All Around Me - Interlude 5 - Grace

[Dano]

I looked around the small dining room, into the faces of my family. My parents, my grandmother, my aunt and uncle, their daughter and her two sons, Doug and Kay, Jeannie and Zoe. These people represented all the things I hold sacred in my heart, or the majority of them. As I've gotten older, I've really learned to appreciate my family, the people from where I came, and where I'm going.

My grandmother looked at me and smiled, peering at me from behind her thick glasses. "Tommy, I think you're old enough now, why don't you say Grace this year?"

I looked over at Doug and smiled. Two years ago, Grandma had asked him to do it, and he launched into a rambling, occasionally incoherent litany of things, going on and on to the point that even Grandma had started laughing at him.

I considered praying in my own way, the new things I've incorporated into my prayer cycle due to my new spirituality. Doug, Kay and Jeannie were supportive of me, at least insofar as they knew I was serious about it, and it didn't seem to be doing anyone any harm. However, my parents had a sort of "don't ask - don't tell" policy, and especially in front of the extended family, I may want to watch it.

I decided on what I assumed would be the path of least resistance.

"Bless us, O Lord
In these, thy gifts which we are about to recieve
From thy bounty, through Christ our Lord
Amen."

******

Mom and Aunt Marsha were upstairs at the kitchen table with Grandma and my cousin Susan, playing cards. Dad and Uncle Pat were watching the game in the living room, talking about whatever late-middle aged men talk about. Susan's sons, Owen and Kenneth, ran around, playing at some elaborate game.

Down in the basement, us "kids" sat in my grandfather's old den, talking. Doug and Kay took up one sofa, Jeannie and Zoe another. I was feeling a bit lonely in the La-Z-Boy, but that's kinda how things work out sometimes.

"When do you guys go back?" Kay asked.
"Tommy's taking me back to the airport Sunday night, and Zoe is leaving Sunday morning," Jeannie answered.
"We didn't know for sure if I'd be coming."
The looked at each other in a way that communicated volumes of love that I haven't experienced yet, but I was happy for them for having it.

"Gotta say, I was pretty impressed you remembered that old prayer."
"We only heard it every day forever Doug," Jeannie threw a pillow at him, but hit Kay.
"He's not that bright sometimes, that's why we haven't had kids yet, don't want him peeing in the gene pool." She grabbed the pillow and tossed it to me.
"Har har, very funny. Tom, toss that back over so I can beat my wife."
She grabbed his cheeks and pulled her face close to his. "But honey, I LOOOOOOOOVE you."

I looked over at Jeannie and Zoe, ready to make a smartass comment, but found them being quietly cute too. I suddenly felt very alone. I tossed the pillow over into the corner and got up. "Anyone want anything while I'm upstairs?" Four negatives later, I walked up the stairs, but instead of stopping in the kitchen, I grabbed my coat from the back of a chair and headed out the back door.

There were times when I wished that I could take a walk and somehow magically meet up with the love of my life. I know it's really unlikely, but it's somehow comforting. Not that I ever go anywhere. Usually I end up sitting down in front of some school or library or something and watching traffic. Hell of a life, eh?

[This message has been edited by Dano (edited November 25, 2000).]

[Enlanra]

Awwwwwww. what's next? (Wiloe would comment but I'm currently crushing her will to live so it'll have to wait.)

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To love another person is to see the face of God.-- Les Miserables

Warrior nun in training
The Official Bartender Pimpstress of the StP games

[Dano]

Want to see my process in action?

I rushed this last part, and it shows. I am a big 'fuck and run' writer, I almost never edit, but I have to make an exception in this case. For one thing, it deserves more than 'interlude' status, it definitely needs to be longer. For another, it just doesn't work for me, so I'm going to give it another whirl.

I was going to delete it, but figured I could use this as one of those "alternate takes" they keep putting on reissues of old albums.

So, tonight when I get home from work, I'll get out the real interlude (which I've already got mapped out fairly well) and then give you the Thanksgiving stuff no later than the end of the week.

Deal?

[Oz]

Good deal. This one wasnt too clear, and I would love to hear what you really had to say. I have to comment on the last few lines, though. I really liked those! Nice honesty to them. I also enjoyed immensely your last chapter, the one about Josh in the music store. I love settings like that, very relaxed. I liked the description of him too, nice contrast to all the other stuff.

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"What about him? What are you doing with him?"
"What you should be doing with me..."

Proud family member of Jelymo, gollum, Kelly, Dano, Jaxom27, Fenix and others.

I believe you can't appreciate real love until you've been burned

"Om Namaha Shivaya." ~ Dano

[Dano]

New Title - Tyree Wilcox

The shop I work in is mainly a catering place, but we also have a small bakery and deli out front. I was putting some cheeses into the case when something caught my eye. A small black boy, maybe 9 or 10 years old, was standing by the cookies. I looked up and noticed no other customers in the store, wondering where his parents were. Suddenly, he took a big oatmeal cookie, took a bite, and shoved the rest of it into the pocket of his coat.

I slowly and quietly walked around the counter, nodding to the cashier to try and block the door. When I was confident the boy couldn't get out, I approached him.

"Hey there, something I can help you find?"
Startled, he looked up at me. "N-n-o, I'm ok."
"Do you have enough money to pay for that cookie?"

His eyes widened and he broke for the door, but it was locked and blocked by the cashier. He looked back and forth from me to the door, paralyzed with fear.

"Hey, why don't you come sit with me over her for a sec, ok?"
He stood rooted in his spot, shaking his head.
"Look, I'm not letting you leave until you sit down and have a talk with me. Do you want me to call the police?"
He shook his head but didn't look up.
"Come over to this booth and have a seat."
He didn't move, but looked over at the booth. The cashier was walking up behind him, ready to grab his arm.
"No, don't worry about it, I've got this handled. Come over here and sit with me, ok?"
The boy looked behind him and noticed a behemoth fat woman coming up behind him. His eyes grew somehow even larger and he bolted for the booth.

Seated but fidgety, I was confident he wasn't going anywhere for the moment. I walked over to the counter and grabbed the portable phone, then sat next to him in the booth, blocking him in.

"Ok, what's your name?"
He just sat there, suddenly deaf.
Sighing, I continued. "Look, do you want me to call the police?"
He shrugged non-commitally and kicked at the bottom of the table with his feet.
"So, do you want them to take you to Boy's Town or something?"
That got him. He swung his eyes up to me but didn't move.
"Or, they might even put you in the regular jail with all the grown-ups. All the bank robbers and gangbangers."
He looked up at me, betraying some real fear.
"One more time, what's your name?"
He half-whispered, "Tyree."
"Tyree what?"
"Tyree Wilcox."
"Who takes care of you, your parents?"
He shook his head and started sniffling, rubbing his tearing eyes. "No, my aunt and uncle."
"What are their names?"
"Uncle Lance and Aunt Sharon."
"Ok, I'm going to call them, do you know your phone number?"
"Oh please please don't call them, please, I'll get a whipping and then they'll ground me forever, please please don't call them!"
"It's either that or call the police Tyree."
He sat there and pleaded with me to let him go with his eyes, and between that and the idea of someone beating him, I almost did. But then, he looked down again and whispered out his phone number.

* * * * *

"Hello?"
"Hello, is this Lance?"
"Yes it is, may I ask who's calling?"
"Yeah, hi, this is Tom down at Lauderdale's Bakery downtown."
"How can I help you?"
"Well sir, I've got Tyree here..."
"Tyree, is he ok?"
"Yeah, he just wandered in a little while ago, and I think he's lost."
"Damn straight he is, how the hell'd he get all the way down there?"
"I'm really not sure sir."
"Boy must have gotten off the bus at the wrong stop."
"That's probably it."
"We're all the way out here in Florence, how the hell did he get downtown?"

Florence was a neighborhood on the far, far north side of Omaha, pretty much on the outskirts. I'd say Tyree was about 50-60 blocks away from where he was supposed to be.

"Well sir, I'll tell you what, I'll keep an eye on him down here if you'd like to come get him."
"Yeah, sure, I'd appreciate that. What did you say your name was?"
"Tom."
"I appreciate that Tom. I'll be there in about a half hour. Can I talk to him?"
I looked down, Tyree staring up at me, terrified. I decided that probably wouldn't be a good idea, so I lied. "Well, the ladies who work here are making a fuss over him in the back right now, but I can get him if you'd like."
"No, that's all right, just let him know I'm on my way."
"Absolutely."

* * * * *

I looked down at Tyree. He was staring straight ahead, petrified.
"Hey, why don't you take that cookie out of your pocket?"
He shot his hands down under the table and in a flash, about 2/3 of the cookie was sitting there. I picked it up and broke it in two, setting a piece back down in front of him. Taking a bite, I said, "Well, it's yours now, may as well eat it."
He just sat there, not knowing how to react.
"If you don't eat it, I will."
He looked up at me, chewing and swallowing part of his 'prize', then back down at it. Hesitantly, he reached out and took it, taking a small bite. I sat there with him, eating the contraband cookie, quietly.

When he was done, I asked him if he wanted a glass of milk. He didn't say anything, but nodded a little. I got up and walked to the kitchen, pouring him a small one. I returned and he was still sitting there, sniffling back his tears. I sat across from him and set the glass in front of him.

He whispered "thank you" and took a few drinks.

I sat there in silence, watching him, while we waited for Uncle Lance to show up. 20 minutes later, I saw a car roll into the lot with a bald, middle aged black man driving. Tyree noticed too, and started shaking and sniffling all over again.

"Now Tyree, here's the deal. Look up at me, ok? Here's what we're going to do. You stole from me, and that's wrong. It's against the law, and it's also not a good thing to do in general, right?"
Nodding.
"But, you're a little boy, and sometimes little boys do stupid things. I'm going to take a chance this time. I'm not going to tell your uncle what you did. But, if I see you here again and you do it again, I'll tell him, AFTER I tell the police, ok?"
Nodding.
"Look up at me Tyree."
He looked up.
"Promise me you won't steal anymore, promise me you're going to be a good kid."
"I promise."

His uncle walked in the door and came over to the table. I stood up and extended my hand, which he shook.

"Hey, I'm Tom Connor."
"Lance Wilcox. Tyree, you ready to go?"
Tyree nodded and slid out of the booth.
"He wasn't too much trouble, was he?"
"No, not at all. We were just having some milk and cookies."
"Boy, how did you get all the way down here, did you get on the wrong bus?"
Tyree nodded and took his uncle's hand.
"Don't be too hard on him, kids do all kinds of things."
"Yeah, well, he was just supposed to go down to the library up in Florence." He shook his head. "Go out and get in the car Ty, I'll be there in a minute."

Tyree dashed out, and Lance turned to face me. He was about 40, maybe 45 years old. Balding with salt-and-pepper hair and beard and big brown eyes. The family resemblence he had with Tyree was strong.

"I really do appreciate you taking care of him Tom. His aunt and I have had him since his mother passed, and sometimes he's a handle. We never had children of our own..."
"No problem, I was happy to do it."
"He didn't cause any trouble, did he?"
"No, he came in, told me he was lost, and I took care of it from there."
He took my hand again and shook it very firmly. "You're a good man. I really do appreciate it."
"Thank you. I do what I can."

He turned then, and walked out to his car, Tyree sitting in the front seat, looking over the dashboard at me. I watched as they pulled away, then got back to work.

[Oz]

Well, I said on IM what I really want to say, but I want to make sure that its down permenantly. This is a fuckin' beautiful peice man! Geez, you blow me away. Awe Inspiring. I'll stick with that. I think you could do more with this story, but I dont know if I would like you too. At most, like one more thing...but proly not. As always though, its up to you. You are the director, we are merely the viewers. And I for one am loving it!

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"What about him? What are you doing with him?"
"What you should be doing with me..."

Proud family member of Jelymo, gollum, Kelly, Dano, Jaxom27, Fenix and others.

I believe you can't appreciate real love until you've been burned

"Om Namaha Shivaya." ~ Dano

[tyledras]

actually, i WAS good, i read it when you told me to, i just didn't post then. sorry
i think its really good, awesome stuff. what Oz said.

[Dano's work is Groovy]

Far out, man! Totally awesome.

(for all those wondering, he told us that he wanted an affirmation, something little like "groovy".)

Groovy, once again! You are da bomb!

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Dano is the grooviest of the groovy!

Worship the Danoman!

[Chilimuffin]

::smiles:: it's spiffy

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"Noctu, nihil pedalum pigmentum refert." - Discordelaidh