EVERY LITTLE BEAT

 EVERY LITTLE BEAT 

      It was 6am, as I quietly entered the room. Peaking around to see if she was awake, I tiptoed along her bedside, carrying a dozen of her favorite flowers. Nellie loved Daffodil's and Dandelion's. She always said they reminded her of Little House on the Prairie, her favorite television program. 

     As I placed the flowers in their vase, and added some fresh water, I heard a sleepy “Hey”. 

     I looked down to see this beautiful face looking up at me with these two huge beautiful brown eyes. The same eyes that stole my heart a dozen years ago. 

      Nellie reached out to touch my hand. As I kissed hers, I whispered, just a minute baby, let me finish. I didn’t mean to wake you. Do you always look this good in the morning? There’s nothing more dangerous than two big brown eyes, resting on top of a beautiful smile, gazing up at you from a bed. 

     Once I finished filling the vase, I slowly walked around her bed, never losing eye contact with this lady who made my life alive.  

     Carefully moving the poles aside, I sat on the side of the bed and softly kissed her lips. That was nice," she” whispered. Yes, it was, I replied, but your breath stank. Boy! She shouted as she clubbed me with a pillow. Like yours smell like French toast. We both laughed as she hugged my neck. When I come tomorrow, I’ll bring you some new mouth wash. As long as it doesn’t smell like that frog turd crap that you use, she replied. 

   I leaned back and drew my fist as if I was going to punch her in the face. I really wish you would," she” bravely proclaimed. Okay," I replied. So, I threw the hardest punch I could, but I missed her face and the blow bounced off the pillow and ricocheted into a hug around her neck.  

    My face was drawn to hers. I softly kissed her lips. I’ve never touched, felt, tasted anything as wonderful as this in my lifetime. I am truly dedicated to this woman. 

   I’m tired baby, she said, as she pushed me away. You need to get to work. You can’t be late again. Your boss will be angry. Okay, just a few more minutes, I said. 

   As she layed back on the bed, I gently placed my head on her chest and put my arm across her waist. She reached over and gently held my face as she drifted to sleep. 

   Laying there with her, it was quiet, so quiet I could hear the beat of her heart. 

  As a doctor, I was taught about the wonderful tasks the human heart performs. The heart beats 60-100 times a minute. It circulates 2000 gallons of blood in a day's time. Removing carbon dioxide from the lungs. 

  I suddenly realized that every beat that I heard stood for something more. It wasn’t just a heartbeat. It stood for a memory, an emotion, an experience. 

  That beat right there, that one reminded me of when we first met. When I picked her up from home for our date and she insisted I meet her parents. As I entered their home, I accidentally bumped into a wall. But it had teeth! And a mouth! It was her father. He was an ex-football player and very protective of his baby girl. I introduced myself and all he said was 11:00. Too afraid to speak, I just nodded my head.  

   Stop it Daddy, Nellie said. He’s cool. Finally taking his death stare off me, he looked down at her and mumbled, “Okay baby”. He returned his look back to me, squinched his eyes and said, 11:00. 

  When we left for our first date, we had the best time of all time. We went to the show, danced, ate dinner, and took a romantic walk along the beach. Our date ended at 10:45, I had her home by 10:59. As we pulled up in front of the house, her father was waiting on the porch, in a t-shirt so tight, he must have been born in it. He stood up as we climbed the steps. Did you have a good time, baby? Yes, she replied. He turned and looked at me and said goodbye and I left. 

   I noticed her smiling. Nellie was playing possum. 

   The following beat reminded me of the day I grew my first beard. I was so proud of my little 1/4” beard. It was black, curly and soft So, to show off my handsomeness, I took her to Six Flags. She decided she wanted to ride the roller coaster. I warned her; it was scary. I can take, she bragged, but the closer we got to the front of the line, the more her legs shook.  

   As we reached the gate, she jumped up and down. I asked her again, was she sure she wanted to ride the coaster? It’s not too late to chicken out. Shut up and sit down, she screamed, as we sat in the bucket.  

  Now her feet were stomping as if she was pushing the brake pedal through the floor. The attendant lowered the restraint bar. She gripped that bar, for dear life. Her arms were straight and tight, her head flung back gritting her teeth. I asked the attendant if I could get off. He said no and started the ride. 

   Soon after the ride began, she started crying and screaming. You could see the muscles in her legs straining, as she pushed against the floor. Suddenly, she let go of the bar. Her arms were flailing all over the place. I turned to her and screamed, “baby, hold on to the bar. You might fall out!”. Nellie continued to swing her arms. Then she grabbed my beard. My poor lil new beard. She flung my head all around that buggy. My head hit the restraint bar, the back rest. Nellie pushed my head out of the buggy, and I was looking at the ground. She pulled me in and I was looking at her face to face. As the ride came to an end, as Nellie was laughing, folks found it hilarious that I was unconscious. And my face bleeding. 

Nellie giggled this time. Oh, it's funny when I get hurt. I got you. 

  Okay, let me find the right beat. Here it is. This one reminds me of when you were picking up the baby from pre-school, in the pouring rain. You slipped off the curb and landed in the flooding water, and it swept you down the street. And the only way anyone knew what happened was our baby said, “mommy swimming” and pointed. The bus driver and all the kids on the bus chased you for a block. The only reason they caught you was you hit the sewer, and your head was too big to get sucked in. Haaa, you almost drowned that day. 

Nellie was silent. 

 I do remember how my heart melted when our baby girl was born. You looked so angelic as you lay there, exhausted, soaked in sweat, hair strung everywhere, holding my baby. As the nurse handed her to me, I couldn’t do anything but cry. This beautiful ball of joy wiggling in my hands. Then she pooted. I was her first. 

Nellie laughed 

     I remember, started Nellie, how my heart pounded when you dropped on one knee and pulled that box out of your pocket. We were in the middle of the mall, and everyone was watching. I was so excited. You opened the box, then I read the note. “APRIL FOOL”, it said. I had never been so embarrassed in my life, but I wasn’t going to cry in front of those people. I just said, I’m telling my daddy. I would have had the last laugh. But you pulled the real ring out of your other pocket. You saved your life that day, you know. It’s funny when I think about it now, but right then, whoa. 

    Just then, the nurse walked in. She was a beautiful Jamaican nurse who had cared for Nellie her entire stay in this hospital. The two of you look mighty happy, she said. I hope you not doing nothing dirty, as she laughed. No, No, I responded. Why would you think that? Well, you are on your knee’s mon’. You wouldn’t believe what I’ve seen in this hospital. 

   Well, just let me check your vitals missy and I’ll be on my way. The nurse took her blood pressure and checked her pulse. She smiled and turned to Nellie. Whatever you guys were doing, keep doing it. Your pulse is stronger. Your blood pressure is better. There’s a little color in your cheeks

Leaning over the bed and looking at Nellie, even your eyes are brighter. You did the trick, Mr. Medicine man. We didn’t do, I started to say, but the nurse cut me off as she rushed out of the room. I don’t wanna know,mon. See you later. 

    I noticed the time and announced that it was time for me to leave also. As I walked out of the room, I took one more glance at my Nellie. I whispered, “you’ll be home soon” and placed my hand on my heart then blew her a kiss. Catching the kiss, she kissed her hand, then blew it back. I love my Nellie with every beat of my heart ❤️

                                                 end 

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