Post by melindajo2000 on Mar 8, 2012 7:43:53 GMT -6
Cliff sat alone in his office, wondering what his life had become. He’d had everything that he ever wanted- his business life was terrific, he had financial security, and he’d bought his dream home years ago. There was one problem with that- he’d had no one to share it with. He’d come to accept that his lot in life was to walk alone, and that was fine, but there were days like today where he wished that he had someone special to share it with. But maybe it was for the best- everything he touched, in his personal life anyhow, turned to dust, and so maybe it was for the best that he remain a Lone Ranger in this long stretch of life on the crazy planet called Earth. So he did what he did most every night- ordered in, this night it was, no surprise, Chinese, and he turned on the radio. Tonight he felt like listening to a little Old Blue Eyes. Maybe he and Frankie weren’t so different. They both were kings of their world. They just walked down very different roads, Sinatra and he.
Cliff knew that by know he should really have developed a hobby. True, he enjoyed a little racquetball at the gym from time to time, but really it was getting harder and harder to find partners. Chess, there was an activity he swore he would have picked up by now. He always said that if he had a son he would have sat down and played at least one game with his offspring, but that never came to pass, so he just settled in for making the most out of his life. He did okay, really he did.
So it was completely unexpected when he heard the doorbell ring.
.
“Go away,” he shouted in between bites of General Tso’s. Truth be told, he rather enjoyed feeling sorry for himself at times so he really wasn’t in the mood to be disturbed from his latest bout of self-pity.
Instead the ringer was persistant. Wiping his mouth with the napkin then taking a cool drink of water, Cliff got up to answer it and was rendered speechless when he saw the visttor at the other side of the door.
“Afton…” he finally spoke up.
“Are you just going to stare Cliff are or you going to let me in?” she smiled as he finally let her in, nervously.
“What in the world are you doing here? How..how did you find me?”
“You’re not a hard man to find, Cliff Barnes. I just track the scent of Chinese in the air…” she laughed. “Well?”
“Well what?”
“Are you going to stand there and stare or are you going to give me a hug? It’s not like we’re strangers, you know.”
Before Cliff could protest he found himself in a very welcoming embrace with the woman whom he had given the best years of his life to. She still smelled the same- like some exotic flower- and she certainly looked the same. But was she the same woman who had broken his heart all those years ago?
“Hi Cliff. It’s good to see you. You look wonderful,” Afton smiled as she kissed him on the cheek. He closed his eyes to accept it for a second before wiping it away.
“No, no, no. Don’t you do that? Don’t you come waltzing in here looking like a million bucks when you and I have unfinished business to attend to. No, that’s wrong. Here’s my chance for payback. You showed me my walking papers, now let me show you the door!”
Afton smiled. “Oh, dear, dear Cliff. You are still the same man I always knew aren’t you? You haven’t changed a bit.”
“That’s not true. I have changed. Just look at this…look at my home. Look over there, look at that entertainment center. There’s not one like it in Dallas, I’ll let you know. Why I have…”
“Cliff, I don’t care about what you have or what you don’t have. Don’t you want to know why I’m here?” Afton asked, smiling, secretly pleased to know she could still get that reaction out of Cliff.
“No. I don’t know and I don’t care. Stay. Leave. It’s all on you.”
As he turned around the door opened again, this time a small child, about five or six entered. “Mr. Barnes?” she timidly asked as she clung to Afton.
“Who are you? What do you want? I don’t have time for children’s games, I don’t exactly have a family friendly home, Afton.”
“Well maybe you should. Aren’t you the least bit curious as to who this is?”
“Should I be?”
“Take a look, Cliff. Take a real good look.”
Cliff stared at the girl for a minute and then looked at Afton. “Is she…”
“Yes, but we’ll talk about that later. I thought about things, Cliff. I haven’t been fair to you. I want to make things right. But you have to do right by me or I’ll make sure we’re never found…”
“Afton,” Cliff sighed. “Do we have to do this? Do we have to resort to threats again? It’s been a long time. I’m tired. I really don’t have all that much energy to fight. Right now I just want to see my…to see her. May I?”
She nodded and smiled.
“Hello there. I’m Mr. Barnes. But you knew that already. I’m afraid that you’re at the advantage. I don’t even know your name.”
“It’s Pamela Rebecca. Nice to meet you Mr. Barnes. My mommy says you’re her friend.” The child shyly smiled at the man who would wind up changing her life.
“Pamela Rebecca?” Cliff’s eyes welled with tears as he looked at Afton, who smiled knowingly, and then she walked over to hug Cliff. “It’s going to be okay. We’re here now. We’re not leaving. I promise.”
“Do you…do you need a place a stay? I have room. I have tons of room. I can get toys. I can get any toy she wants…” Cliff said, excitedly. “We’ll fill the whole house with toys! Would you like that Pamela Rebecca!”
“Cool, Mommy. Can we stay with Mr. Barnes? He’ll get me toys!”
“No, Honey, you have lots of toys. But we’ll come back to see Mr. Barnes. I just wanted to stop by to see him. I’m glad we did. Are you Pamela?”
“Yes, Mommy!”
Cliff smiled. “Can you come in? Can you stay? I’ll make coffee. I’ll make you anything you like. I have dinner..does she like…”
“Yes, Cliff, she likes Chinese,” Afton laughed. “But Lord knows I’ve had my fill for a lifetime.”
He started to protest when his eyes made contact with hers, and as old friends did, they shared a laugh. He knew right then and there that he and Afton, and now Pamela Rebecca, shared a bond that time could not erase. He would win her back. Just like that, he went from a party of one to a party of three. And when he put his mind to something, truly there wasn’t anything he couldn’t get. For the first time in his life, and he had a hard time recognizing this feeling, Cliff Barnes was truly content. For better or for worse, he had finally achieved everything that he had ever wanted. And the best part was, it was only just now beginning.
The end
Cliff knew that by know he should really have developed a hobby. True, he enjoyed a little racquetball at the gym from time to time, but really it was getting harder and harder to find partners. Chess, there was an activity he swore he would have picked up by now. He always said that if he had a son he would have sat down and played at least one game with his offspring, but that never came to pass, so he just settled in for making the most out of his life. He did okay, really he did.
So it was completely unexpected when he heard the doorbell ring.
.
“Go away,” he shouted in between bites of General Tso’s. Truth be told, he rather enjoyed feeling sorry for himself at times so he really wasn’t in the mood to be disturbed from his latest bout of self-pity.
Instead the ringer was persistant. Wiping his mouth with the napkin then taking a cool drink of water, Cliff got up to answer it and was rendered speechless when he saw the visttor at the other side of the door.
“Afton…” he finally spoke up.
“Are you just going to stare Cliff are or you going to let me in?” she smiled as he finally let her in, nervously.
“What in the world are you doing here? How..how did you find me?”
“You’re not a hard man to find, Cliff Barnes. I just track the scent of Chinese in the air…” she laughed. “Well?”
“Well what?”
“Are you going to stand there and stare or are you going to give me a hug? It’s not like we’re strangers, you know.”
Before Cliff could protest he found himself in a very welcoming embrace with the woman whom he had given the best years of his life to. She still smelled the same- like some exotic flower- and she certainly looked the same. But was she the same woman who had broken his heart all those years ago?
“Hi Cliff. It’s good to see you. You look wonderful,” Afton smiled as she kissed him on the cheek. He closed his eyes to accept it for a second before wiping it away.
“No, no, no. Don’t you do that? Don’t you come waltzing in here looking like a million bucks when you and I have unfinished business to attend to. No, that’s wrong. Here’s my chance for payback. You showed me my walking papers, now let me show you the door!”
Afton smiled. “Oh, dear, dear Cliff. You are still the same man I always knew aren’t you? You haven’t changed a bit.”
“That’s not true. I have changed. Just look at this…look at my home. Look over there, look at that entertainment center. There’s not one like it in Dallas, I’ll let you know. Why I have…”
“Cliff, I don’t care about what you have or what you don’t have. Don’t you want to know why I’m here?” Afton asked, smiling, secretly pleased to know she could still get that reaction out of Cliff.
“No. I don’t know and I don’t care. Stay. Leave. It’s all on you.”
As he turned around the door opened again, this time a small child, about five or six entered. “Mr. Barnes?” she timidly asked as she clung to Afton.
“Who are you? What do you want? I don’t have time for children’s games, I don’t exactly have a family friendly home, Afton.”
“Well maybe you should. Aren’t you the least bit curious as to who this is?”
“Should I be?”
“Take a look, Cliff. Take a real good look.”
Cliff stared at the girl for a minute and then looked at Afton. “Is she…”
“Yes, but we’ll talk about that later. I thought about things, Cliff. I haven’t been fair to you. I want to make things right. But you have to do right by me or I’ll make sure we’re never found…”
“Afton,” Cliff sighed. “Do we have to do this? Do we have to resort to threats again? It’s been a long time. I’m tired. I really don’t have all that much energy to fight. Right now I just want to see my…to see her. May I?”
She nodded and smiled.
“Hello there. I’m Mr. Barnes. But you knew that already. I’m afraid that you’re at the advantage. I don’t even know your name.”
“It’s Pamela Rebecca. Nice to meet you Mr. Barnes. My mommy says you’re her friend.” The child shyly smiled at the man who would wind up changing her life.
“Pamela Rebecca?” Cliff’s eyes welled with tears as he looked at Afton, who smiled knowingly, and then she walked over to hug Cliff. “It’s going to be okay. We’re here now. We’re not leaving. I promise.”
“Do you…do you need a place a stay? I have room. I have tons of room. I can get toys. I can get any toy she wants…” Cliff said, excitedly. “We’ll fill the whole house with toys! Would you like that Pamela Rebecca!”
“Cool, Mommy. Can we stay with Mr. Barnes? He’ll get me toys!”
“No, Honey, you have lots of toys. But we’ll come back to see Mr. Barnes. I just wanted to stop by to see him. I’m glad we did. Are you Pamela?”
“Yes, Mommy!”
Cliff smiled. “Can you come in? Can you stay? I’ll make coffee. I’ll make you anything you like. I have dinner..does she like…”
“Yes, Cliff, she likes Chinese,” Afton laughed. “But Lord knows I’ve had my fill for a lifetime.”
He started to protest when his eyes made contact with hers, and as old friends did, they shared a laugh. He knew right then and there that he and Afton, and now Pamela Rebecca, shared a bond that time could not erase. He would win her back. Just like that, he went from a party of one to a party of three. And when he put his mind to something, truly there wasn’t anything he couldn’t get. For the first time in his life, and he had a hard time recognizing this feeling, Cliff Barnes was truly content. For better or for worse, he had finally achieved everything that he had ever wanted. And the best part was, it was only just now beginning.
The end