TheBanyanTree: Tonight's Story

[Pam Lawley]

and ONLY if!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Not sure what's come over you with all this
awesome writing - but I'm tickled to pieces!!!!!!!!!!!


On Fri, Mar 28, 2014 at 5:13 PM, Theta Brentnall <tybrent at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>