thinking about her that night.
Afterward, we
decided to enjoy what would probably be one of the last pleasant nights outside
before winter set in. We took a stroll down the dock of a seafood restaurant on
a little lake just outside Peasner.
“Beautiful
night,” he observed.
“Indeed.”
Our hands
brushed slightly. Frank shoved his into his pockets.
I hid my grin,
inwardly blushing. “I’m not gonna bite you, Frank.”
“B, I’m just
respecting your rules. I thoroughly enjoy your company and I don’t want to do
anything to make you feel uncomfortable. Even though we have already been
hip-to-hip in dance class, you know.”
I held up an
index finger. “For the sake of art.”
“Why don’t you
just admit it. You love salsa. I couldn’t get you to stop now if I wanted to.”
“Well,” I
ventured, “I suppose I would be a little upset if I had to wait my turn to come
dancing with you.”
“Your turn?”
“Yeah. The other
week, somebody did say you bring in other women to dance.”
Frank jerked his
head back and stared at me with his warm brown eyes. “Is that a hint of
jealousy I hear?”
“I’m just
wonderin’ so I can find out if I need to find me someone else to bring
every once in a while,” I headed him off.
“Look out there
now,” he laughed. “No, my daughter comes to dance with me sometimes. Or my
sister, when she’s in town. She travels a lot. Works for American Airlines.
They’re headquartered in Dallas.”
“I see.”
“But I have to
say, neither one of them can dance quite like you.”
“Why, thank you,
Frank,” I batted my eyelashes at him.
We both laughed
at my silly gesture. Frank motioned for us to take a seat on the restaurant
patio.
I know I
shouldn’t have been thinking this, but sitting across from him in the dimness,
with his head shaved bald like so many of the young folk do today, he looked
like he could have been my son. Way too young for me to be out with.
Until—wait! There it was! The moon’s glow told the truth. Frank was
wearing dentures after all; it was just a matter of me catching him in the
right light.
Thank you,
Lord, for a reminder.
When the
waiter-lady came by and asked if we wanted to order food, I said no. Frank, on
the other hand, ordered a glass of red wine.
Now, y’all know
that rubbed me the wrong way. Much as I liked Frank, I ain’t never been out
with no drinkin’ man. He’d just done ruined a perfectly good night. “You gon’
drink all that?”
“Mmmm,” he
gulped, “did you want some?”
“No siree,” I
declined. “ I don’t drink.”
He rolled his
lips between his teeth and smiled. “My wife didn’t, either. She couldn’t stand
it when I ordered a glass of wine or a margarita.”
“Well, I feel
the same way,” I said. “I don’t see how folk can drink something that makes you
lose all your sense.”
“Yes,” he
agreed. “Alcohol can be destructive. Damaging. And the Bible does say not to be
drunk. But it didn’t say you couldn’t drink.”
“What’s the
difference? One thing leads to another.”
He shrugged.
“What’s the difference between eating and gluttony? What’s the difference
between earning money and greed?”
I pulled my
elbows into my sides and pretended to take in the night sky and the lovers
close enough to the lake’s shore to dip their toes in the gleaming water.
“What happened
with your wife?”
“She had Lupus.
Battled it courageously for years. She was so strong in her faith. And tough. I
really thought if anyone could kick the disease, it would be Margie.”
I recognized the
blankness of his downward gaze. I’d seen it myself many-a-day when I sat up and
thought about what all Albert went through. It’s enough to drive you crazy if
you don’t let it play all the way through to what must have happened the moment
they opened their eyes on the other side.
I put my hands
on top of his. “Frank, she did kick it. And I believe when you see her
in glory, she’s
Afterward, we
decided to enjoy what would probably be one of the last pleasant nights outside
before winter set in. We took a stroll down the dock of a seafood restaurant on
a little lake just outside Peasner.
“Beautiful
night,” he observed.
“Indeed.”
Our hands
brushed slightly. Frank shoved his into his pockets.
I hid my grin,
inwardly blushing. “I’m not gonna bite you, Frank.”
“B, I’m just
respecting your rules. I thoroughly enjoy your company and I don’t want to do
anything to make you feel uncomfortable. Even though we have already been
hip-to-hip in dance class, you know.”
I held up an
index finger. “For the sake of art.”
“Why don’t you
just admit it. You love salsa. I couldn’t get you to stop now if I wanted to.”
“Well,” I
ventured, “I suppose I would be a little upset if I had to wait my turn to come
dancing with you.”
“Your turn?”
“Yeah. The other
week, somebody did say you bring in other women to dance.”
Frank jerked his
head back and stared at me with his warm brown eyes. “Is that a hint of
jealousy I hear?”
“I’m just
wonderin’ so I can find out if I need to find me someone else to bring
every once in a while,” I headed him off.
“Look out there
now,” he laughed. “No, my daughter comes to dance with me sometimes. Or my
sister, when she’s in town. She travels a lot. Works for American Airlines.
They’re headquartered in Dallas.”
“I see.”
“But I have to
say, neither one of them can dance quite like you.”
“Why, thank you,
Frank,” I batted my eyelashes at him.
We both laughed
at my silly gesture. Frank motioned for us to take a seat on the restaurant
patio.
I know I
shouldn’t have been thinking this, but sitting across from him in the dimness,
with his head shaved bald like so many of the young folk do today, he looked
like he could have been my son. Way too young for me to be out with.
Until—wait! There it was! The moon’s glow told the truth. Frank was
wearing dentures after all; it was just a matter of me catching him in the
right light.
Thank you,
Lord, for a reminder.
When the
waiter-lady came by and asked if we wanted to order food, I said no. Frank, on
the other hand, ordered a glass of red wine.
Now, y’all know
that rubbed me the wrong way. Much as I liked Frank, I ain’t never been out
with no drinkin’ man. He’d just done ruined a perfectly good night. “You gon’
drink all that?”
“Mmmm,” he
gulped, “did you want some?”
“No siree,” I
declined. “ I don’t drink.”
He rolled his
lips between his teeth and smiled. “My wife didn’t, either. She couldn’t stand
it when I ordered a glass of wine or a margarita.”
“Well, I feel
the same way,” I said. “I don’t see how folk can drink something that makes you
lose all your sense.”
“Yes,” he
agreed. “Alcohol can be destructive. Damaging. And the Bible does say not to be
drunk. But it didn’t say you couldn’t drink.”
“What’s the
difference? One thing leads to another.”
He shrugged.
“What’s the difference between eating and gluttony? What’s the difference
between earning money and greed?”
I pulled my
elbows into my sides and pretended to take in the night sky and the lovers
close enough to the lake’s shore to dip their toes in the gleaming water.
“What happened
with your wife?”
“She had Lupus.
Battled it courageously for years. She was so strong in her faith. And tough. I
really thought if anyone could kick the disease, it would be Margie.”
I recognized the
blankness of his downward gaze. I’d seen it myself many-a-day when I sat up and
thought about what all Albert went through. It’s enough to drive you crazy if
you don’t let it play all the way through to what must have happened the moment
they opened their eyes on the other side.
I put my hands
on top of his. “Frank, she did kick it. And I believe when you see her
in glory, she’s
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