by Tshombe
“How much further?” He asked, as if he weren’t having fun, smiling from ear to ear.
“Come on Ethan, stop acting so uptight. We’re almost there.”
The couple walked a few more blocks before stopping at a coffee shop. This place was different from the franchises that dotted most of the city corners. The people working did not wear uniforms. Usually Ethan’s first judgement would be to see these kinds of people as lazy pot smokers who lived off the fat of the land and still managed to complain about the weight they had to carry. It was his father’s philosophy which Ethan had assumed about these types of people.
“Aye, Rio!” The warm greeting was from a long-haired guy sitting alone in a corner in front of a chess game in progress. Ethan felt strongly that this was a place that he did not want to be.
“Rio, what are we doing here?”
“Look!” She pointed in the direction behind the cash registers, and coffee makers. “This is why I brought you.” His mouth fell open and his heart picked up pace. On the wall hung a mural of a football player wearing Ethan’s jersey. He was running toward an end zone engulfed in flames. Decomposing bodies lay in his path. Bullets flew at the player from the fiery end zone. Instead of a football, the man cradled Earth in his arms. Behind the fiery end zone, the universe lay vast and deep.
“Do you like it?” Rio asked enthusiastically.
The hippies, the stench, the whole coffee shop fell into darkness around him. Ethan could only see the image on the wall.
“You don’t like it, huh?” She said, lowering her face.
“Oh no, that’s not it. I’ve never seen anything like it before. Who did it?”
“I did! I started working on it after I saw you at practice. I toured the campus a few times during the summer and that’s when I saw you for the first time. That was before we met in class.”
His heart skipped. She had noticed him before that day in social studies class and seen him well enough to create a massive mural. What did that mean?
“I’ve – I’ve never had anything this big done about me before. I like it. It’s really nice. Thank you.”
Sliding his arms around her and pulling her into the full warmth of his body’s embrace, he held her tightly, enjoying the softness of her body. Time stood still as he tasted her mouth for the first time. The sweetness of her tongue and the softness of her lips overwhelmed his senses. He was completely lost in the kiss.
She pulled away. “We need to see one more thing. Let’s catch a cab to the park.”
Still floating, “Yeah, whatever you want!” He replied.
In the cab Ethan held Rio’s hand, watching the city’s changing sights. Strangers moved about everywhere, rushing to unknown destinations as if each was a life or death situation. Buzzing around in a million directions, no one really seemed to care about one another.
“Ethan,” Rio purred, gently squeezing his hand, “do you believe in the stop light?”
“I’m not sure I know what you mean.”
“Do you think the stop light is necessary for people to cross the street?”
“Well, without the stop light people would crash into each other and nobody would know when to stop and go. Plus, pedestrians would always be in the way, possibly even getting injured.”
“So, you don’t think that people can function together without some type of organized control?”
“I didn’t say that. All I said was that without stop lights there could be a lot of confusion.”
“Do you think that’s right?”
“Do I think what’s right?”
“Do you think that people should be dependent on things outside of themselves in order to interact together?”
Was she trying to upset him? Where was it coming from?
“Rio, people are dependent on things outside themselves every day, food, water, etcetera. it’s just the nature of our world. We utilize the instruments and expand the boundaries of how far we can go.”
She let go of his hand and looked away. “That’s what I mean, Ethan. I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
He reached for her, but she pulled away.
“I don’t understand. Why are you mad at me Rio? Look at me.”
She did as he requested only to show puddles of tears in her eyes. “You’re going to leave me because you don’t understand. You think that everything is as simple as sight and sound, but that’s not true. That’s not love.”
“What I don’t understand, Rio, is your question on stop lights. How you can determine the future of our relationship on a question that means absolutely nothing!”
“STOP THE CAB!” Rio reached for the door handle throwing the fare at the driver and bolted from the car. Ethan found himself frozen in fury. He wanted to go after her but wondered if it was best.
“You still going to the park, buddy?” The driver said, as though he hadn’t heard what just happened.
“No, I’m cool right here.”
“That’s a good move, buddy. Sounds like you got a winner. Good luck!” The driver said pulling away.
In a fog Ethan stood in place with no idea where to go. He scanned the moving people, hoping to find some sign of his love. Then in the distance he saw her standing near a man playing a guitar. He rushed to her.
“Rio, what are you doing?”
She was smiling as if the episode in the car had not happened.
“I really like this song. My mother used to play it on the piano when I was a little girl.” She reached in her pocket, pulled out a dollar, and dropped it in the musician’s open guitar case. With the same hand, she took Ethan’s. “Can we walk the rest of the way to the park?”
“Yeah Rio, whatever you want.”
They walked in silence. Surrounded by the bustling energy of the city, all Ethan could hear was his breath. Stopping at a crosswalk, Ethan noticed the sign, Don’t Walk. Cars flew through the intersection without hesitation. Pedestrians waited patiently for the sign to change. Ethan looked at Rio, squeezing her hand. They jumped into the intersection, trusting that the cars would not touch them. Moving swiftly, watching the flow of traffic, they dodged the cars adeptly and were on the other side of the busy, four-lane street before they knew it. Beaming with excitement, Rio grabbed him and passionately kissed him.
“I love you, Ethan. You understand now.”
Ethan looked deep into her sparkling hazel eyes. “Yes, I do. It feels good. Thank you, Rio. I love you too.”
The park was filled with the same hippie types as the coffee shop. A bunch of people with no shoes and unkempt hair. Everyone seemed lost in their own world. Ethan and Rio entered the park unacknowledged until a man yelled out.
“Chipmunk! What brings you back down to these parts?”
“Aye Rio!” A girl wearing sandals, shorts, and hooded sweatshirt sat braiding beads into another girl’s hair.
“Rio, Rio,” a scruffy, fat guy chanted from a circle of people passing cigarettes around. “I got one for you. Stop by before you leave.”
“Alright, Jerry.”
Ethan frowned seeing all these people he considered rejects of society jockeying for the attention of his girl. This was a place he would have never gone himself, and yet here he was.
“Come on, Ethan. There’s someone that I want you to meet.” Rio beckoned. She led him past all the people absorbed in their various activities to a tent tucked behind bushes in a remote area of the park.
“Shadow! Shadow!” Rio called out. “It’s Chipmunk. I have someone I want you to meet.”
A slow rustling inside the tent alerted them that her call had been heard. They stood silent, waiting. The zipper on the tent moved. Ethan felt like turning and walking away. He had no idea what to expect. Finally, a man emerged. He looked something like a voodoo priest. There was something regal about this man and Ethan felt a sense of honor being in his presence.
“Chipmunk,” the man said in a deep, starchy voice sending
waves through Ethan’s body. “I see that you are in love. You are finally able to see this wonderful world. This young man marks the end of your adventure. His reflection can free you of the curse that plagues you. Enjoy the company of this young man. He has a lot to teach you about love, but your time together will be short. Go in peace.”
The man went back into his tent leaving Ethan confused and Rio shaken.
“What was all that about?”
“Nothing Ethan, it was nothing. Let’s go, we have to get back to school.”
“No. Hold on a minute. Something is going on and I’m not going anywhere until I find out what it is!”
Rio could see the determination in Ethan’s expression. Understanding his resolution, she sighed deeply and began.
“Ethan, my life is very different from yours. My family believes in things that you may not understand. Shadow is like our guide and I needed him to tell me if our union is meant to last. I’ve never been in love before and I had to consult him to find out if this feeling was okay. Do you understand? I’m in love with you Ethan and I barely know who you are.”
Rio’s words intrigued Ethan, but her reliance on the opinion of a man living in bushes, and the world in which she lived troubled him.
“Rio, I don’t understand why you need someone outside of yourself to answer questions for which only you know the truth. What troubles me most is what he said. How can he tell how long we’re going to be together? He said our time together will be short. You just asked me about people relying on things outside themselves, are you taking what he said seriously?”
Tears fell from her eyes which seemed to search the ground for answers.
“Ethan,” she sniffled, “I don’t want to talk about my family or our beliefs right now. All I want to do is enjoy my time with you and leave this place. Will you come with me?”
She extended her hand, waiting for his answer. There was no need for words. Ethan took her hand. She wiped her tears away, and they went back into the park’s more social surroundings.
In the park Ethan did his best to have a good time. He laughed on cue and spoke when necessary, feeling like a clown performing for an audience. Ethan wore his mask well, but underneath, his confusion and curiosity took hold. He struggled to understand this strange girl he was with. He contemplated this creature and what her upbringing was like, who her family was, and why they placed a homeless man’s opinion on a pedestal. He thought back to that morning in the motel parking lot with his dad. After all, who could understand family problems better than he?
“Ethan, we better go so you can be back on time.”
“Oh, it’s already time? It was nice meeting all of you. I hope to see you again soon.” Familiar words that rolled off Ethan’s tongue like a song he had sung many times.
“Yeah, we’ll see you guys later,” Rio replied.
Ethan was relieved to be leaving the park. He wanted to talk to Rio by himself. A question had been burning in him. “Rio, what made you ask me about the stop light?”
She looked past him as if he hadn’t spoken a word. “There goes our bus. We better hurry so we can get good seats.”
Holding hands, they ran to the stop. A line to board had already formed, but Rio ignored the people already waiting and led Ethan to the front as if the other people weren’t there. Some looked on angrily but didn’t say a word as the couple got on the bus.
“Ethan, there are those who have become dependent on organized control and that’s why they panic during a moment without organized direction. Without the stoplight, they’re afraid. Hiding behind fear protects them from vulnerability and allows them to become self-absorbed.
“Very few people think of utilizing the stoplight as a tool. They allow the stoplights to take control and follow blindly. If all four lights go green, there is a 99% chance an accident will occur. They have no idea why they do what they do because they’ve become slaves to a tool.”
“Come on, honey,” Rio said smiling, “Let’s sit over there.”
Led by his love, they took their seats.
“‘Always be where you’re beautiful,’ Shadow tells us. I’m glad you got to meet him. He’s a wonderful teacher.”
“Who is he, Rio?”
“Reflection. We listen to him for reflection.”
“How does your family know a person like that?”
“Ethan, what if we are all sleeping and everything we experience is only a dream?”
“What are you talking about, Rio?”
“A being of pure energy is only one small part of a larger whole. The only separation from the whole comes in the form of this dream, which lasts a lifetime. Imagine being born into a dream, developing inside the dream and when your life is over, you wake up back inside the whole of reality.
“However long it takes you to go back to sleep does not matter because a thousand of our years is only a second to the universe. Once you do go back to sleep you can become whatever you want: a fish, a bird, a human, a tree, you can even become a star, or a comet, or a planet. The energy that causes decay is also what causes you to wake up. Without dreams, there can be no universe. Do you get it? I’ll see you tomorrow at school.”
She leaned over and gently kissed him on the cheek, bringing him back to reality. and the sound of the school bell ringing. They were back at the bus stop where their adventure had begun.
“How are you going to get home? I’ll drive you if you need a ride.”
“It’s okay honey, I’m cool right here. I’ll be alright, this bus is going my way. You should hurry before the driver gets mad and makes sure you’re late for practice.” Ethan noticed the driver looked irritated. He kissed Rio once more and jumped off the bus, making his way to the field for practice.
When he got home after practice, Ethan was eager to sleep and get to tomorrow, but his mother had dinner prepared for him. In no mood to eat, he washed up and sat down to dinner with his mother.
“How was school, honey?”
He hadn’t been there all day and hated lying to his mother.
“Could you pass the potatoes, Mom?”
She did so with a curious look.
“You know how school is, Mom. It’s the same thing every day.”
His Mom giggled a bit. “Ethan. I know you weren’t in class today. I saw your English teacher Mrs. Crosby at the market and she asked if you were alright. It took me by surprise, but I told her you were fine, and you’d be at school tomorrow. I’m not sure if she was aware of my initial shock, but your secret is safe with me. I’ll write you a note so you can be cleared for your absence. I was a kid once, Ethan. I understand the need for adventure, but let’s not make a habit of this.”
Ethan had never known his mother to be this understanding. In fact, he had never known her reaction to these things at all. His father was usually the one who did the talking in these situations. His mother always deferred the punishment and judgment to him.
“Thanks, Mom. I’m sorry for lying to you. I was with this girl today and she’s so different from other girls. You know?”
She laughed. “The ones you fall in love with usually are. Tell me more about her, honey. Do I know her?”
“No, you don’t know her. She’s not from around here. Mom, she looks at the world so differently to me and today I saw a world that I would never have seen before. She has this trip with how society is a mindless machine, controlled by instruments designed to make us mindless. I’ve never wanted to listen to anyone talk like that before, I usually just blow them off, but she’s really different.”
Ethan felt his mother’s love through her warm and tender expression.
“Oh honey, when you are in love, things like that don’t matter. There is no required type or ideal person for you to fall in love with. Just listen to your heart and examine how that person makes you feel. If her thoughts make you think, what does that mean? Explore your feelings as you get to know her habits and traits. Find ou
t what makes you care about her, and the answer of whether you should be together will become clear. Do you understand, honey?”
“Yeah, Mom, I understand. I’m glad that we talked. You really helped me out a lot. I’ll clear the table.”
“Yes, you will young man!”
They laughed, clearing the table together What can be closer than mother and child?
The sound of the doorbell prompted inquiring looks, neither of them expected company.
“I’ll get it, Mom.” If it was one of his friends they’d be in store for a big piece of his mind. How dare they interrupt him without warning at this hour.
“Who is it?” Ethan shouted.
“It’s me, son.” A voice replied. Ethan looked at his mother for approval and, with a nod, she gave her okay.
“What brings you here this late, Dad? Shouldn’t you be having dinner with your new family?”
The typically proud man hung his head low. “I guess I deserve that one. There’s nothing I can say that will make what I’ve done right. I just came here to talk to your mother.”
“Why would you want to do that now?” Ethan snapped back. “I don’t know why she’d ever want to see you again. I don’t want to see you. You should see if you can still catch that dinner with your new bride, Dad.”
“Ethan,” his mother shouted, “it’s alright. Let him in.”
“Mom, how are you going to let him in here after what he’s done to us?”
“Ethan,” she said more sternly. “It’s alright. Let him in.”
With anger in his eyes the young man stepped aside, allowing his father to enter. The older man walked in with his head still bowed. As soon as he crossed the threshold the front door closed so hard the house shook. This was followed by the sound of Ethan’s Mustang tearing away from the house.