A Melody, a Memory

After staying another week in the hospital I had to take Keri home. It took convincing because she still thought that she didn’t know me, Johnny, Matt, Zack, Jimmy and Dad. She had only known Mike and Melinda. Mike had to go back to Napa and Melinda had caught the flu. Leaving me to take her home.

“I hate wheelchairs.” She muttered as the nurse wheeled her out to the car.

“I know, you had to use one on our first date and-.” I was cut off by a confused look.

Like I said, I was still explaining things to her which wasn’t easy because she found it hard to believe. It was almost as if she had gone back to ‘stubborn I just met you Keri’.

“What does a wheelchair have to do with a date, if we did date.” She muttered the last part.

“Why are you having a hard time believing we are together?”

“Because for all I know you could have hit me and saw me trying to convince me that we are together because you are too desperate and feel ‘Sorry.” She said putting quotes on sorry.

Yeah she had turned back into stubborn, no bull shit Keralean Patricia Salvatore- Matterson. She sat in the seat with her arms folded not wanting to be here as I thought of how we met.

Shopping for McKenna has never been easy. I mean come on she’s seven years old. I don’t know what they like. I walked around the plaza I saw a store that held all girls clothing. The only reason I would go into the store would be because I knew she liked clothes and shoes and the things a girl would like.

I sighed and thought to give it a shot, it couldn’t be that bad. The store was called Smitch. Odd but let’s give it a try.

I walked into the store that was pink almost everywhere and half full of moms or aunts with their daughters or whoever they were taking. I felt lost like I normally did when I had to go shopping for anyone of the female species.

“Can I help you?” Somebody laughed as I compared dolls.

“Um unless you know what an eight year old girl would want, please.” I said.

She was pretty cute. Her eyes were a light greenish blue and her dark brown hair went to the end of her neck. Her smile was perfect, like the ones you saw in the Colgate commercials.

“Well what does she like?” She asked trying to help.

“Dolls… clothes. I don’t know honestly. I’m more familiar with tattoo shops than Barbies.” I said joking a little making her laugh some.

Her laugh was genital, not over top or anything. A light laugh, it was kind of sexy actually.

“Hmm. When I was eight I liked… dolls more. So try going with Stacey, she comes with a horse.” She said pointing to the doll in my right hand.

How old was she? She couldn’t have been out of her early twenties, if she was under 18 then I should just forget everything.

“Thanks.” I laughed heading to check out. “Hey um before I go, what’s your name?” I asked turning back around.

“I’m sorry, I’m not interested.” She said politely before walking away.

Well that was embarrassing…

~!~

After practice I had needed to get food so I had decided to go to the store. I didn’t want a whole lot because next month we were going on the road again.

I had came out of the section with the ramen noodles and headed for the isle with the beer. As I walked and imagined riffs in my head I looked over and saw the same girl who had helped me get McKenna’s doll grabbing a box of pop tarts.

I went into the isle as if I was there to get the same thing she was getting.

“I don’t want these.” She sighed to herself turning around and stopping when she saw me. “Um are you stalking me?”

“Oh no, I was here for some… coco puffs.” I said picking up the brown box with the crazy ass bird.

“Look I told you I wasn’t interested and if you really were stalking me-.”

“I’m not, I came here for a dinner and beer run. You’re cute and all but I wouldn’t go that far.” I laughed.

She arched an eyebrow a little weirded out by what I just said. “Oh no I didn’t mean it that way. I mean you’re cute and I would stalk you but I’m not that kind of person and, I’m making myself look like an ass aren’t I?” I asked after my rambling finished.

She only nodded.

“Just let me show you I’m not an ass who makes a complete fool of his self when he sees somebody beautiful.”

She laughed in disbelief. “How many girls do you use this on?”

“None.”

“Uh-huh, good bye.” She nodded walking away fast.

Fail number two of the day. But at least I knew where she worked, well I thought she did. I went back to the store the next day to attempt to redeem myself. I could only hope it worked because she seemed nice but at the same time she didn’t take bull shit.

I went up to the register to a long fire red head with a nose ring as she put cash in the register. “Hi, I’m looking for somebody.” I said remembering I did not know her name.

“Who?” She asked.

“I don’t know her name but she has shoulder length hair and-.”

“Green brown eyes? That’s Keri. Who are you?” She asked somewhat defensive.

“A friend, well not really, I just wanted to-“

“Ask her out?” She said with a smile creeping up on her face. This girl was good.

“Kind of, is she here?”

“Sorry but she doesn’t work here, you must have caught her yesterday when she was helpin- wait a minute, you are beer and noodle dude!” She snapped.

Now the whole thing yesterday was embarrassing.

“Yeah.” I said somewhat embarrassed still.

“Ok well, I heard the whole story and what not and you honestly don’t seem like a stalker, so since I think you seem like a good guy, I will do you a favor, but you will owe me in the future. I’m Melinda.” She said handing me her hand to shake over the register.

“Brian.” I said shaking her hand.

“You can go in the back over there and I will let you know when yo come out.” She said walking me halfway.

“Ok.” I said sitting.

This Melinda chick seemed odd. She reminded me of Jimmy somehow. Now all I could do was wait.

“You let me eat a mushroom?” She asked after I told her about the first date. “I’m-“

“Highly allergic, yes I know. Just like you are also allergic to grass and cats and you are asthmatic. I found that out too. Now is this enough evidence for you?” I asked.

“Barley.” She scoffed. “And if you know so well then tell me my full name.”

I sighed. “Keralean Patricia Salvatore- Matterson. Your fist name is French and you have your mom’s maiden which she was from England name and your dad’s last name which he was American, you also hate your middle name. Good enough for you?”

I had to be patient. When we did start dating when she was this way I sometimes fought back a little. But I knew that she was only protecting herself, which was why I never called her a bitch or broke up with her or anything in that field. She just had to get used to me.

I also understood why she was acting that way. I’d be defensive if I woke up from a coma thinking it was 2004 when it was 2008 and forgetting the person you loved because it seemed like more happened when they were telling the truth when you thought they weren’t. You wouldn’t know what to believe.

“So do you do art or anything?” I asked trying to see if she remembered. She never really got that into her art until a month after we were dating.

“I thought we’ve been dating for four years.” She said mocking me.

“We have, I just wan to see if you remember.” I shrugged.

“Yes I do art I draw for fun. You should know that.”

“You do some things for Melinda now.”

“I do?”

“Yeah. Her aunt closed Smitch and let her open her own store. So you design for her too.” I explained. “You have definitely gone back to no bull shit Keri.” I muttered to myself while she rolled her eyes.

This wasn’t going to be easy.