A Fiction Short Story - Essay Example

Looking back on the past few days, they had been phenomenal. Both Gregg and Cynthia had spent what they had before believed to be an impossibly longamount of time together. Though their relationship was not something that was forbidden by prior commitments, the existence of a spouse, or even the law, the two of them found themselves in a predicament between the ages of adulthood and still being under the direction and supervision of close-minded and non-progressive their parents. At 19, Gregg was 2 months the senior of Cynthia. Having just spent her birthday with her boyfriend of 6 months, Cynthia longed for the day in which they would not have to part and could continue to spend each and every moment together in the bliss she was certain must await the couple. Although neither of the two were especially well versed in life or the complexities which it presented, they felt the zeal and courage that is oftentimes so indicative of individuals their age. The past few days had been spent as it were – magically. Gregg had prepared, organized, and facilitated a weekend away for the couple that involved camping out in a state park within the foothills of the Carolinas. Even though the scenery was of seemingly little value to the star crossed pair, they spent the time they had hiking the footpaths, enjoying each other’s company around the campfire, and generally soaking up the sylvan landscape. As such, the time passed all too quickly and the pair found itself on the way back home to the realities that had driven them to leave in the first place. Along the bumpy of ill-repaired state road that led down from the mountain side, Cynthia let out an audible sigh. Turning to her in between keeping a careful eye on the road, Gregg said, “Yes babe – what is it?” Instead of turning to look into his eyes, Cynthia stared outwards onto the valleys, and silver lined rivers that glistened in the warm glow of the setting sun. Eventually after what seemed to Gregg like far too long a time for a positive answer to the question he asked, Cynthia said, “I just – don’t know how much longer we will be able to do this”. Visibly dismayed by such a response, Gregg continued leading his old and beaten down SUV around the narrow twists and turns that led down the mountain. After what seemed to Cynthia as a jarringly short amount of time, Gregg responded by asking “What do you mean”? This seemed as unnecessarily annoying to Cynthia since it was obvious to her that Gregg knew full and well what she meant by such a loaded statement. However, rather than responding in a quick or offensive manner, Cynthia took another deep breath, remembering the perfection that the pair had experienced in the hours before, she thought better of such a snarky response. Instead, she reached for his hand in the empty seat that separated them at the moment. This time, turning from the window, she looked lovingly towards him and said – “Gregg, you know what I mean. I would love to continue this forever; but you must realize that if we are to do it, we cannot continue to live apart and will need to risk it all to be together”. Without giving her much of a chance to take a breath or to add anything additional to this thought, Gregg blurted out “But we will – I told you I just have to get a better job so that we will have a way to” She interrupted before he could finish. “When will that be? You can’t imagine how hard it is for me to continue to survive the pain and criticism that we are both getting from both sides of our friends and family.” Visibly shaken by her response, Gregg decided that the best way to formulate any further response would be to thoughtfully consider her needs as well as their own prior to answering. Along this line of thought the two passed in silence as the miles passed by beneath their tires. Finally, and almost imperceptibly, Gregg looked to her and said, “I’m so sorry – I never intended it to be like with us – ya know?” “Of course I do” Cynthia immediately responded. “It’s just I have no idea for how much longer it will be possible for me to endure this”. Gregg thought for a moment and then responded, “Give it until Christmas, I will do all my best to save up enough money so we can put a security deposit on our own place”. Cynthia knew the realities of the money issues and said, “Look I have $400 saved from when I was working this summer and I know you don’t want to take it because you want to be able to do it all on your own but you have to realize that together we can realize this much faster”. Gregg understood the reality of the situation a bit better than Cynthia though. Although the $400 would help to handle the costs of the first month, the reality of the situation was that the couple would need to survive entirely on their own. Moreover, a deep and profound sense of pride was at stake as well. This move would need to be something that could be done in one simple step. To Gregg, doing something prematurely was almost as bad as not doing it at all due to the fact that he knew that moving back in with the parents or relying on friends afterwards would be an admission to the entire world that the couple was not good enough after all and could not survive. Not much was said for the remainder of the trip. Not until the painful reality of home and the familiar sights around it began to appear on the horizon. With such a painful reality striking the couple at the exact same moment, they both began to engage in a frantic and rushed conversation that had little if any relation to what had transpired between the two during the weekend nor concerning the conversation that they shared on the car just a few hours before. Finally Gregg broke the silence, “You’ll need to give me directions to where she lives”. “Yes of course”. Said Cynthia. “Turn here and go down to the second stop light then take a left. When you drop me off, just drop me off by the mailbox and I’ll walk into Trisha’s house through the side door”. All of a sudden, Gregg realized how comical the situation that they have involved themselves must appear. Not only were the two going to such extreme lengths to conceal their own parents but from their friends and friends of their friends as well. Gregg realized that this was mostly due to fear of criticism and ridicule that these other shareholders might have. Everything appeared normal as he stopped the car just shy of Trisha’s house. The two shared a quick embrace and a short but impassioned kiss. As he saw her run through the tree line to the house. Upon returning to his own house, Gregg sheepishly entered the back door waiting for the inevitable and highly uncomfortable questions that he knew were awaiting him. However, rather than the shame, scorn or ridicule he expected, Gregg encountered a smiling mother and father busily preparing a dinner that they intended the three to share together. It was Gregg’s mother who spoke first and asked, “Did you have a nice time this weekend with Cynthia?” Gregg was taken aback, he had gone to special lengths to conceal the true nature of his trip, who he was with, or how long he would be gone but it was seemingly understood by his parents. Before Gregg had a chance to put two and two together, his mother again interjected “We spoke with Mr and Mrs Williams this weekend as they were worried about the fact that their daughter wasn’t where she said she was going to be and we told them that the two of you were spending some time together. I know the two of you are private about your relationship and are beyond the age that we can or even should offer direction but keep in mind that it is important for the family members to know where their loved ones are at all times – thank goodness that we know you so well to put two and two together. By the way, when do we get to meet her parents, they seemed like lovely people on the phone”. Stammering for a few words, Gregg bumbled, “But I thought you would have a huge issue with this because she is black.” Entering the conversation, the father said, “Son, your mother and I cannot claim to be perfect and have probably uttered a racial slur from time to time in our own lives, but that is far from rejecting someone just because of the color of their skin. What is more, if this is a woman our son likes, we would very much like her and her family to be a part of our lives.” “And because of that”, his mother piped in, “We invited the three of them for dinner next Sunday.” Gregg was speechless at this point, it seemed that all that he had built in his mind with regards to the level of acceptance his white family would have to exhibit to his black girlfriend had just come crumbling down. Although he was relieved at the thought, it called into question in his own mind the level of stereotypes and censure and ridicule that his friends had placed upon the relationship. Such an understanding that couple were not ultimately being driven apart by the family’s helped to reassure a sense of normalcy, relief, and hope within him. Read More