A Passion For Love (6)

Joey woke up the next morning to the phone ringing. He first reached for Charlene but she wasn't there...she must be fixing breakfast? He stumbled to the living room and picked up the phone, saying,"Hello...hello." Joey's mom said,"Joey...we have been trying to call for days...what is wrong?"

Joey sleepily said,"Oh...probably that storm we had...I thought you and dad would be on your way home....Charlene is here...we haven't heard from Jim."

Silence...dead silence came and then his mom said,"Are you alright Joey...what in the world are you talking about? Joey said,"Charlene...you know...Jim's fiance...your son Jim...my brother."

He heard his mother gasp and then mumbling in the background. Then he heard his mom crying. His dad got on the phone and yelled,"What the hell is going on Joey...has your blabbing, fat ass Aunt Martha been talking with you...dammit...we told her to never bring that baby up...ever!"

Joey was totally confused when he said,"Dad...why are you so angry...I just told mom that Charlene was here and Jim hadn't called...you know...from the Navy."

His dad screamed,"I don't know any gol damned Charlene son...what the hell....we had a baby die three years before you were born..we were going to name him, Jim...we never told you about him....are you out of your mind....dammit son...we will be home tomorrow...you have a shit load of explaining to do...good fucking by!"

Joey backed the phone from his ear as he heard his dad slam it. Joey hung the phone up and felt numb from the confusion of the conversation. He shouted out for Charlene....no answer. He shouted again for her as he walked by the wall of pictures. He stopped when he saw the picture of him and his parents...where was Jim? He scanned all of the pictures and couldn't find Jim.

He screamed louder for Charlene but only heard the morning birds singing. He rushed to the bathroom and splashed water on his face. He began checking all of the rooms...calling out for Charlene. He desperately said to himself out loud,"No fucking way...not a dream Joey...not a dream...it is real dammit...Charlene is real!"

He ran out on the porch and saw the old red and blue blanket folded over the back as usual. "The pants...yes...the cut off pants...I only have three pair" he said to himself as he ran back in to check. There was one pair in the closet...one pair by his bed on the floor and he found the other pair in the hamper.

Joey screamed for Charlene as loud as he could! He ran back to his bedroom and dove on the bed. He screamed into his pillow and cried like he had been whipped by God. He finally gathered his senses and sat up on the bed. He breathed in deep through his nostrils and said out loud,"I can smell her body...I can smell her on me...I am not insane...I know it happened!"

He put his pants on and ran outside. He ran to his car thinking that hand prints might be on it. He moved his hand slowly over the hood ornament and thought of her pink socks. Joey became angry and he slammed his fists down on the hood. He cried and staggered into the corner of the wheat field...a few yards from his car.

He began ripping at the wheat...pulling it up with dirt clods on the ends...he thrashed around and screamed for Charlene! Then he saw it....just barely but he saw it. He jumped through the wheat and grabbed the pink ribbon...it had floated away to the field that day she untied her hair. Joey held it to his heart and cried out,"Charlene...where are you?"

He thought,"Yes...she is in little Kansas....the middle of the field. Joey ran like he had never ran before! He could feel pain in his feet but he didn't care...he was running to Charlene.

He desperately searched when he got to where he thought it was. He saw the folded down wheat and ran to the spot where he hoped she was. He cried out her name when he saw that no one was there. The wheat was smashed down just like he remembered. He fell to his knees crying like a baby.

He hung his head and felt like dying. Then he saw those shoes...those beautiful black and white saddle shoes. He looked up...still crying and there she was....smiling with tears in her eyes. She was wearing her pink skirt..pale blue blouse and her beautiful long brown hair draped her shoulders.

She knelt down in front of Joey and softly kissed him. He cried,"I couldn't live another second if I thought you didn't exist."

She wiped his tears and said,"Sweet Joey...I came back when I felt your hurt...I should have told you but you wouldn't have believed me....Jim and I are friends in another world...he told me about you...his wonderful little brother...he died before he was born and so did I...he loves you so much...just him talking about you made me love you."

Joey, with a confused look on his face asked,"How did you get here...why do I think I grew up with Jim?" Charlene smiled and said,"The Time Angels Joey...they gave me three weeks in August to be with you...forever...you did grow up with Jim in a way...he was in your heart...the Time Angels placed him in your memory...that was the only way we could be together."

She softly added,"Every time your momma sits on the porch swing ...Jim gives her a kiss...she thinks it's just the wind blowing her hair or a fly on her cheek...but it's Jim...every time."

Joey looked at her so sad and said,"You have to leave don't you?" She hugged him to her breasts and said,"Yes sweet Joey...but I will return to you every first week of August....I will be waiting here in the middle of little Kansas for you."

They held each other for a while and softly cried. Charlene sniffled and said,"I have to go Joey...I left a present for you under your car seat...I'll be here next August....I love you Joey."

She faded from his arms with their last kiss. Joey got the biggest smile on his face as he shouted out loud,"I have a girlfriend from another world...I am the luckiest guy on earth!"

Joey looked at his scratched up feet...jumped up and walked back to the farm house. When he got to the yard from out of the field...he headed straight for his car. He flung the door open and reached under the seat. He pulled out his mangled pants...his ripped up underwear....white satin panties and a pair of pink socks.

Joey didn't care if all sounded crazy to him...he had the proof in his heart and in his hands. He looked up at the sky and shouted,"I love you Charlene....I will say I love you over and over.... every night as I go to sleep...we have a date next August....I am going to walk to the middle of little Kansas naked....I am going to love you back to heaven!"

He felt a little tingle on his cheek....Joey smiled.