End of the Rainbow : There Lies the Portrait of My Love

by Henry H. Williamson Jr

  Erica

  Jim Casey, founder of United Parcel Service, said, “The past is only something to learn from, and for one to talk about it too much is a sure sign of old age.” On the other hand, I thought a brief glimpse of Hank’s love episodes before his final entry with Bonnie might be of interest to you.

  Hank was working in the garden; he had come inside to take a brief intermission in the fluffy relaxing chair beside the fireplace. He began thinking about the special loves of his life: although each of them was unique in a very special way, each one left little traces of themselves in his soul.

  His first love was Erica, she most certainly had what it took to wrap him around her little finger. She was intellectually gifted and oh so sweet. “

  Put your sweet lips a little closer to the phone!” That’s what Hank said to Erica during one of their many intimate conversations. The next day she said to one of her friends, “Hank likes country music.” He resented that comment because he disliked being categorized by anyone for any reason; actually, he liked all types of music, including “Country.” It so happens that Jim Reeves’ rendition of “He’ll Have to go” was a heck of a song, and at the time Hank appreciated the melody and the lyrics because both suited his fancy.

  As Hank reminisced, he recalls that he first met her during his second semester at the University. He had seen her on occasion in the hallways, he was attracted to her feminine walk, her luscious hips, and her joyous smile; however, he was too shy to say anything to her; that is, until one day he saw her on the el/subway train going home from school. He spoke to her and discovered she lived with her mom just a few streets from where he lived with his dad and step mom. Her mom was a house servant: Erica was determined to be a CPA. Hank’s dad was a mechanic: Hank was determined to be an engineer.

  When they departed from the subway, he volunteered to walk her home to insure her safe arrival. Later, he met her mom, and later still her mom cooked his favorite dessert, banana pudding. It was not long after that first encounter that they began sharing every day and many evenings together.

  It didn’t take long before their sexual hormones revved into gear; a few months later, on one warm fall afternoon, on her mom’s soft, carpeted living room floor, they shared a most pleasant sexual experience. The look on her face transmitted an obvious joy of living. Strange how that look is different from any other on a woman’s face. He had never before seen the look of the “joys of sex:” The fact that he could share that feeling with her made him feel very, very special. He and she would probably have wed and they probably would have enjoyed a full life together had it not been for life’s twists and turns.

  In Hank’s case, the “twist and turns” was caused by the tumultuous relationship with him and his dad. During the summer, when he was not in school, he and his dad enjoyed the father/son relationship marvelously; however, during the times he was in school, he and his dad suffered serious disagreements: as a result, he volunteered to serve a stint in the armed forces.

  After a top-secret tour in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, though it spanned just a few years, he returned home a more mature and sophisticated individual. Shortly after his return, he obtained two part time jobs, moved out of his dad’s home, and simultaneously returned to school at the University; however, after his army experience and sophistication with the opposite sex, he lost the closeness of his relationship with Erica. After he attained his engineering degree at the university, he selected a job with a national company and met the second love of his life. Exit Erica, enter Delia.

  Delia

  Before obtaining his degree, Hank moved into the YMCA, that’s where he met Delia. She was a freshman at the university, and worked part time in the cafeteria. She was truly a delightful young lady, playful and naïve; yet at the same time, intelligent, and very talented. Her passion was with art, she had a natural affinity of transferring images to canvas.

  It didn’t take long before Hank had met her brothers, sisters and parents, and began a courtship that culminated in marriage; meanwhile, Delia withdrew from school. After obtaining his engineering degree, he found it difficult to find a job with a company in which he felt that he could succeed (both financially as well as find integrated personal satisfaction). He decided he would get a job with a reputable company, build a nest egg, and then return to school and get his masters.

  In answer to an advertisement in the classifieds, Hank became a truck driver; actually, the terminology was a “package deliveryman.” He had been a deliveryman for a couple of years when one day, during a visit with his dad, his uncle made comments that hit home sharply. Hank said he remembers his uncle’s laughter when he said, “Your dad sent you to college to be something, and you turn out to be a truck driver, man oh man!” and he continued to laugh. It was that night that Hank committed to himself that he was going to forget about obtaining his masters: he was going to become the best deliveryman ever, then get promotions and become a successful executive within the company.

  He did indeed become a successful executive, he wondered if it was his uncle’s laughter that propelled him to success, that was obviously the impetus; however, what probably really kept it alive was the euphoria that comes with knowing that the promotions he earned were comensurate with the results he achieved.

  In thinking back, he realized that success and the loves of his life were an integral part of his past, present, and future. The various love songs and accompanying lovers were euphoric baggage that marked stages of his life and he welcomed every thought and emotion of them.

  As a side note, Hank commented that many people believe they have no say in what happens to them; however, he believes, male or female, each of us have a choice in what happens in our lives, and what happens is shaped by our attitude and the degree to which we savor the loves of our lives – love songs help us do that.

  He said that a person can acknowledge the truth of that statement by simply pausing and reflecting on his past performance. As you listen to Hank’s story, note the several opportunities of which love songs helped him maintain a posture of stunning companionship with a mate. Think about it: when a person entwines his or her insides with love songs, it helps develop a healthy and loving relationship with another person. The great thing is that love songs help a person maintain health and vigor even when a relationship is not on the horizon, and is not forthcoming.

  Absorbing love songs help people get over the agony when they miss out on an investment opportunity (it might be because the funds were not forthcoming). It helps a person weather the storm when he misses out on an opportunity. It could be because he was not prepared to accept a different job or position, or start a new business, or even though a person might have been in the right place at the right time, he might have failed to take action because of a lack of preparation. The point is, Love songs help a person maintain the proper patience, posture, and attitude in preparation for success.

  But, you say, “You don’t know the difficulties I’ve had!” Hank responded to that by saying, “Come on, we’ve all been there: it’s not what happens to us, it’s what we do about what happens that makes the difference in our lives.” The question is, what drives us, what moves us to action? The answer is emotions. It is emotions more than any other single factor that moves us to action, and the duel head of attitude (positive and negative) determines the kind of emotion.

  When Hank’s uncle laughed at him, he resolved to make something positive happen in his life; in other words, his uncle’s laughter was a catalyst that turned his life around. Chances are his uncle’s laughter would mean nothing to anybody else; however, Hank believes there is something that will move each of us. It could be someone we meet, or someone we lose: it could be an accident or calamity: it could be the way a person is treated: it could well be something a person wants bad enough and he gets a glimpse of it firsthand and close up. The point is it could be anything; therefore, welcome every human experience, you never know which will be the one that will m
ove you to action and turn your world around.

  Remember this: Love is the moderator, and love songs are the holding pots that help a person weather any and all storms.

  Anyhow, the story of Delia comes in two stages: about half of stage-one was the time Hank was a “truck driver.” He and Delia shared the path of growth and the newness of marriage. Then he became an executive and things began to change, he became absorbed in the newness of a different kind of success. As an executive with a suit and tie, people treated him differently: they called him “sir” and treated him like he was somebody special. The business cards he received identified him as a special representative of his company and he passed them out without reservation.

  Back to Hank and Delia: as he looked back, Hank realized that he worked eighteen to twenty hours a day: his growth was commensurate with his hard work and so were his promotions. In fact, he was promoted four straight years: the fourth one sent him to a different state. Unfortunately, the harder he worked, the greater the distance became between he and Delia. The songs changed from those of love, to love lost and regret.

  The marriage spawned a child and a separation. Exit Delia, Enter Virginia.

  Virginia

  Delia and Hank finally came to grips with the fact that their differences were irreconcilable; subsequently they divorced. He quickly leased an apartment in a city a few miles away from Delia; however, he would often take his son to the city where one of his two offices had been established, they enjoyed each other’s companionship immensely. On that memorable day, after he had taken him home, before he returned to his apartment, he went to his favorite spot: the racquet club – at that time he was into tennis, had never played racquetball. At the club he saw one of his acquaintances: on his arm, his friend sported a very attractive young woman. Hank introduced himself to her, talked with them briefly then went to his apartment.

  A few days later, Hank saw the young woman at a dance, she invited him to a party she was hosting at her home. He accepted the invitation, attended the party, and enjoyed himself immensely. From that point on, whenever he was in town, he and Virginia would enjoy each others companionship. About a year later, they spoke the vows of wedded bliss, she sold her home and they moved into an apartment in the same city that his son resided.

  The two personalities were very different: Virginia was pessimistic and practical. Hank was optimistic and at times irrational. Virginia knew the value of money and was very careful with the distribution of it: on the other hand, when it came to money, Hank was frivolous with it. They had all the ingredients of a superb marriage except for the matter of sexual gratification. Virginia didn’t need it, Hank had to have it. Nevertheless, two daughters emerged from their union. As the years rolled past, the older one began playing volleyball and the younger one began playing soccer: they both excelled in their individual sports and they both were honor students in high school and college.

  Hank and Virginia remained married for quite a number of years; nevertheless, when the younger girl completed college and became an independent adult, Hank and Virginia agreed that it might be best for them to separate and finish out their lives as single adults. The girls had a difficult time reconciling the separation and did not understand the reasoning; however, both of them knew to protest greatly would not change the situation. They loved their parents, yet they acknowledged that both parents had minds of their own.

  Subsequently, Hank entered a new phase of his life. His soul mate was tenderly awaiting… Re-enter Bonnie! (Part One: Chapter3)