Friday's Whims of the Time Traveler 20.1: May 9th, 2010
"Caramel Kisses" is an unfinished novel I began to write back in 2009 and stopped working on in 2010. The two main characters - Adriana Maguire Reynard and Emma Burking - would ultimately be revised for my later completed novella, "The Liffey Is Half-Asleep," in 2011. Several elements of "Liffey" can be found in their original forms in "Caramel Kisses," such as the characters' names, the haiku scene, and Adriana's penchant for writing.
Because of its influence on my later writing, I figured that this story, though incomplete, was worth sharing.
Caramel Kisses: Chapter Six
by Belinda Roddie
“Is this what you want?”
“Hmmm?”
“I said, is this what you want?”
“That’s a funny question.”
“Just tell me.”
“Probably.”
“That’s it?”
“It’s different. It’s nice. I’ve always wanted to try this.”
“Try this? What am I, one of thirty-two flavors at an ice cream shop? A free food sample at a grocery store? One of those coffee drinks they offer you at the café?”
“You’re silly.”
“And don’t say I’m an experiment. That’s the worst. I’m not a science project.”
“No, no. None of those. It’s just…”
“Just what?”
“I just never thought it’d happen. It wasn’t expected of me.”
“But do you…?”
“Do I what? Finish the question.”
“Do you…I mean, like…”
“Do I like girls?”
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I have for a while. But I…”
“You just never acted on it.”
“Right.”
“Was it because of your father?”
She makes subtle movements, blinks slowly. Small stage directions; the director says it works beautifully. He says it does wonders for the subtext.
“I think there were a lot of things holding me back. Confusion, disorientation. I mean, c’mon, I was already a stranger in a strange land, Adriana. You think it would’ve been any better if I changed from an English girl to a gay English girl?”
“It sounds better than a gay American girl.”
“How long did it take you to find out that…”
“Oh, me? I was seventeen.”
“Lucky you.”
“I wouldn’t call that lucky, really. So…is this what you want?”
“Yeah. This is what I want.”
“Emma…”
“Shhh.”
“Emma…”
“Shhh. Don’t spoil the mood.”
“How can I spoil it?”
“Just trust me.”
She looks stage right, then stage left. No one is looking. No one is waiting in the wings.
“This feels so good…”
“It’s a funny thing, romance…isn’t it?”
“What do you want most out of life, Emma?”
“That’s a rather deep question.”
“I’m serious.”
“I’m not sure. Comfort, maybe. But life’s not meant to be comfortable. Satisfaction, but that’s a bit selfish. Fulfillment? Is that a better word?”
“That’s a good one.”
“Better than the other words?”
“Satisfaction got the Rolling Stones in my head.”
“Well, it’s appropriate, isn’t it?”
We hold for changing lights. There is now a red glow cast onto the scene. Maybe there’s some gentle music in the background.
“I always thought it’d take longer than this. The angst, the torment, the confusion about it all…”
“Even longer than we’ve taken?”
“What about you? Were you aching for this to happen?”
“Not on the first day I met you, but…”
“But?”
“The second day. When I saw you again. It was like a confirmation.”
“Ah. A royal seal. A stamp of approval.”
“Sort of.”
“And you’re fine with a girl like me?”
“You’re better than any man can offer. Or any woman, for that matter.”
“But I’ve got the man’s wardrobe. And the attitude.”
“Not the anatomy. We may as well not be here if you did.”
“Huh. That’s comforting, in a weird way.”
We wait for scattered laughter, strain to hear wobbling seats in the audience.
“Do you love me, Adriana?”
“Would I still be here if I didn’t?”
“But do you really…”
“Yes. Of course.”
“Ever since…”
“Yes. Sundaes in Ghirardelli Square.”
“All we needed was a musical score.”
The lights dim, the scene goes black. Hold for applause.
Because of its influence on my later writing, I figured that this story, though incomplete, was worth sharing.
Caramel Kisses: Chapter Six
by Belinda Roddie
“Is this what you want?”
“Hmmm?”
“I said, is this what you want?”
“That’s a funny question.”
“Just tell me.”
“Probably.”
“That’s it?”
“It’s different. It’s nice. I’ve always wanted to try this.”
“Try this? What am I, one of thirty-two flavors at an ice cream shop? A free food sample at a grocery store? One of those coffee drinks they offer you at the café?”
“You’re silly.”
“And don’t say I’m an experiment. That’s the worst. I’m not a science project.”
“No, no. None of those. It’s just…”
“Just what?”
“I just never thought it’d happen. It wasn’t expected of me.”
“But do you…?”
“Do I what? Finish the question.”
“Do you…I mean, like…”
“Do I like girls?”
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I have for a while. But I…”
“You just never acted on it.”
“Right.”
“Was it because of your father?”
She makes subtle movements, blinks slowly. Small stage directions; the director says it works beautifully. He says it does wonders for the subtext.
“I think there were a lot of things holding me back. Confusion, disorientation. I mean, c’mon, I was already a stranger in a strange land, Adriana. You think it would’ve been any better if I changed from an English girl to a gay English girl?”
“It sounds better than a gay American girl.”
“How long did it take you to find out that…”
“Oh, me? I was seventeen.”
“Lucky you.”
“I wouldn’t call that lucky, really. So…is this what you want?”
“Yeah. This is what I want.”
“Emma…”
“Shhh.”
“Emma…”
“Shhh. Don’t spoil the mood.”
“How can I spoil it?”
“Just trust me.”
She looks stage right, then stage left. No one is looking. No one is waiting in the wings.
“This feels so good…”
“It’s a funny thing, romance…isn’t it?”
“What do you want most out of life, Emma?”
“That’s a rather deep question.”
“I’m serious.”
“I’m not sure. Comfort, maybe. But life’s not meant to be comfortable. Satisfaction, but that’s a bit selfish. Fulfillment? Is that a better word?”
“That’s a good one.”
“Better than the other words?”
“Satisfaction got the Rolling Stones in my head.”
“Well, it’s appropriate, isn’t it?”
We hold for changing lights. There is now a red glow cast onto the scene. Maybe there’s some gentle music in the background.
“I always thought it’d take longer than this. The angst, the torment, the confusion about it all…”
“Even longer than we’ve taken?”
“What about you? Were you aching for this to happen?”
“Not on the first day I met you, but…”
“But?”
“The second day. When I saw you again. It was like a confirmation.”
“Ah. A royal seal. A stamp of approval.”
“Sort of.”
“And you’re fine with a girl like me?”
“You’re better than any man can offer. Or any woman, for that matter.”
“But I’ve got the man’s wardrobe. And the attitude.”
“Not the anatomy. We may as well not be here if you did.”
“Huh. That’s comforting, in a weird way.”
We wait for scattered laughter, strain to hear wobbling seats in the audience.
“Do you love me, Adriana?”
“Would I still be here if I didn’t?”
“But do you really…”
“Yes. Of course.”
“Ever since…”
“Yes. Sundaes in Ghirardelli Square.”
“All we needed was a musical score.”
The lights dim, the scene goes black. Hold for applause.
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