Chapter 5-1

Chapter 5-1

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The stage itself was newly built one of Derricks finest he wanted to do his town right by putting on big outdoor play’s, and musicals from all around the realms begging the Oracle to let him bring some of his own cultures back, providing they meet certain guidelines. She finally said yes. More likely seeming to pull teeth, but in truth, she too loved a lot of the same things he liked and they would spend time remember this one and that one... who could ever forget this song or this play. They were stuck in time like two little kids in a candy store rolling on the floor in there bare feet looking at memories of yesterdays. Playing their favorite songs and dancing to them all across the floor of many yesterdays and tomorrows.

So the moment he mentions Lenard wanted to put back the band back together. They were two little kids jumping up and down in a candy store of memories. Without thought, he kissed her as she kissed him back, as she waited for him to say those four little words. As their eyes touched and then sparkled that little certain way he said. “You know dear. I have always loved you nearly my entire life, we have grown up together and we have seen life through each other's eyes.”

With a small whisper of breath just inches away from touching his lushes’ lips she says. “Yes Derrick,” feeling those magical butterflies in her stomach for the very first time; clinching her two little hands. Not in and in anger, more as come on, you can do it. Spit it out wanting reach down and pull out those words just begging to come out just as he about speak seeing his tongue and Adams-apple moving as he swallows hard. ‘1st word… Will… 2nd word…  You… 3rd word Mary… 4th word… Me….

Her fingers at the ready to count those four 4 little words she has been waiting for him to say the very moment she had laid eyes on him. True it has taken time to groom him, like any good man worth having these days. Twice today she thought he had worked up the courage only to watch him walk back where he was going.

She called from the window him telling him she needed him for something even though she could have handled it herself. Not letting him get out of that easy; this time he was all hers, no more waiting around. Not when they're about to be romance in the air before for winter gets here; more so if she wants a family by Christmas. Plus she didn’t bake these cookies for nothing she said to herself looking around the room, making sure everything looks like she is in a panic of paperwork enough to call him over as she frazzles her hair.

She rolled her eyes at herself as he was still down there pacing whither to come up seeing those cookies to entice him with freshly baked cookies all for him knowing these are his favorite spending many a long night as they go over the new land contracts while playing something upbeat like Jazz always brings him to the door. She leans out the window and calls him up. “Derrick Darling, that concrete is going to wear out those shoes, causes sores before tonight’s festivities, come up and help me, I am a little bit behind.” He smiles making a run for it.

She quickly placed the cookies right by the records as she comes out in her comfortable clothing. Hearing him knock on the door as she kindly leaves it open a crack for him. She calls hiding behind the door wrapping her arms into a thick towel. “Please let your self in Derrick. I am just getting my makeup ready to meet our guests later. By the way…” She said. “I saw from the window when I placed these cookies out to cool. It looked like you had something to ask me?” She paused. “Or were you just practicing your lines for the show?”

Derrick paused before saying, tuning down the music, and muffling cookies in his mouth as he removed his shoes as asked. “Lines, lines mostly… hey, where did you find this record?” Hearing one of his shoes drop onto the floor and muffled. “Crap… I scuffed them already and tore a hole in my big toe and my heal. Kate Darling. Where did you put your thread boxes?”

She laughs coming out of the bathroom seeing him hopping on one foot two cookies in his mouth and holding record under his right arm and a shoe in his left hand with his big toe sticking out of the black sock and the heal tore completely out with chocolate all over his hands, fingers, and face. She couldn’t help but laugh at him as he seemed completely useless and to everyone else, he is this calmly collected knowledgeable guy that has everything together. To her, this was her Derrick and she never trade him for the world. She took the record from and the shoe tsking and pointed to the bed telling him to sit. In her one-bedroom kitchen apartment with small living room and two people dining room table.

It was one of the smaller homes they could build at the time as they were busy building bigger homes for those with families in both worlds. She didn’t expect much, not really when there were so many in needs now. They used the big office building for the bigger functions these days. Tonight would be the first night they have used the brand-new outdoor amp-theater which included dinner and a show like tonight’s festivities. Derrick her and as well as so many of the older people still talk about the shows that they performed when they were still young or shall we say the worlds like Earth in the late 1940s to late 1980s brought before the movie industry took off.

Derrick looked up at her with double chocolate chip cookies covered all over his face from his nose all over his mouth and cheeks and all over his fingers like a cute little five your old boy as he stuffed the last cookie into his mouth; with those deep blue eyes and that foot of his swing back and forth with his big toe sticking out.

How can she not love him as she pictures him as boy again? In fact, in many ways she can, she still touches her wrist by accident think of their first loves kiss when they were eight making sand castles as he found this string that floated up on shore and he tied it on her wrist asking her to marry him as her queen for their castle.

She smiled giving a little giggle remembering him that way for just a moment. Blond hair whipping in the warm wind covered in sand from his bare shoulders all the way to his toes. Wearing striped blue and white swim trunks. Her in yellow summer beach dress wearing bleach blond hair with purple ribbons in her hair… covered in the same sand. We had King Salarn, Uncle Brice, we called him to marry us as we kissed the very first time.

He laughed pointing to the stars as he waved in his hand in the air as several shooting stars crossed the sky. Telling us that it meant we were meant to be as her grandmother laughed stating. “What they say dear to those that believe in fairy tales. Kate here is a princess and will someday be the Oracle of 12 that rules the universe dear. Young Derrick… sad to say will have to settle for someone more common among our folk. 

The very fact he has no nobility in his line only makes nothing more common than a farm boy, but you keep bubbling on that love is all that is needed. Trust me I love you dear, but love… and I mean true love only happens in fairy tales.” She took that to her grave, even though Derrick and she never parted ways for long; showing up at dances, and sometimes the same school's thanks to Uncle Brice keeping the romance alive when needed a little push.

Teaching Derrick the fine points of how to become a man, as he called it, but most importantly never give in to those that tell him he should grow up and settle; become stuffy old men like those brought up in the boarding school of a wizard. But enjoy life. See the world visit the realms and visit other cultures most important keep music in your heart and share it in everything you do. He would say over and over.

She remembered those same lessons as she and Derrick and Uncle Ben would tour the countryside for anything that had a new dance and style of music and travel the realms. Yet for her and Derrick it was Lenard’s band that kept through the bad times after Uncle Brice was killed and Less had to take some of the duties of running a kingdom of his own and became The King of All Living Water. Some called him a god of the seas that ruled all the all waters in the sea. Yet in truth, he only ruled a part of. Giving his sons and daughters rule the rest.

Kate quickly went into the bathroom for a washcloth and towel, said. “Derrick that sock is history I should have thrown that pair out months ago when I darned last time. I realize it’s your favorite pair, darling I will gladly net you another now take them off and so I can see to your feet. So you won’t tare another pair of socks by the end of tonight. Besides I want to go over that one dance and song. We haven’t done it in a while”

Derrick pulled off the other sock and used it to wipe the scuff marks out. While Kate brought over a basin of water and began washing his hands and fingers like he was five years old as he tried to stop her. She slapped his hands away cussing seeing his fingernails said. “Well, Derrick I can’t tell something got you all worked up because you are biting your nails again; I know it not the show or the guests arriving we been planning this for a while now. So what is Derrick?”

He laughed. “Oh I am just worried about Sly, he only had 3 weeks and a half to fulfill his list of thing he needs to do in front of the Duchess today. Did you know she is bringing 7 girls just to make sure he picks the right girl? A girl none of us have ever seen except you and Sly. In those strange visions, you get as Oracle. Nine generations and three times we have failed to find the right suitor to pass the test.

“So yes Kate, I am nervous. And Sly according to Lenard is going out of his mind, but he says he trusts the boy and he believes he can do it. All he talks about is her giving the same description you gave me. He even knows her name; she gave to him in their dream world as they met each night, including the extract banquet of roses he supposed to make for her. Not even Lenard knows, telling him he promised her he wouldn’t tell anyone.

“That boy has been pulling roses from his hand for days according to Lenard, but he still keeps coming up with other flowers as well. Going crazy with love, and what you did to Rollin and him I could strangle you and Ruby. Because it would have taken off some of the pressure off to have another person just like them to encourage each other. Uncle Brice would not have been pleased knowing you did that, but I blame most of that on Ruby, considering she old fashion dragon at heart and thought she was doing them a favor. So yes must be nerves…”

He got real quiet. As he said, “Well there’s that.” Mumbling about the boys wanting to do something… as she leaned in trying to make out the words, catching pop and question as he played with his clean fingers as he let her tend to his other hand as he washes his face not cleanly but enough. Try to get him to talk to her as she smooth’s his nail beds.

She said calmly finishing the last one as she swings his feet into her lap wanting very much to tickle them and says. “Derrick darling mumbling doesn’t help and you know how I hate it. So tell me what the boys want to do.”

He doesn’t answer so she tickles his feet until cries uncle says. “The boys all want to sing that old number we called chapel bells finishing the song with ring boxes and popping the question to end the show except…” he started mumbling again as she tickled his feet again. Getting the proper response she wanted as she waited as quickly said. “But doing it for real.”

She said. “I see, and that’s got you all worked up, Derrick if want do it I am fine with you and the boys doing it…” watching him reach for her hand than watching stay there as their fingers touch as squeezes it for a breath moment she waits hoping he would ask her now after all that work.

Uncle Brice taught her to prove mans love he must do some of it on his own as she holds his hand turned looking at him and smiles waiting, instead he said. “Thank you, Kate, which song did you want to rehearse with me?” Her heat slammed back into her chest as fingers tightened into fist wanting to strangle him.

She gave heavy sigh and. “Oh I was thinking the one called Penny’s from heaven, and that Christmas one I love. With two-part harmony you know the one. She snaps her fingers a couple times. “It’s cold outside I am having the set built now.”  And got up and off the bed and pulled out his shoe shine kit and handed to him, as took his socks and threw them in the garbage. She was far from giving up just yet as he got up and searched for the two records. As she took the things to the kitchen and put them away; she glanced at the clock noticing it little after 10 the guest would be arriving around 2 Sly and Lenard according to their last conversation with Ruby they were arriving at mock 4 that puts about 11-12 not surprising really Kate keep telling her that Rollin and Sly are made from the same cloth just a little different just as the universe intended them to be.

Derrick putts the record on asking about the work on the table as he looks at her, she smiles. “Oh, that?” she says.” Does girl need an explanation to get her boyfriend to come over beside paperwork? No, then I believe the dance started something like this.”

They never stood on formality anymore unless they were at parties, but seldom did they ever dance with anyone one else unless it was someone important then brought politeness and nobility into it. But for them, it was like nobody but them existed. They waltz talking about each other day keeping time with the music. As he picks her up and swings her around the room like a butterfly on air, like they have done so like old pro’s they stop talking as the room and them no longer exits as the music has captured them like had long ago the music stop as they stopped frozen in time hands clutched ready for the next beat as if the world had stopped still. Then the record lifted setting down the record and the waltz resumed this time something had changed.

Derrick says. “You know Kate your right it really does sound like a good idea when you really think about it.”

He swings her around as her eyes never leave his… she asks still caught up in the dance and the count as she touches the ground going left this time wishing they really had the room to do this right. “What sounds like a good idea? 1, 2 3 and turn and lift.” Just missing then china wall as she cringes saying to her self I really do need more room.

He smiles following the same pattern as before. Stepping in-between her warm feet next hers remembering cold winters nights as they snuggled in a chair together reading the same book, he would read one page to her and she would read another as their toes feet mingled together under a warm blanket like little tiny fingers. While dressed in long over shirts, as Uncle Brice would laugh wondering how these two could read like that. In truth, he learned to love books because of her as envision her voice reading the opposite page as his even to this very day.

He says. “About me and the boys closing song, it’s absolutely perfect when you truly think about it. Everything about it seems as if my wish has been granted. Imagine Kate if you think about it I have everything I have always wanted, the land the people and I have you, Kate, right by my side all this time and…. All I am saying maybe the boys are right and… I … finally good enough that I should think about set…” the words left him as she kissed him to stop before talks himself out of it.

He stands their breathless and then starts again as the record starts again but dancing was no longer on his mind as his eyes came back into focus as she said. “Yes Derrick, Yes.

“Derrick now shut up and kiss me.” He pulls her close and kiss her and says two words breathlessly without thought “Marry Me.”

She giggles. “Yes, Derrick,” and turns her head kiss him again as he leans her back into to his arms as her eyes notice the clock on the wall that says 1:10 She releases him quickly, yell’s. “Crap, guest’s; Flower garden 45 minutes;” tossing his shoes and black bag, pushing him out the door so he can change. However, he looks down to see what he actually had as he stands there five more minutes. He knocks on the door, waiting as he looks at her gown, holding one of his shoes and one of hers in his hand and wear her hat.

She opens the door with wide swing say’s.  “What? Looking at him as he said. “Darling, not my size, last I checked.” She looks at him giggles. And hands him his tux and both his shoes he grins taking one step back and knocks on the door. Again “Darling,” and again Darling and again and again until she opens the door; he asks. “Can I get a kiss for the road ever so sweetly. She rolls her eyes at him as she kisses his left cheek, then his right cheek then turns right before she leaves and points to his lips.

She giggles. “All right Derrick one last kiss, now scoot.”