September
~ 1971
"I
just love a carnival, don't you, Joe?" Amanda asked as she held Joe's hand and
walked down the arcade.
"Sure
do," was his quiet reply.
Amanda
didn't notice his distraction and pulled him towards the gypsy's tent. "C'mon, Joe, let's have our fortunes told."
"Thought
you didn't believe in that stuff," Joe asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"I
don't," Amanda agreed, "but it'll be fun."
"All
right," Joe said with a smile, "let's go."
But, as
they were about to enter the tent, a woman stepped out and stopped them. Dressed in a peasant's dress with a colorful
scarf covering her long dark hair, she told them, "Only she may enter." The couple stared at her in surprise but she
repeated, "What I have to say is for her ears only." She stepped back inside the tent.
Amanda looked
at Joe and shrugged with a smile, "I'll be right back."
"You're
going in?" he asked in surprise.
"Why
not?"
"Because
she was weird, that's why."
"It's all
part of the show." Amanda kissed him
lightly on the cheek, "Don't look so worried, Joe, I'll be right back."
"So,
what'd she say?" Joe asked when Amanda re-joined him.
She
smiled, "Nothing earth shattering. I'm
sure she tells the same stuff to every girl she sees."
"I
guess," Joe answered skeptically as they held hands and started walking again
down the arcade together.
"You
hungry? How 'bout we check out the food court for something more filling than
junk?" When he didn't answer, Amanda
stopped walking and turned to face him, "Joe?"
Joe had a distant look on his face and she grew concerned. "Joe, what's wrong?"
Suddenly,
Joe focused on Amanda, "I'm sorry, sweetheart, did you say something?"
"Are you
all right? Is it the gypsy? It really was just for fun. You don't have to be upset about it."
"I'm not
upset," Joe said defensively, "I was thinking about something else."
"I guess
you've been distracted all morning," Amanda commented. "We can go if you want. I thought it would be fun for us because we
didn't see each other much this week. I
mean, I know I've gone to the carnival every year for the past six years but
it's always the same and I guess that's part of the charm and why I enjoy going
every year because I know what to expect but, Joe, if you wanted to go someplace
else, we can because I don't have to stay.
I know you had a tough week and if you'd rather --"
Joe
silenced his girlfriend's nervous rambling the way he discovered was best and
most fun, with a kiss. It was a
cotton-candy sweet-filled kiss but before he got carried away he broke contact
and stepped back from Amanda. "Amanda,
we have to talk."
Amanda's
mood quickly changed from happy, and just slightly dazed, to anxious and
worried. "Something's wrong isn't it,"
she quietly acknowledged. "You've been
so quiet today. You probably didn't
think I noticed but I did. I can read
people, especially those I care about, so I did notice. But I thought you were just tired from the
week, I mean between school and work, you're exhausted, but, now that I really
think about it, you haven't been yourself for a while now. Something's wrong. It's us, isn't it? You're not happy, are you?"
Joe shook
his head in amazement at the rapid-fire way her mind worked. "Amanda, you are amazing."
Amanda
put her hands in her jeans pockets and looked down, "But?"
"But
what?"
"I'm
amazing," Amanda began as she slowly looked in Joe's eyes, "but, what? I'm not
really what you're looking for? We had a year of wonderful times but you've had
enough?"
"No!" Joe
exclaimed as he grabbed Amanda's arms.
"No, I haven't had enough. I
want more. I want so much more."
"Then
what is it?" Amanda implored, "Why do you want to break up with me?"
"Break
up?" Joe suddenly pulled her close and kissed her deeply. After a moment, he felt her relax as her
hands move up around his neck. Removing
his lips from hers, he breathed, "Who said anything about break up?" before he
kissed her again.
As they
broke away for air, Amanda stood back slightly and hugged herself, "I don't
understand, Joe. What do you want?"
Joe knelt
in front of her and tugged at her hands.
Taking them in his, he stated, "I want you to marry me."
Stunned,
Amanda whispered, "Marry you?"
Joe
nodded, "I love you, Amanda West. Would
you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
Her eyes
shimmered, her head nodded up and down, and she excitedly answered as she fell
into his arms, "Yes, oh yes, I'll marry you!"
Her
sudden movement knocked him off balance and Joe toppled over bringing Amanda
down with him. They laughed at their
tangled mess before Joe brushed some crushed leaves from Amanda's hair and
seriously told her, "I love you."
"Oh, Joe,
I love you, too," was Amanda's answer before she pulled him close for a tender
kiss.
Joe's arm
was around Amanda's shoulders as they strolled close together towards the
entrance of the carnival. "Who do you
think will be more surprised, your mother or mine?"
Amanda
laughed, "Knowing Mother, her first words will be, 'I was beginning to think
he'd never see the light.'"
Joe
stopped and Amanda looked at him quizzically.
"I'm sorry, this wasn't exactly how I planned on asking you,
Amanda. I wanted it to be special."
Amanda
caressed his cheek, "It is special, Joe, just because you asked me. I don't need any fancy arrangements. I just need you."
Joe
gently brought her hand to his lips before he hugged her. "I love you so much," he whispered before he
pulled back slightly. "And I want you
to know that I do have a ring for you but I still have one more payment to make
before I can pick it up."
"Joe,"
she whispered.
He
continued to explain, "That's why I've been so pre-occupied lately. Between worrying about how to ask you, I've
been putting in extra hours to help make payments on the ring. Think you can wait?"
"I would
wait for you forever, Joe King," Amanda answered with a smile.
Joe
laughed pleasantly, "Not forever, sweetheart, just 'til next week. Think we should wait to announce our plans
until then?"
Amanda
looked at him and laughed, "Not unless you want to end up…." Amanda's voice trailed off and she stared at
her fiancé.
"Amanda,
what is it?"
"Your
hat…."
Joe
reached up, pulled off his baseball cap, and looked at it. "What about it?" he asked as he turned it
over.
"It's
red," Amanda answered, still stunned.
"So?"
"So she
said…She said…Oh my gosh, how did she know?"
Confused,
Joe asked, "Who? Know what? The gypsy? Is this about the gypsy? What did she
tell you, Amanda?"
Amanda
smiled as she quickly hugged Joe tight, "She said the man in the red hat would
change my life forever."
the end…
but we know better, don't we…
: )
