Fazed by Me

V

I've always loved the way that the summer breeze caressed my being while I drove. It always reminded me of the warmth and love I felt every time I entered my grandparent's house, every time I entered, my grandma would look me up and down shake her head and come engulf me in her arms, my grandpa would be right behind waiting for his turn. It always felt like home with them. The world halted at its axis inside the oak house. Each smile, touch, and laugh had an unequivocal meaning that could only be replicated with us together. The concept of time and space become nonexistent inside our big oak house, bursting at the seams with endless love and comfort. Pure joyfulness would linger out of the windows making a trail for despondent souls back to the house.  Inside the oak house, everything was- everything seemed perfect. From there I could live blissfully unaware of the outside. A time I wish I could go back to. 

The sound of Lionel Richie's  "Easy like Sunday morning " brought a smile to my face and ultimately back to the present, I looked over at Emmanuel driving the car with an easy smile on his face. He nodded his head to the beat and belted out the lyrics leaning his head carelessly from side to side. 

" What do you know about Lionel Richie?"

" Girl whatchu mean, Lionel Richie, Teddy Pendergrass, Phyllis Hyman, Dionne Warwick just to name a few, are my people"

" Oh yeah?" 

" Yeah,  music doesn't hit as it used to" I arched my eyebrow interesting I thought. 

"My mom and my aunties y'know they played all of them when I was growing up. Listen.. come Sunday morning the whole block would know we were cleaning " I chuckled a little remembering my own memories. 

" For real" he smiled " I learned all the songs working at a record store when I was younger just so I could sing along with them" 

" So you roll like that huh?" He smirked " Okay, I see you" He bashfully smiled again with his eyes sparkling, which I matched. This was the first time in a while where I felt comfortable with anyone but myself. It felt nice to have some company. 

Interrupting my thoughts again, Emmanuel looked over me then back to the door seemingly wanting to get something off his chest but not knowing how to. He breathed in a big gulp of air and exhaled loudly, chewing on his bottom lip his eye flickered off the road and honing into mine again. Holding the stare a little longer than what was deemed normal I could see all the question marks pasted on his face, I quirked my eyebrows and chuckled lowly. Feeling the easiness of the air disappearing he finally spoke. 

" I don't wanna intrude or nothin' but you straight?" I looked at him again and quirked my eyebrow quizzically " I mean I saw how intense it got with ol' du-"

"It's fine really, I rather not talk about it"

" Aight, aight I won't push. I'm just a concerned friend" 

" I'd hardly call you a friend" He did a double-take and looked at me smiling.

"Well then, call me a concerned soon-to-be friend"

" How do you know you're going to be my friend?" I chuckled, grateful for the comfortability of the atmosphere that surrounded us. 

" What did I tell you, don't worry bout it, sweetheart-"

"It's the splash" We both finished off together. Emmanuel smiled and kept a lazy smile on his face. You can't hide from yourself  By Teddy Pendergrass became the background music to my many conflicting thoughts this night had invoked. Their faces and voices became too much for my already tired mind to take. I closed my eyes in hopes to blur the images and turn the ever prominent voices in my head into white noise.