| SHORT STORY - "Sleeping with an Angel" I had been sleeping on a friend’s floor for a week. Ever since “the incident,” my folks absolutely refused to have anything to do with me. I didn’t mind. I knew they just needed some time to cool off. Until then, Jason was more than happy to let me crash at his place. I guess he knew I’d do the same for him if he ever got a girl pregnant... it was like an unwritten pact between us to come to the other’s aid whenever it was needed, regardless of the reason or cost, which is, I guess, what made us best friends. I heard a gentle moan from behind me, coming from Maya, the reason I was here. Apparently her folks were a lot like mine, yet another similarity that wound up bringing us closer together. True, this situation could have been resolved without incident had she wanted to get an abortion – the choice I left to her. Much to her folks’ dismay, she, as I, believed that all things happened for a reason and wished to keep the life now growing within her. I suppose any other guy in my shoes would have been upset by this life-altering decision but I’m not any other guy. I think that’s why she fell in love with me. Looking back on how it happened, it’s the only explanation. I walked into a juice shop for the first time sporting a kilt and a Scottish accent. She looked at me in awe as she received a balloon flower with a casual, “Want a balloon flower?” as opposed to the usual mundane order of blended drink. Instantly, her attention was mine. Within minutes, I had her name, cell phone number, and e-mail address... to keep in touch apparently. When she found out I wasn’t Scottish, she was only all the more intrigued. From that moment on, I knew that with her I could make no mistakes – not “couldn’t afford to” but literally “could not” make a mistake. Fortunately, I was right, too. I mean, if she could tolerate the first time we had sex, I knew she could put up with any situation I could possibly bungle up. She was forgiving of all of my shortcomings, understanding of my soul, and, most importantly, laughed at all of my jokes. Who could ask for anything more? Now, that’s not to say I didn’t contribute my fair share in the relationship. I was her shoulder to cry on, her escape from reality, her excuse to spend time away from, near as I could tell, a rather dysfunctional home, and her reason to not hate herself. We balanced each other out: my head bobbing gently in the clouds, her feet firmly planted on the ground. I guess opposites really do attract. I did my best to roll over and face her, without waking her up, which is difficult to do in a small sleeping bag. Even though we both had our own, we only ever slept in the one. They were more of a pretense to put Jason’s folks at ease than anything else. ...God is she gorgeous. Not hot or sexy but gorgeous. Her deep green eyes, which were now closed, could beckon a man to his death, all the while singing of salvation. The moonlight danced across her pale complexion, allowing her to glow like a guiding beacon in the night. I suddenly had the overwhelming desire to run my hands over every square inch of her body, caressing each contour until I had committed every last one to memory and could chisel an exact replica of her with my eyes closed. I leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. Smiling, I continued to watch her, comforted by the knowledge that everything would turn out for the better. Of course, you realize, I thought, you can no longer sit back and be a spectator in your own life. I knew. You have to start trying. You’re about to become a father. I don’t think you realize how big of a responsibility that is. You’re about to become morally and legally responsible for another human life... one that you directly participated in creating. I needed to get a job... a better job... a real job... one that brings in consistent money, regardless of how little it may be. I can't very well expect Maya to work... not in her condition. After a little calculation, I found that nine months is the perfect amount of time to get our lives in order. Suddenly, it hit me that precedence was being set that night: For the first time in my seventeen years of life, I was planning for the future. I had always B.S.ed my way through life. Something told me the same did not apply to parenthood as my actions would not only influence my life from this point onward but my wife’s and my child’s as well. Speaking of which... I slowly crept out of Maya’s arms, doing my best not to disturb her, and made my way across the carpeted floor to my clothes and reached into the pocket of my jeans. I pulled out the cheap plastic box I purchased earlier, the only one I could afford on my current income: a meager $15 a week for allowance, which had been all but cut off due to... well, you know. I opened it up to examine the ring. It was by no means the dream ring I had always imagined proposing with but, rather, was the ring I was destined to give her. It came to me as I was shopping with my mom... rolled right up to me still in its plastic bubble from the quarter machine in the corner. Where does destiny factor in? It arrived at my feet after Maya delivered the news to me over the phone, right after I asked God for a sign, as a matter of fact. I never beat around the bush with God, so he was kind enough to do the same with me. Looking at the ring now, I wondered, when? It was at that exact moment when I heard a soft yawn, followed by the coo of, “Craig?” I looked up at Him. Evidently, it was not a sin to eavesdrop. “Show-off...” I muttered quietly, closing the box. “Honey, could you come with me outside? I wanna show you something...” She yawned again. “Okay.” I helped her up and led her outside. She stepped out into the soft moonlight before me and it was like an angel had descended upon me... my own personal guardian angel... guiding me into the light, reassuring me of my path. I smiled and closed the door behind me. I walked up next to her and asked her to find our star. As her eyes danced across the sky, floating like a finicky butterfly from one star to the next, I got down on one knee and opened the box in front of me. Her eyes finally settled upon our star and they rested there for a moment. For what seemed an eternity, she gazed at it, content, not even bothering to ask why I had brought her attention to it. Finally, she looked back to find me kneeling on the ground. “Will you marry me?” She joined me on the ground upon which I moved the ring to its permanent home. We kissed. I had been sleeping on a friend’s floor for a week... though I was sure I could do it for the rest of my life. by Naathan Phan (c) 2006-2007 |
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| For more of Naathan's works, visit DeviantArt or e-mail Naathan at writing@naathanphan.com |
| POETRY - The Dance I Remember And if you chance to take a glance Into her eyes, you'll see A world where love can never die But live for her and me A fire burns within that gaze Within that soul, within that mind A flame that sparked from passions old Revivèd by a smile kind But in that fleeting moment when Our eyes had joined in lovers' waltz We crossed the ballroom of our minds Ignoring one another's faults So, even now that we're apart I practice, since I can't ignore The dance we danced between ourselves In case we meet again once more by Naathan Phan (c)2006-2007 |
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