***
Frank sat at his kitchen table twirling a pen over today's paper; the crossword puzzle. He likes to use a pen rather than a pencil and eraser, as he believes it shows confidence and intelligence. What a brave soul!
He actually found himself staring out his kitchen window and thinking more than he was confidently defeating the crossword puzzle with quick thrusts from his sword; or ink pen that is. He found himself preoccupied with banana bread. Not really the banana bread itself, but the delivery Miss Donna made a little while back, and especially how poorly he felt he acted. He thought he could let it go, but he still felt quite awful about it. Even though her wonderful bread delivery was some time ago it felt like it was yesterday. He could not quite figure out why this was bothering him so much, and that bothered him even more. Being such an intelligent person he normally was able to think through cause and effect fairly easily. But when it comes to the heart sometimes the brain just doesn't cut it.
Frank found himself stepping outside his front door before he even knew why. It was as if his feet had their own mind. He was half way across the courtyard when he realized he'd not locked his apartment door. "Son of a ?" he said as he quickly turned back to fix that issue. Now the odds of someone from The Villa entering his apartment while he was away for a short while were pretty darn small, but it didn't matter to Frank. He's not exactly a trusting person, ya know.
Once Frank locked the door and checked it a good three times by twisting the locked handle and pushing on the door with his other hand (better safe than sorry, he thought) he quickly made his way back to his destination.
Rap, rap, rap; three loud knocks on Miss Donna's door exacted a strong response from Dash. She usually made polite welcoming barks to a normal knock from company, but with loud bangs she moved more into watch dog mode than loveable little house pet. Frank, not even realizing how hard he'd knocked, wondered why Dash sounded so upset.
Miss Donna opened the door with a smile saying "Why Dr. Frank Whitney, how are you today?" All the while she was standing between Dash and Frank shuffling her feet to keep Dash from going out to jump on Frank. Dash was angry, she was just excited now and overly playful. Miss Donna knew how Frank didn't like to be jumped on with doggie paws. It was bad enough that Cosmo had slipped out to do those fancy figure eights around Frank's legs.
"Well I ? I thought I'd drop b-bby ?," Frank wasn't making sense as he was expending a lot of nervous energy looking down and frowning at this cat rubbing up against his leg. Miss Donna could picture what was going on in Frank's mind. Like: Oh goodness all that hair, why doesn't that thing just go away, filthy animal, oh now look my pants are just covered with hair, great! Miss Donna found this quite comical.
"Would you like to come in and join me for some coffee, Frank?" Miss Donna knew once here guest was inside Dash and Cosmo would quickly calm down and let him be; well somewhat.
"Ah yah ? sure." As Miss Donna opened the door and stepped back to keep Dash from moving forward, Frank moved quickly through, as fast as he could to get away from Cosmo. Cosmo just turned slowly and strutted back into the apartment as if Frank had accepted her invitation for entry. Miss Donna slowly closed her front door and realized Frank was already sitting at the table as she released the door handle. She was impressed with his swift feet.
As Miss Donna entered the kitchen with Dash and Cosmo in toe she said, "Cream and sugar?"
"What ? uhh ? oh yah, cream and sugar yah ? thanks." Miss Donna noticed Frank seemed kind of nervous for some reason. She realized it was not very often that he came by to see her. In fact, had he ever? She usually has to go see him. Maybe this was what he was nervous about. She found it a bit hard to contain herself as she was so wondering what would bring Dr. Whitney to her humble abode.
As Miss Donna placed the cup of coffee in front of Frank and took her chair, Frank blurted out, "Thanks for the banana bread ? it was really good." He said it very quickly and almost as if reading it off of a cue card; like he'd planned it out thoughtfully.
"Well you're welcome, Frank, do you mind if I call you Frank?" She figured if there was a good time to ask this, now would be that time. After all he had come to her, and so it might be best to cut the formalities of Dr. or Professor.
"Sure you can call me Frank if I can call you Donna." Frank required quid pro quo for most of his negotiations. Miss Donna found this to be a funny quirk that he insisted upon even when it wasn't necessary.
"Donna and Frank it is then," she said with a smile as she reached down and patted Dash. "That banana bread was quite a little while back, what brings you here to thank me now?" Miss Donna wished she hadn't asked this because hey; you take your thank you's when you can get them, especially from Frank Whitney.
"Oh I just thought I'd drop in and say thanks, if that's not all right I can go," Frank said this with a tone somewhere between smartass and sincerity. It was hard to tell which way he was leaning though.
Miss Donna, or Donna as Frank now calls her, just laughed and told him how any day he drops by is a good day, and he's welcome anytime. She was laying it on a little thick really, but it lightened Frank's mood enough for him to ease into some small talk. Miss Donna thought it a challenge and a success if she could get Frank to talk small with her, as she knows his disdain for such things. At least he pretended this anyway.
After much conversing about everyday things, Cosmo only occasionally bothering Frank, Dash eavesdropping on Miss Donna and Frank's chit chat, several cups of joe and some tasty coffee cake; Frank was feeling pretty good about himself. So was Miss Donna for that matter.
Thinking it best to end on a positive note Frank decided to make a swift exit. He's certainly not much for long goodbye's, thought Miss Donna, as Frank nearly jumped up from the table and said, "Well time to be going". His swift feet in play again as he was out of the kitchen before she even got out of her chair.
"Oh ? I'll ? I'll walk you out," she said trying to keep up. Frank did pause at the door though.
"Well Donna ? it was real good talking to you, we'll have to do this again sometime."
Miss Donna was stunned by this polite manner; happily stunned that is. "Certainly Frank, we must do this again real soon. You drop by anytime."
Miss Donna nearly fell over when Frank replied, "You too ? just drop by anytime."
As Frank walked away from Miss Donna's front door he felt like he was walking on a cloud, but still wasn't completely certain how he'd gotten there or what his purpose was. All Frank knew was that the pretty Donna certainly knows how to carry on a conversation. She's intelligent and pretty. She really is intelligent and pretty, he thought as he almost skipped back to his apartment. It was a sight to see.
It would appear, from my perspective anyways, that Frank is starting to come around. As Elizabeth often says to me, when I get a little too solitary: "People are social beings"; and I'd have to agree with her. We all need our alone time, our down time, time to think and such, but when it comes right down to it being alone can grow old pretty damn fast. Frank may be experiencing this, so he's opening up to others. Or maybe he's just opening up to the pretty and intelligent Donna. That's probably more like it.
Perhaps if Miss Donna snags Frank then she can gradually, slowly but steadily, bring him around to having cordial conversations with others; umm, like say ? little ole' Sammy for instance. Woe easy on the reins there cowboy ? one slow step at a time!
As Frank was skipping back to his apartment, Miss Donna (along with her two faithful companions) moved back into the kitchen to set things in order. As she washed out Frank's coffee mug and opened the dishwasher she felt pretty good about the visit from Frank. She liked that ? first name basis ? not having to think of him as Dr. Whitney or Professor Frank Whitney, Ph.D. tenured anymore. It may be a little thing to some, but to Miss Donna it seemed like quite a move in the right direction.
Sure, Frank left out in a hurry, but his goodbye was pleasant and
inviting wasn't it? Miss Donna thought through his quick steps to the front door with a smile. As she placed the coffee mug in and closed the dishwasher door she noticed her reflection in the mirror over the sink. She took just a moment to look at herself and then looked deep into her own eyes. She thought about her late husband, Jack, and about how long it had been since she'd felt that closeness with another person. It had been so long that she didn't feel any misgivings about finding another; no feelings of like ? say ? cheating on Jack or anything. After all Jack would have wanted her to be happy and to find another. Jack cared that much about me, she thought, he wouldn't want me to be alone.
But alone she has been for some time now. She has friends, but no one particularly close. I needed that, she surmised as she kind of squinted at her own eyes in the mirror. I needed the time to heal and to grieve. Now I only remember the good times, the happy times. Thinking about Jack makes me smile; doesn't make me sad a bit. At least that's what I tell myself. I think I believe myself too.
Miss Donna stepped over to her kitchen window and looked out into the courtyard. It was another fine Kentucky day. Seemed like there had been more nice days than bad days lately; both in regards to weather and other. She noticed the gazebos especially. On either side of the pool they stood alone ? but not really, they were bookends to the pool, to the courtyard. They were a pair; paired up for life. It made her sad, but strangely in a good way, she thought.
She moved back to the kitchen counter to gain a cup of coffee before sitting down at the kitchen table. As she sat there with Dash lying on the floor at her side and Cosmo rubbing up against her chair and purring, she felt good things were on her horizon. She realized she almost always thought this, being such a positive person and all. But this was somewhat different. There were changes afoot, she could just tell.
A Modern Love Page 41
