Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 18:17:08 -0800 Subject: SUB:Valentine's Contest:"Snowflakes":Short Story There's still barely time to send your entry! Check out http://web.mit.edu/mbarker/www/val97/val.html for details. Please reserve all critiques on contest entries until after Valentine's Day! &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& "Snowflakes" "Oh, there's only one thing that might coulda made this a perfect Valentine's Day " she said. "Really . . . and what might that could have been, Claire? I think it's so cute the way you always say might would have or probably shoulda, woulda coulda, wanna . . . " he laughed. "Whaaaaaat?" she whined. "Whaaaaaat?" he mimicked. "I do not talk like that. Anyway, like I said before there's only one thing missing today. I want to see the snowflakes fall. Will you make it snow for me? Pleeeeease . . . " she pleaded. "Claire, I'll do my best" he smiled. She looked so childlike staring out the window of the hotel as if she could wish snowflakes to fall from the sky. The rosy freckled cheeks of her warm face pressed against the cold glass as the city lights were reflected in her sea green eyes. He wondered how any man could have walked away from this woman. In his eyes she was an angel. "Come to bed now, Claire" he said. "I want to hold you in my arms, where you belong." "Okayyyyy " she drawled. He loved the way her tiny lips formed a little-girl pout. She slipped out of the white terry cloth robe and into the comfort of his outstretched loving arms. Their naked bodies fit perfectly together, like the last two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. He gently moved her silky hair with his hand to whisper in her ear, "I love you, Claire." She was already falling asleep. Watching her sleep was always a pleasure for him. It was really the only time he saw her at peace. She was so beautiful to him. Her auburn hair gently tumbling across her shoulders always extended an open invitation to his curious hands. She always smelled so sweet too. Her eyelids closed like shutters on a window hiding the view and protecting the valuables inside. Her angelic face lightly dusted with tiny brown freckles that made you want to just try to lick them off one by one like chocolate candy sprinkles on a double scoop of your favorite ice cream. God, he loved this woman. He never imagined such a strong connection could exist between two souls. He sighed and soon drifted into sleep too. She was awakened by his bombastic snoring. His mouth open wide and nostrils flared with each breath he struggled to catch. Watching him struggle for a few hours of restful sleep was so difficult for her. Claire loved him so much and worried about his health. She had asked him to make an appointment with an ENT to be tested for sleep apnea. All the symptoms were present, fatigue and the terrible snoring. She always had hot cherry herbal tea and honey ready to warm him on a cold day. He was such a special man in her eyes. His chestnut hair was slightly gray at the temples and thinning a bit on top, but it was babysoft. Autumn green and brown colored eyes with a dash of gold were now behind the twitching eyelids lost in this battle for a restful night of sleep. Earlier he had filled the room with candlelight and Spanish. She listened as he recited Pablo Neruda's love sonnets, his voice cracked with emotion. He cried as she held him in her arms. She adored his ability to share this sensitive side of himself. He gave himself to her unselfishly as they made love. It seemed he experienced the greatest pleasure through pleasing her. The moonlight remained steady as the candles flickered throughout their slow love dance. He was such a passionate lover filled with endless energy and creativity. God, she loved this man so much. She had always dreamed of loving and being loved like this but never imagined her dreams would come true. Smiling as she gently nudged him, he stopped snoring briefly and turned over, taking the blanket with him. Unable to fall asleep she rose silently from the bed and slipped into the white robe as she walked toward the window. Once again she pressed her face and hands against the icy window. The cars in the parking lot were covered with a blanket of snow. There was at least four inches of snow on the ground. The lines in the parking lot were lost. The whiteness of the snow illuminated the dark sky as moonlight poured down. The deep green of the trees somehow seemed richer against the white snow. It must have been quite a sight. She never got to see snowflakes fall in Savannah. She didn't realize he was awake and quietly watching as she curled up into a ball like a kitten on the chair. She had her little sad face on and he started to go to her when suddenly the snowflakes began to fall again. Her eyes sparkled as the snowflakes danced and a smile melted slowly across her face. It was as if God had sprinkled the earth with confectioners' sugar from a giant sifter in heaven. He didn't see the snow fall. His eyes never left her face. Claire began to fall asleep in the chair watching the snowflakes. He curled around her in the chair with a warm blanket and softly kissed her cheek. "Thank you" she whispered before they fell asleep as the snow continued to fall throughout the night. A morning melody of jingling keys, the faint hum of a vacuum cleaner and laughter ringing through the corridor interrupted Claire's slumber. She couldn't quite make out what they were saying, although she thought she heard a woman with a Jamaican accent say something about a man's voice singing in Room 907 the previous day. The giggling stopped just as the older Hispanic woman approached and knocked on the door. "Housekeeping" the Spanish tinted voice echoed from the hall. "Arghhh . . . Just a minute, ummm, what time is it?" asked Claire. "It is one o'clock. Will you be checking out or staying another night?" the maid responded as she continued to push the large cart filled with cleaning supplies slowly down the hall. "One o'clock! Oh no! We'll be checking out soon. Thank you " said Claire. "Damn! Wake up! We overslept and now we really have to hurry if we're gonna get to the airport on time. Oh, I hate it when this happens. Now we have to rush and we don't get to eat breakfast together. Damn it! " she said. "Huh? What? It's one o'clock? It can't be that late, Claire. You must be mistaken. Let me call the front desk" he said. Somehow he managed to find his glasses and dial the number. "Hello, could you please confirm the correct time for me. We asked for a ten o'clock wake up call. No, we did not receive the call. Well, I certainly hope so. Yes, we will be checking out within the hour." He slammed the receiver down abruptly. He ran one hand through his tousled hair while the other hand remained on the receiver as he tried to calm down. Irritation was written in the lines on his forehead between his sharpened brows. The lines began to soften and his anger waned the moment he saw her face. "Come on, Baby. Everything will be ok, I promise. Kiss me" he said. "Mmmmm. Do you know how much I love you?" she asked with a smile. The drive to the airport was long and silent. She stared out the window while he held her hand and flashed back on the last two days. It was so sweet of him to fly her into the city for Valentine's Day weekend. He was always full of surprises for her, like the charming diamond necklace he had given her the night before. Yesterday he was singing a medley of big band tunes from the 1940's in the shower, peeking out around the curtain as she laughed. They wondered what the housekeepers were thinking about this happy man in Room 907 singing "Pardon me boys, is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo." He was just warming up as he rolled into "Moonlight Serenade." They were laughing very loud when he reached the finale that consisted of a blended "Tuxedo Junction," "Danny Boy," "Don't sit under the Apple Tree" and "That old Black Magic." Oh, they had some good times together. She recalled bathing him by candlelight. Her soft hands filled with lather moving over his body lovingly. His body responded with pleasure to her touch. She had washed his hair and rinsed it with warm water before slipping into the tub with him. With her head nestled under his chin and her back against his hairy chest they quietly sat in the candlelight surrounded by fresh peach colored rose petals. Time always seemed to move so fast yet stand still when they were together. The ride to the airport was always filled with memories of the special moments they had shared. They both hated saying goodbye. This time they were lucky to get a parking space close to Terminal B. He helped her with the luggage and they walked hand in hand through the revolving door into the airport. She cried as they approached the first set of escalators wondering when she would see him again. He kissed the back of her neck and whispered in her ear, "I love you, Claire." The electronic ticketing machine was a godsend at a time like this. He inserted the credit card and within seconds she had a ticket leaving at 3:00 p.m. from Gate 88. They had twenty minutes before boarding would begin. The long walk began in silence. It seemed like a walk to the electric chair on deathrow. As they reached the gate, he stopped. "Claire . . . " he said as he gently cupped her face in his strong hands "Look at me. Don't be so sad. We'll see each other soon. I promise. I love you with all my heart." "I know, I love you too . . . I just miss you already. Will you watch the plane until you can't see it anymore?" she asked through her tears. "Yes, I will. Now let me kiss you one more time before you leave." he said. " Thank you for a lovely weekend and for teaching me how to play chess. You are always so patient with me. Oh, and thanks for the history lesson too . . . I'll remember about the Chinese and the Egyptians and . . . Thank you for the snowflake serenade. I'll never forget." she rambled on. Claire never quite overcame her fear of flying and always talked when she got nervous. "Claire" he said "Kiss me." "Now boarding Flight 433 for Savannah, Georgia " the attendant announced. She looked into his eyes and saw the deep love he had for her. No one had ever loved her this way. Her green eyes filled with tears as he approached her lips, gently nibbling on her lower lip. His hands slid down her back and pressed her body firmly against his beneath her black coat. Her tongue gently traced the outline of his lips before entering his mouth. His heart pounded loudly as Claire's kisses became more intense. Her kisses always left him dizzy. "I don't want to leave you" she whispered into his ear. "Come with me." "I can't, Claire" he said. "We'll be together soon." He firmly squeezed her hand and winked as he sent her into the corridor to board the plane. She turned at the end, like she always did for one last look at him. He waved and she smiled. He loved her smile. She took a deep breath and turned just before the tears began to spill from her green eyes. He knew . . . he always knew. The plane flew into a cotton candy pink and blue afternoon sky returning her to the warmth of Savannah.She looked out the window as the plane departed until she could no longer see the airport. Her hand pressed against the window desperately searching for his touch. Inside her heart was screaming "Stop the plane! I want to get off now!" and she wondered, as she always did if the other passengers could hear her crying. A stewardess interrupted, "Excuse me, Miss. The gentleman at the gate said you forgot this." A small pink colored envelope was in her hand. "Are you ok? Would you like something to drink?" she asked. "Thank you, I'll be fine" Claire said. Inside the envelope was a tiny mint green candy heart inscribed "BE MINE" and a note he had written in began in Spanish " Tu puedes ser mi Valentin . . . cualquier dia del ano! Feliz Dia de San Valentin." Now dry those tears and remember how precious you are to me. Smile. I love you. He knew her very well. Holding the note close to her heart, she smiled and looked out the window. She wondered if he had reached the car yet. He watched as he'd promised until he could no longer see the plane. It was a long walk through the terminal back to the car alone. The airport was a place filled with mixed emotions. Departures and arrivals flashed on monitors reflecting times and delays but failed to capture the true impact on the individual souls. He recalled how happy he was just two days before when her plane had arrived and she ran into his arms smiling. He wondered if the other people walking through the terminal could see his pain. Looking beyond his own pain he searched the other peoples' eyes for signs of their own happiness or grief. The frosty air against his face nudged him through this emotional fog as he entered the parking lot. Shaking off the cold he walked toward the white Taurus hurriedly. Closing the door quickly he turned the key in the ignition. Adjusting the heat he thought of how empty the car was without Claire. The smell of her perfume still lingered sweetly in the air. It wasn't until he reached for the parking ticket on the dashboard that he noticed the small pink envelope propped up against the window. She had placed all the little stickers strategically to form a border of tiny red and white hearts. He loved the way she always put little stickers on all her notes. It seemed as though she had stickers for every holiday! The note said " Guess who loves YOU?" (I see you smiling!) Happy Valentine's Day. A dainty peach colored heart with the words 4EVER YOURS was attached with scotch tape. The note was signed in her handwriting 25-15-21-18 23-15-13-1-14, 3-12-1-9-18-5. It had been decades since he'd deciphered that Valentine's Day Card secret code the kids used in elementary school. He wondered if this generation still uses the same code. It took him a few minutes to break the code but soon it was clear what she had written . . . Your Woman, Claire. He left the airport and drove to his home in New York where his wife was waiting for him to return from the latest "business trip." She was a good woman but she lacked passion. He wondered if she knew the truth about his unexplained trips. Surely she must sense the distance between them. He saw her lips move and knew she was talking but didn't really hear a word she said. It didn't seem to matter anyway. He wondered how his life had reached this point. He looked at Hellene and struggled to feel a connection but it just wasn't there. Yes, she loved him in her own way and he cared for her much like a brother loves his sister. As usual, he was exhausted and went to bed early. Hellene was asleep beside him when he awoke and didn't appear to notice his restlessness. Sometime in the middle of the night he silently rose from the bed and walked toward the window. Snowflakes were falling again. He looked up at the moonlight and smiled. "Thank you" he whispered into the night. ------------------------------------------- "Yesterday they said today was tomorrow, but today they know better." --Poul Anderson, _The Visitor_ Michelle winebird@inreach.com