Thursday, September 18, 2008

22. nougat

Just before we finally get to the bit where I get on the plane and fly into the Beautiful Boy’s arms, I have to tell you what a sweetheart he was across the oceans.

One morning I got into work and my Cutie colleague had a secretive smile plastered all over her beautiful face. I went to the back to put down my bag, enquiring what she’s smiling at, when I stumbled on a bright, cheerful bunch of flowers. Shyly checking the card attached but not daring to hope… A couple of startled tears escaped me. It was only flowers, but I had never received flowers before. I mean never.

People (read boys!) underestimate the worth of such an old-fashioned gesture. I don’t care if it’s not the most original / organic / individual / fashionable way to say ‘I love you’ but damnit it means you spent a bit of time and a bit of money trying to convey something that you feel for me.

A couple of weeks later I should’ve recognised the sly look on Cutie’s face but didn’t. In the back there was a big square black box, tied with a thick green satin ribbon. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what it might contain? I opened it and found… Nougat. Ten different kinds of Sally Williams Nougat.

What Boy didn’t know at the time was that I don’t even like nougat. But there is a song about Sally Williams Nougat. A song that I’d never heard, until Boy sang it for me. A song about a boy and a girl and all the things they love to share. All the things he will miss sharing with her, now that she’s going away. He sang it to me softly, while holding me close to him, in front of a fireplace at a restaurant on our roadtrip just before he left. Beautiful Boy can not really sing all that well, but the memory of his voice softly telling me the story of Sally Williams Nougat brings tears to my eyes even now. Honest.

4 comments:

October12 said...

My boy and I were long distance (not nearly as long distance as you two, I'd lose my mind) for six months. Just before he left, we were in bed and had a CD on. This song, "When You Come Back Down" by a band called Nickelcreek, comes on. It's expressing everything going on right at that very moment. He sang it to me, I cried. I still cry when I hear that song.
I've been following for a few days. I'm loving the story, thanks for sharing!

Cate Subrosa said...

I agree that boys underestimate the worth of such an old-fashioned gesture as giving flowers. It is always a lovely thing to receive flowers, but surprise flowers, at work... that's the best.

Mrs T said...

Gotta love gifts at work!

Modelmental said...

welcome oct 12! i don't think any shorter of a distance makes long distance more bearable, it sucks either way. i'm gonna have to find that song! are you guys living closer to each other now?
thanks for reading!

gs, exactly! surprise, at work! 2 things to cheer up an otherwise less than happy place... well for most of us anyway. more on that later, as usual.

charlie, too bad i now don't have a work anymore so no more of that little pleasure. others to make up for it though, like sleeping late!