The Naive Bumblebee

by Holly Smith

  “I’m sorry it wasn’t more fun for you, Loyle,” she said.

  “Don’t worry about that, Nelise. I hope I was more a help than a hindrance,” he said sincerely. “I’ll give you a call during the week.”

  “All right. Thank you, Loyle.”

  When she returned home, Nelise grabbed her mail from the post box and went inside. What a way to impress a man; invite him for a weekend getaway and involve him in your family’s dysfunctional mess! I’m glad we came back early. I’m going to talk with MG.

  Nelise got some iced tea and made herself a fried egg sandwich. To an outside observer, it appeared that she was eating in silence yet within her mind was a very loud chatterbox that wouldn’t shut up. After a few bites, she threw the rest of her sandwich away and sat in her chair.

  “I need help,” she announced.

  “Nelise! Haven’t seen you in some time. What brings you to me now?” MG asked.

  “I’m pissed off. I had a date and even from the grave, my parents ruined it!”

  MG laughed. “How is that possible?”

  “I’m glad you think it’s funny! Mother had an affair because of my psycho father and she ended up pregnant! For all I know she . . . , she probably . . . , oh, it’s so terrible I can’t even say it!”

  “Nelise, who are you to judge her, especially since you don’t know everything?”

  “What? She did something immoral and maybe even worse! What else matters?”

  “Have you lived her life? Are you qualified to be her judge? I thought you had decided to live your own life and send everyone else to the Great Hall of Light. And how could anything about their lives then adversely affect your date now?”

  Nelise felt as if there were a computer glitch in her mind.

  “I know I had decided to send them but . . . , well, it did affect my date because he got to see the dark side of my family before getting to know me; a side that I hadn’t been aware of myself! Now there’s nothing I can do about it. I can’t imagine what he’s thinking about us right now, or about me. How can I expect that he’ll ever want to see me again?”

  “This does not have to involve your life now. Your parents, the man, and the child are gone and whatever happened is in the past. As far as the dark side, there is no such thing. There are just people living their lives the best way they know how at any given moment in time. Sometimes they make wrong choices along the way like you are now by dwelling on someone else’s life again rather than your own, and condemning them in the process which keeps you out of Garden. Also, you don’t know that the person you are dating cares so much about your family business. You are the one dooming your relationship.”

  “Ugh. Why do you say ‘I’ am?” Nelise asked, bristling at MG’s blatant opposition to everything she said.

  “If he goes along with your judgment of your parents, you will see him as judgmental since he didn’t know them. You will then assume he judges you too and will react negatively to him. If he doesn’t go along with your judgment of them, you will judge him as immoral because he has no objection to what happened, and you will still react to him negatively. Either way, your judgmental attitude will end the relationship.”

  “So my only recourse is to send them all to the Great Hall of Light?”

  “Is there anything else you can do that won’t affect your own life negatively?”

  “I will sleep on it,” Nelise said stubbornly. “I’ve had enough of you.”

  She was back in her chair and looked around her room. Something seemed different. She was not sure what, yet she felt like it had changed in some way. What could possibly be different in this room? The same stuff is still here, but then Esleen said that changes are subtle, not obvious. I will figure it out before this day is over, she promised herself.

  I guess I’ll do laundry and clean this apartment like I’ve been meaning to. I’m not going to sit around and let this stuff drive me crazy!

  All the time she worked, she thought of how her mom suffered and how she had been praying and crying profusely after all that shoveling. She thought of how her father suffered since he didn’t want children but didn’t want to lose his wife either, so he had threatened her with keeping Nelise, no doubt hoping he didn’t get stuck with her. She thought about the child. She had always wanted a brother or sister but if the child had lived, what hell would it have brought about for all of them?

  Uuussshhhhh! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! She slapped the mop into the pail, having just finished with the bedroom floor during her fit of temper when the phone rang. She took a deep breath and picked up the phone.

  “Hello.”

  “Hi, Nelise. Do you want to go out to eat?”

  “No, Petal. I’ve been cleaning and still have more to do.”

  “OK. Hey, are you all right? You sound upset.”

  “Sorry, I guess I have a lot on my mind,” Nelise sighed.

  “Do you want to talk about it? I’m a good listener.”

  “No, thank you anyway, and thanks for calling,” Nelise said despondently.

  “All right, see you tomorrow.”

  Nelise looked around the kitchen. It could definitely use a floor washing but she quickly convinced herself otherwise. She grabbed the phone and called Petal back.

  “Nelise?”

  “Petal, didn’t you get drunk the last time we went out and I had to make sure we both got home OK?”

  “Did I? I don’t remember but I’m sorry if I did. Is that why you won’t go out with me tonight? I did say for food, not to drink,” Petal replied solemnly.

  “Well then, don’t you think you owe me?”

  “Owe you? What do you mean?” Petal asked surprised.

  “I think you owe me a night of drinking while you stay sober to make sure we get home, don’t you?” Nelise asked and then could hardly believe those words had come out of her own mouth.

  “Oh! Of course I do! As a matter of fact, I will come pick you up and I’ll limit myself to one drink, OK?” Petal offered delightedly. “I know just the place and it’s not too far from you. It’s a little shabby but not bad.”

  “Good, then come get me in a half hour.”

  “I’ll be there!”

  They sat at a corner table and ordered a couple of beers, onion rings and cheese fries.

  “Wow Nelise, you have changed so much! I would never have guessed you would call me to go out with you for the sole purpose of getting drunk,” Petal said, smiling self-importantly.

  “Really? Why not?” Nelise asked, taking a long drink of her beer.

  “You’re always so prim and proper; at least compared to the rest of us.”

  “Is that what everyone at work thinks of me? Prim and proper?” Nelise asked, startled by Petal’s frankness.

  “Pretty much, yeah.”

  “I guess I’m about to change that whole impression tonight!” Nelise exclaimed, raising her arms with flair and promptly drinking down the rest of her beer.

  Petal squealed gleefully. “Nelise, you are so much fun when you’re like this. Who would have guessed it? It’s like you’re in another world!”

  As soon as Nelise heard that, she abruptly swallowed the fry she had just eaten. “What did you say?”

  Petal looked at her hesitantly. “I said it’s like you’re in another world, you know, because you’re so different.”

  Nelise gave a sudden snort and began laughing hysterically. She kept laughing and laughing until Petal started laughing with her.

  “What are we laughing at?” Petal asked.

  “You are brilliant, Petal! You are so smart and you don’t even know how smart you are!” Nelise said, still laughing about the sudden realization. That’s it! I’ve shifted worlds! She called the waitress and ordered a pitcher of beer this time.

  “This calls for a celebration!”

  “I’m brilliant? Why do you say that, Nelise? What calls for a celebration? I’m supposed to stay sober tonight, remember?”

  “I know I said that but
I’m so happy now that I don’t want to drink alone. If we both get drunk, I’ll call a cab. We can get the car in the morning.”

  “Really? You are sure turning my weekend around, Nelise. I’m so glad you called back!”

  When the food was gone and the second pitcher of beer almost empty, they were trying to decide whether or not to get another one.

  “I don’t know about that; I’m pretty full,” Petal said, patting her stomach.

  “OK, lllessszzz jes get one maw beer each,” Nelise said, waving sloppily for the waitress.

  “Two more fa da road please.”

  “Nelise . . . ,” Petal began.

  “Ya know Peddal . . . , who gave you that name anyway . . . you’re just like that, a pretty peddal off a flowah,” Nelise said with red, glassy eyes. “Peddal, I gotta tell ya bout a frienda mine.”

  “Finally!” Petal said excitedly, anticipating information about Nelise’s love life.

  “Ya wanna know what this frienda mine says when derr’s a problem?”

  “Yeah, what?”

  “Send ‘em to the Hall of Light! Can ya ‘magine it? That’s the answer all the time every time,” Nelise stated, drinking the last of her glass of beer while struggling to sit up and keep her hand steady.

  “Like, I had a weird relationship with my parents and I din’t know what ta do cause thinkin of them drives me nutso and my friend says ta me . . . , ya know, bout the Light! Have you eva hearda such a thing?”

  “Nelise, you are really drunk! Are you sure you understood your friend? Were you drinking then too?”

  “I know it! You can’t believe it either! But, Peddal Flowah, it really works, ya know. You should try it. Oops . . . , I jus ‘membered I’m not ‘posed to tell anybody . . . , oh well, I know I can trust you, right Peddal Flowah?” Nelise asked as she leaned her head on her arm while trying to focus on Petal’s face.

  “Nelise, we’d better get going; you can’t even hold your head up,” Petal said, not wanting to mention that she wouldn’t be able to keep Nelise standing without help.

  Nelise picked her head up suddenly. “If ya don’t send ‘em to the Hall of Light, then you can’t get inta the gaaaden ya know, didja know that too?”

  Petal motioned to the waitress to bring the check. When she did, Petal asked if the waitress could help her get Nelise to the car. The waitress took one look at Nelise and said, “Hold on; I’ll be right back.”

  In a couple of minutes, a tall, muscular man with blonde hair wearing a black western shirt and jeans came over. “Here, you go get the car and I will help your friend,” he directed.

  “OK, thank you very, very much,” Petal said, her heart all aflutter as she glanced at his name tag. Byron Berguss.

  When Petal drove up to the door, Byron was holding Nelise up and talking to her. She seemed a little more sober.

  Byron opened the passenger door and helped Nelise into the car.

  “Thank you vereee much, sir,” Nelise mumbled. “Hey, I wantcha ta meet my friend Peddal Flowah; she’s single you know and she’s a very nice girl.”

  “Nelise!” Petal yelled in embarrassment. “Thank you again so much, Byron,” she said.

  “Come back and see us, ladies. Petal Flower, I’ll buy you lunch if you come back when I’m working,” he said with a wink and shut the door.

  Petal stopped at a donut place window, got two coffees to go and parked in the parking lot.

  “Drink this, Nelise; you’ve got to sober up enough to get upstairs to your apartment. I don’t want to leave my car at this hour of the morning.”

  “Okaaaayyyyeeeee,” Nelise said. “Thank you Peddal, I feel a lil betta. I haven’t had anything on my mind since we left my ‘partment. Right now, I can’t even memba why I was so upset. Yaw a good friend.”

  “I know, you said that a thousand times, Nelise,” Petal said with a laugh. “Drink your coffee.”

  “Next time, I’m gonna bring you ta Garden wid me. You’d like it there. Oops! I did it agin . . . ,” Nelise said, putting her finger up to her lips as if to hold her mouth shut.

  “Yes, I look forward to it. I like gardens. Drink up; we’re leaving in a minute. We’ve got to get some sleep out of this night,” Petal said, yawning. “It’s nearly one o’clock in the morning!”

  Petal dropped Nelise off at the front door of her building. “Call me as soon as you get in the door, Nelise; can you remember that?”

  “Yes Peddal, my dearest friend, I’ll call ya,” Nelise said just before she turned around and clumsily walked towards her building.

  When Petal got home, Nelise hadn’t called so she called her.

  “Helloooooo,” drawled Nelise.

  “Are you in bed?” Petal asked.

  “I’m on my bed but I’m gonna get a showa.”

  “Take it in the morning, Nelise. I don’t want to hear about you falling in the shower in your condition. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Petal ordered.

  “OK, I din’t wanna do it now anyway,” she said, sputtering like a child.

  Chapter 20

  A week later, Nelise was going through her closet to find something for work when the phone rang. She recognized the number and quickly answered.

  “Nelise!!! Pray for my mom! She was in an accident and they’re trying to get her out of the car!” The phone clicked off.

  Petal! Nelise threw on a pair of slacks and a shirt, threw her hair into a quick ponytail, and ran out the door. She revved the car engine and took off. As she was driving, she asked for help.

  “Nelise, you seem worried,” MG said.

  “My friend’s mom was in an accident! How can I help her?” Nelise asked, trying to focus on the road through teary eyes.

  “Send her and everyone concerned with her to the Great Hall of Light, Nelise. You remember how to do that, right?”

  “Isn’t there something more I could do, MG? That seems so little!”

  “It isn’t little; it’s your heart’s intent that makes it powerful. Send all drivers too, and drive safely yourself,” MG said firmly.

  Nelise did as MG said. She still felt like it wasn’t enough but since that’s what MG said to do, she did it.

  When she arrived at work, her coworkers filled her in on what happened. Petal’s mother was going to the drugstore early in the morning to get medicine and was hit by a truck in the middle of an intersection.

  Nelise sent everyone she could think of to the Great Hall of Light every time a thought came to mind; Petal’s mom, Petal, her family, the medical workers, the doctors, all the medical facilities, the other people in the accident and their families, the police, the fire station workers, even the cars themselves. She hardly got any work done while doing this process over and over to keep herself from thinking the worst.

  Five o’clock came and Petal’s coworkers rushed over to the hospital to support her and her family. When they got there, they were told that the mother was resting quietly and the family was sent home so they left.

  Went home? How is that possible? Poor Petal. Should I call her? Nelise pulled into a gas station and left Petal a text message: I’m thinking of you Petal, call me when you can.

  When she returned home, she wanted to go to Garden but was too upset and assumed she would be thrown out anyway so didn’t try. She made a tuna sandwich and a pot of coffee to keep her up until she heard from Petal. After she ate, she sat on the loveseat near the kitchen and fell asleep.

  The phone rang; it was Petal. “Mom’s dead, Nelise; what am I going to do? What is my family going to do? I feel lost. Where are you?”

  “That isn’t true! It can’t be true! I sent everyone to the Great Hall of Light over and over and over! No! I don’t believe it! Petal, I’m here for you! It’s not true!” Nelise yelled out and fell off the loveseat with a thump.

  “Ow!” she yelled, dizzily getting up off the floor. Oh! Please let this have been a bad dream! Petal, please call me now!

  Nelise was pouring a cup of coffee when the phone rang. “Petal?” s
he answered breathlessly.

  “Nelise?”

  “Petal! Oh my gosh, how is your mom? How are you? I’m so sorry this happened! What can I do to help?”

  “Slow down, Nelise; everything is all right, really. I wanted you to be the first to know. I’m going to call the boss and then I’ll call you back, OK?”

  “I’ll be waiting,” Nelise said, half numb. She wondered what world she was in now because it was not like Petal to be calm under the stress of a traumatic event.

  A few minutes later, Petal called back.

  “Petal, you poor thing, how are you doing? How is your mom? How is the rest of the family?”

  “Nelise, all is well. As a matter of fact, I can’t prove it, but I think I have you to thank.”

  “What?” Poor Petal, she must be in shock and doesn’t know what she’s saying, Nelise thought.

  “When I got the call, I was panic stricken. I couldn’t even think. I rushed off to the hospital and what came to my mind was what you told me about your friend.”

  “My friend?” Nelise asked, baffled.

  “Hahaha, I knew you had too much to drink that night. When you were drunk, you told me that a friend of yours said whenever there is a problem, send everyone and everything to some Light. I didn’t know what that meant exactly but I assumed since it was called the ‘Light,’ it had to be something good. I kept doing that over and over and over because I didn’t know what else to do. By the time I was able to be with Mom at the hospital, they said it was a miracle! They had trouble extricating her from the car and the ambulance rushed her to the hospital. She was unconscious the whole time which was what they thought saved her from worse injury. She has broken ribs and some serious bruises but otherwise, with rest, she’ll be fine. If you had seen the wreck, you wouldn’t have believed it! So please thank your friend for me, Nelise, from the bottom of my heart,” Petal said, blowing her nose.

  “I will, Petal. I’m glad that helped although I don’t recall much of anything I said that night. I’m sure it was mostly nonsense, right?” Nelise asked nervously.

  “Well, I must say, some of it sounded weird. Like, you wanted to take me to a garden somewhere. Do you remember saying that?” Petal asked, laughing.