Art Is Freedom
A Bumlets Story
By: Whisper
Two years, one month, three weeks and four days. That's how long it had been since he had seen her and it was driving him nuts. He sighed as he got up to continue selling his papers. The days seemed to go on forever and the nights were unbearable. Bumlets hadn't gotten a full night sleep since Blaze left. His friends were trying to ignore it, convinced that he would snap out of it soon enough, but Bumlets knew that there was no snapping out of this. He had lost the only woman he had ever loved. The night she told him she had to leave was fresh in his mind.
I used to call you my girl
I used to call you my friend
I used to call you the love
The love that I never had
Blaze had acted weird all day and he knew something was wrong. Finally, that night out on the roof, she told him something that would ultimately crush him. "I'm leaving town, Bumlets." Never had she said anything that had hurt him so much. "What? Where? Why?" Those were the only things he could think to say. Blaze looked into his eyes as a tear fell down her face. "It's hard to explain. I just, I have something I've got to go do and I don't know when I'll be back or if I'll be back." "Why can't you tell me where you're going, or what you're going to do?" Bumlets moved closer to her, cupping her face in his hands and forcing her to look at him. "I just can't. I just needed to tell you that I was leaving so you wouldn't think I got sent to the Refuge or something. I'm leaving tomorrow." Tomorrow? No, he couldn't let this happen, he couldn't loose her. "No, you can't. You can't leave me. I'll come with you." By this time Bumlets was on the verge of tears and Blaze's face was covered in them. She quickly clung to him, taking in his scent and thinking about how much this was killing her. "You can't come with me Bumlets, I'm sorry. I have to go by myself. And I don't want you to just sit around waiting for me. You have to move on with your life, Bumlets, you have to find a different girl and start a life with her." "I don't want a different girl, I want you. I want a life with you." Tears were now streaming down his face. She hugged him one more time, not wanting to let go. "I'm gonna miss you so much Bumlets. I love you." With that she quickly ran back into the lodging house. Bumlets was in shock. He was loosing the girl of his dreams.
When I think of you
I don't know what to do
When will I see you again?
Bumlets couldn't get that night out of his head. The next day she was gone by the time he woke up. He never got to tell her how he felt, he never got to say good-bye. Now, two years later, he wished he could go back in time and fix everything. Blaze was everything to him. She was his goddess, she was his queen, she was his princess, she was his everything and now he was left with nothing but the memories. After he was done selling for the day, he skipped another meal and went directly to the lodging house. Some days he would be ok, but on days like the day he was having today, he felt like he could barely breathe. Bumlets went to her old bunk and lied down. Memories flooded his mind.
I miss you like crazy
Even more than words can say
I miss you like crazy
Every minute of everyday
Girl, I'm so down when you're love's not around
I miss you
Miss you
Miss you
I miss you like crazy
The day he asked her out was one of his favorite memories of all time. She was sitting on her bunk, playing with her hair. Bumlets remembered walking into the room and seeing how the sunlight was gently shining on her face, making her look like an angel. Blaze looked up and saw him. Before he could react she had thrown a pillow at him and it hit him right in the face. The room was silent, except for, of course, the rush of giggles Blaze let out. Bumlets lunged at her with the pillow and for the next half-hour the two of them took turns beating each other with pillows and laughing until their sides ached. That's what Bumlets loved about her. She could turn any ordinary day into something more. When they were done, the two of them were lying on the floor next to each other, reminiscing.
"Remember that time we double teamed Jack with cups of water last week? His face was priceless." They let out another round of giggles and laughs.
"I guess we cause our fair share of trouble." Blaze giggled. Bumlets had to agree with her. They got into quite a bit of trouble together daily.
"Actually I think you're the one that gets me into all this trouble." Blaze was appalled.
"No, sir, I think you are the one who gets me into trouble" They started bickering back and forth until both were laughing once again.
"Oh my side, I think I pulled something." Blaze clutched her side but couldn't stop laughing. Bumlets found the look on her face even funnier.
"Your so great, I love you." He didn't even mean to say it. It just slipped out and he froze. Blaze immediately stopped laughing and the mood went from goofy too serious.
"What?"
"I uh, said I love you. You know you're my best friend." Bumlets was trying to save himself.
"Oh, right, friends, of course." Blaze slowly got up, that was not the answer she wanted to hear. It had only taken Bumlets a second to get up and realize he should have just told the truth, so he went after her.
"Blaze wait." She turned around just in time for him to stop right in front of her. He took a good look at her, brushed a stray piece of hair out of her face and kissed her on the cheek.
"What was that for?"
"I wanted to do that, before I did this. You're my best friend, and you always will be but I can't seem to get you out of my mind and so I was wondering if you wanted to go to Medda's with me tomorrow night."
"Of course, everyone's going. We always go together." Blaze knew what he was getting at but felt she needed to hear him say it, she couldn't just assume.
"No, what I mean is, uh, would you be my date to Medda's tomorrow night?" Bumlets was full of nerves. He just asked his best friend out on a date. He had no clue what she was gonna say. He was frozen, waiting for a response. Blaze wasn't any less nervous. Her best friend just asked her out on a date. She couldn't lie to herself though, she had hoped for this for a little while now.
"Oh, uh sure. I'd love to." She smiled at him and in return he kissed her cheek again. That day was one of his favorites. He knew he could have easily kissed her on the lips but he wanted to take his time with her, with their relationship. He respected her too much to force anything on her. Now he would give anything to be able to kiss her again. Tears silently slid down his face.
You're all that I want
You're all that I need
(You're all that I need)
Can't you see how I feel?
Can't you see that my pain's so real?
A month after she left, Bumlets found himself sitting in Tibby's with a piece of paper and a pencil. Where he had gotten these materials was a blur, all he knew was that for the last hour and a half he had been carefully drawing Blaze's face from memory. It took him another three days to perfect it, but he once heard that 'art is freedom' so he kept going, hoping that he would come to some closure like Blaze had wanted him to do.
When I think of you
I don't know what to do
When will I see you again?
I miss you like crazy
Even more than words can say
I miss you like crazy
Every minute of everyday
Girl, I'm so down when you're love's not around
I miss you
Miss you
Miss you
I miss you like crazy
Bumlets fell asleep thinking about Blaze. He wished she would just walk through the door, tell him she was back for good and never leave his side again. But he knew that something like that only happened in fairy tales and as he looked around at the less than appealing bunkroom, he knew he was in no fairy tale. He was awoken by the sound of feet. Someone was coming up the stairs and into the room. Bumlets didn't want to face any of the guys so he just turned away from the door and kept his eyes closed.
I miss you like crazy
Even more than words can say
I miss you like crazy
Every minute of everyday
Girl, I'm so down when you're love's not around
I miss you
Miss you
Miss you
I miss you like crazy
"Well how am I suppose to sleep in my bunk when there is a huge lump in it?" Wait a minute, he knew that voice. Bumlets quickly jumped up and turned around. Standing there with a tear stained face was Blaze. Although her hair was a mess and it had looked like she hadn't gotten much sleep, he thought she looked as beautiful as ever. He ran to her and scooped her up, vowing to himself to never let go.
"I missed you so much. I missed you so much you will never know. Where did you go, why did you leave me? Are you back for good, please tell me your back for good, I can't loose you again." Bumlets kept rambling on and on until finally Blaze silenced him by kissing him. When she pulled away she saw all of the hurt she did in his eyes.
"I'm back for good. That's all you need to know. I still can't tell you where I was, I can't tell you why I had to go. I can't tell you any of it, and I hope you can accept that. All I can tell you is that from the moment I left here I couldn't stop thinking of you and I knew that come hell or high water, I would come back to you. Te amo Bumlets." Tears were now flowing freely everywhere. He loved it when she spoke Spanish.
"I love you too." They stood there, embracing each other, not wanting to let go and now, neither of them ever had to.
Two years, one month, three weeks and four days. That's how long it had been since he had seen her and it was driving him nuts. He sighed as he got up to continue selling his papers. The days seemed to go on forever and the nights were unbearable. Bumlets hadn't gotten a full night sleep since Blaze left. His friends were trying to ignore it, convinced that he would snap out of it soon enough, but Bumlets knew that there was no snapping out of this. He had lost the only woman he had ever loved. The night she told him she had to leave was fresh in his mind.
I used to call you my girl
I used to call you my friend
I used to call you the love
The love that I never had
Blaze had acted weird all day and he knew something was wrong. Finally, that night out on the roof, she told him something that would ultimately crush him. "I'm leaving town, Bumlets." Never had she said anything that had hurt him so much. "What? Where? Why?" Those were the only things he could think to say. Blaze looked into his eyes as a tear fell down her face. "It's hard to explain. I just, I have something I've got to go do and I don't know when I'll be back or if I'll be back." "Why can't you tell me where you're going, or what you're going to do?" Bumlets moved closer to her, cupping her face in his hands and forcing her to look at him. "I just can't. I just needed to tell you that I was leaving so you wouldn't think I got sent to the Refuge or something. I'm leaving tomorrow." Tomorrow? No, he couldn't let this happen, he couldn't loose her. "No, you can't. You can't leave me. I'll come with you." By this time Bumlets was on the verge of tears and Blaze's face was covered in them. She quickly clung to him, taking in his scent and thinking about how much this was killing her. "You can't come with me Bumlets, I'm sorry. I have to go by myself. And I don't want you to just sit around waiting for me. You have to move on with your life, Bumlets, you have to find a different girl and start a life with her." "I don't want a different girl, I want you. I want a life with you." Tears were now streaming down his face. She hugged him one more time, not wanting to let go. "I'm gonna miss you so much Bumlets. I love you." With that she quickly ran back into the lodging house. Bumlets was in shock. He was loosing the girl of his dreams.
When I think of you
I don't know what to do
When will I see you again?
Bumlets couldn't get that night out of his head. The next day she was gone by the time he woke up. He never got to tell her how he felt, he never got to say good-bye. Now, two years later, he wished he could go back in time and fix everything. Blaze was everything to him. She was his goddess, she was his queen, she was his princess, she was his everything and now he was left with nothing but the memories. After he was done selling for the day, he skipped another meal and went directly to the lodging house. Some days he would be ok, but on days like the day he was having today, he felt like he could barely breathe. Bumlets went to her old bunk and lied down. Memories flooded his mind.
I miss you like crazy
Even more than words can say
I miss you like crazy
Every minute of everyday
Girl, I'm so down when you're love's not around
I miss you
Miss you
Miss you
I miss you like crazy
The day he asked her out was one of his favorite memories of all time. She was sitting on her bunk, playing with her hair. Bumlets remembered walking into the room and seeing how the sunlight was gently shining on her face, making her look like an angel. Blaze looked up and saw him. Before he could react she had thrown a pillow at him and it hit him right in the face. The room was silent, except for, of course, the rush of giggles Blaze let out. Bumlets lunged at her with the pillow and for the next half-hour the two of them took turns beating each other with pillows and laughing until their sides ached. That's what Bumlets loved about her. She could turn any ordinary day into something more. When they were done, the two of them were lying on the floor next to each other, reminiscing.
"Remember that time we double teamed Jack with cups of water last week? His face was priceless." They let out another round of giggles and laughs.
"I guess we cause our fair share of trouble." Blaze giggled. Bumlets had to agree with her. They got into quite a bit of trouble together daily.
"Actually I think you're the one that gets me into all this trouble." Blaze was appalled.
"No, sir, I think you are the one who gets me into trouble" They started bickering back and forth until both were laughing once again.
"Oh my side, I think I pulled something." Blaze clutched her side but couldn't stop laughing. Bumlets found the look on her face even funnier.
"Your so great, I love you." He didn't even mean to say it. It just slipped out and he froze. Blaze immediately stopped laughing and the mood went from goofy too serious.
"What?"
"I uh, said I love you. You know you're my best friend." Bumlets was trying to save himself.
"Oh, right, friends, of course." Blaze slowly got up, that was not the answer she wanted to hear. It had only taken Bumlets a second to get up and realize he should have just told the truth, so he went after her.
"Blaze wait." She turned around just in time for him to stop right in front of her. He took a good look at her, brushed a stray piece of hair out of her face and kissed her on the cheek.
"What was that for?"
"I wanted to do that, before I did this. You're my best friend, and you always will be but I can't seem to get you out of my mind and so I was wondering if you wanted to go to Medda's with me tomorrow night."
"Of course, everyone's going. We always go together." Blaze knew what he was getting at but felt she needed to hear him say it, she couldn't just assume.
"No, what I mean is, uh, would you be my date to Medda's tomorrow night?" Bumlets was full of nerves. He just asked his best friend out on a date. He had no clue what she was gonna say. He was frozen, waiting for a response. Blaze wasn't any less nervous. Her best friend just asked her out on a date. She couldn't lie to herself though, she had hoped for this for a little while now.
"Oh, uh sure. I'd love to." She smiled at him and in return he kissed her cheek again. That day was one of his favorites. He knew he could have easily kissed her on the lips but he wanted to take his time with her, with their relationship. He respected her too much to force anything on her. Now he would give anything to be able to kiss her again. Tears silently slid down his face.
You're all that I want
You're all that I need
(You're all that I need)
Can't you see how I feel?
Can't you see that my pain's so real?
A month after she left, Bumlets found himself sitting in Tibby's with a piece of paper and a pencil. Where he had gotten these materials was a blur, all he knew was that for the last hour and a half he had been carefully drawing Blaze's face from memory. It took him another three days to perfect it, but he once heard that 'art is freedom' so he kept going, hoping that he would come to some closure like Blaze had wanted him to do.
When I think of you
I don't know what to do
When will I see you again?
I miss you like crazy
Even more than words can say
I miss you like crazy
Every minute of everyday
Girl, I'm so down when you're love's not around
I miss you
Miss you
Miss you
I miss you like crazy
Bumlets fell asleep thinking about Blaze. He wished she would just walk through the door, tell him she was back for good and never leave his side again. But he knew that something like that only happened in fairy tales and as he looked around at the less than appealing bunkroom, he knew he was in no fairy tale. He was awoken by the sound of feet. Someone was coming up the stairs and into the room. Bumlets didn't want to face any of the guys so he just turned away from the door and kept his eyes closed.
I miss you like crazy
Even more than words can say
I miss you like crazy
Every minute of everyday
Girl, I'm so down when you're love's not around
I miss you
Miss you
Miss you
I miss you like crazy
"Well how am I suppose to sleep in my bunk when there is a huge lump in it?" Wait a minute, he knew that voice. Bumlets quickly jumped up and turned around. Standing there with a tear stained face was Blaze. Although her hair was a mess and it had looked like she hadn't gotten much sleep, he thought she looked as beautiful as ever. He ran to her and scooped her up, vowing to himself to never let go.
"I missed you so much. I missed you so much you will never know. Where did you go, why did you leave me? Are you back for good, please tell me your back for good, I can't loose you again." Bumlets kept rambling on and on until finally Blaze silenced him by kissing him. When she pulled away she saw all of the hurt she did in his eyes.
"I'm back for good. That's all you need to know. I still can't tell you where I was, I can't tell you why I had to go. I can't tell you any of it, and I hope you can accept that. All I can tell you is that from the moment I left here I couldn't stop thinking of you and I knew that come hell or high water, I would come back to you. Te amo Bumlets." Tears were now flowing freely everywhere. He loved it when she spoke Spanish.
"I love you too." They stood there, embracing each other, not wanting to let go and now, neither of them ever had to.