The Proposal

Chapter 4: Wise For Her Years

            

10-23-2018

Dear Journal,

            Elijah came over for dinner tonight and the family loved him. He was funny and humorous as always, listened to everyone's lame stories, and seemed to put a light at the end of a dark tunnel. My parents seem to expect us to get married, but I'm not sure that will happen, yet I try and avoid the thought. My parents decided everyone could stay up late since there was no reason for my younger siblings to go back to school. The elementary and middle schools have been shut down since there is no need for them to do anything, their not searching for a spouse. Around eleven o'clock I noticed a change in my sister, Kelsey. She was watching Elijah and I closely, and I started to notice something to, we finish each other's sentences, we laugh and are at ease around each other, and we don't always have to talk to understand what's on each other's mind. Kelsey ended up slipping out of the room and I followed her outside. She was sitting on the swings swaying back and forth, her back to me. I sat down next to her and asked her, "What's the matter? Don't you like Elijah?" Her response shocked me and I realized I was beginning to forget that other people would have to find a spouse someday too. Kelsey said, "I think he's wonderful, you'll make a lovely couple, but what about me? I have to find a husband soon too, and all the boys in school are such jerks and... how did you find him?" I felt so bad, I was feeling sorry for myself when my sister Kelsey was in middle school where drama was huge and she needed my help. "Well at least your only thirteen, you have three more years. I know it sounds like a short time, but here's my tip. Stick with the nice girls; make several friends, and eventually one of your friends will introduce you to that perfect guy. Margaret did that for me. In high school most of the boys begin to change, act half human, and then you'll find the perfect guy, I promise." Yet this didn't seem to completely convince her so she asked, "What if I don't? I'll get killed, murdered, for not getting married! That isn't right!" I sat down in the grass and patted my knee, she climbed into my lap like she used to when she was little. I began to rock her back and forth and said, "Nothing seems right anymore. But you'll know it's him when you meet him, he'll top any other guy you meet and make everyone else look like ants. He'll be the king of the world and you can be the queen, you can be super hero's and save the world, you'll be the perfect tree house friends." I don't know why I brought up those old memories, where we used to play king and queen, super hero, and tree house. Somehow it just felt right; maybe that's because when I spend time with Elijah I feel like I'm a kid again having fun at the top of the world. A shadow moved that was stretching across the lawn and I turned around. Elijah was standing there looking at the two of us. How long had he been there? Had he heard what I had said? Did he know I liked him? Kelsey and I flowed him inside. Mom and Dad had gotten out a cheesecake and we ate that for a midnight snack and the laughs continued late into the night.

Sincerely,

Emily Thompson

10-24-09

Dear Journal,

            The red roses have drooped in the tree, but it is still the hot spot for proposals. Nearly fifteen people have proposed under that tree, no matter how terrible the thing looks. What I just witnessed though just begins to describe how disastrous this turning out to be. Since elementary I have known Francis and Karl, the meanest people you'll ever meet. Even though they are bullies, the person they bully the most is the other. Francis has been thrown head first at the trunk of a tree several times by Karl. Of course Karl has been seen duct taped to the flagpole in his pajamas a few to many times. What I just saw though would make you think that all that bullying had never happened. I witnessed Francis propose to Karl, under that tree and he said yes! After all the humiliation, aggravation, and deep hatred, they're engaged! I mean I understand you teasing someone you like or purposely ignoring him or her, but if beating each other up is considered love... Luckily I don't consider that love and realize there will be a divorce sooner than you can say 'Apple apes ate aggravating angers' ten times. Anyway, since it's the weekend and I'm stuck in school I decided to get with all my close girl friends together so we could hang out. I think everyone is really emotional, excited about engagements, nervous about engagements, worried about death, hoping for a husband, not wanting to get married, in other words there is a lot of thoughts in the air. We found a spot in the choir room to sit, where we could talk privately. Or, as privately as you can when over 1,300 people are roaming the school. The other 800 students have decided to go home or have already become engaged or married. We sat in a small circle, Margaret to my left, Hailey to my right, and Linda and Lauren across from me. Linda and Hailey of course were discussing wedding plans, talking about how excited they were. Neither of them had set the wedding date yet, but had already chosen whom they would send invitations too. It took them a moment to realize this conversation was troubling Margaret, Lauren, and I. We did continue to talk about the marriages though, who we knew was married, who we hoped to get married to, the whole thing. I think we had begun repeating the whole conversation for about the forth time when Stuart, Jacob, Fred, Greg, and Elijah walked in. I guess it might be a bonus that all the guys the five of us like are close friends. As long as two of us don't starting fighting over one, but that doesn't seem to be likely. We parted our circle between Hailey and Linda and everyone filled in, their fiancés sitting next to them. They asked us what we were talking about, Linda and Hailey answered in unison, "Wedding plans." The boys rolled their eyes; Linda and Hailey must have already brought it up hundreds of times. Stuart got up from the group and went over to the piano where the choir teacher normally directed. Everyone's eyes were on him, what was he doing at the piano? He sat down and began to play Margaret's favorite song 'A Heart is Worth Healing'. The only thing was the words were changed. He sang: "Margaret is my heart, a heart full of joy, a heart full of laughter. Margaret is my dream, dream full of life, dream full of happiness. Margaret will you, will you marry me?" Now Margaret, who is always so emotional, didn't cry but instead she ran over to him and whispered keep playing. I know that's not the response he wanted by the slight twitch of his eyebrow, but because she requested it he did. Her response must have been practiced to, maybe she had been considering proposing to him... she sang: "Hey what's that word, a word full of joy, a word full of happiness. Hey what's that sound, a sound full of life and happiness! It's a name like no other, we were meant for each other, Stuart... I said yes." Now I think the four of us girls were on the verge of crying again, but the four boys sitting next to us said, "No. No crying let them enjoy a little bit of happiness." So we held back the tears and began giving out hugs congratulations and pretty soon we were laughing again, but Lauren and I exchanged a secret glance that said it all: We're not going to ever get this lucky, ever!

Sincerely,

Emily Thompson