Hearts of Grey

by Earl E. Gobel

  “You know that there might be things that ya might not want to be tellin’ a girl’s father. And I suspect that jus’ might be one of those,” Grady told Mike.

  “I meant you no disrespect, sir,” Mike said.

  “Son, had I thought that for one minute you were being disrespectful, you’d be dustin’ off the seat of your trousers,” he told him.

  “I’ll try to remember that,” Mike told him.

  “You best if you know what’s good for ya,” Grady told him with a huge smile on his face.

  “Okay, you two, if you’re finished deciding who’s testin’ who, I’m going to change. Mike is taking me to the soda fountain,” Katie told them as she disappeared into the house. Mike and Grady sat down in the chairs on the porch. Mike sat there quietly and was staring at the house that needed a lot of work to make it what it once was.

  “So tell me, son, what do you think of this old house?” Grady asked.

  “Needs a lot of work, sir, but it’s worth the effort I guess,” Mike replied.

  “You guess? Son, you any idea as to the history of this old house?” he asked.

  “Just what I’ve heard, a bunch of southern folklore or stories I guess,” Mike answered.

  “Son, this old house used to be the pride of the South. A huge place with over fourteen rooms and even slave quarters. Yes, sir, in her day, she was a masterpiece. A cotton plantation that had no rival,” he told him.

  “Really? I never knew,” Mike answered.

  “Oh yeah, and someday, I’ll finish all of the repairs and have her back in all of her raging glory,” Grady said with a tone of unmistakable southern pride.

  “Well if you ever need some help, I’ll be there when you need me,” Mike told him.

  “I was hoping that you would say that,” Grady told him.

  Mike just gave him a cautious look of concern as Katie came outside. Mike and Grady both stood up as she came outside.

  “Wow, Katie, that was fast,” Mike told her. “You look simply smashing.”

  “Well, all I did was change dresses. Ain’t no magic to it,” she told him.

  “So you two are going to the soda fountain? Well, you all have a great time,” Grady told them.

  “Oh, Daddy, you worry too much. We’re only going for a malted,” Katie told him.

  “Maybe so, but ya went to church and came back with a ring on your finger, didn’t ya?” Grady asked.

  “It’s okay, Katie, he’s just protecting you. That’s all,” Mike told her.

  She couldn’t argue with him because he was right.

  In Her Face

  Katie gave her daddy a hug and a kiss good-bye. And with that, the two lovebirds walked hand in hand out of the gate, headed for the soda fountain. As they walked along, their conversation was filled with a bunch of small talk.

  “So did you mean what you told, Daddy?” she asked.

  “Which part?” Mike asked.

  “About the kiss, you know the respect part,” she said.

  “Yeah sure, why do you ask?” he asked.

  “Well, I thought it was sweet and all, but—” she stopped halfway through her sentence.

  “But what? What are you asking me?” he asked.

  They stopped and turned facing each other.

  “Just how many girls, you know?” she asked.

  “How many girls?” he asked as he tried to figure out what she was asking.

  “You know, kissed?” she asked.

  “Are you asking me how many girls have I kissed?” he asked.

  “Well yeah, I was just wonderin’,” she said.

  “I don’t know. Uuhh, how many guys have you kissed?” he asked.

  “Just a few. But most of them kissed me first,” she told him. “Why? Does it matter?”

  “No, not at all,” he told her.

  “So how many?” she asked again.

  “Well, are you asking me how many I’ve kissed, or how many girls have kissed me?” he asked.

  Then Katie started laughing.

  “What are you laughing at?” he asked.

  “Michael, tell me the truth. You have never kissed a girl before, have you?” she asked.

  “Well, on the lips?” he asked again.

  “Michael, look me straight in the eyes and tell me the truth. You have never kissed a girl before, have you?” she pressed on.

  “Well honestly, no,” he told her.

  “Why not? You’re not scared are you?” she asked.

  “Maybe, I just never had a girlfriend before,” he told her.

  “Okay, I’m going to make this easy for you,” she told him.

  “Why? What are you going to do?” he asked.

  “I’m going to let you kiss me, silly,” she proclaimed.

  “Are you sure you want me to do this?” he asked.

  “Oh yeah, I’m sure,” she told him.

  “But what if I’m not . . .” he paused.

  “What if you’re not what?” she asked.

  “You know . . . any . . . good?” he told her.

  “Excuse me. You’re scared, aren’t you? Okay, just close your eyes, and I’ll kiss you. Then you can return the favor. Okay?” she told him.

  “Well, okay . . . if you really want me too . . . I guess,” he said as he closed his eyes.

  She had to stretch upward to do it, but she slowly pressed her lips against his. As soon as she did, he threw his arms around her and pulled her into him and gave her the most passionate kiss that she had ever had. When he finished, he slowly released his hug and pulled his lips from hers. She just looked at him.

  “Wow, I think you been teasin’ me. Where in the world did you ever learn to kiss like that?” she asked.

  “Oh, I might have stretched the truth a bit, but—” he told her.

  “A little bit? I have never been kissed like that before. Ever,” she proclaimed. “Can you do it again?” she asked.

  “Sure, anytime you want me to,” he told her.

  “Well then, do it again. Right now,” she told him.

  Without hesitation, he planted his lips onto hers. If you could have seen inside her head, you would have seen the best firework show in history. Her arms found their way back around his neck. And she pressed her lips into his as hard as she could. As they pulled away from each other, Katie almost lost her balance and started to stumble. But Mike caught her.

  “Wow, no, double wow! You darn near knocked me off of my feet. You kiss like that all of the time?” she asked.

  “I reckon so, but I’ve never kissed myself before, so I really don’t know, but I guess that I just might,” he told her.

  “Well, I figure we’ll just have to keep on a kissin’ then because while it’s obvious that you don’t need any more practice, I surely do. And I kind of enjoy this type of homework,” she said with a big grin on her face.

  “We can do that, you know the homework thing, but right now, I think we best be headin’ to the soda fountain. All of this kissing is making me kind of thirsty,” he told her as he started walking with his first love close to his side.

  The soda fountain was rather empty as they came in and took a seat by the window. They ordered two malteds, one chocolate and a strawberry for her. But if the truth was to be told, Katie’s mind was still thinking about those kisses, those absolutely wonderful kisses. Yes, this would require some serious research and further experimentation for sure.

  Soon the place started to get busier. But Katie and Mike didn’t notice. They were too busy with some small talk that every normal red-blooded America boy and girl would have, simple things like their likes and dislikes. They soon realized that everything that one of them liked, the other did too. It was as if their chance encounter at the movie house was in fact an act of divine intervention for sure. Maybe, or so it would seem. God knew that they were supposed to be an item. God knew it, Mike and Katie knew it, and soon, the entire town would know it as well.

  Mike looked at Katie and changed the conversation. “K
atie, it would be my honor if you’d allow me to take you to the Fourth of July picnic, if you were so inclined,” he told her.

  “Michael darling, that’s what I love about you,” she told him.

  “What do you like about me? Because I asked my girl to go to a picnic with me?” he asked.

  “No, I like it when you’re silly,” she said.

  “Silly? I wasn’t being silly,” he told her.

  “Yes, you were. I’ve already picked out which dress to wear, silly,” she told him.

  “Really? When did you do that?” he asked.

  “Well, when you said that you loved me, I thought about wearing my yellow dress, but then you gave me the ring, and I thought about wearing my blue dress, but then you kissed me, and I knew right then that it had to be my red one,” she told him.

  “Really? I like the color red,” he responded.

  “Good because I really look good in red. Or so I’ve been told.”

  “I have no doubt that you would look good in any color,” he told her. “Hey, I’m going to put a nickel in the jukebox. I’ve got a song in my mind that fits you to a T. So if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be right back. Okay?”

  “Okay, as long as it isn’t that song about a puppy in the window,” she told him.

  “No, just wait a second. I figure that you’ll like it,” he told her as he walked toward the jukebox over in the far corner of the room. While Mike was over at the jukebox, Katie just stared at the ring on her finger. As Mike walked back to their booth, he started pushing the tables out of the way.

  He held out his hand. “Katie Windslow, may I have this dance?” he asked her.

  She gave her hand to him. “You want to dance right here, right now?” she asked.

  “Katie it’s not important where you dance or to which music you dance to. What’s important is the person with whom you’re dancin’ with,” Mike told her as he pulled her up to meet him. The jukebox started playing Michael’s request on cue.

  And the two newly found lovebirds slowly started to sway back and forth to the song “Unforgettable” by a rather new singer named Nat King Cole. They danced their first of many life’s dances as everyone in the soda shop just stopped whatever they had been doing and watched them. Some of them watched with jealous hearts while others watched with envy in their eyes.

  But it wasn’t until the song had finished and they were pulling away from each other that Mike realized that Katie was crying.

  “Katie, what’s wrong?” he asked out of concern.

  “I’m in love, silly. These are tears of overwhelming joy,” she told him.

  Then the two of them noticed that everyone in the room was cheering and clapping for them, for their dance, and for their love for each other.

  Katie and Mike just headed back to their booth kind of embarrassed, kind of proud, but very much in love.

  Mike and Katie were starting to giggle at each other as they sat down. They were truly embarrassed, but they really didn’t care about what other people thought. In fact, they were so caught up in themselves that they didn’t notice Rick as he sat down in the booth across from them.

  “Is this a private party, or can anyone join in?” he asked.

  Katie and Mike both looked at him at the same time.

  “Hey there, Rick,” Mike said to him.

  “You two look pretty cozy and all,” Rick said in a sinister tone.

  “By whatever do you mean, my dear sir?” Katie said with a huge smile on her face.

  “Nothing really, just making small talk, I reckon,” he replied.

  “Haven’t you ever seen two people any more in love than we are?” she asked.

  Rick turned to look at Mike. “You sly curd dog, you certainly didn’t waste any time, did ya?” he said to Mike with a huge grin on his face.

  “I told you last night that I found her. Did you really think that I would lie about such a thing? I mean really, I thought you knew me better than that,” Mike answered.

  “Well no, but I didn’t think you would move that fast either,” he said.

  “Well, apparently, I move faster than anyone would ever dream of,” Mike pointed out.

  “How fast?” Rick asked.

  And with that, without any hints from Mike, Katie held out her hand and showed Rick the ring.

  “Well, lordy lord, take a look at that. Isn’t that your grandma’s ring?” Rick asked in total disbelief.

  “Sure is. Looks pretty good on her, don’t it?” Mike asked.

  “Couldn’t look any better on any other hand, I figure,” Rick said.

  “Well, forget that notion right here, and now Rick, this is mine, and I plan on wearing it and showing it off every day for the rest of my life. So what have you got to say to that?” Katie asked.

  “Congratulations, I guess. I’m really happy for the both of you. Really!” he answered.

  “So, Rick, now I have to ask you the very same thing you asked me yesterday. Who are you taking to the Fourth of July picnic?” Mike asked him.

  “Got me, guess I really need to find a date. Hey, maybe we can double-date, you know, just the four of us?” Rick suggested.

  “That would depend on who you ask,” Katie said. “I really don’t care for the stuck-up snob Susie, but anyone else would be fine I guess.”

  “Susie? No way. We don’t even like each other,” Rick told her.

  “Well, I didn’t mean to tell you who you can take. I was just saying that I’d prefer that she wasn’t around me. She was the very first person that I met in this town, but now that I know her, she really isn’t a friend at all,” she said.

  “He said that he doesn’t even like her, so that should settle that, I reckon,” Mike proclaimed.

  “Yeah, so what else is happening?” Rick asked.

  Katie looked around the place and was shocked to see Susie sitting just two tables away. She wondered to herself if she had heard what she had said. But in truth, she really didn’t care.

  “Mike can I have some change for the jukebox?” she asked.

  “Sure, play a couple of songs if you want ta,” Mike said as he handed her some change. Mike got up to let her out of the booth. She casually strolled over to the jukebox. She didn’t care what songs she picked ’cause she had other reasons for getting up from the booth. After she had finished picking her songs, she went back to her table, but not before she made a fast stop at Susie’s booth.

  “Hey, Susie, remember what I told you? Well, look at this,” she said as she shoved her ring hand up toward Susie’s face. “And if you think this big ole ring is cool, you should try kissing him. It will knock you off of your feet.” She then turned and walked away from Susie’s table without ever giving Susie a chance to respond.

  Mike got up and let her sit back down. As he sat himself back down, he looked at Katie. “What was all of that about?” he asked her.

  “Nothing, just girl talk,” she proclaimed.

  Susie didn’t say anything to anyone as she ran from the soda shop.

  “Was she crying?” Rick asked Mike.

  “What did you say to her, Katie?” Mike asked.

  “Nothing. Maybe what she wanted to order ain’t on the menu anymore,” she proclaimed.

  Mike and Rick both knew what had been said but didn’t take it any further. Mike changed the subject. “Hey, why don’t you take that girl at the drug store, you know the cute one? What’s her name?” Mike said to Rick in an effort to get the conversation going another direction.

  “You mean Kathy. Hey, that ain’t a bad idea. She is cute. Maybe not as cute as Katie here but still pretty darn cute all the same,” Rick replied.

  “Why, thank you, Rick. I’ll take my compliments wherever I can get them,” Katie said with a smile. Katie turned her attention back to Mike. “So you think this Kathy girl is cute, do ya?” she said as she playfully slapped his shoulder.

  “Oh yeah, cute as a dickens, but I’m not into dickens. I’m into you,” he told her.

  �
��I don’t know what a dickens is, but that was a pretty nice save there,” Rick said with a smile on his face.

  “Oh yeah, that was good,” Katie answered.

  “Well, thank you to the both of you. I too will take my compliments wherever I can get them,” Mike proclaimed.

  “Well, I need to be going. I promised my parents that I would give them a hand around the house this afternoon. But these malteds are on me, my little gift to the newest couple in all of Savannah,” Rick said as he picked up the check.

  “Why, thank you, Rick. You are truly a gentleman for sure,” Katie told him.

  “Well, I’ll be seein’ ya around. Hey, did you tell her about the hole in the floor? You know, how you made it and all?” Rick asked.

  “Uuuhhh, no I didn’t, but I guess you just did. Thanks, Rick,” Mike told him.

  “Didn’t figure you did, so I thought that I would help you out a bit. Later,” Rick said as he turned and went to pay the check.

  “You made that hole in my bedroom floor?” she asked.

  “Yeah, but it wasn’t your room then, and besides, I was about eight or so when I did that. We were playing around and running, and all of a sudden, crash! I went clear through the floor. It’s funny now, but it hurt like hell back then,” Mike explained.

  “Wait until I tell my daddy that you was playing around in my bedroom. Remember I told you that he has a shotgun and all?” Katie said jokingly.

  “Now, Katie, that wouldn’t be very funny now, would it?” Mike asked her.

  “About as funny as a porcupine with an itch,” she said laughing.

  “Very funny,” Mike said as he stood up to leave. “Come on, I have something that I want to show you,” he said as he helped her from the booth.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “You’ll see. It’s a secret,” he told her.

  Katie and Mike walked hand in hand down the sidewalk until they came to the edge of town. There, off to the left, was a small dirt path that led off into the trees.

  “Where are you takin’ me?” Katie asked again.

  “Just trust me. You’ll love it, I promise,” Mike reassured her.

  The path took them around the back side of town and up to a small hill to a meadow overlooking the town. While the meadow was up above the town, it was only maybe two hundred yards from Katie’s home. There was an unobstructed view of the front of the house. From here, it might be an easy twenty-minute walk to her front door while taking the beaten path, or the road could take you maybe thirty or forty-five minutes to finish the walk.