Spring Break, Baby
By Hemel Lassie
Sorry for the long break between postings, but I have had lots going on, personally, professionally and health wise. Serious stuff, fun stuff, scary stuff and well just STUFF! So, here we go. Chapter One has been revised and reposted and on with Chapter Two...Hemel Lass, May 27th 2007
Part Two
Seated at one of the outside tables at EUROPANE, Charlie dug into his meatloaf sandwich. "This is great, Don. I was actually pretty hungry today."
"So, Susan Berry wants you to drop any thing you are doing and fly to England for spring break, eh?" Don went straight for the details.
"Really? You know just about as much as I do about this, Don. I mean that call was really from out of the blue. I haven't heard from her since about three months after she was here last. I thought she was living with someone, but she says he is 'out of the picture now' whatever that means." Charlie shrugged. "She sounded terrible though. Like she has been really sick recently or something. And she said she didn't have much time left. "The younger man's expressive face was very troubled looking.
"Charlie, don't jump to conclusions. She could have been on a cell phone that was running out of juice. Lord knows you forget to charge yours often enough."
'You think Sue wants to fly me to England because she forgets to charge her cell phone?" The professor frowned skeptically at his big brother.
"That's not what I am saying. What I am saying is that you don't know what she meant by not having much time… It could have been that she had to meet some one…or that she was about to go into a tunnel on the Motorway. I mean, don't assume too much. That is all. She obviously thinks she has two weeks plus, because she didn't ask you to fly over tomorrow. Right?" Don was really trying to pull Charlie out of what he perceived as a bit of a nose dive. "Boy, this egg salad on cranberry and walnut bread is like. Man, this is sinful it is so good. Holy… Wow! You were right, this place is great."
"Like I told you, Don. So long as you get here early in the day, when they have a good supply of everything, this place is simply amazing. Next time, we'll have the brisket sandwiches, but I just thought you had to try the one you have got."
"Yeah. Well, I can't believe I am saying this, but this could make me a convert from too much red meat. Of course, I am not sure how good for you this is, but it sure tastes fantastic. And I am having me some dessert. I don't eat like this all that often. Screw the health stuff."
Talking with his own mouth full, Charlie replied. "Surprisingly, most of the food here actually is pretty darned healthy. See, it's the way it's made. It's just made good. It isn't what you can CALL low fat, but they go light on the cream and stuff and the quality is…"
"To die for…" Don agreed. "I can't believe we never came here before."
"Well, you usually aren't this early, Don. They close at 2…or 2:30, so late is out. What do you think of the coffee?"
"I think I will never look at a Starbucks the same, my brother. This stuff is dreamy. I mean for a caffeine junky it is heaven. So, what about dessert? What do you recommend?"
"Honestly? You have to try the lemon bars. I mean don't get me wrong, every thing here is good, but try the lemon bars. Really."
"Okay. You haven't steered me wrong, yet, on this place, Chuck." The tease was intentional, but didn't even earn him a frown.
"I am not a steak or ground round, Donnie." Charlie retorted, smoothly.
"Eww. Touché. Talking to Susan a few seconds on the phone is enough to get you all calm with the snappy retort."
"Hey, she is a psychologist, you know."
"Doesn't seem to have helped you much in the past."
"You didn't' see us when we were together, brother. We were a force of nature!"
Don grinned at the remark. "Well, actually, I have heard rumors to that effect before. Frankly, even though I may not have seen you much when you were with Susan, it was clear even to me, you had something special. Certainly when she was here, what was that…two years ago now?"
Charlie frowned. "Let's see. Oh, we both want the lemon bars for dessert, Miss. Oh, hi, Amy! How are things going?"
"Professor Eppes and his dashing FBI brother…." One of Charlie's students was serving them. "Any plans for Spring Break, Professor."
"It appears I am going to England!"
"Ah, to be in England, now that Spring is there…." Amy responded.
"It's a poem, Charlie…" Don offered helpfully.
"Yeah. I got this one, brother. "Charlie retorted evenly. As he quoted from memory…
"Whilst the Victorians were industrializing everything in sight, their poets were harking back to a gentler (and more idealistic) England of days gone by.
Oh, to be in England
Now that April's there,
And whoever wakes in England
Sees, some morning, unaware,
That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf
Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf,
While the chaffinch sings on the orchard bough
In England - now!
And after April, when May follows,
And the white throat builds, and all the swallows
Hark! Where my blossomed pear-tree in the hedge
Leans to the field and scatters on the clover
Blossoms and dewdrops - at the bent spray's edge
That's the wise thrush; he sings each song twice over,
Lest you should think he never could recapture
The first fine careless rapture!
And though the fields look rough with hoary dew,
All will be gay when noontide wakes anew
The buttercups, the little children's dower, -
Far brighter than this gaudy melon-flower!
Robert Browning (1812-1889)"
Don's jaw dropped in startled surprise. "Wow. You sure know that one back and forth. "
"Really, England in April? It is something special, Don. I look forward to spring over there. It is going to be great!"
"What do you think Amita will think of the trip, though, Charlie? Really. Is this going to mess things up with you two?"
"I won't even get to talk to her about it before I go, Don. She's in intensive sessions with Dr. Finch and another Professor preparing her presentation for the Seminar they are attending over spring break and I really doubt I will see her at all before she leaves for that. I mean, maybe two seconds in the hall. I knew I would be on my own this break, I just didn't know where." Charlie grinned. "Besides, she trusts me and I trust her. Whatever Susan wants I don't think it is romantic in nature. You know? She sounded more like she needed to make something right. I don't know why. We didn't part on bad terms or any thing. In fact, I offered…well, to take up some of my standing invitations to lecture in England…to further explore our…um, common ground."
Don decided to play the wise older brother. "In other words, you had sex while she was in town on the book tour and it was enough to trigger old feelings."
"It wasn't crass or anything." Charlie said, defensively.
"Charlie, you are a healthy adult male for cry, aye. I never said sex with an old girlfriend was crass or anything like that. It can be a beautiful thing. But…." He looked at his younger brother's wilted expression, knowingly.
"She told me she was living with a guy. He had two kids from a previous relationship and they were pretty serious."
"Ouch. So for her, it really was nostalgia sex?"
"I don't know, Don. It hurt at the time, but now I have Amita. I'm not sorry we had that time together. It really was beautiful and romantic. I don't care what her motives were. All my feelings were still in place…it was a natural thing. Just a little embarrassing when she revealed she was in a sort of committed relationship."
"Charlie, unless she had told you that before you had sex, it isn't…look you didn't do anything wrong. She withheld information from you that might or might not have made you act differently, if you had known. That isn't a crime. It isn't even immoral. You didn't know." Don squeezed his younger brother's shoulder in empathy. "I wish you had told me what you were going through back than, Charlie. I would have been there for you."
"Yeah, like you and I discuss your sex life or relationships all that much." Charlie retorted. "Look, it was private, at least at that point…and yeah, I was a little embarrassed. I felt played. .. I was hurt. But I am over it. You know?"
Don raised his refill of the truly excellent coffee. "To old memories and new adventures?" He toasted with one eyebrow raised.
"I'll drink to that." Charlie was drinking a raspberry iced tea, but he brought the edge together with Don's coffee cup, enjoying the moment of brotherly solidarity on a lovely day in Pasadena, near the Cal Sci campus.