Tuesday, February 12, 2008

"I'm not like you...."

"Peace~love" I whisper, two fingers up, out the car window, backing down the drive. She throws a kiss. Shakes her head. "I'm not like you" she confesses over Margarita's at the beach, 21 and all grown up. I smile. Her brown eyes, mud puddle paper plates, playing frisbee with my own. Her brown skin, yen and yang with mine, her dark hair, the same. I watch her hands talking. Ten tiny fingers, piano playing words. Her toes, cheese curls. Mine stretched out, reaching, skinny in the sun. My child. Beautiful. And different. I hear the fight, an echo in the wind. "You"re dark" he yells. "You're pale" she blasts him. My children. Five and six, throwing words. Swords.

And then they're older. "You're adopted" he yells. "You're not" she ping~pongs him. "You're my children" I whisper. Praying for peace.

Peace would be a long time coming. There would be first dates and sleepless nights. Crawls out the window. Bumper benders and "I think I'll sue you's". Police at the door on sunny afternoons, broken windows, and broken hearts. Stray children staying for the night, or the week-end, or until their own parents fetched them home. Prom nights and after party's. Camp outs and Cahoots. Growing up.

Last night we grilled chicken. Sat at the same table. Adults. "Why didn't you bring you're girlfriend, sweetie?" "You know, we want to meet her"....He swallows marinated cajun cookin' in chunks, "She's not like you....." he mutters in between bites. She smiles. In between spoonfuls. Her belly swelling. Expecting her own. "We're family, Jonah"

"Bring her next time"....

10 comments:

skinnylittleblonde said...

Sister...this post made me smile. Growing up...dark skin, pale skin, red skin,flat foot, cheese curl toes, broad noses, angular faces, dimples & pimples...we are all family. Love draws no borders in blood. ILY, lol...even tho we are alot alike ;)

Sandy Kessler said...

what a special walk down memory lane- I hear it all in high fi

Anonymous said...

Awww, what a way to look back. I loved this.

Princess Pointful said...

The dialogue back and forth is just delicious.

Shimmerrings said...

"She's not like you"... he's so much to yet learn... family, yes...

singleton said...

Sweet SLB.....It's a circle, ever growing. Last night we were at the table again, talking daydreams for little Landon/Lucas-not-yet-named bundle of joy and every thing she dreams for him is everything she feels gifted by.....cardboard sleds on steps, lemonade stands at the end of the drive, painted faces and cahoots, pajama Sunday's and Pass the Trash Christmas's...peace and unconditional love. May the circle be unbroken......Love grows!

Sandy....when all the yesterdays unfolded into now.....And the nows become tomorrow.....

Justrun...And in looking back, we're looking forward, we just don't know it! Clink!

Princess....You can join us at the kitchen table anytime! :)

Shimmerings.....Clink! Love grows....

Peace~love friends
And open doors,
May the circle be unbroken.....

Maithri said...

'We're family'

Love has spoken.

May the church,
the mosque,
the temple,
the train station,
the school,
the prison,
the world...

say Amen.

With love to you on this day of love dear friend,

M

singleton said...

Maithri....
And love grows.....

Our family tree is a wild grapevine wreath,
woven with kite strings
and paper hearts,
dangling with seashells
and
little glass marbles found in the sand.....
Our faces, our colors, our accents religions
are
potpourri....
and
there is no blood,
no family name,
no roots of generations
deeper,
richer,
finer
than the
thread that ties us together....

Love....

may it grow and grow and grow...

Much love to you this special day, My friend....Wishing you worlds!

~Babs said...

Although we each have to hoe our own garden,,,,we are all of the same earth.
AMEN

singleton said...

God bless the good earth, sweetie!