TheBanyanTree: Tonight's Story

[Monique Colver]

Oh, everyone be quiet. You're going to give me a swelled head.

Thank you.

Now be quiet.




*We appreciate your referrals!*

Monique Colver
Colver Business Solutions
www.colverbusinesssolutions.com
monique.colver at gmail.com
(425) 772-6218


On Fri, Mar 28, 2014 at 9:46 AM, Barb Edlen <MountainWhisper at att.net> wrote:

> Ditto. What he said, Neekia.
>
>
>
> On 3/28/2014 10:56 AM, Jim Miller wrote:
>
>> An exceptional writing talent . . . . . . . the one I stop everything to
>> read . . . . . . . . as I've always said.
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Mar 28, 2014 at 3:16 AM, Sally Larwood <larwos at me.com> wrote:
>>
>>  Me too Kitty. Fascinating and excellently written as always.
>>>
>>> Sal
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>
>>>  On 27 Mar 2014, at 23:38, Kitty Park <mzzkitty at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I have a question, Monique, about your writing.
>>>>
>>>> There's a flow with this piece that I don't always find in what you
>>>> post.
>>>> In my mind's eye, you sat down, thought for a moment or two about what
>>>>
>>> you
>>>
>>>> wanted to convey and then the words put themselves down.  Minimal
>>>>
>>> editing.
>>>
>>>> Now don't misunderstand.  I appreciate reading what you share -- whether
>>>> it's goofy or serious.  But there is a quality about this one that sets
>>>>
>>> it
>>>
>>>> apart from some of the others.
>>>>
>>>> Maybe it's *my* mood this morning that is affecting how I regard your
>>>> thoughts about Cece.  Bottom line -- this one pulled me in and I was
>>>>
>>> sorry
>>>
>>>> when it ended.
>>>>
>>>> Kitty
>>>> <mzzkitty at gmail.com>kcp-parkplace.blogspot.com
>>>> <http://parkplaceohio.com>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Thu, Mar 27, 2014 at 1:31 AM, Monique Colver <
>>>>
>>> monique.colver at gmail.com>wrote:
>>>
>>>> I have a friend. She's a friend of a friend who became a friend. She
>>>>>
>>>> used
>>>
>>>> to live in Hollywood, the Hollywood, and was married to a guy who was
>>>>>
>>>> big
>>>
>>>> in the Scientology thing there. I met her once. She's a down-to-earth
>>>>>
>>>> women
>>>
>>>> who's happy with living simply, and she didn't care for the Hollywood
>>>>> religion.
>>>>>
>>>>> Years ago when I was broke she insisted I had to go to California to
>>>>>
>>>> see my
>>>
>>>> grandfather, who was 100 at the time. "But Cece," I told her, "I really
>>>>> can't afford to."
>>>>>
>>>>> "You're going to come see him," she insisted, "You and Andrew both.
>>>>>
>>>> You'll
>>>
>>>> stay here, and you can borrow my van, and I'll pay for the plane
>>>>>
>>>> tickets."
>>>
>>>> And she did. She wanted to do it because she wanted us to see Gramps,
>>>>>
>>>> and
>>>
>>>> she had the money, and she was insistent, and so we went.
>>>>>
>>>>> We stayed at her house, we met her family, her husband just for a
>>>>>
>>>> second,
>>>
>>>> her disabled daughter for longer. Her disabled daughter, in her teens
>>>>>
>>>> then,
>>>
>>>> told me I was too old for Andrew, and that he should go out with her
>>>>> instead. Cece had her hands full with that one. She had other children,
>>>>>
>>>> but
>>>
>>>> they were mostly grown and elsewhere, probably free spirits like their
>>>>> mother.
>>>>>
>>>>> We saw Gramps, and he and Andrew had a good talk.He was slower, and
>>>>>
>>>> seemed
>>>
>>>> tired, but was in good spirits. It was indeed the last chance we'd have
>>>>>
>>>> to
>>>
>>>> see him -- several months later he was gone, shortly before he would
>>>>>
>>>> have
>>>
>>>> turned 101.
>>>>>
>>>>> We were so grateful to Cece, but she would not entertain the idea of
>>>>>
>>>> being
>>>
>>>> paid back. She was just happy she could do it for us.
>>>>>
>>>>> Not too long after that Cece left her husband and moved into the wilds
>>>>>
>>>> of
>>>
>>>> California. She'd had enough of his Scientology, something she was in
>>>>>
>>>> only
>>>
>>>> because he was, and she refused to belong anymore. Contact with her
>>>>>
>>>> became
>>>
>>>> intermittent. She usually was far from Inter Webs, having to trek into
>>>>>
>>>> the
>>>
>>>> nearest town to get it. She was free and unfettered, and she moved in
>>>>>
>>>> with
>>>
>>>> a guy named Terry, a veteran with PTSD, into his trailer out in the
>>>>>
>>>> desert.
>>>
>>>> Every so often we'd hear from her. Sometimes she'd drunk dial me,
>>>>> incoherent and rambling, but still full of love.
>>>>>
>>>>> Then Terry, the love of her life, blew his brains out while at his
>>>>> desk,
>>>>> while she was in the next room.
>>>>>
>>>>> When I am at my lowest I think of how Cece found him when she heard the
>>>>> shot, and I know I could not do that to anyone I love.
>>>>>
>>>>> Today Cece posted pictures of her trailer, pictures she'd taken when
>>>>>
>>>> she'd
>>>
>>>> returned from the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
>>>>>
>>>>> And there was blood sprayed on the wall, and pooled on the floor, and
>>>>>
>>>> even
>>>
>>>> at a distance of several years, and in a picture, you can see the pain,
>>>>>
>>>> all
>>>
>>>> the pain Terry had bottled up inside, until he let it loose to run over
>>>>>
>>>> the
>>>
>>>> desk and the floor and the walls. Pain is a deep dark red, mostly, once
>>>>> it's been released anyway. Before that it can be any color, but when it
>>>>> comes out, it's red.
>>>>>
>>>>> Cece, being Cece, didn't explain the first set of pictures adequately,
>>>>>
>>>> even
>>>
>>>> though she did say that's what she came home to after Terry was taken to
>>>>> the hospital, so people were responding with things like, "OMG Cece!
>>>>>
>>>> When
>>>
>>>> did this happen?" "Are you okay?" "What's going on?"
>>>>>
>>>>> Then she posted pictures of what it looks like now. She has a sense of
>>>>> peace there, despite it all. I know she's fallen in love since again,
>>>>>
>>>> and
>>>
>>>> maybe out of. It's hard to tell with Cece. She's mercurial, and what's
>>>>>
>>>> here
>>>
>>>> one day may be something else the next.
>>>>>
>>>>> She's a lovely spirit, floating through her good times and bad, giving
>>>>> whatever she has to give and not giving it a second thought.
>>>>>
>>>>> It's been awhile since I've had a drunken call from her, but she claims
>>>>> that we helped her greatly.
>>>>>
>>>>> I know she helped me greatly.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> M
>>>>>
>>>>>
>