It's Bliss

by Alene Roberts

  Billie had dropped the lid of the box onto the porch as she counted the roses. Three dozen! She picked up the envelope and carefully laid the box of roses down on the porch. The moon was full and bright enough to read what was in the envelope. Her heart raced with excitement as she opened it. Was she foolish to hope? The moment she began to read, her eyes blurred with tears. The words “TO BLISS” leapt from the page. It was! It was from Dodds.

  It was Dodds who had been sending the mysterious notes and roses. Her heart bursting with joy, she blinked away the tears and read :

  TO BLISS

  WHAT IS ROMANCE?

  Romance is the ethereal essence of life

  Between a man and a woman.

  When they meet,

  When they listen and learn the other’s heart,

  They unravel their values and beliefs.

  Romance is the mystery of a woman

  Discovering facets of her femininity.

  As she smiles at his bumbling efforts,

  As she admires his obscure talents,

  She makes him feel like a hero.

  Romance is tender and fragile,

  So often, so easily destroyed

  By a look of lust,

  By a kiss, suggesting more,

  Selfish desires and passions.

  Romance is the protection of virtue

  While the relationship grows

  By a look of tenderness,

  By lips touching, suggesting later,

  Unselfish desires and passions.

  Romance, the essence of life that gives life,

  Wanting to give to each other

  As they bear and nurture children,

  As they teach them values and love,

  Always nurturing each other.

  Romance is what keeps marriage alive,

  Sparkling with freshness of new love

  By each one giving all,

  By unselfish acts of love,

  With guidance of God above.

  THE QUESTION

  Romance is dead, she whispered in saddened tones.

  It is? I questioned. Please explain.

  I can’t, in this I feel alone,

  Her expressive face revealed much pain.

  I want to help if I but may,

  She said, I’ll show you if you wish.

  Proving it she did day by day,

  From the movies, was that a kiss?

  A kiss? tears glistening in soft brown eyes,

  It stole my emotions, upon them it tread,

  What is Romance? I ask. She only sighs.

  I will prove Romance is alive, I said.

  I search for answers on my Quest,

  For Love and Romance I must find.

  I found them, and they filled my breast

  Will she accept, our hearts to bind?

  Romance is yet alive and well

  In my heart and yours, my Bliss!

  My love for you I cannot quell.

  Am I worthy of a kiss?

  Dodds

  Sheldon, nervously waiting and listening, thought he heard a sob. He jumped up, moved around the porch—and there she was—on the walk! Was she looking for him? Before he could truly formulate the question, she was running towards him.

  “Dodds, it was you! You sent the flowers and poems.” Reaching him, she gazed up into his face. Her voice soft as velvet, her smile radiant as the early morning sun, she repeated, “It was you. It was you who wrote these last poems.”

  Sheldon looked down at her. Suddenly he felt awkward. The old inadequacies had surfaced. Then just as quickly as they came, he found them swallowed up in the joy of the moment. All was gone—the old replaced by the new—leaving only a smile of joy on his face. He breathed in her presence.

  With gentle fingers, he wiped the tears from her cheeks. Slipping his forefinger under her chin, he held her face up and gazed into her brown eyes, glistening with a mixture of moonlight and tears.

  “I love you, too, Dodds,” she whispered.

  “You do?” He gazed at her, incredulous, trying to internalize the miracle of it.

  “Yes.”

  He slowly bent down, burning with anticipation, and touched her lips tenderly with his. A searing emotion propelled his arms around her. He pulled her close, pressing his lips onto the softness of hers. They clung together, enthralled in a glorious rapture that they each felt life had denied them—until now. Some moments later, they reluctantly parted, gazing into each other’s eyes.

  “I did hear you say that you—” he began, wanting to hear it again.

  “You did, my wonderful Dodds. I said, I love you.”

  A feeling of awe overcame him. He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, trying to capture forever what still felt like a dream. He bent down and kissed her again, then gazed at her in wonder. “Never in my wildest imaginings did I think I would ever be loved by the most unique and beautiful girl in the world.”

  They remained wrapped in each other’s arms, feeling unspeakable joy for many moments. Releasing her, he took both of her hands in his and stepped back. “I want to marry you, Bliss, if I’m worthy of you.”

  It seemed like many minutes passed before Bliss replied. His heart pounded uneasily as he waited.

  In reality it was only a moment before a smile of joy spread across her face. “Oh yes, Dodds. You are! You are.”

  They moved together. The fragrance of her filling his senses, he murmured, “Oh, Bliss.” He sealed his joy with another long and passionate kiss.

  When he released her, he said, “I have a ring for you, Bliss. It’s my mother’s.

  I didn’t bring it because I needed to ask you first if that was all right.”

  “I would love to wear your mother’s ring.”

  Sheldon smiled with relief and happiness. “Then let’s not tell anyone yet until I bring you the ring and make it official.”

  “It will be difficult for me to keep such wonderful news from my curious family, but I will.”

  “Good. Now, how about we sit in that porch swing for a while?”

  “Oh, let’s,” Billie replied, eagerly taking his hand and leading him up the steps. Hands locked, they gently moved back and forth on the swing, contemplating the unbelievable thing that had just happened.

  After a few moments Sheldon put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. His heart raced at how soft and responsive she felt. The slanting light of the moon under the eve of the porch lit Billie’s face as she looked up at him. The expression on her face caused a hitch in his breath.

  He kissed the top of her head. Feeling the warmth of her body next to his, Sheldon realized that for the first time in his adult life, he felt whole, complete, and free of loneliness.

  Billie lay her head upon his shoulder and sighed. “I’ve had such yearnings, Dodds. Lately, every time you left after one of our meetings, I felt lost, lonely and confused. I didn’t know what was happening to me. I talked to Grandpa about it and he said that sometimes students get crushes on their professors.

  I denied it. Now, I know that it was more than a crush. I was falling in love with you.”

  Sheldon was surprised. “I never entertained the thought that you could be feeling that way about me. I was too troubled by my own confusing emotions concerning you.”

  “Really, Dodds?” Billie clapped her hands. “And here so many of the class members had a crush on you and it was me you actually chose! Imagine that—and even after I called you pompous and demeaning.”

  They laughed.

  “I didn’t realize it then,” Sheldon began, “but when I called you into my office to explain that note, it was the beginning of my downfall as a bachelor.”

  “That far back?”

  “Yes.” He laughed. “That was also the downfall of my orderly thinking, and the orderly control of my life.”

  “Oh dear. I’m sorry,” she said grinning.

  “You don’t look sorry,” Sheldon said, chuckling and hugging. “But if you are,
don’t be. I needed shaking up.” He looked at his watch. Reluctantly he stood, pulling her up with him. “I hate bringing this up Bliss, but I have to leave now in order to catch a commuter plane to St. Louis. I have pressing business I have to take care of. May I come over next Tuesday night around seven-thirty.?”

  Billie frowned in distress. “Why that long? That’s four days away!”

  Her distress over their being parted for a few days enveloped him with happiness. “I know, but I won’t be back until late Sunday night. Then, I have some important things to do Monday and Tuesday before I see you again.”

  “All right,” she said hesitantly. “If I must wait that long, I’ll see you Tuesday night.”

  He kissed her hands, her brow, and then her lips. “Goodnight, my Bliss. I love you more than I thought possible.”

  “Goodnight, my dear Dodds. I love you too,” she murmured breathlessly.

  He ran down the steps, across the lawn to the sidewalk, and up the block.

  Billie watched him go, feeling bereft—yet gloriously happy.

  Running up the front steps, she picked up the box of roses and the poems and went into the house. As she closed the door, her family seemed to appear from all directions, anxious to hear the latest from her secret admirer.

  She smiled at them. “Come into the library, I have something to tell you.”

  They followed her in and stood, looking at her expectantly. “Sit down, everyone.”

  When they were all seated, she sat down, opened the box, and showed them the roses. Her mother gasped. “How many roses this time?”

  Billie sighed, “Three dozen.”

  “My goodness, my goodness!” exclaimed Matilda, clasping her hands together.

  “Did he dare show his face tonight, or was still he hiding like a scared tomcat?” Henry blurted out, trying to sound his usual, caustic self.

  “Uncle Henry, do you want to hear the poems or do you want to just grouse? Do all of you want to hear?” she asked.

  “How can you ask that, Billie? Of course we do,” answered her mother.

  Her father and grandfather were both silent, but smiling. Billie began, purposely omitting the title, “To Bliss,” looking up now and then to see if any one of them was beginning to guess the author, but saw only eager attention.

  When she was through, she looked at each one.

  “Do any of you know who wrote them?”

  Grandfather smiled, nodding yes. Her father said, still a little puzzled, “I think I do, but I can’t imagine him writing a poem.”

  “Is it Sheldon Ackerman?” her mother asked, her eyes wide with hope.

  “It is!” Billie said, beaming. “It is, Mother.”

  “How do you know? Did he finally show his face?” persisted Henry.

  “He did, Uncle Henry. He waited for me to read the poems, and then he appeared.”

  Matilda, spellbound, bounced up and down in the chair. “So what happened?”

  Billie, hesitant to reveal those gloriously private moments, looked down.

  Bill Bliss spoke for the first time, “And what would you expect would happen?

  He gave her a resounding kiss on the lips.”

  Matilda squealed, “Is that true, Billie?”

  “Yes. And I told him that—I loved him.”

  Bill Bliss clapped his hands. “Good for you, snooks!”

  “Oh, Billie,” her mother said, tears in her eyes, “I’m so happy for you, we all like Sheldon so much.”

  Will Bliss got up, pulled his daughter, his only child, to her feet, and put his arms around her. “My baby girl, I’m happy for you too.”

  Henry, who had been sitting there with his mouth open, taking it all in, slapped his knee and laughed. “By jigger! You didn’t scare him away after all.”

  Thirty-One

  Friday night, Lora stretched and yawned. Looking at her watch, she saw that it was nine forty-five. Putting away her studies, she was just about to get ready for bed when the phone rang, jarring the silence. She sighed in exasperation.

  Since she had moved in, the phone had rung incessantly, and all the calls were from boys wanting to talk to Billie! She thought she had informed the last of them of Billie’s move.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello, Lora?” a male voice said. Surprised that it was for her, she didn’t immediately respond.

  “Lora?” the voice repeated.

  “Yes, this is Lora.”

  “This is Roy Fawkes.”

  “Oh, hello, Roy.”

  “I know it’s late, but I was wondering if I could come over and take you out for an ice cream cone?”

  “I was just going to get ready for bed.”

  “But it’s Friday night, Lora.”

  “I get sleepy on Friday nights, just like I get sleepy on other nights, Roy. I don’t want an ice cream cone tonight, but thanks anyway.”

  “Well, then, can I come over for just a few minutes and visit? I won’t stay long.”

  “Why?”

  He laughed. “Because I like you and I want to get to know you better.”

  Lora hesitated. She didn’t know Roy very well and didn’t feel inclined to know him any better.

  Sensing the hesitation, he persisted. “Ah, Lora, just for a few minutes.”

  “Oh, all right, but just for a few minutes.” She hung up the phone, feeling vaguely uneasy.

  She met Roy in one of her classes at the beginning of the term, and one day last week he walked her to her car. The next day, he asked her out, but she turned him down, telling him she was too busy trying to move to her new apartment. He had asked her where that was and she told him. Now she was sorry she had. She had dated a lot in high school and a few times in college.

  It only took a few times to become disillusioned in the college boys, and she didn’t expect to feel any differently about Roy Fawkes.

  Ten minutes later, the door bell rang, and Lora invited Roy in. He looked around approvingly.

  “Nice apartment you have here.”

  “Thank you. Have a seat, Roy.”

  He grinned. “Thanks, Lora,” he said sitting in the chair.

  Lora sat down on the couch. They visited about the class they had together, and other campus activities. Then Roy turned the conversation on himself, bragging about his grades, how he was going to law school next year, and how a law firm was already begging him to join them when he was through.

  Finally, Lora yawned. “Well, Roy, you said you were only going to stay a few minutes and it has already been a half hour. I want to go to bed now.”

  He got up from his chair and sat down beside her on the couch. “Go ahead. How about my staying the night?” he said, slipping his arm around her waist.

  Lora stood up, incensed. “You leave right now, Roy Fawkes!”

  “Ah, come on, baby,” he said, pulling her back down, “just one little night?”

  “No! Take your hands off me!” she exclaimed, frantically trying to fend him off.

  “Just a kiss or two, then.”

  “No!”

  “Come on, Lora,” he demanded, his hands holding her tighter. The phone rang.

  “I have to answer that, Roy,” she stated, grateful for the reprieve.

  “Let it ring.”

  “No, it might be my mother and she’ll worry.”

  “So? Let her worry.”

  “She’ll come right over if I don’t answer, Roy,” Lora said, beginning to feel frightened.

  “All right, I’ll let you go long enough for you to tell her goodnight, but make it quick.”

  She jumped up and grabbed the phone. “Hello?”

  “Lora,” her mother whined, “I’ve been waiting for your call all day. Why haven’t you phoned?”

  “Oh, hello, Officer Bates,” Lora said loudly.

  “Officer Bates? What are you talking about, Lora, this is your mother.”

  “You want to come over and ask me some more questions? Now? All right. Good- bye.”

  Roy g
aped at her. “That was a cop?”

  “Yes.”

  “He’s coming over to ask you some questions?”

  She nodded.

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know for sure. I, uh, was involved in an incident. He may have more questions about it. I think it would be best if you leave right now.”

  Roy stared at her, not knowing whether to believe her or not.

  An enticing idea came to Lora. “On second thought, Roy, the officer won’t stay long. Why don’t you hide in the bushes across from this window where you can sit down and watch. You can wait until he leaves.” Trying to hide her uneasiness with a seductive look, she continued, “I really would like to get to know you better, if you agree to take things a little slower.”

  Roy’s eyes lit up.”All right! Where did you say?”

  Lora pointed out the location, carefully going over the directions.

  Roy ran out the door and scrambled into the bushes.

  -

  “Hey, Arly!” Sergeant Olsen hollered, “Wait up. There was a hysterical woman on the phone wanting to talk to you.”

  Arly was tired. He was just getting ready to go home, but walked over to Doug Olsen’s desk. “Did you get her name?”

  The sergeant grinned. “Her name is Ella Lemmon. Any relation to that girl you rescued from the ants?” He noted that Arly’s face came alive at the mention of the name, a far cry from the exhaustion and irritation he had seen there a moment ago.

  “What did she say, Doug?”

  “As far as I could make out, it sounded like she wanted you to go over to her daughter’s apartment, that something was wrong.”

  “Am I off duty?”