Bee Happy (6 page)

  When Calli returned home, she put her new to her dress in her closet and headed for the garden.  At least there she knew that she could get herself feeling calmer and grounded.  Plus there were a few weeds that needed to be hoed and that would take her mind off her date tonight.  She started humming a little tune that she’d made up in her head, no song that was on the charts, but something that kept her mind from wandering to this evening.  She knew that her grandfather was probably still down at the pond fishing, and she didn’t want to disturb his alone time.  She also knew that he missed her grandmother more than he was willing to talk about with her.  They had what she considered the perfect marriage, always in partnership with the everyday chores and the ups and downs of life on the farm and raising children.  Calli smiled thinking about the fact that her dad was her grandfather’s son.  She’d seen pictures of him as a kid growing up here on the farm but now that he lived in town and wore a suit to work every day, the images just didn’t match – who he was to who he is now.  Life takes us in many different directions and we never know exactly what’s down around the bend of the road.  Calli was wondering what her life would look like now if Cal hadn’t died.  She probably would have a couple of kids and
might be here on the farm but also might be living in another state.  Just then her little bee friends started buzzing around her head, like they were trying to get her attention again.  “I know little fellows, I know, you are looking to see if I’ve forgotten about the bee hives in the machine shed.  I haven’t forgotten, but I also haven’t had any time to get my grandfather interested in rebuilding them just yet.  I have to find a way for him to be comfortable with keeping bees again after his experiences with his grandfather.  Wonder how many generations of bees there have been since they were bee keepers?  Guess I could get more information about how long bees live and how to care for them.”  Calli knew it didn’t make much sense to talk out loud to bees, but at least she was able to hear her own thoughts better and that might get her motivated to do some research for herself, even if Grandfather couldn’t find a way to forgive himself.  Might also be time to remind Sally that he’d okayed the distant healing and that she could work her
‘
magic
’
whenever it fit in her schedule. 

  The hour and a half Calli had spent in her garden had relaxed her and given
her
connection to the earth that she needed.  Her thoughts were more on life in general, cycles, bees and how generations continued patterns without even having a conscious awareness.  Keeping bees must run in our family even though it had skipped a generation.  All the anticipation of her date with Jim had taken a back seat in her mi
nd and she was ready to see
where this evening was going to take her, hopefully not down the aisle just yet, she laughed to herself, what a silly dream. 
Today she could look at it as a silly dream, before it had almost seemed like a nightmare! 
Deciding that it was time to get ready, she put away her tools, cleaned them carefully and headed for the house.  After she dried off from her shower,
Calli put her new dress on and took a look in the mirror, with all the time she spent outdoors, her face had a nice tan and she truly didn’t need any makeup to look good, at least in her mind anyway.  She wasn’t going to try to look special or out of the ordinary, she was the type of woman who wouldn’t go to extremes just to get a guy.  After all, she hadn’t been looking for a
date;
it just had appeared out of the blue, almost like those little bees and now look where they had taken her.  She felt
almost
ready for whatever lay ahead tonight.  She went out to sit on the front porch, looking at the clock, Jim should be arriving in a few minutes, and she was on the lookout for his classic red Mustang and wondered if it was a convertible or not.  Roger came walking up the path from the pond with a string of fish in his hand.  Whistling and grinning he approached Calli with a curious look on his face.  “So, do I see a new dress for tonight?  You must have a date or something.”  He was teasing in a good natured way and Calli knew that he wasn’t making fun of her.
  “Why yes, kind sir! I do have a new to me dress on and a fresh shower and am going to be taken out for a night on the town!”  Calli decided that she could have fun too!  With that feeling of lightheartedness, she saw Jim and his red convertible drive up the lane to the farm house.  Roger gave a low whistle, “That’s some car he’s got.  You better make a good impression on this stud!”  With that said, he disappeared into the kitchen to clean his fish and leave Calli to her date. 

  “Nice car!  I’m glad the weather is so we can enjoy the breeze on the ride into town.  Where do you hide this beauty?”  Calli truly liked the red mustang and the freedom that the convertible gave to the passengers.  The wind blowing across her face would feel powerful and freeing, she just knew it would.  “Your ‘horse’ awaits, my lady!”  Jim seemed pleased with himself and his chariot. The evening was starting out on a very positive and playful note; hopefully they would be able to continue this playful bantering the entire evening.  Calli had her fingers crossed
and began to feel
optimistic about their time together tonight.  At least, that’s what she was telling herself, and that’s what motivated her to get in the car with Jim. 
Would he live up to his last name?  Wild.

  Jim had the radio playing and with the whistle of the wind, there wasn’t any way they could carry on a conversation during their drive into Evergreen.  That gave Calli a feeling of relief; at least she didn’t have to actually start to communicate with him just yet.  Her little doubt elf seemed to be sitting on her shoulder, whispering in her ear, ‘….what a stupid idea this was.  What were you thinking?  He’s not your type…..’  Calli started singing along with the song on the radio to quiet the chatter from the uninvited ‘elf’.  That made Jim smile and he joined in with this rich baritone voice, which gave Calli a sense of hope.  Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all, he could sing and that was a quality she loved about a guy.  She’d always fanaticized that she and her husband would sing together, maybe not in public but at home sitting around a romantic fire and…..  These thoughts were taking her down a road that she didn’t want to travel. Not tonight and definitely not with Jim.  As they pulled into the parking lot at the Burger Barn, Calli was impressed that he jumped out of the car and ran around to open her door.  Manners to boot.  Calli was beginning to make a mental check list in
her head, like a score card.  One--
Good
singing voice, check.  Two--
Opening the door, good manners, check.  We’ll just have to see where this evening ends up and tally the results.  The possibility of liking Jim was actually starting to form in her consciousness, but just a wee bit.  There would be a long, long
list of
requirement
s
fulfilled before she’d agree to another date with him.  Two checks on the score card weren’t enough.

  They were early enough to beat the crowd at the Burger Barn
,
that was the regular crowd.  The senior citizens had already come and left after enjoying the early bird special and their senior discount.  Who wanted to eat supper at 4:30 in the afternoon?  She supposed if people fell asleep in their recliners after the 6 o’clock news, they probably should eat early.  She was grateful that her grandfather hadn’t gotten into that routine, he was still active and good company in the evenings at home.  The waitress took their orders and now the ‘test’ began.  Could they find anything interesting to talk about?  Calli was right where she imaged she’d be, sitting across the table, looking at Jim straight on and wondering what she should say.  Lucky for her Jim began the conversation and she didn’t have to keep it going.  He talked about the ‘safe’ subjects, gardening, pest control, selling at the farmers market, the weather, and how to grow bigger crops.  Calli actually enjoyed sharing ideas with another gardener; she was amazed that he didn’t feel like such a competitor to her this evening.  Maybe it was the fact that they weren’t at the market with
buying
customers that made the difference.  “I know that you were engaged and that he was killed in the service.  I hope that I’m not
intruding when I ask about how you’ve ma
naged to move on with your life?
”  Jim had a concerned look on his face, they’d talked about everything gardening they could and now it seemed that he wanted to get to know her on a deeper level.  Without hesitation Calli began to relate the events that followed Cal’s death, the funeral, the mourning and then the immersion into her gardening.  “I don’t know how I could have moved on with my life if it hadn’t been for the plants and watching them grow, digging in the earth, making that connection with Mother Nature, the elements and
of  course
harvesting my efforts.  All of that gave me a new direction and an actual purpose.  It eased my pain in ways that are difficult to explain.  I know I would still be in a deep depression if I hadn’t worked with my friend Sally and her healing methods.  She was truly a life saver for me and helped me get out of the hole I’d dug with self pity.  The combination of healing and the connection to the earth and life is something that I’ll always be grateful for.”  Calli had surprised herself by sharing this with Jim, and by the look on his face, she knew that he’d listened to her story with his heart and not his head.  She could see the starting of tears in his eyes.  That almost made her like him, and it did make the
third item on her check list, Three--
Sensitive and willing to have feelings, check. 

 
Before he could say anything about her story
, the waitress brought the bill
and Jim pulled out his wallet.  He looked at his watch, “Oops, we’ve been so busy talking and eating, we almost missed the movie.  We’d better hurry if we don’t want to si
t in the front row and crane our
necks.”  Relief poured through Calli, they were going to be sitting side by side now, and she wouldn’t have to be looking at him straight on for awhile.  Something inside was feeling different, she couldn’t identify this new feeling.  Rather than trying to figure out what was happening, she just decided to go with the evening and not analyze every little moment.  That wasn’t the way to live life, if she’d learned anything after Cal’s death, it was not to over think anything but to relax and make the best of each day.  There wasn’t a guarantee about tomorrow, she did understand that.  Jim opened the car door for her again, and Calli grinned to herself, at least he’s consistent with his manners.  Keep that list going.  We’ll see what happens in the movie. 

  As the lights dimmed, Jim leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Are you sure this is an okay place to sit?”  They were in the back row in the corner, which was normally ‘reserved’ for those who planned to make out instead of watch the movie.  “Yes, this is fine as long as the make out energy doesn’t envelope us.”  Calli tried to be lighthearted about this seating arrangement, she’d planned to be totally relaxed sitting beside him instead of across from him, but now here they are sitting in what the locals call ‘lovers corner’.  There were several previews that both Calli and Jim thought looked good, “Maybe we could come to see another movie in a couple of weeks.”  Jim sounded hopeful and all Calli did was nod her head in a partial agreement, she really didn’t like talking during a movie, it seemed annoying to her.  Once Harry and his friends dominated the screen Calli relaxed a bit, knowing that they’d be involved in the plot and not making conversation.   ‘He who shall not be named’ was absolutely scary enough that Calli snuggled a bit into Jim’s shoulder without even thinking about her action.  Jim took that opportunity to put his arm around her and both of them instinctively ducked when it appeared that a sinister force was coming straight at them.  Despite everything
,
by the end of the movie Harry was still alive and there was hope that they would
triumph
in the
next movie. 

  They walked outside holding hands; it was a natural reaction to their survival of all the horrific scenes they’d witnessed.  Calli did her best not to over think what was happening.  “Let’s go to the Dairy Barn for some ice cream since we didn’t have time for dessert at the Burger Barn.”  Jim was hopeful that the evening would continue and maybe the temptation of hot fudge and caramel would entice Calli to agree.  “That does sound good, are you a hot fudge fan?”  Jim grinned from ear to ear, “Only if the hot fudge is swirled with some hot caramel and there
’s
whipped cream and a cherry on top of the sundae.”  “How did you know that’s my favorite temptation?”  Calli was actually enjoying herself, which surprised her completely.  He really is fun to be with, almost makes me feel like a kid again, the thought lifted her spirits and gave her a glimmer of hope.  Hope for a future that included a partner, definitely a reality that she believed had long been erased from her future. 

  The night sky was filled with stars; billions upon billions were lightening up the Milky Way.  They sat outside at a small table en
joying the night sounds, there
wasn’t much traffic going by so they could hear the peepers and the night hawks. 
Calli was glad that there didn’t seem to be any bats flying around.  She knew that they were very beneficial in eliminating annoying insects but also wasn’t a fan of bats in her hair.  As a child there had been a bat in her room one time, she remembered screaming for her mother to come and rescue her.  Dad was the one who appeared, Mom was afraid of bats too!  Must be a genetic thing.  Jim looked at Calli, “Well, have I passed the test?”  Calli tried to look puzzled, but knew that he had asked a very accurate question, “Yes, you have passed the test and you even have a few major brownie points for good behavior.”  Both laughed because they each had ordered a brownie sundae with the hot fudge and hot caramel.  “Good, I like brownies in my sundae and
brownie points
on my approval list.  Would you be my date for my cousins wedding next weekend?  I am expected to be the cousin who has the best looking girl friend and if you’d honor me with your presence I can keep my image intact.”   Calli was amazed and flattered both at the same time.  First of all that he’d invited her to be his date after only one movie and second because he’d inferred that she was the ‘best looking’ girl.  Surprising herself, Calli responded, “Of course, I’d love to go to a wedding with you.  I am a push over for wedding cake and dancing.  Please tell me you aren’t in the wedding party, I don’t like being at the head table and having everyone look at us as the next ones to get married.”  Jim grinned and was ready to lie, but thought better before he answered, “No, I’m not standing up front, just being a
n
usher.  So we don’t have to sit at the head table.  It’s at the Presbyterian Church here in town; you’ll probably know a few people,
and
thanks for saying ‘yes’. 
I do like to dance.
”