Shine on, Ms. Houston

One of the most awarded, best-selling female vocalists of our time is back after nearly seven years out of the spotlight (not counting the times she made headlines in association with her troubled husband). Whitney Houston’s highly anticipated album “I Look to You” hit stores Aug. 31, and the singing superstar appeared this morning on “Good Morning America.”

Many critics have called her album “safe” and claim it falls far short of the old Whitney.

No the album doesn’t exactly have a that reaches the “I Will Always Love You” caliber, it is a very strong album. Not the old Whitney? I call that evolution.

Critics have also given her GMA performance poor reviews, pointing out the times her voice cracked or when she sounded hoarse.

It seemed to me she was just overcome with emotion. The emotion was especially apparent during her performance of “I Look to You,” the albums title ballad, which she dedicated to her mother who was present at the GMA concert.

Bottom line, I’m glad Whitney’s back. I commend anyone who has the strength to bounce back from drugs — or “partying” in her words — divorce and other personal demons.

This is her moment. Let her shine, y’all.

Here’s a video link to part of her GMA performance.

Whitney Houston’s ‘Million Dollar…

Shared via AddThis

An Icon Remembered

We at MochaMusings, along with the rest of the world, are in a state of shock and mourning the loss of one of the greatest entertainers to have ever lived — Michael Jackson, the King of Pop. Though his eccentric personal life was sometimes clouded with controversy, his musical genius cannot be denied. He inspired nations with his art and his soul will forever live on through his music. R.I.P. MJ. Thank you for blessing the world with your talent!

Here are a couple of our favorite MJ performances:

 

Also, RIP Farrah Fawcett, America’s Angel.

Got Writer’s Block? I Think Not

A fellow writer the other day complained of having writer’s block, and she was waiting for some “divine inspiration.” I once complained of the same condition.

But I’ve since learned that there is no such thing. A writer is a writer — always. There is always inspiration somewhere near and there is always something to be said. It may not be what you want to say at the moment, but something is there.

So you’ve been working on one page, chapter or poem for a week now and still feel like it’s going nowhere. It may not be time for it to move forward. Don’t try to force it. Move on to writing something else, even it’s just a journal entry or a grocery list.

I’ve learned that all of us have something within us just waiting to come out. But sometimes it’ll only come out when it’s ready.

Happy writing!

— S. Monette

Twisted Thursday: Part 10.1

Melvin placed the small silver locket on Jade’s chest. It was his half of the pair they had specially made and engraved together when they were in college. It was their symbol of forever, and Melvin never went anywhere without it in his pocket. 

And with that, Jade knew it was over. There was no begging. No pleading.

Without another word, Melvin let a tear fall freely and turned to leave.

The man Jade had loved for years and was set to marry in a matter of days, was walking out of her life for good and there was nothing she could do about it. And she didn’t try.

Misery in her eyes, she watched Melvin’s back as he walked toward the hospital room door, holding her breath to stifle the sob that was struggling to free itself from her chest.

The door opened before Melvin could turn the knob. In walked Elise, fatigued and out of breath, as if she had been walking for days.

“You come to give her the scoop, Elise?” Melvin seethed. “Or keep lying?”

Elise kept walking into the room, pretending to neither see nor hear Melvin.

“Y’all triflin’ heifers are made for each other,” Melvin said despite being ignored. He left the two women without another word.

“What was he talking about Elise?” Jade asked finally.

“I …”  Elise swallowed. “I … I … don’t know,” Elise lied, unsure of anything else to say.

Jade knew there was a story behind Melvin’s words, so she said nothing to Elise, only waited for a different answer. 

“I hate you, Jade,” Elise said through tears. “I hate you. That’s the truth. I’ve hated you for a long time.”

Refusing to let Elise words travel from her ears to her heart, Jade turned her head away from her friend and stared out window. Her day, she thought, couldn’t possible get any worse.

 

Stay tuned for the second part of Chapter 10!

Take Time to Love

Recent tragedies in the lives of some of us here at MochaMusings have moved us to take a time out and remind all of our readers of how precious life is. You’ve heard it said a million times, but it’s always nice to have a reminder: Life is short. No one is invincible or immune from death. 

So, while you’re on this abbreviated journey we call life, take the time to love.

Love God, first and foremost. He’s the reason the one who has granted us all the time we here.

Love family and friends. TELL them you love them every chance you get. Many of us go through life assuming they know we love them, but sometimes hearing you SAY it means the world.

Love strangers. Strive to inspire or help someone every day. You’d be surprised how big an impact just one small act of kindness can make. 

Love yourself. You only have one life, one body. Take care of it.

Love life in all its brevity. Don’t be afraid to live and take chances, and find every reason you can to laugh. Regrets will only hold you back.

Take care and God bless, 

MochaMusings

Where’s Twisted Thursday?

Twisted Thursday will return May 28 with a twisted finale of “Jaded.” Please stay tuned. And thank you for your patience. We promise it’ll be well worth the wait!!!

Twisted Thursday: Jaded, Part 9 (By Saria Monette)

Editor’s note: Due to technical difficulties, the 9th installment of Jaded had to be posted later in the day than usual. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope you enjoy it just the same.  

Exhausted from several painful, futile attempts to lift her body on her own, Jade pressed the red button at her bedside.
“How may I help you, Ms. Jones?” a slightly muffled female voice called back through the small speaker.

“I need help getting to the bathroom,” Jade said, agony and exhaustion in her voice, her bladder filled five times over.

“OK. Your nurse will be right down.” 

In less than a minute, a plump, copper-skinned, middle-aged nurse floated into Jade’s room like the morning sunshine on a cloud of cheer.

“I hear you need to visit the lil’ girls room, Ms. Jones,” the nurse said in her overly pleasant Southern drawl. “Let’s see if we can’t just ease you right on up outta this bed.”

Jade grimaced from the pain as the nurse scooped her arms under Jade’s back and sat her upright in one motion.

“Now, see if you can swing your legs out for me, baby, and put your feet on the floor,” the nurse said. Jade embraced the challenge, determined not to be overtaken by the pain. She rotated her body around slowly.

“There you go … that’s it,” the nurse encouraged, never removing her hand from Jade’s back. “Alright, easy now. Try to stand up for me.”

Jade straightened herself steadily.

“Alright, you not feelin’ dizzy, are ya?” the nurse asked.

Jade shook her head, in too much pain to speak. 

“OK. Let’s walk then,” the nurse told Jade, guiding her toward the bathroom. “Just put your arm ’round my neck for support, hun.”

Jade’s steps were short and calculated, making the 10-foot trek to the bathroom seem more like 10 miles. But the cheery nurse didn’t mind. She hummed some old spiritual, every step of the way, which Jade found thoroughly aggravating.

Jade made it to the bathroom, finally, and reassured the nurse she’d be fine alone inside. She scooted over to the toilet and eased herself down over the bowl. Thank God for relief, Jade sighed. She lifted herself back up and scooted to the sink. As she washed her hands she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. The sight frightened her: her face bruised, her eyes nearly swollen shut from all the crying. She tried to manipulate her hair into place with her fingers. That’s as good as it gets, I guess, Jade reasoned. Maybe I’ll call Elise later … see if she can brings some things from my house so I can pull myself together. Jade continued her mental conversation as she leaned to splash water on her face. I wish I could call Melvin but I’m sure he hates me. I may never be able to patch things up. Oh, God in heaven, how did I get myself into this crap!! 

Jade wiped her face with a stack of paper towels and let out a smothered sigh. She wanted to fall on the floor and sob but she couldn’t. Her body was in just too much pain and it seemed she’d used all of her tears the night before.

“You alright in there?” the nurse called from the other side of the door.

“I’m fine, thanks,” Jade lied. “I’ll be out in a sec.” 

After a short while, Jade pulled down on the door handle but realized she was too weak to push it open. The nurse propped the door open and the two began the slow journey back to Jade’s bed.

Just as the nurse got Jade situated in the bed, a soft knock came from the other side of the room door.

“That must be Elise,” Jade’s thought aloud.

“You up for company, miss lady?” the nurse asked.

“Yeah …” Jade answered, breathing heavily from trying to find the most comfortable — or the least painful — position in the bed. 

“Come on in,” the nurse yelled toward the door, then walked to the faded pastel curtains to let the bright noon sun pour in.

The nurse turned to see the startled expression on Jade’s face.

“Melvin …” Jade said in a partial whisper. For the first time the sight of him made her shudder in fear.

“Uhh … you gon’ be OK, sweetie? Should I leave you two alone?” The nurse asked Jade, as if to say: “I can stay and call for back up if you need me to, girl.”

“I think I’m OK. I am a little hungry though,” Jade told her, as if to say: “I don’t even want to see any food, really, but just come back in a few minutes to check on me.”

The nurse nodded in understanding and left the room.

“Jade …” Melvin said finally, after a few moments of silent stares. He was trying to fight back tears. 

“Melvin,” Jade interrupted. “I’m so sorry for hurting you. There are no words to express just how sorry I am for the pain I’ve caused. I know that can never begin to take the pain away and I’ll understand if you never forgive me. Just know that I’m truly sorry, and I’ll be torturing myself for this for the rest of my life.”

“What was it, Jade? What did I do?”

“Nothing, Melvin. You’re perfect. I’m just the biggest idiot of life.”

“Perfect, huh? I wanna hate you … but I can’t stop loving you. You have any idea how that feels?” Melvin said as he crept closer to Jade’s bed, his tears flowing freely now. “I was up all night trying to figure out how I could kill you ’cause that’s the only way I can see myself without you.”

Jade’s fear escalated with Melvin’s every step. She didn’t think he was capable of causing harm, but she had never heard him speak of it either. “Melvin, please …” Jade begged. Could he really kill me? He just might kill me.

“Tell me something, Jade. How long were you gonna play this little game before you realized someone could get hurt, huh?” 

“Melvin, baby, just calm down and I’ll tell you everything, from beginning to end.”

“I’m calm, Jade, and I don’t need you to tell me how it went down,” Melvin seethed. He’d made it all the way to Jade’s bedside. “Your little boyfriend filled me in quite nicely when he brought his bright ass to my house last night.”

Jade had no response, but her eyes seemed to have replenished themselves and the tears poured down her face. 

” Are you hurtin’? Is it painful, Jade?” Melvin began to ramble as he hovered over his fiance. “You wanna know what pain really is, Jade?”

Melvin reached for the object in his pocket. Jade let out a harrowing scream.

Twisted Thursday: Jaded, Part 8 (By Zanetta Rivers Randolph)

Elise fell to her knees as the world began a topsy turvy spin around her. Nothing made sense. The one man, who cared enough to love her beyond her banging body had just sped away, leaving her in a smothering cloud of exhaust. As she reminisced about the good times, Rico felt a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. Though they weren’t friends or even acquaintances beyond the months of raunchy, porno oscar award winning sex, he was sorry he had to drag her into the mix. They had both decided to leave the situation peacefully all those months ago. Elise was to go on with her life, and figure out her marriage, and he was to go to Jade, and make an honest woman of her. But Elise deserved to be exposed didn’t she?

“What now Rico? What now?” screamed Elise as the tears rocked her body to and fro.

“What do you mean what now? Now you walk home.”

“Are you serious,” Elise looked amazed. “Why ruin my life too? I let you go Rico. Sure I had a few psycho moments, but I let you go. Why would you do this to me?”

Rico shrugged his shoulders. Was there any real answer? Was there any real way to explain that he was strangely sorry for hurting her, but felt justified because of all the hurt he’d recently been dealing with?

“Karma is an asshole I guess….”

Rico made his way to the Buick and put it in reverse to the sounds of the local jazz station blaring B.B King singing the blues he knew oh so well.

Elise straightened her back and prepared to walk through the night.

“Men” she thought as she stared down the darkened lane.

“I was wrong, I know it, but where is the sympathy? Where is the compassion?”

Mulling over her misfortune, Elise happened to glance toward Melvin’s next door neighbor’s house, as an old crippled woman she new to be Mrs. Schweinhund hobbled toward the mailbox.

“A little late to be checking the mail dont you think?” Elise snapped.

Mrs. Schweinhund smiled sadistically before replying.

“And don’t you think the hour is just a wee bit early to be slutting around in the streets? Tell me… Will you still be here in the morning when the trash man comes? Maybe he can take you too.”

Mrs. Schweinhund slowly made her way back to the comfort of her home as Elise envisioned taking off her $300 pair of heels and chucking them at the old ladie’s enormous head of white ringlets.

Slumped in defeat, Elise began the slow trek home. Tears of remorse blended with tears of realization that no day after today would ever be the same. There would be no more trust, there would be no more gazing into each other’s eyes. There would be emptiness. A black hole of nothing.

As Elise began to reach new heights of depression, she was startled by a man leaning on a car further down the street. She sneakily grabbed for a stick lying on the side of the road, praying that the bits of darkness between street lights would hide her attempt to defend herself.

“Put it down Elise.”

Now her heart began to pound through the silk of her blouse. He knew her name.

“Who are you?”

“Now you don’t even recognize my voice?” questioned the shadow.

Elise moved closer to see Richard leaning against the car with tears streaming down his beautiful brown face. She ran to him and enveloped herself in his arms.

“I’m so sorry Richard. I can’t explain why I did it. I was just so jealous of Jade. She has everything. I just wanted to see what it was like to be in that position. If only for a minute.”

“A minute Elise? Am I not enough for you?” asked Richard as he pulled her head away from his chest and stared into her eyes.

“Yes. Yes you are. I…” Elise could find no words for her betrayal, so she chose silence instead.

Richard moved her into the passenger seat and made his way around to the driver’s side. This was going to be an interesting journey.

Miles and minutes went by without any hint of conversation between the two before Elise could barely stand it.

“I’m sorry ok?”

“So am I.”

Elise looked at him questioningly.

“What do you have to be sorry about?”

Richard exhaled loudly, “well I guess, for falling so deeply in love with someone like you.”

“Someone like you,” she thought. “What the hell was that supposed to mean, someone like her?”

Elise scoffed.

“Well, Richard, can you cut me any deeper?”

“Oh you mean deeper than this knife wound you dealt me a little while ago?”

“I said I was sorry. It was the past ok? What does it have to do with now?”

“Are you stupid, or just temporarily insane Elise? We were married at the time.”

“I know.”

“Is that all you have to say?” Richard began to laugh as he mocked Elise, “I know.”

“Stop it Richard.”

“Well hell, I’m glad you do know.”

Richard hit the steering wheel with force as he struggled to understand it.

“All I did was love you. Little insecure, imperfect, moody, lazy, cocky, financially struggling you.”

“So should I give you a nobel peace prize for your work with the needy of the world?”

Richard hit the brakes, “Sarcasm? Is that Sarcasm Elise? Are you sure this is the time and place for that?”

Elise felt attacked and alone as Richard’s new hatred for her seeped from his every pore.

“I want a  divorce.”

Elise gasped. “No, baby please. Let’s try to work this out.”

“There is nothing to work out. You betrayed me. You betrayed me for months. You let another man, slide between my thighs. You let another man, taste the sweetness that belongs to me. You gave another man, pieces of the trifling heart that I was helping to mend.”

“I love you Richard, I do. I made a mistake. What ever happened to second chances?”

Elise began to beg Richard to hear her out. He had become blind to her, his heart had already began the voyage toward ice cold.

He reached across her lap seductively and grabbed the door handle, releasing the latch from it’s home. The door widened as Richard motioned for her to step out.

“Are you serious Richard? How could you treat me this way?”

“Same question I present to you.” 

He continued to motion toward the lonely street.

“Go ahead, make your way out.”

Elise slowly lifted herself from the comfort of leather against her backside. She figured Richard had to prove a point, but he had come back for her this time, he surely would not leave her here.

Richard gave her one look as he shook his head.

“By the time you get to the house, all your things will be waiting for you on the front porch. My house aint a brothel and I aint in the habit of housing whores.”

Richard slowly pulled away, leaving Elise and everything she represented to him.

Twisted Thursday: Jaded, Part 7 (By Saria Monette)

Disappointed and simultaneously relieved by the interruption of the approaching headlights, Elise pulled quickly away from Melvin as if nothing had happened between them. She prayed her husband hadn’t witnessed her lip lock with Melvin. But as the headlights got closer and brighter in the path up the driveway, she realized it wasn’t Richard.

The driver pulled close enough for Elise and Melvin to feel the heat from the head lamps.

Elise stood in awe. Melvin felt his pulse quicken and his blood pressure rise.

“Aw, hell. I know this beige bastard didn’t just pull up to my house,” Melvin mumbled. He braced for round two as Rico parked and stepped out of the car. 

Rico approached Elise and Melvin, his steps short and calculated.

“Rico, is it?” Melvin asked, with no care for an answer.

“Yep.”

“I’m gon’ have to ask you to leave.”

“Look, dude. I didn’t come here to finish kickin’ your ass. I just thought you might want some answers.” 

“Well, I hope you don’t get paid to think. Now, please dismiss yourself from my driveway.”

“What? You scared I’m gon’ tell you I’ve been bangin’ her brains out for over a year?” Rico picked. “Or that she’s in my bed when she tells you she’s working? Or how about …”

“Leave,” Melvin interrupted. He couldn’t bear to hear anymore. Bad enough he’d been disrespected by the love of his life. Now there stood Jade’s lover giving him the details of their torrid affair. Unbelievable.

Rico didn’t budge. Elise stepped back in anticipation of a hospital scene repeat. 

Melvin lunged once again for Rico, planting a fast, stinging jab just under Rico’s right eye. A brawl ensued. Melvin, though smaller in stature, had the upper hand this time around after Rico stumbled and never fully regained his footing. Completely enraged and unaware of the pain from Rico’s few returned blows, Melvin threw punch after punch. He intended to kill this man — the man who had managed to tear his world apart in just a matter of hours.

Elise kept screaming for the two to stop, shouting “oh my god” until she was out of breath, but she still steering clear of the melee. Neighbors began to emerge from their homes, but no one bothered to call the police to break up the action at the prosecutor’s usually quiet home. No gun shots, no need. 

More headlights approached Melvin’s house. It was Richard. 

Finally, Elise thought. Little did she know, things were about to go from bad to worse.

Richard parked haphazardly at the end of the driveway and scrambled out, forgetting to turn off the ignition. He ran straight into the middle of the brawl, attempting to use his medium frame as a wall between Melvin and Rico.

He pushed Rico away and grabbed Melvin in a bear hug. Melvin kept throwing jabs, unaware of his surroundings.

“Oh, you tryna be tough, too, man?” A dizzy Rico asked Richard.

“Look, man, this ain’t my business, but you need to go own about yours ’cause I’m not the one,” Richard shot back after releasing his grip on Melvin, who seemed to finally snap back into reality. 

Melvin walked back toward his house, nursing his bleeding lip with the back of his left hand, as Richard and Rico continued their heated exchange.

“Oh, I think it is your business. I guess your wife didn’t tell you.” Rico said.

A confused Richard stared at Elise, who had reached out to comfort Melvin. Melvin snatched away.

“Don’t touch me,” Melvin barked at her. “You knew Jade was sleeping with him. You knew this was going on the whole time. Now you wanna try to touch me … please. Take your triflin’ self home, too.” He made his way back into the house and locked the door, no longer concerned with anything going on in his driveway.

Elise stood stunned from the rejection for a moment before she noticed Richard staring at her, wondering what secret his wife held that made this madness his concern.

“Go ‘head man, ask Elise why this is your business,” Rico continued to taunt. “Yo, Elise, come here for a sec. I think you should enlighten your man.”

Somehow, although she hadn’t heard Rico and Richard’s conversation, Elise knew she was exposed. She walked toward Richard.

“Baby, let’s go,” a nervous Elise said, grabbing Richard’s hand in an attempt to pull him toward their car.

“No, Elise. What’s up? What’s he talking about?”

“I don’t know, baby. Can’t you see he’s crazy? Let’s just go.”

“Nah. I think you’re crazy. Don’t tell me you forgot about all our good times,” Rico said.

Richard snatched his hand away from his wife.

“Elise, you better start talking. Did you sleep with him? Please, tell me you didn’t sleep with him,” said Richard, his eyes glazed with tears. 

“Sleep with me? Man, more like put it on me. Repesatedly,” Rico continued to spit his venom. “That’s a fiesty lil’ mama you got there. But I quit messin’ wit’ her though ’cause she got a little jealous, possessive streak.”

“And … jealous … what …?” Richard couldn’t get his thoughts together.

“Richard, baby, I can’t even believe you’re gonna stand here and entertain this fool,” Elise said, trying to sound sincerely clueless. 

Richard didn’t want to believe the things coming out of Rico’s mouth, but Elise’s nervousness cast a dark cloud of doubt over the situation. A part of him wanted to get to the bottom of Rico’s accusations, but the other part wanted to walk to his car and pretend. Pretend Rico didn’t exist. Pretend he hadn’t heard anything. Pretend his marriage was perfect. Pretend he had no doubts about his wife’s faithfulness. 

He chose to pretend. He grabbed Elise’s hand and started down the driveway, back toward his car.

Goodness. I just dogded a freakin’ bullet, Elise thought … too soon.

“Oh, Elise, I forgot to tell you, sweet tattoo,” Rico said with a laugh as the couple reached their car. 

That tattoo. Elise’s one and only tattoo. The one of the dripping strawberry and Richard’s initials at her panty line, between her thighs. The one for only her husband to see, to kiss, to enjoy.

The revelation made Richard’s heart sink into his stomach and there was no way Elise could lie her way out of it.

“So, that’s what you think of our marriage, huh?” Richard asked after taking several moments to gather his thoughts.

Elise wanted to defend herself, but she couldn’t. She wanted to rattle off a million reasons for her actions, in hopes of making her husband understand. She wanted to tell him the truth. The truth that for the past few years she had become overwhelmingly jealous of her friend. Everything Jade had, Elise wanted — including her men — and she set out to get them. She wanted to tell Richard that Rico used her for months then tossed her for Jade, which caused Elise to become blinded by her rage and thoughts of revenge. Elise wanted to make Richard see that she didn’t understand it all herself. She wanted to tell him she really didn’t want to be this person she’d become. 

Instead, Elise said nothing. She knew she’d hurt her husband beyond what any words could repair.

Richard got into the car and sped off, leaving a blank-faced Elise and satisfied Rico standing at the end of the driveway.

Twisted Thursday: Jaded, Part 6 (By Zanetta Rivers-Randolph)

Melvin’s breath became labored as he lunged for Rico’s neck.

“You did this to her man. You did this to my woman.”

Rico fought to stable himself, seeming as the sudden attack left him a little unsteady. He grabbed Melvin’s thrashing arms.

“Your woman? How can she be your woman, when she whispers my name so sweetly?”

Melvin was hysterical, “what! What the hell are you talking about? You are nothing to her man.”

“Ask her then. Ask her what I mean to her,” screamed Rico.

As he moved to comfort a shaken, confused and desperate Jade, two burly security guards made their way into the room.

“I don’t know him” Jade yelled as she began to scream.

“Everyone in this room besides the patient needs to leave, now,” stated the one security guard, attempting to shout over Jade’s ridiculous outburst.

Melvin straightened his chest and attempted to stand just a little bit taller than his 5’7’’ frame. “This is my wife, and I’m not leaving.”

The security guard laid his thick fingers across the large can of pepper spray, “I don’t give a damn who you are. You are getting out! You are causing a disturbance to the other patient’s and you have to go.”

The two guards nearly pushed the frazzled foursome out of Jade’s room. Rico attempted to storm away as Melvin caught his arm.

“Oh no you don’t, you big …”

“I wouldn’t be so liberal with my tongue if I were you, little man.” Rico freed himself Melvin’s grip, and Melvin stood ready to pounce.

“Tell me what this is about. Now!”

Rico chuckled as he moved away from the stares of Richard, Elise and Melvin.

“Ask the bitch in the bed.”

The three watched Rico’s defiant swagger as he made his way to the exit, stunned by his presence and the venom in his voice.

Melvin collapsed on a vacant bench outside of Jade’s room. She could still be heard weeping. The more outspoken security guard shook his head, looking at the small crowd with pity.

“Look here…Y’all got some serious issues, and I feel for ya, I really do. But this here is an ER. This ain’t a new episode of Jerry Springer. Y’all gon’ have to move the hell on.”

“Just give me a minute, man” Melvin growled.

The security guard looked around before turning back to Melvin with a quizzical gaze. “Who the hell you think you talkin’ to? He moved toward Melvin as Richard stood between the two men.

“We are leaving, OK? Just give us a second.” Richard went to help Melvin up, before Elise laid her hand across his.

“You go on Richard. He is in no position to drive. I’ll take his keys and drop him home. You meet me there and we will drive home together.”

Richard let out a deep sigh. Jade’s drama was affecting his marriage. Elise could not always be her savior. Jade was a big girl and it was about time she started to act like it. “I’ll be right behind you, Elise. This is their fight, and you know that.”

“I know baby, I know. Just let me do this.”

Richard moved toward the exit, with Elise and Melvin following close behind.

_________________

“How could she, Elise?”

Melvin sounded so defeated, as he lay his head against the dashboard. The tears flowed freely, seemingly without end.

“I’m sorry Melvin. I don’t know what she was thinking.”

“I’m a good man Elise. I cook, I clean, I run her bath water. What could I have done wrong?”

“It’s not your fault Melvin. Don’t you take the blame for this.”

“Someone has to! Why wasn’t I a good enough man?”

Elise rubbed Melvin’s back.

“You are an excellent man, Melvin. The best man I have seen around in a while.”

Melvin stiffened, “what about Richard?”

Elise coughed, “Well … besides him.” She offered a phony smile before continuing. “All I’m saying is don’t be so hard on yourself.”

Melvin gazed into Elise’s eyes. “What does he do to keep you faithful?”

“What are you talking about?”

“What makes you so devoted to him? How does he keep you so faithful?”

“I’m not a puppy Melvin. He’s not my master. That’s one thing that keeps up together. He realizes we are equal; I’m not his ’woman’ as you like to say. I’m his wife, his partner and all that.”

Melvin grabbed Elise’s hand, caressing it slowly. “I wish I had a woman like you.”

Alarmed, Elise snatched away. She was unsure of the situation. Melvin was hurt and needed consoling, but he was only speaking to her this way out of pain and confusion.

Oh no, if he keeps this up he’ll find out just how much I wish he had a woman like me, too.

In the midst of her thoughts, her cell phone rang.

“OK honey. Love you, too. See you when you get there.”

She hung up and swung into Melvin’s driveway.

“What’s up?” Melvin asked after Elise’s short chat with Richard.

“He’s gonna go get gas and meet us back here. He told me to go ahead and take you inside.”

At that moment, the two realized that their hands had somehow found each other again and were entwined as they struggled to move to opposite sides of the vehicle. Feeling uneasy, Elise broke the silence.

“Why is this so strange right now?”

As she stumbled over her words, Melvin’s lips claimed hers and she joined him in the sweetest kiss she had ever known.

Two bright headlights cut their lip union short as Elise’s rescue had come just in the nick of time.