Disclaimer: This includes the song Me and Charlie Talking by Miranda Lambert, so didnt write it, whish i didbut i didnt.It's a very excellant song which everyone should listen to.
Me and Charlie Talking.
"Charlie, this is Becky. She's going to be our new neighbor."
An eight year old Charlie Pace shuffled his feet. "But Mum!" he said tugging his mothers sleeve, "She's a girl! Girl's don't know how too have fun!" He looked back at the small little blonde girl staring at him from slightly behind her mother.
"Becky, why don't you go say 'hi'" her mother said. It startled Charlie, they didn't talk like he did.
"Mum," Charlie tugged again on her sleeve, "Mum, their American!"
"Yes, Charlie dear, they are American." she laughed
Little Becky finally got the nerve to emerge from behind her mother. "Hi Charlie." she said, her eyes sparkling with that girlish glitter. Charlie didn't know what do so he stood there a moment longer, feet still shuffling. Then muttered what was taken to be a "Hi." cheeks going redder by the second.
"I have another one around here somewhere." his mother added Liam! Charlie, have you seen your brother?"
He looked up from the secret smiles him a the girl next door where sharing. "No. Hey do you wanna see my new piano?"
Becky smiled showing her two brand new front teeth, "Sure!"
And off they ran, not knowing that that moment was the start of something unforgettable.
Over the years Charlie and Becky became closer and closer. They did practically everything together. She helped him math homework, and he defended her from the school yard bullies. He was there for her when her dog died. And she never missed a piano recital. She was the inspiration for his first song, a four lined number with words that rhymed with 'blue'. They were each others first kiss. Each others first love.
Me and Charlie Boy use to go walking. Sitting in the woods behind my house. When being lovers meant a stolen kiss and holding hands with nobody else around.
"Hey Becky," Charlie said one cool late summer night. They were out side on Becky's back porch, watching the fire flies dance around in the breeze. "Do you wanna get married?"
She rolled over in the grass. "Uh, Char I'm ten?"
"Yeah yeah I know. I mean when we get older."
She rolled back over. "I don't know. I guess."
He put his hands behind his head. "Yeah, we'd have to wait though. "
"Uh huh."
"But you think we will?"
She grabbed his little hand, "Yeah."
Charlie said he wanted to get married. But we were only ten, so we'd have to wait. Said we'd never let our love run dry, like so many do these days.
The year flew by. One by one, each bringing some new challenge with them. Each one taking one joy of childhood out with them.
As the years past Charlie became more and more keen on the idea of a life of music, his brother had introduced him too. No longer did he plan on growing up and living in the small English country village. He wanted more. He wanted lights. He wanted noise. He wanted people screaming his name. But he also wanted Becky to be right then next to him.
But Becky had different ideas. She wanted to see the world, with no boundaries. Ride wild horses and go swimming in mountain creeks. She wanted to write novels and travel around doing book signings. She wanted to see little kids falling in love with the characters she had invented, just as she had done countless times before. But she too want to view all of this by Charlie's side.
One evening, five years down the road. they found themselves on the familiar porch step. Watching the age old dance of the fireflies.
"Hey Becky." came Charlie's voice, now with a new found maturity, "do you ever think about leaving?"
She rolled her eyes. "Charlie, we go through this every time you feel a sentimental moment coming on!"
He laughed, "Yeah yeah, I know. Just answer the question!"
"Okay fine. Yes Charlie, I do think about leaving here. Happy? I wanna go see the world. Travel by balloon and ride elephants." she laughed, but stopped when she saw the seriousness on his face.
"Oh bloody hell! What's the matter?"
"Nothing," he said quietly. "It's just I was serious, Becky. I want to get out of here so bad. And I think I can. I could really get somewhere with my music, you know? If I work hard at it. And Liam's tryin' too. He's better with tunes than I am, but he cant think of lyrics to save his sodding arse!" he sighed. "He wants to try and put another band together."
Becky rolled her eyes. "Like last time? Because we all know how well that went."
"Yeah, so his friends were a couple of junkies. He'll find some better ones."
There was a weighty pause. Then Becky spoke. "Charlie, you do whatever you want. Just don't forget about me okay?"
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Never."
So we treat our love like a firefly, like it only gets to shine for a little while. And run like hell to show it off. Oh promises we made when we'd go walking. But that's just me and Charlie talking.
Like the always do, the winds of time kept rolling threw. And one day they took young Charlie Pace right along with them.
It was a rainy day, some three years after that night on the porch. Becky ran out side to see the two brothers packing the car.
"Charlie, where are you going?"
He jumped over a suitcase to put his hands on her shoulders. "This is it Beck, Liam found someone who's willing to give us a listen." his eyes sparkled and shined like a little kid on Christmas.
Becky looked down, the rain concealing the tears on her cheek.
"Well, when are you coming back?"
He looked confused, "Becky, aren't you coming with me?"
She took his hands off her shoulder. "Charlie, I cant." she looked up at him.
"Baby Brotha, c'mon on now, I'm getting sodding soaked!"
"Yeah yeah, Liam, gimme a minute, will you?" he stared, beseechingly back at Becky, "Your really not coming?"
Looking down she shook her head. "No."
"Charlie! If you don't come now, I'm leaving, and you'll have to find your own bloody ride to Manchester!"
There was one more look, a nod, a hug, and a single kiss, then he was in the car backing out of the driveway. The engine revved. A kiss was blown out the window, and the words "I'll be back" were mouthed. Then the car took off down the road, fading in the dusty morning haze.
Charlie always said he'd like to leave here. So he turned eighteen and left out sleepy town. Letters came and went and I kept waiting, for Charlie to come back and bring the life he'd found.
But that's just me and Charlie talking.
That was the last time Becky ever saw her Charlie face to face. Of course a couple years down the road she began to seeing him on television and once again being woken up by his voice, but it was only on the radio.
It had started out fine, the letters came and there were a couple of late night phone calls. Free tickets where offered and there were even times he swore he was coming home. He never did though.
Its funny how time and distance change you. The road you take don't always lead you home. You can start a love with a good intentions. And you'll look up and it's gone.
Now Becky sits behind a desk, a manager of a book editing company. She's seen the world and sold a few books. She has even been to a few concerts of a band known as Driveshaft, but she never stays too long. She lives in a big city of England, and the only mustang she rides has four wheels. Most of the time she's happy, but after a long night and a couple drinks the soft smell of the morning dew on country grass comes back to her, and the winding dance of the fireflies floats through her memory.
Now and then I sometimes think of Charlie. How we thought we knew it all back then. Now I'd give anything to feel love from a child's heart again.
Charlie sat, strumming a familiar tune, looking at the never ending ocean.
"Whatcha staring at Charlie Boy?" Claire came up behind him with a sleeping Aaron in her arms.
"Me? Ah, nothing. Just thinking."
Claire handed the baby to him, then seated herself by his side.
"It doesn't seem like nothing. Tell me."
"No, I was just thinking about a something I told someone once." He looked up at the sky, with its millions of stars looking just like--
"Fireflies," Claire interjected, "they all look like fireflies, don't they? But sorry, what were you going to say? About what you told someone?"
His voice was quiet as he looked at the girl he loved. Her eyes shown like diamonds, it was a familiar shine, like something he'd seen a long time ago. "I told her I'd come back."
She looked a little confused, then a wave of understanding came over her and she nodded.
Charlie looked back at the firefly sky, while someone over that deep blue ocean Becky stood on the other side looking at it too.
But that's just me and Charlie talking.