CHAPTER 13 - MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE BRIDGE

     JAKE AND I HAD 
COME DOWN 
TO THE OLD BRIDGE
         TO KINDA PAY OUR 
             LAST RESPECTS             
    BEFORE WINTER SET IN

Like when an old friend goes to Florida, 
you know and the twins had followed us. LOL,
and then my mother and Jakes mother Jen.

So much for solitary.
But it was all kewl.




WE KNEW NOW...
WE WERE GONNA BE OKAY,
AND TOGETHER....FOREVER.

Mother and Jake and I called the schools.
Stanford said 'it's a go,' and after all...
they had accepted him three years ago. 
Nothing had happened to change that.

Boston U said they understood 
and if we chose to come for senior year, 
we would be welcome.

I GUESS both of us being 
4.0 honor students 
counted for something. Hee. 
We had already been told we would be 
co-Valedictorians at commencement.

I figured I would just stand back 
and watch Jake shine. 
BUT, he didn't cotton to that idea.
GRRR...and my growlies had 
NO effect on him.

They never do any more than 
that upturned eyebrow of mothers 
ever worked on me. LOL.

SO, Stanford look out.
Here come the lovebug loonies 
from the boonies and oh 
would you look at us now.

BEAMING.
HAPPY.
OH GOD SO HAPPY.

Last night we all went out for pizza, 
the folks' treat. 
The best topping of all to me was 
Jakey & I being together. Yup. 
Better than all the 
mushrooms and pepperoni 
on the planet.

But the pizza was also pretty good. Hee.
We were a rowdy bunch too. 
The twins especially, 
course they always are.

They seemed happier almost 
than Jake and I.
Methinks that WE have become 
a 'project' of theirs. LOL.

Proprietary too.
Oh yes.
Like having two puppies, 
all smiley 
and tongues hanging out 
and slobbery.
I fully expected most of the time to
be getting my face washed. Hahaha.

But I am dead serious.

"Are you getting ready YET?
Have you started packing YET?
Can we come WITH YOU?
(NOOOOOOOO).

"WE GOT A YEAR, fools. 
CRIPES."
"NEVER too soon to be prepared...
or can't EVER be too ready or..."
Sigh.

If I ever get my hands on 
whoever the clown fool it was 
that invented Scouting? 
ROAD KILL.
Geez.

I hear they were always 
pestering Jake's folks too and even mine 
to be buying us stuff for 
'THE NEW LIFE, ahem.'
 and driving Ryan and Jen NUTS, 
lol.

All done OF COURSE, at their usual
breakneck speed of 
God knows I hate to think.

I would be SO tired.
Ok, yes it was sweet and kewl 

and touching
and all that and annoying.

But they meant well,
I know. Course I am sure 
in his own mind 
so did Hitler...
annoying little Nazi as he was.

Somehow we made it to Thanksgiving.
and BOY did we do it up.
Or rather Jason and Jeremy 
aka Terrible and Trouble did.

PUSHY LITTLE VARMITS, 
dey be.

We had 'THE DINNER' 
at our place and it was 
OMG first rate great.

Course aforementioned twins 
had decorated and had everything 
'just so' with the only thing missing 
being the ORIGINAL PILGRIMS.
Corn cobs & paper turkeys and 
omg.

HAHAHAHAHA.

TWO DAYS these mutts 
slaved over a 
hot crepe paper turkey 
and all the trimmings trust me.
ALL the trimmings.

They were JEST OH SO grateful.
and I suspect it was to be rid of us, 
but...
I might be wrong about that.

Okay. I do understand. 
This was I suppose to them 
the end of an era, 
AND meant more food 
for them growing boys. LOL.

How in the HELL 
ANYONE can EAT like they do 
and STILL weigh something 
under 12 grams, soaking wet, 
is beyond me.

They even skinnier than me and Jake. 
Who wudda thought that was 
even remotely possible

Frick and Frack take after their dad. 
TALL.
14yo and well over 6'2" 
and they are too. 
My dad is and they match him.

I call 'em
sky rubbies and if they weigh 140# 
I will eat...
ok, maybe not but...

(Jake weighs them GOD knows why, 
lol, and says they weigh 137. 

I asked...'TOGETHER?'
He rolled his eyes again.)

Anyway, Turkey and ham and taters 
and salads 
and
veggies galore and pies and omg.
Mother and Jen and Patty and Layla
were cooky up a storm and even
Jake and I got in on the act.

I may still be burping 
and it was super-duper hot stuffies. 

I think that at least part of the reason was...
it was gonna be the last one 
here for Jake & I in all likelihood 
for the next several years.

SO it was really poignant 
and we knew it.
Emotional. Everyone was. 
The moms especially 
and the dads and 
GOD KNOWS the twins. 
LOL.

Patty came back for it 
and brought her 
'best bud' Layla 
and it was all just SO kewl.

The toast right after the grace 
was especially moving. 
Dad and Ry shared that 
and it was mostly about Jake & I 
and our new life looming...
and just how 
Goddammed grateful
everyone was for us, and I cried.

What else is new I know, 
but...
it WAS beautiful trust me. 
You wudda cried too.
EVERYBODY DID, so PFFFFFT.

We got through it, 
all the food and the emotional stuffies 
and the AHEM...
twins BEGGING, mind you, 
to be allowed to come to Stanford 
when we went... 
and stay for a couple weeks...
TO HELP, you know...
and I honestly believe 
they thought 
they really would be. 
Helping that is. LOL.

And the 'rents folded uber quick. 
I smelled a rat and so did Jake, 
but...hey. 

We would be near the ocean 
and boat rentals would be cheap, 
and...

NO?
PFUI.
HEHEE.

Yup. We got through it 
and the following week 
(we went to Florida. 
ALL of us, kewl beans).
Then back to school until Christmas.

Christmas.
GOD, let me tell you about Christmas.
Awesome.

My mother has always decorated 
this house like Santa's village on steroids.
TALK OF THE 
NEIGHBORHOOD/REGION 
we always was, and this year. 
Even more so.

In a way sad though, 
cause all through this time
it had the feeling to Jakey & me 
as if 
everyone else was gearing up 
to say goodbye and it had an almost 
desperate feel to it 
and that was a bit hard to take. 

Nothing was said EVER, 
but you could feel it.
Made me sad.
 Grateful and happy sorta 
but sad too. You know?
Yeh, sorta sad.

Like they felt they were just about to lose something they loved, when in truth
things were only evolving. Changing,
and none of us were losing anything.
I think, anyway.

So, Patty and Layla arrived 
the day before Christmas Eve, 
and brought gifts for under the tree 
which was getting pretty crowded.

I couldn't help but notice 
a LOT of the presents 
were beautifully wrapped 
but for US.
I began to get a bit uneasy 
and no I don't know why.

Then it was Christmas eve, 
and we always by tradition 
opened our presents then...
POST-SANTA of course 
which for me 
was early cause I had 
CAUGHT THEM RED-HANDED 
eating Santa's cookies. GASP. 

It was the same for Jake's family, 
so there we all were after dinner. 
As previously announced,
the RITCH Y'ALL...
began 
PRAHHHHMPTLY at 8, 
and Jake and I were 
the OFF ISH YULE
hander outers, 
along with our junior assistants 
the TWINS, Mo and Less.

We handed out until our finners 
were numb and the pile by our chair 
was sky high.
EMBARRASSING it was.

Took over an hour to hand out presents, 
having to stop of course 
for the unwrapping and the requisite 
OOH MYYYYY, 
and LOVELY DEAR, 
and THANKS MOM & DAD.

This was better/worse/MORE 
than the unveiling of the 
Washington Monument had been, 
methinks or the very first Christmas,
but that was a crucifixion so maybe not.

THEN, of course, NOW it was time 
for the Jakester and me to open ours 
and that took 2 hours. 
I KID YOU NOT.

Clothes and survival gear 
(Palo Alto is the west true, 
but the wild wild part has mostly 
morphed into 
shopping malls 
and fast-food places. 
Geez).

More clothes and CD/DVD's 
(from the twins)
and a new BIGGIE SCREENSIE, 
omg.
Portable DVD players...kewl.
Colognes (I was insulted) and deodorant 
(I was in censed), and body stuffies.
AND of course, stuffies for school including new computers and
"MAN, WOT A BAD-ASS HAUL,"
Mo and Less mumbled simultaneously
in TWIN-SPEAKY.

BUT, 
the pizza resistance was NAWT 
under the tree.

NOPE, wouldn't fit.
SO, out in the driveway 
they was...
two new cars.
One for Jakey and one for me.

"BUT I LIKE MY OLD ONE," 
and dad just rolled his eyes 
while our moms elbowed each other 
and rolled their eyes 
and
GIGGLED,
as I looked at this black 
and tricked out 
Mercedes convertible. 
LOADED I might add.

For Jake, it was an Escalade...
also black and tricked out.
Course in truth 
both vehicles were OURS.
I FREAKED OUT!
LOL oh yes I did.

I cried and laughed 
and 
ran my hands over the fenders 
and then felt guilty for the handprints 
and then cried some more 
and laughed lots and...

Jake just kinda tenderly watched 
from behind me...Yah know?

Wrapped TIGHT around me, 
and smiling.
I could see how happy he was.
and it made me cry. 
It (he) was so cute 
and so tender 
and so beautiful...
I just turned and 
got him in a DEATH HUG, 
and cried.

Course all he did was 
tighten his grip on me.
and be so tender and loving 
it hurt.
That was SO kewl. 
Hims a tweetie.

That took a long time. 
I couldn't help it
I was just overwhelmed.

The next day was FOOD TIME.
Enough to feed several 
third world countries I might add.

If we had been leaving the next day 
for Stanford, we would have had 
enough left-overs for a year. Hah.

Ham, and Roast Chicky and 
braised tenderloins which were 
OMG 
with jumbo Shrimp.
Enough taters and veggies 
(all my fave's too) to cause food riots
in name your fave third world country...
and breads and rolls and desserts 
and salads and....

we ate and ate and ate 
and popped belts and ate some more.

IT WAS OLYMPIC SIZE BURP 
AWESOME...
and then after a suitable time 
for nappies 
and of course first the 
clean-up and all, 
(and where ARE those twins 
when there is work to be done), 
Jake and I managed to 
sneak away and go for a drive. 
In the Mercedes.

Ending up as might be expected at 
the old iron bridge. OUR bridge.

Wasn't much snow this winter yet 
so getting down to it was pretty easy.

Jake and I, 
we just stood by the railing 
holding each other...
looking into 
each others eyes 
and loving it all. 

ALL of this. 
ALL of our lives now.

Not having to talk for we both knew 
how we each felt. 

Not having to talk for we knew
what each other was thinking.

NOT having to talk cause it just felt 
SO DAMN GOOD to just BE, 
pressed hard together and
loving the feel and the scent of US...
and there we stood for a long long time.

Even after the twins found us, hah, 
we just stood. So grateful...
and for once they kept quiet 
and just mellowed with us. Amazing.

Jake and I that Christmas, 
the very first for the two of us
as a couple,
knew now the gift we were 
to each other. 
Knew the promise we were 
to each other.
Felt like having our Christmas pie 
and eating it too.

What POSSIBLY could go wrong.
I mean...

what could EVER go 
SO wrong
as to cause US to 
NOT BE anymore.
That was several years off, true...
But...

One never knows, so hang on doobies. 
HANG ON to the one who loves yah. 
HANG ON to the one YOU LOVE, 
cause we ain't promised anything 
but NOW.

TRULY.
HANG ON and ride this pony 
for all you are worth because 
tomorrow may just not ever come.

YEH...may not ever come, again.




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