TheBanyanTree: Tonight's Story

[Theta Brentnall]

You know we'll be quiet if you'll tell us another story.

It works for the grandkids.

Theta

On 3/28/2014 1:28 PM, Monique Colver wrote:
> 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
>>>>>>
>>>>>>