That's a nice name. Is it Dutch?"
"Scandinavian. It means Divinely Beautiful."
"Sounds like quite an act to live up to."
"Mom does it remarkably well. You'll understand when you meet her."
"What does Melissa mean?"
"Honeybee."
"Hm...makes sense."
"Because I have a wicked stinger?" she says, deadpan.
"Because you're always busy."
"Only because Carl is such a slacker."
"Hey, did you hear the one about the constipated slacker?"
"No, and I'm not going to. Tell it to my brother."
"Your brother told me the joke."
"Not surprised in the least. Okay, what about the constipated slacker?"
"He couldn't give a shit."
"That is Carl", she is completely without expression, "Many times over."
"Why are you so hard on him?"
"I'm not hard on my brother. I love him."
"And that is how you show love."
"I said that I love him. That doesn't mean that I am always going to approve of him. If you really love someone completely, unconditionally, then you are going to know when to kick their ass. And you will be crying while you are kicking."
"Makes sense.." My coffee has grown quite cold, but I still enjoy the bitter sweet flavor. I didn't put enough sugar in but this time, but somehow it seems to taste better.
"What does your name mean, Christopher."
"Bearer of Christ".
And now she looks at me as a warm, broad and shining smile seems to envelop her face. This is the first tine I have seen Melissa smile, as she gets up and waits for me to swallow the last of my coffee. Then she takes my cup, and carries it with her own into the kitchen...
No comments:
Post a Comment