Broken Down on Memory Lane Alone, Together Alone
Different strokes for different folks
The next morning I was startled awake by a smack in the face, as Sonny tossed in his sleep. I sleepily glared over at the alarm clock to see it was seven-thirty. I rolled out of bed and grabbed some clean clothes and slipped them on.
I tiredly mumbled to myself about how much I hated Sonny, as I made my way down stairs. It wasn’t until I saw Mara that I remembered the night before. My anger was lit up again easily in my sleep filled haze.
I made my way into the kitchen and looked in the fridge. I decided to make an oven pancake for breakfast, in the hope of brightening my mood. I grabbed everything I needed and set to work.
I remember all the Sunday mornings I would wake up to a hot slice of oven pancake, dripping with the sweet blueberry syrup. My dad and I would eat the whole thing as we’d listen to the radio and joke around.
Once I finished the pancake and slid it into the oven, I set to work on the sauce. All I had were blackberries, so they were going to have to do. You could use any fruit really, but berries seemed to work the best, or apples.
Sonny came and joined me in the kitchen just as I poured the sauce on the pancake. We each took a large slice and sat at the table. We quietly conversed about what we were going to do about Mara. Sonny had to go into the studio to record more songs with White Lightning. So as soon as he finished, he gave me a kiss and was on his way out the door.
I put the pancake back in the oven to keep it warm. I was still a little but drowsy, so I put on a pot of coffee. By the time I grabbed all my notes and things out of the library, the coffee was ready. I took a seat at the kitchen table and started to go over my notes again as I sipped away at my coffee.
I lost track of time as I got wrapped up in my notes. Changing things here and there. But it didn’t seem like very long before Mara moseyed on into the kitchen.
“Mornin’ sweet heart,” I grinned as I closed my note book, “just take a seat and I’ll get you something to eat.”
She nodded and sleepily rubber her eyes as she sat down. I quickly got her a slice of the pancake and a big glass of milk.
“Feeling any better?” I asked as I set the plate and glass down in front of her.
“A little,” she smiled weekly, “thanks gram.”
I laughed as I took my seat once again, “no problem honey, it’s my job.”
“I don’t have a change of clothes,” Mara stated, mouth full of pancake, as she looked down at herself, “I feel kinda icky if I don’t shower and change… ya know?”
I nodded my head in understanding. I didn’t have a problem with not showering or changing my clothes for a day, going out on tour with Sonny helped with that. I looked Mara over and thought for a moment.
“Well… you look to me my size,” I shrugged and took a sip of my coffee, “would you mind wearing my clothes?”
“No,” she shook her head.
“When you finish eating we’ll go see if we can find you something to wear.”
I grabbed all my notes and brought them back into the library, neatly putting them away in my desk. When I got back to the kitchen Mara was rinsing her plate off, looking quite excited. I was a little shocked that she had finished already; I had given her a large piece.
“Jesus,” I watched her with wide eyes as she turned to look at me, “what’d ya do? Inhale it?”
She slightly blushed and laughed, “I eat quickly when I’m excited.”
“Oh… what are you excited about?” I raised an eyebrow as I started to walk to my room.
“Getting to look through your closet,” she said happily as she followed me, “I’m sure you’ve got tons of cool stuff.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at that. It was just her enthusiasm. Most kids would probably rather go naked then wear their grandmothers clothes. Yet here was Mara. Ready to jump through the roof with excitement at the thought of looking through my closet.
I opened my closet doors and started to look for a pair of jeans, “I’m glad you seem so happy about this.”
She laughed and started to flip through all my old t-shirts. I had accumulated quite a few over the years. Some of them were just plane old baggy shirts, and some were more interesting. I probably had anything imaginable on them.
Mara took her time looking through my shirts, where as I quickly found a pair of jeans that looked like they would fit her. I just watcher her happily look through all my shirts. She seemed quite happy about it, which was beyond me, they were just shirts. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
“So,” Mara began, “what was your first date with Dravin like?”
I shrugged and played with the zipper of the jeans, “like any other I suppose…”
She turned around for a moment to look at me, “tell me about it?”
“Sure,” I sighed, “I had just finished work at a little store called Yellow Brick Road. I really miss that place now that I think of it. Anyway! Dravin came and met me there… ”
I tiredly mumbled to myself about how much I hated Sonny, as I made my way down stairs. It wasn’t until I saw Mara that I remembered the night before. My anger was lit up again easily in my sleep filled haze.
I made my way into the kitchen and looked in the fridge. I decided to make an oven pancake for breakfast, in the hope of brightening my mood. I grabbed everything I needed and set to work.
I remember all the Sunday mornings I would wake up to a hot slice of oven pancake, dripping with the sweet blueberry syrup. My dad and I would eat the whole thing as we’d listen to the radio and joke around.
Once I finished the pancake and slid it into the oven, I set to work on the sauce. All I had were blackberries, so they were going to have to do. You could use any fruit really, but berries seemed to work the best, or apples.
Sonny came and joined me in the kitchen just as I poured the sauce on the pancake. We each took a large slice and sat at the table. We quietly conversed about what we were going to do about Mara. Sonny had to go into the studio to record more songs with White Lightning. So as soon as he finished, he gave me a kiss and was on his way out the door.
I put the pancake back in the oven to keep it warm. I was still a little but drowsy, so I put on a pot of coffee. By the time I grabbed all my notes and things out of the library, the coffee was ready. I took a seat at the kitchen table and started to go over my notes again as I sipped away at my coffee.
I lost track of time as I got wrapped up in my notes. Changing things here and there. But it didn’t seem like very long before Mara moseyed on into the kitchen.
“Mornin’ sweet heart,” I grinned as I closed my note book, “just take a seat and I’ll get you something to eat.”
She nodded and sleepily rubber her eyes as she sat down. I quickly got her a slice of the pancake and a big glass of milk.
“Feeling any better?” I asked as I set the plate and glass down in front of her.
“A little,” she smiled weekly, “thanks gram.”
I laughed as I took my seat once again, “no problem honey, it’s my job.”
“I don’t have a change of clothes,” Mara stated, mouth full of pancake, as she looked down at herself, “I feel kinda icky if I don’t shower and change… ya know?”
I nodded my head in understanding. I didn’t have a problem with not showering or changing my clothes for a day, going out on tour with Sonny helped with that. I looked Mara over and thought for a moment.
“Well… you look to me my size,” I shrugged and took a sip of my coffee, “would you mind wearing my clothes?”
“No,” she shook her head.
“When you finish eating we’ll go see if we can find you something to wear.”
I grabbed all my notes and brought them back into the library, neatly putting them away in my desk. When I got back to the kitchen Mara was rinsing her plate off, looking quite excited. I was a little shocked that she had finished already; I had given her a large piece.
“Jesus,” I watched her with wide eyes as she turned to look at me, “what’d ya do? Inhale it?”
She slightly blushed and laughed, “I eat quickly when I’m excited.”
“Oh… what are you excited about?” I raised an eyebrow as I started to walk to my room.
“Getting to look through your closet,” she said happily as she followed me, “I’m sure you’ve got tons of cool stuff.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at that. It was just her enthusiasm. Most kids would probably rather go naked then wear their grandmothers clothes. Yet here was Mara. Ready to jump through the roof with excitement at the thought of looking through my closet.
I opened my closet doors and started to look for a pair of jeans, “I’m glad you seem so happy about this.”
She laughed and started to flip through all my old t-shirts. I had accumulated quite a few over the years. Some of them were just plane old baggy shirts, and some were more interesting. I probably had anything imaginable on them.
Mara took her time looking through my shirts, where as I quickly found a pair of jeans that looked like they would fit her. I just watcher her happily look through all my shirts. She seemed quite happy about it, which was beyond me, they were just shirts. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
“So,” Mara began, “what was your first date with Dravin like?”
I shrugged and played with the zipper of the jeans, “like any other I suppose…”
She turned around for a moment to look at me, “tell me about it?”
“Sure,” I sighed, “I had just finished work at a little store called Yellow Brick Road. I really miss that place now that I think of it. Anyway! Dravin came and met me there… ”