Rekindle the Flame

Young love is a flame; very pretty, often very hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. The love of the older and disciplined heart is as coals, deep-burning, unquenchable.

-Henry Ward Beeche

A group of people were standing around a living room waiting. It was mid-morning and they were all together for the first time in many, many moons. A young man with dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes paced back and forth before the adults and a small group of his friends.

"Dude, you need to stop pacing dude. I'm getting dizzy watching you."

"Yea man, why you all nervous and jerky?"

The young man in question stopped and turned to face the voices. 18 year old Frank Edwin Wright IV who was more affectionately known as TJ just shook his head. “I can’t help it. This is the first time since I was a baby that my Mom and Dad are going to be in the same room. Dude this is stressing.” He turned to look at his father and with a shrug said, “No offense Dad.”

“None taken son. I know your Mom doesn’t like me and I know that the only reason I’m here is because she wouldn’t take away from today for her own wants.”

“I can understand one balled wonder,” said a petite red haired woman.

“Beth you promised,” chided Mike Dirnt to his wife of X years Beth Pritchard. Wrapping his lean arm around the woman he softened the verbal blow by dropping a kiss to her head.

With a roll of her eyes Beth sighed, “Although it pains me to say but you’re right. If she can do this so can I.”

“If she can then so can I,” a voice said from behind Beth spoke up and that was ended by a soft ‘ooof’ as another woman smacked him.

“Husband Beth will BBQ your balls with my blessing if you continue.”

“Adie, my love for you anything,” crooned the lead singer of Green Day, Billie Joe Armstrong putting on his best school boy face while smiling like the cat that ate the canary.

Sabrina Wright stood in the hallway outside of the living room watching the scene of domestic bliss with an eyebrow raised. She glanced about the room softly smiling at her friends who had traveled across country to see her son graduate high school. When her gaze lit upon the father of her child she stopped with a quick intact of breath. His blue eyes and reddish hair were present as always but his body was slightly paunchy and face was heavy. He looked as though he had been on a bender without break for a few years.

As if he could sense her gaze he raised his eyes to hers and felt an intake of breath as he drank in the sight of her. The years had softened her features and rounded out her curves to even better proportions. Clad in a dark pair of black pants with an oxford shirt she looked far younger than her X years. A small jolt of desire went through his body as their gaze held.

“Son if you continue pacing like that you’ll wear out the damn floor.”

“Mom,” he said guiltily. “I’m sorry I’m just nervous.” With an unconscious gesture, he ran his hand through his hair not unlike his father.

“Go then with your friends and we’ll meet you at the high school. You didn’t have to wait for me.”

TJ grinned “But Mom if I had my own car then I could’ve gone ahead.”

“Young man just because we are financially secure doesn’t mean you get what you want anytime. You worked the last two years on the farm and you could’ve have saved your money to get a car.” Sabrina playfully swatted her son. “Get going.”

"OK mom, see you down there." And with that T.J. and his friends left.

"I can't believe he's graduating today it seemed like just yesterday he was first learning to walk. I just can't believe it."

"What is he going to do after this?" asked Beth.

"I don't know he hasn't said anything to me I don't know what he's thinking. Has he said anything to you Tre?"

"No not really I'm sure he has a plan."

The woman looked at him and tilted her head slightly to the side as she took in his words. A worried look came over her face with the news that T J's father didn't even know what was going on. "OK I'm sure he does. I just wish I knew. I hate not knowing." With that worry out in the open Sabrina sighed. “It’s not like I don’t trust him but this is the rest of his life here, I mean he doesn’t seem to have taken a shine to any one thing. Not horses, not music, nothing catches his eye…other than girls that is and even that he’s foot loose and fancy free.”

“Sab come on. Let’s not worry about the future for the rest of the afternoon. Lets enjoy watching TJ walk the walk and we’ll have a great family dinner at Jerlando’s afterwards. Then and only then may you start to worry about the future,” Mike said as he wrapped Sabrina in a hug.

“Thanks Michael you always seem to be the voice of reason. You’re right. I’m not gonna worry.” Breaking herself away from the bass player she looked toward the group and said “Onward to Watkins Glen High School for the graduating class of 2026.”

About a half an hour later the group was seated in the auditorium of the WGHS waiting for the ceremony to start. Sabrina started to fidget as the minutes ticked by. Billie who was seated next to her finally placed a hand on her leg stopping the up and down motion in mid lift.

“It’s okay ya know,” whispered the front man. “This isn’t the end of the world.”

“Billie I’m going to be alone soon. Mona is building a house of her own on the farm and TJ is all I have left and I don’t even know what’s going on with him.”

Billie turned to look at Sabrina only to find her face lined with worry and doubt. Unknowing what to say he just grabbed her hand and held it tightly giving her whatever support she could find from it.

As the ceremony droned on reading graduating senior name after name the principal finally was winding down and coming to the end of the list. “Frank Edwin Wright the IV. TJ please come for your diploma.”

Sabrina stood up and cheered for her son even though she knew it was the end of a chapter in her life. Trying to not cry she tried to remember that her son had a bright future and a level head so his life should be good. Shaking her head she couldn’t quite stop the tears from running down her face.

Tre was seated behind Sabrina and he watched her intently. ‘She always had an expressive face,’ he thought to himself. He watched the emotions play over her features recognizing pride, then sadness and the last emotion started him to his core when he saw the fear come across her face and tears that flowed from it.

About 20 minutes of speeches later everything was over with. Caps were flung across the room in the traditional end of the ceremony. Laughter, good lucks and hugs to classmates were reigning now as the parents started to leave the building to wait outside for their respective senior.

The mood of the group was solemn so Tre decided to take matters into his own hands by loudly announcing to the group, “I’m dying of starvation. When are we going to eat and better yet, where?” He watched in satisfaction as a slight smile graced Sabrina’s face as she shook her head slightly as if to chastise him.

“We can leave at anytime. I have booked the restaurant as a private party so we don’t have to worry about anything. TJ wanted several of his buds to come along so their respective families will be there too. But I do have a large table setup for us adults.”

“How did I know that Ms. OCD would have everything in order,” chided Billie which earned the second smack from his wife that day. “Hey here comes TJ now.” As he rubbed his sore arm.

“You ready son? Your friends families know where we’re going? Do you want to ride with…”

“Mom! Chill out. The place is literally 8 blocks away and I think that me and my buds can make it there in one piece without anything major happening.” With a light shove to her back TJ said, “Go we’ll meet you all there.” And with that the boy galloped away to re-join his group of friends without so much as a glance back.

About 15 minutes later Billie, Adrienne, Mike, Beth, Tre, Toby, and Sabrina were gathered around a large table in the middle of Jerlando’s. Seniors were whupping and hollering as young graduates do. At other tables sat the family members of the friends who were engrossed in their own conversations leaving Sabrina’s table alone to themselves.