Nadine and Adele

Strawberry Ice Cream and Feelings

So distraught worrying that she messed up her chance to be friends with Nadine; Adele doesn't notice her walk up.

"Hey."

A look of utter astonishment takes over Adele's countenance as she looks up and sees Nadine standing right in front of her. "I...I thought you were going to see the movie?"

"Nah...I'll see it some other time. So; while we're waiting for my mom to come, you want to get some ice cream?" She watches Adele look to the ground and gently bite down on her lower lip. "What's wrong, Adele; don't you want to have ice cream? We can go get some pizza instead."

Adele softly replies, "No...I want ice cream...but..." She bites down on her lip again.

"But what?"

"I don't have any money left."

"I got it. Come on."

Nadine heads for the ice cream stand, while Adele slowly gets up from the bench and lags behind; keeping some distance between them. Adele generally practices this subservient behavior with most people she follows as her way of showing respect and maintain her self-perceived, mandated role as one not worthy of being in their company.

Once there, Nadine waits until Adele's standing beside her. "So, which do you prefer; vanilla or chocolate?"

Adele softly answers, "I like strawberry."

"Okay." Nadine turns to the vendor at the window, "Two large cups of strawberry ice cream, please."

After Nadine pays, they sit at one of the tables out front. Adele dives into her ice cream with the overzealous enthusiasm of a wide-eyed child; scooping up large globs of the frozen treat and rapidly shoving heaping spoonful after spoonful into her mouth as quickly as she can; seeming as if she were racing to finish before someone comes by and takes it away.

Nadine chuckles, "Is it good?"

Adele stops shoveling, quickly swallows the load of ice cream crammed in her mouth and answers, "Really good. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

While Adele goes back to eating in the same fashion; Nadine picks at her ice cream a little before inquiring, "Adele...can I ask you something?"

Adele stops just long enough to murmur, "Uh- huh"; then continues eating.

"If you only had enough money for your ticket; why did you buy those kids ice cream?"

Adele stops eating, but remains staring into her cup as she answers, "Because I know how it feels."

"How what feels?"

Still not looking up from the cup, she tells Nadine, "Not to be able to have something that you want..."

Adele becomes silent, as a melancholic expression takes over her face. Nadine senses Adele has more to say; so she decides to wait for her to finish. She doesn't wait long before Adele adds...

"And to be made fun of about something that you can't help being." She becomes quiet again, still looking into the cup; then admits, "It doesn't feel good. It hurts."

She looks up towards Nadine, displaying a forlorn look etched on her face, then turns back and starts eating slowly; lacking the former enthusiasm of before.

A lump instantly forms in Nadine's throat; and it feels as if her heart becomes heavy from some sort of empathetic response over Adele's emotional pain. Somewhat leery to...but feeling obliged asking nonetheless...

"Adele...do all the kids at school make fun of you?"

Adele stops eating; remaining somberly staring into her cup. Then Adele does the inconceivable; something that she had never done before in herlife...at least not with any of her fellow peers. She slowly turns to Nadine, and for the first time ever since she's known her, Adele looks her directly in the eyes. She softly answers...

"You don't."

Nadine's momentarily speechless over this. This wasn't exactly the reply she was expecting to hear... "You don't". She assures her...

"I would never make fun of you, Adele."

"Really?"

Nadine reassures her, while smiling, "Really."

A partial smile emerges on Adele's face, as she says, "Thank you." She goes back to slowly eating her ice cream.

Nadine can't believe it. Adele Wilson had thanked her for saying that she wouldn't make fun of her. She wonders what this poor girl has gone through during her life to make her feel required to thank someone for not making fun of her. Nadine, now feeling a larger lump growing in her throat and a heavier heart lying in her chest, watches as Adele slowly finishes eating her ice cream.