Tuesday, May 26, 2009

More Than A Memory-Ch19

Chapter 19:

It was unusually warm for the beginning of May. As soon as I woke up I could feel that humid summer stickiness glazing my skin. I rolled over to see Sidney's face covered with the bright sunlight that was filling the room. I found it hard to wake him up from his content slumber, but I softly poked him in the shoulder. He stirred and I poked him again. "Sid, wake up." He groaned as he stretched out a bit, his arms curling around my waist pulling me closer to him. "5 more minutes" he said into my hair. I accepted his offer and laid there listening to his slow breathing. I looked over his shoulder at the clock and realized I had actually given him 10 minutes. I started to untwist myself from him, but he pulled against me.

"Come on, can't we just sleep for a few more hours" he whined like a child. "No." "Why not?" "Because it is 75 degrees and I don't have to work, so I have a place to be." "And where is that?" He asked, looking defeated. "Outside."

After I ate breakfast, I changed into a bright yellow shorts and a crisp white tank top. I sauntered downstairs to find Sid sitting in front of the TV, shirtless with his feet up and a glass of orange juice in his hand. "I need to borrow your car." I stated from the kitchen. He turned around and looked at me. "Where are you going?" He asked taking a sip of juice. "Home Depot." He half choked on his juice and started laughing. "What do you need to go to Home Depot for?" I frowned, "Garden supplies." His laughing stopped once he realized I didn't need any sort of tool; I didn't have a good reputation with those sorts of things.

Memory (Junior Year)-

Bang. Bang. Bang. “Ow. Shit!” Bang. Bang.

“What are you doing?” I turned around my thumb in my mouth and a hammer in my hand and saw Sidney staring at me, wide eyed, like I was a monster. “What does it look like I’m doing?” “I don’t know. That’s why I asked.” I picked up a book that was on the other side of a workstation in my dad’s garage. “How to Build a Bluebird House...” he read off the front cover a small smile creeping onto his face, “And you are doing this because?” “It’s for my ecology class. We are all taking a trip in 2 days to a nature preserve that has an over populated Bluebird population and they need more houses. So we all had to get one. I figured I would be original and organic, in a way, and make my own.” I wiped at my forehead and glanced outside at the in ground pool that was calling my name. “Oh, well that is very nice of you” he said, running his fingers across some wood.

“Ow! Pey, did you sand this?” “Why would I put sand on it, Sid?” He rolled his eyes and pulled a small piece of wood out of his finger. “You don’t put sand on it genius. You rub the wood with sandpaper to make it smooth so you don’t get splinters, like I just did.” I felt my cheeks flush and I turned away, looking at the few pieces of wood I had been putting together in no certain order with a hammer and about 50 nails. It looked nothing like the picture on the front of the book, or any other birdhouse I had ever seen for that matter.

“Do you want some help?” I turned around and nodded at him sheepishly. He smiled and came towards me, pulling on the apron I was wearing. “What is this? Iron Chef?” “I didn’t want to get my clothes dirty!” He laughed and pulled it off, “Those clothes already look dirty enough.” I looked down at my ripped jeans with fake paint splatters on them and my white t-shirt with the collar cut out. “You’re right” I said. He picked up a hair elastic off of the bench and gave it to me. I put my hair up in a sloppy ponytail as he picked up the birdhouse book and threw it in the garbage.

That day we spent 3 hours making a bluebird house, painted a crisp white with a blue roof, a heart shaped entrance/exit hole, and a golden rod to stand on in the front.


"Oh, well sure the keys are in the middle consol." "Okay." I slipped on my flip flops, grabbed my sunglasses and purse and kissed Sid on the cheek. "I'll be back, um, I don't know when. But I'll be back." I said. He smiled, “Okay, I'll be here."

*

"Your total comes to 758 dollars and 34 cents." I watched the older man swipe the gold card through the machine and I could hear Sidney's voice in my head. "What kind of plants did you buy that cost 700 dollars?" He would only be a little upset because he wasn't really the big yard decorator and thought the simple shrub would do. My attention snapped back to the register as he slapped the receipt that seemed to be two feet long down on the counter asking me to sign it. I signed it and thanked him, pushing the very full and heavy two carts to the car.

*

Two hours after I had left I backed up the driveway and shut the car off. He met me in the driveway. "So, what did you get?" He asked. "Oh, not much" I replied. He opened the back hatch and started laughing. "Not much, only a few hundred flowers." I laughed and started to take everything out and laid it out on the edge of the driveway and the grass. He followed me and asked if there was anything he could do to help this surge of exterior decorating. "Well I don’t really see you as the whole ‘gardener’ type, so…” I looked around the yard, which seemed so much larger, “Maybe cut the grass?”

“Anything for you Martha.”

Saturday, May 16, 2009

More Than A Memory-Ch18

Short again, sorry. More to come soon! I promise!

Chapter 18:

The last 4 months had been a whirlwind.

After Christmas we went to a New Year’s party at the Lemieux’s where Nathalie had a little too much wine and Sidney convinced me that we leave at 11:45 because he was “tired” when he really had a blanket and such set up outside next to the fireplace. He dragged me out into the cold and wrapped me in his arms, kissing me softly as we heard the mumbled countdown in the background, and then fireworks shooting off a few houses down.

Then there was Valentine’s Day where he felt bad because he had a game, but he treated me to a full day at the spa and dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant and ended having dessert at home…

My birthday was in March on a Sunday, he made me breakfast in bed and said he would give me whatever I wanted, which I told him was not a fair trade because he gave me what I wanted all the time anyway, he argued with me saying that today was different and when I tried to argue he kissed away my worries. That same day I went to go see my mother who was visiting, but I couldn’t find my keys and I opened the garage door to a black BMW coupe. At first I swore at him for being so bold with his purchases, but then he said he felt guilty because when he borrowed my car that he accidentally hit a fire hydrant and “scratched” the bumper. I rolled my eyes at him and he pushed me towards the car saying it as a gift and I shouldn’t complain. He still doesn’t know that I took the bill and paid half.


But in between those good times were the losing streak, and the coaching change, and the trade. During that time and on game nights I would wake up at 2 in the morning to cool sheets next to me, and I would see the light on downstairs and hear the faint sound of Steigy’s voice. I would then trek down the stairs, pry the remote out of his hands and listen to him say, “I’m not being paid to lose.” To which I would reply, “You can’t win them all.” Then he would half growl at me because he knew I was right and was too stubborn to admit it. He would lie down in bed, stiff and aggravated, until he slowly relaxed under the touch of my hands, and then would roll over and apologize by kissing me on the forehead and pulling me close.
The next morning I would wake up to go to work and he would be up already, sitting by himself at the dining room table reading the newspaper with the news on and the NHL website brought up on the laptop next to him. I would silently sigh at him while I had something quick to eat before work. He would get up to get another cup of coffee as I was leaving, and after he kissed me goodbye I would walk by the laptop and close it, shutting it off. I could feel him roll his eyes behind me, but I ignored him and walked out of the house like there wasn’t any other care in the world, than being with him.

He did eventually snap out of his “sad” period, and during those times I had never been more in love with him.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

More Than A Memory-Ch17

So so so sorry for the long wait. Here's a small update.
School ends soon, so I will hopefully be writing A LOT more !



After arguing with him that his goal was indeed illegal, we started over. Of course he got the puck passed me quickly, but I skated after him and did some fancy stick work, which was really just me moving it around quickly, and poked it away from him. I shot it down the few feet past the center line and stuck my tongue out at him as I skated after it. The strides weren't really even though, mine equaling a half of each of his, so he approached it first. I tried blocking him by standing in front of him and reaching around his sides.

"Babe, this isn't basketball" he said laughing and flipping the puck around me, sailing it right into the net. I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, but I don't know how to play defense!" I fake whined, then burst out laughing. He skated and brought the puck back on his stick, placing it between us. "Okay, then I'll teach you." He said getting closer to me. I smiled up at him as he spoke. "You have to get close to the guy, and then make it so they can't move away," he slipped one of his legs around mine and locked it tight, "then you have to block them from seeing anyone to pass to and get a good angle," he bent his head towards me and I felt his hand curl around my waist. "Then you go after your target" he said quietly, then kissing me slowly.

While he kissed me I moved my stick and inch and got the puck on the end. I caught him off guard and brushed my tongue over his bottom lip, I felt his grip loosen and right as he was about to deepen the kiss I skated away with the puck and shot it into the net. "Is that how?" I asked innocently. He shook his head, "That should be a penalty." I laughed and skated back with the puck, meeting him at center ice. We bent over to take another "face off" and he was smiling down at me. "What?" I asked. He didn't say anything but kissed the tip of my nose. "Your a very good defenseman." I laughed and he won the draw. I skated after him and threw a hip check into him to make him lose control. "Ughhh!" He pretend groaned, then hit me causing me to lose my balance and slip. His hands caught me before my feet came out from underneath me. My mouth hung open and he looked down at me, "Sorry. I didn't mean..."

I stood up and regained my balance before pushing him backwards and dropping my stick. He grinned like a cheshire cat and pushed my shoulder back after dropping his stick. I threw my gloves off and went to play hit him again, but he grabbed my fists and held them at my sides. "You really want to go?" He asked in a husky voice. "Mhm" I said getting close to his lips, "Bring it." That grin appeared again and he spun me around and we landed gently on the ice. I was laying on top of him and started hitting his chest as he laughed at me. Soon I gave up and engulfed myself in his lips.

"I think we should go inside" he mumbled onto my lips. "Why?" "I don't want to be arrested for public indecency." We both laughed and got up. I climbed on his back and he carried me back into the house. We took off the skates and he turned me around pressing me into him.

"I love you." "I love you too."