Matthew sat on the cafe
patio, across from him sat James, staring glumly at the chess game
they were engrossed in, however, Matthew was distracted watching the
passersby, hoping to see the face of the beautiful Deborah coming
down the street. James was distracted because despite Matthew's
distraction, he, James, was losing the game. And, not just the chess
game, either. The game was nearly at a close, most of James' pieces
were lined up on the side of Matthew's side of the board, taken
prisoner by Matthew's pieces. James couldn't abide this, so he
cautiously moved his queen into position, boldly and hoping that he
could execute his plan to remove Matthew's king from the game. This
was his one last chance at winning the game.
Matthew looked down at the
game and switched his king with his rookie, without much thought.
Then stared anxiously down the street, waiting, waiting, waiting for
her. James was beside himself with glee, Matthew had done just what
he had hoped he would do.
And, suddenly there she was.
Only she wasn't walking, she had just pulled her car up to the
opposite side of the street and there she was getting out of the car.
Matthew's face beamed with anticipation and then he saw, getting out
of the opposite side of the car, her friend, Mari. The obsessive
Christian girl who wanted nothing more than to simultaneously wed
everyone off and baptize them in the name of Jesus into the doctrine
of her church. Matthew swallowed hard with the bitterness rising to
his throat. Deborah was wonderful, Mari was a bit harder to deal
with. Not only was she “high on Jesus” and wanted everyone to
know it, but she wasn't very bright either. Matthew had seen her out
and about at night, at the dance clubs, drinking and living it up,
partying and dancing the night away, seductively moving up to every
eligible guy in the room, until one took the bait and went home with
her, only to see her piously heading off to church the next day. He
sighed, that kind of hypocrisy wore him down and was the one thing that
kept him from darkening the doors of the church. Well, one of the
things.
Deborah skipped across the
street towards him, carrying her purse and a bag of Chinese food in
the other hand.
A few minutes before, as
they pulled up to the curb, Deborah glanced over at Mari and said,
“Shit, that James guy is there.”
“What's wrong with James?”
Mari wanted to know. She had not hung out with Deborah and her new
boyfriend, and his friends that much and still was in the dark about
the whole gang.
“He's just kind of dark,
you know, moody or something,” Deborah tried to explain. “Kind
of a scary dark boy, is all.”
“Well, all we can do is
love on him and hope he sees Jesus in us,” Mari began her good
Christian girl agenda.
“Yeah, maybe, possibly,”
was all Deborah could say and she opened the car door. Her eyes saw
Matthew, beaming at her and she headed towards him, her heart light
and her step quickening. A smile spread across her face and suddenly
she was nervous too. The Chinese bag of food she had bought for his
lunch swung against her leg. Mari followed her across the street
and up the stairs of the coffee shop. Deborah swung the bag onto his
lap, gently and kissed his cheek chastely. “Some lunch for you, my
friend.”
“Thanks,” he said,
beaming at her and leaning in for a kiss. She gave one to him and
stroked his soft red hair.
“When are you off?”
Deborah wanted to know.
“About two hours,”
Matthew began. “Been totally a slow day, basically, just James and
I right now.”
“Yeah, I see that,” was
all Deborah could say as she cautiously eyed James.
“Checkmate,” James said,
moving his rookie in front of Matthew's king and not taking his eyes
off of Deborah. Deborah shivered and looked back at Matthew, biting
her lip.
“Good game,” was all
Matthew would say. He reached out and shook James' hand.
“So, I'll see you later
then?” Deborah said hopefully, smiling down at Matthew and trying
hard not to look at James.
“Yeah, I'll call you,”
he smiled. She bent down and kissed him. Then, followed Mari back
to her car. Once in, she looked at the steering wheel, hesitating
before she started.
“Are they looking at us?”
she asked Mari.
“Yeah,” Mari laughed.
“Matthew and that other guy are looking at you, I'm looking at
them, and you are staring in front of you.”
Deborah turned her head and
looked across the street at the coffee shop. There they stood, James
and Matthew. Matthew waved a big friendly warm wave at her and James
gave a nod. In later years, after time had passed and everything
that had happened faded into memory, she would remember this moment,
captured forever in her heart, the two of them sitting together in
the sun, smiling at her, warmly, lovingly, a serene picture of
happiness and acceptance that only true friends offer one another.
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