Our In Between

5 Call Me Names

"Ivy"

Clarity wasn't necessary to know who was calling, that silly "catchphrase" of yours gave it away. Still, I blinked several times to try and clear up my blurry vision. Slowly but surely, my eyes started to make out that someone's unmistakable silhouette. So, once the clouds were scattered off of my sight, I finally meet your smily silver orbs.

To say that I was happy would be an understatement. Overjoyed maybe? Nah, not even close.

For the first time, in what seemed like an eternity, I gave You the brightest of the smiles. One that my torn spirit had been longing to deliver. One that my mocking mouth had been hiding for the longest. Soon enough the line of your lips curved upwards as well. Funny how that simple and candid gesture seemed to always enchant me.

"Hi, little-lost boy" I greeted you, bringing my right hand to my chest and giving you a little royal bow.

"I see, we meet again Mylady" you replied while mimicking my actions.

Again with that 'Mylady'...Oh how much I despise this kind of cheesy nickname.

The common ones everyone uses are the worse: 'baby', 'honey', 'angel', 'sweetie'... they're so impersonal and void of any actual meaning. "Honey, may I take your order?" "Anything else sweetie?" "Oh, are you okay? does your knee hurt much, baby?" "Thanks for your help, you're such an Angel". We all have heard one of these somewhere at some point in our lives. They are the reflection of people's good manners, nothing less nothing more. So I never understood why your lover, relatives or friends should call you as strangers do.

Although I hate to admit it, I like the fact that my parents gave me what they thought was a suitable nickname for me. Calling me 'Little Escarole' was, is and will always be one of the most embarrassing things in the world...but they cared enough to choose something specific, original and with a personal meaning for them. Deep down, I loved being their little vegetable, as weird as it may sound.

'Mylady' is certainly one of those cheesy nicknames. What makes it different? the century gap. In other circumstances, maybe with someone else, Its use would have cheesed me off. Why would you call me like that? It's not like I was a stranger to you. And I definitely didn't want you to call me by something so trivial. However, you seemed to be the exception to all the existent rules. Your 'Mylady' got my heart melting like chocolate fondant, every single time. No mockery, no sarcasm, no sign of flirty or cocky tone could be noticed in your fruity voice. It sounded genuine and true as if it had some sort of special hidden meaning to you.

Your words echoed against the walls of my mind, and an apparent silent took over. Only apparent because the vibrant sound of two different heart-beats was getting louder. An instrumental duo between the steady rhythm of drums and the virtuous melody of a piano-forte. A complex syncopation and a strange combination of harmonies playing inside those rib cages. Like a good Bebop Jazz song. A serendipitous improvisation of two souls, Yours and Mine, intertwining with each other.

The usual side effects of having you around. At the thought, I laughed to myself nervously.

Still, under the spell of the increasing music of our hearts, I started to be aware of our surroundings. Underneath my feet stood the solid concrete, cold, rough and of a pale grey. As twins stars, parallel to each other, two thin yellow lines were drawn over the old surface, spreading themselves toward a vast and unending horizon. Countless rows of pin oaks along the sides of the desert road. And All of it was well wrapped in the thrilling atmosphere of a starless night.

Puzzled by the wrap-around darkness, I whispered, "What are we doing here?" The question was more to myself than for you to hear. But, of course, you did hear me.