was true. The blind date that Steve had set up for his sister, Denise, had not been a failure. It was a disaster. Steve's sister was only a year older than Diane. And his sister was now 4 months pregnant. There was no way that I would let this happen to Diane, I resolved. Steve, my soon to be former friend, was the person who had played with fire. But it was his sister who had been burned.
Finally, I reached a decision. I would go to Steve next time I saw him, and I would, again, tell him to back off. It would not matter if he was with anyone. I would not let it stop me. If he didn’t back off, I wasn’t sure what would I would do. But, if worst came to worst, I’d kill him. I couldn’t take this. I would kill him.
I began to shake. What was I thinking? Murder? I didn’t want any part of that. It went against everything I believed. But that thought burned at my brain; a hot torch, a branding iron labeled “Kill.”
As the afternoon passed, and evening came, I watched the driveway of the cabin next door.
No car except the family car. I hoped that Steve had come to his senses. I did note that Karl and Diane had gone swimming. They had asked me to join them, but I declined, saying I wasn’t feeling well. It was true, after all. The cloud of jealousy, which I had not recognized as such, had settled over me, and I was still steaming over the kisses shared by Diane and Steve. Whether Karl knew of Steve’s moves on his sister, I didn’t know. I had no plans to ask. I didn’t know how to ask such a question. And I wasn’t really sure if I wouldn’t be termed a yenta for not minding my own business. So I let it ride, planning my next moves. Except, this wasn’t chess I was considering. What was coming over me, anyway? All this, over a girl. And I was confused, more because it was over a girl I had only known for a short time. Only since July 4th. And yet….
I couldn't think straight. And the flaming red sky of my world began to shade toward black.
The next day, I went for a walk. I was bird-watching. There were hawks, a lot of them, down by the swamp which was just a half mile away. I had originally planned to do some frog catching, but had decided against it. The hawks were more fun. One of them always would take exception to anybody who would be walking by. The lakeshore association had just filled in a road across the swamp two years back. He was still angry. He would dive at anyone. I had a pocket full of rocks to protect myself from an attack by that hawk. I stayed on the road, watching for him. He didn't seem to be around on this day. I threw some of the rocks at a few turtles, seeing if I could get them to enter the water.
Then, I heard voices. I ducked behind the cattails, and listened. I heard a girl's voice, low and melodious. It was Diane's voice. I couldn't make out more than a few words. I heard some rocks hit the water with a splash, and heard a couple of turtles splash into the water. Someone had succeeded where I had failed. Then, there was a boy's voice. I listened closely. As I peered through the rushes, I saw Steve, walking hand in hand with Diane. As another kiss was shared, I could not take it anymore. It was time to go over and tell Steve to keep his hands off of Diane.
I stood up, and saw that both Steve and Diane were facing the lake, rather than the road where I was. Steve put his arm across Diane's shoulder. And that was the final blow to me. I yelled across the swamp. "STEVE! I want to talk to you!" The anger in my voice echoed around the lake. Steve turned, and saw me. I began to run around the swamp, racing to confront Steve.
Shortly before I got to the other side, a car pulled up near Steve, and stopped. That big guy, the one who had tossed the firecrackers at me, was the driver and he got out of the car. I didn't know the guy's name. But I could see that he would be trouble.
I reached Steve and Diane. Diane looked at me curiously, as if wondering what was going on, why I was there. Steve spoke to me, saying "What's up, Mike?"
I responded tightly, through clenched teeth. "I said I want to talk to you." The anger in my voice grew worse. The vehicle's driver walked up to Steve, his back to me. He positioned himself between me and Steve, and turned, giving me an evil look. I was close to the swamp, just a few steps from it. And I noticed that he was just a step or two from a large, fallen branch.
"Is this guy bugging you, Steve?" he asked.
"Nah," responded Steve. "He's a friend."
But the big guy pushed me. He pushed me hard, and I fell. Picking myself up, I stood there and I hoped that Steve's comment would stop the fellow from causing trouble. I shook off some mud. And I returned the stare that he gave me. I uttered a curse in Latin. And it may have been a mistake. The guy pushed me again, even harder than last time. I stumbled backwards, stepping into the mud of the swamp.
Diane spoke up. "Ralph, calm down!" Now, I knew his name.
He muttered "Blasted idiot." And it was too much for me.
"Oh, yeah? You creepy S.O.B!" I replied, with my voice increasing in volume, pitch, and anger on each syllable I spoke. I took a step forward, and threw two punches. I threw a left to his stomach, and a right to his jaw. Then, I shoved with all my might, and he stumbled over the branch, falling. I knew that I wouldn't be able to count on Steve to help me. I turned, and I ran. I ran faster than I thought I would ever be able to run. I reached the beach in a matter of just a few seconds. Ralph had just gotten up, and was trying to start his car. I ran the rest of the way to the cabin, and sped inside. Nobody was home but me. I hastened to lock the doors. Then I went to my room, and there I allowed the tears of pain to fall. There was no choice.
I watched outside as the guy pulled up to the driveway. He knew where I lived, now. And it would be bad for me. As I watched, however, my parents pulled up, and I unlocked the door for them, while Ralph drove off.
Now, I locked the door to my room, and sobbed quietly. And I wondered what I would do next.
As I did, an alien thought one again entered my brain. But that thought was no longer a complete stranger. This time, I could not dismiss the thought so easily. I had to protect Diane. And, if it came down to it, that I acted on the thought.... then so be it. And the thought continued to burn at my brain. The thought didn't change. It still said "Kill."