Modern Day Virginia

Annie sat with her head in her hands…… Crying for the family that she had lost.

Her husband’s death was 11 years ago. It took a while but she had adjusted to that. She had moved on,met different men, even went with one for 4 years. She had broken up with him just after her darling little dog was put to sleep and just days before her precious mother had died.

In a three year span she had to say goodbye to puppy,parents and big brother.

She wasn’t grieving for their return. She knew they were all where they needed to be. Having been the caregiver, she had witnessed the decline in health and quality of life. She couldn’t figure out why she was crying, to be honest. She just knew she had to let the emotions out.

As she lay there in her bed, she heard…..No. She “felt” a voice in her mind…..(1) “Come to Daddy.” Annie sat up,brushing the tears from her face.

Annie:”Daddy? Oh, dad….. I know you are here.” She looked around the room. “I’ll open my arms for you, daddy. Hold me. Please hold me.”

The voice chuckled…..(2)” Your aim’s as bad as your cooking sweetheart… and that’s saying something! I’m not standing there. I’m all around you. And I want you to listen to me.

I want you to get out of that bed, away from the computer and get back into life.”

Annie:”(3) Tempting but I don’t get out of bed for less than half a million dollars.” She sensed he was laughing.

Her Father:” Your mother and I are concerned.”

Annie:”Mom? Mommy? Are you here,too?”

A new voice:”I’m always here, Annie. You’re my baby, you know. My youngest.”

Annie:”Mommy……. PLEASE make your love go through me.” (Something her mother had done for her all her life.) Annie sat perfectly still.

Her Mother:” Annie. Remember the night you thought you felt me hold her face?”

Annie smiled and nodded her head…… “I knew it was you, mom.”

Her Mother:”That was me making my love go through you.”

Annie:”What’s heaven like? Are you happy? Have you seen Toddie?” ( Annie’s big brother.)

A new voice:” I’m right here, Annie. I love you.”

Annie:”Semper Fi, Todd.”

Her brother: “Semper Fi.”

Annie:Addressing all three of her loved ones….

” Tell me what I need to know. Please. Did you know I was sitting right next to you when you left this life? Did you know I never took my eyes off your dear faces? Did you know I wouldn’t have minded going with you?”

Her Mother:” I loved the way you piped me home.( A Scottish reference.) When you said, ‘celebration, mom. Today is your day of celebration’….You were right. And you said I would be the ‘belle of the ball’…… I flew to God’s arms on those very words.”

Her Father:” You did everything right. Remember what I told you……. ‘ For the rest of your life, don’t you ever regret a thing.’ ”

Her Brother: “I didn’t think I wanted to die….. Until I saw what was waiting for me……… And I want you to know……. I love the song you wrote and sang for me. My Marine brothers cried tears of joy with me. And another thing……… All those times you felt my presence …… That was me. I ‘m so thankful you and I are so connected…… So thankful you sent those papers to the person I wanted you to. You completed my mission.”

Annie:”You guys……(5) There’s nowhere I’d rather be than here with you, my family.”

The last thing she heard…….. (4)” Happy endings are just stories that haven’t finished yet. Live your life, Annie. Make it a good story.”

It could use some filler words but Hey! its a start=)

and did you want me to write a complete story or just use those sentences and some other things…

whatever!

“Oh, …nothing …really.”, Angelina paused sheepishly, then broke down to open her broken heart. “…Well, O.K. It’s …it’s …Bra-a-a-A-A-AD!”

“You mean that smarmy “Brad-duh” Pittman kid? The one who thinks he’s ‘All THAT and a bag chips, too? The guy you and all 500 of the other teeny boppers in your junior high have targeted in the crosshairs of their Cupid’s bow? ‘Boink’?” Angelina’s father made a little bow and arrow motion that he “boinked” in his darling Doodle’s direction with a gentle teasing while trying to make sure he knew EXACTLY who was causing his sweetheart of a daughter such obvious anguish. (Neither of them could figure out just how it started, but their standard greeting each morning was a cheery “Hi, Doodle” from dad followed by an even cheerier, “Hi, Daddle!” from Doodle) Angelina’s bottom lip still quivered as she nodded her head to her dad’s understanding of her troubles.

“Well, come to Daddy, Doodle and let’s talk it out. …If you like.”, offered Daddle gently.

Dad put down the paper he was reading and Angelina came over to sit beside him in the oversized cushy chair they often shared for such delicate talks.

“Don’t you have to go golfing this morning?”, questioned Angelina wanting her Dad’s time and attention but knowing how much he loved to golf.

“WHAT! Oh, no! You’re right!!! If I don’t get going …they’ll BURN all the golf courses …for hundreds of miles around …and convert them to all to shopping malls …where teenagers can hang out …and text message each other …while they are sitting on the same bench!!”, ragged her dad playfully as he pulled his hair and grimaced in mock horror.

“Oh, Dad!,”, Angelina objected with a little slap on her dad’s arm. “We only use text messages if we are so far away we would have to shout to talk each other. …Or, if we are in cla… Oops.”

“Well, you know, Sweety, I was going golfing this morning. But, I’m fairly certain the courses will be around for awhile. So, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than here with you to talk about smarmy Brad Pittman.”, promised Dad with a sincerity that Angelina knew and felt. And, she knew, too, her dad had overlooked her near complete revelation about texting in class; …something that would usually result in the loss of her cell phone for a month.

“Dad?’, wondered Angelina softly as she fumbled with her hands in her laps and then looked at her dad with a puzzled look. “What does ‘smarmy’ mean?”

“Well, when it comes to Brad Pittman, and the romantic longings a 13 year old, it means your aim’s as bad as your cooking sweetheart …and that’s saying something!”, Dad explained good-naturedly waggling an imaginary cigar between his fingers while performing his best Groucho Marx imitation with the final coup de grace.

“No, really, Dad.”, ignored Angelina seriously. “What’s so bad about Brad?” Angelina sniggered involuntarily a little at her “…bad about Brad…” rhyme.

“Oh, I’m sure he’s got that ‘look’, and all the charm and suave confidence of the ‘perfect’ 13 year old.”, judged Dad.

“Well, what’s so ‘smarmy’ about that? I mean, like, duh! Of course Brad is cute and all, but why is that so wrong?”, questioned Angelina still confused but trying to understand what her dad was trying to help her see.

“There’s nothing exactly ‘wrong’ with Brad, it’s just that you are judging him through the eyes of a 13 year old. And, you won’t always be 13.”, offered Dad in the way of a little more explanation.

“So you’re saying Brad is smarmy because my eyes are only 13 years old?”, muddled Angelina growing more confused with each adult word her dad spoke.

“Ah, …no. Brad is smarmy because he knows he has a powerful effect on girls and uses that for his own gratification. But, the things you see with your 13 year old eyes and feel with your 13 year old heart causing your knees to grow weak over a guy will not be the same things that will make you love a man as you grow into womanhood.”, clarified Dad.

Angelina pondered her dad’s words for a moment to soak in their meaning, then tried to explain what she thought she understood. “So, what your are saying is Brad is smarmy because he’s a handsome selfish creep. And, that I shouldn’t lose a lot of sleep over him because someday I’ll want somebody more like you when I get bigger boobs.”, retorted Angelina with her best mischievous smile.

“By George, I think she’s got it!”, effused Henry Higgins. “Except…”, added Dad, “…when you get bigger boobs I’ll be locking you in your room and standing guard outside your door with a big stick 24/7.”

“Well, I guess you’ll have to pee sometime. And, when you do, I’ll just slip out of my room and get married to somebody as nice as you …only a WHOLE lot more handsome …and WAY YOUNGER!”, countered Angelina.

Doodle and Daddle had a good laugh together and exchanged an affectionate hug and kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks, Dad. You made me feel better. …I’m sorry about your golf though. Maybe I could make you some nice bacon, eggs and pancakes for breakfast tomorrow morning. How does that sound?!”, proposed Angelina cheerfully.

“Tempting …but I don’t get out of bed for less than half a million dollars if you’re doing the cooking.”, rejoined Dad with a big cheesy grin.

Angelina picked up a pillow and blithely threw it at her dad. Her face was no longer long and there was a smile in her eyes and a song in her heart again. …But, happy endings are just stories that haven’t finished yet.