Turtles for Sue
Ever since we were children, I remember Sue always complaining that she wanted a pet turtle. All through kindergarten, she'd talk about it during recess and snack time. She even had a stuffed turtle toy that she'd bring to show and tell every single Friday, claiming that she taught it new tricks and all the games they'd play together.
One day, the bully of the class decided to shut her up about her stupid turtle. He stood up in his chair and laughed across the room at her.
"Why don't you get a real turtle to play with? That thing's fake! There's no way you can have any fun with that!" the bully shouted, making Sue cry back to her seat.
Of course, the little bully got in trouble for it. I guess what nobody knew is that the bully kid actually really liked Sue. He was jealous that she had a favorite thing and really, he didn't. If he were to tell everyone his favorite thing at show and tell, they'd probably laugh at him.
Then I grew up, though. When we hit high school, I wasn't the same bully I was. I admitted to liking Sue - not to her, of course. I admitted to my friends and some family members, but of course, I made them swear not to tell Sue. They all thought I was weird for liking her, of course. She was obsessed with turtles - how isn't that a little strange? Really though... I liked them right along with her. Around her, I felt like a turtle. I wanted to hide away in my shell and wait for her to be gone before I went back to thinking about her.
High school eventually ended, though. I learned that Sue had moved on to join college courses to become a Marine Biologist. That didn't surprise me at all, really. Anything to get close to sea turtles, right? I knew nothing about them other than the fact that Sue is crazy for them. Turtles, Sea Turtles, Tortoises... why she liked them so much, I had no idea, but I did know that _that_was the way to her heart.
I ran into her one day in a supermarket when I was picking up some groceries. I thought by now she'd have moved away or something. She wore a brown pleated skirt, stockings, and red V-neck shirt with a small, silver necklace. Of course, on the necklace was a turtle. The shell was a green gemstone and the rest of it was as silver as the chain it was connected to.
"Barry? From the 2010 senior class, right?" Sue asked me.
"Yeah... it's Barry Drainor. You're Sue Meyers!" I said, pretending to not recognize her at first, "Wow, it's been a long time!"
"It has, oh my gosh," she smiled, moving her long, curly brown hair out of her face.
"You still love turtles as much as you did in school?" I asked jokingly.
Sue laughed, "Of course I do, see?" she said, showing me her necklace, "It's so funny I ran into you, though! I was talking to my friend Lane and his boyfriend about you and we were sharing embarrassing high school stories - you came up, and it's crazy that you're here now," she giggled softly, "Weird, right?"
"Kinda weird, yeah," I chuckled back, looking at her necklace again, then back up to her blue eyes, "Wait, what kind of embarrassing things?"
Sue began blushing a bit, looking at me as if she had some huge secret or a surprise, "Well... I was telling Lane that I used to have this really big crush on ya..."
When I heard her say those words, I immediately felt my stomach churn. Then and there was the perfect time to tell her. Sue, I've been in love with you since like, kindergarten! I only made fun of you to look cool and for an excuse to talk to you, but really, you're the best person ever and I just want to kiss you and hold hands and...
"Barry? You alright?" Sue asked, tilting her head a bit, "You seem kind of out of it. Should I leave ya alone?"
"No, no!" I said, "I'm just a bit surprised. I... uh..."
"I know, I was such a loser in school. I didn't want you to ever know because_I was the loser. And besides, you made fun of me a _lot!" Sue said, crossing her arms.
"Well, I only did that because I was a jerk. You know kids... I was having issues at home, I liked a girl who didn't like me back, I thought, and... you know," I explained, "I never actually had a problem with you."
"Oh - who did you like? I never saw you dating anyone in high school, so that's kinda strange," she said.
I looked her in the eyes. Now's the chance. Maybe something can happen. Susan, I love you. I want to date you. I want to listen to your endless babble about turtles and tortoises and what they eat and how they're cleaner than dogs.
"Well... just this girl... everyone thought she was sorta nerdy but... I lo--really liked her, a lot. She's... she was so cute with her uh..." I stammered, avoiding eye contact now.
"Well, just tell me her name! Maybe I remember her?" Sue insisted.
"Sue... I..." I said, shaking a little. The worst than can happen is that she rejects me and I go home and eat this microwave dinner. That's it, that's all. Come on. "Well... it was... you," I said, my heart beating with nervousness as I watched her expression stay the same. "I had a crush on you all through school. I really only picked on ya so I could, you know, say something to you."
Sue remained silent for a little bit, looking as if she were analyzing me. Finally, her smiling lips parted a bit, "Ah... well... I wish I knew then. How do you feel about me now, Barry?"
I could feel myself start to blush. That was a terrible question to ask me right then and there, in the cold, unforgiving chill of the meat isle.
"Well, I still think you're very interesting. I love that you love turtles... I don't know why, but it's just adorable to me... and impressive. I... well, I _know_I still have feelings for you. Are you uh... seeing anyone?" I asked, my hands sweating and my shoulders aching from shivering nervously.
"As a matter of fact, I'm not. I think I'd like to go out with you, Barry... if that's alright," Sue said to my surprise. Immediately, the chill of the meat isle turned into a strange warmth, filling me up from inside.
"I... y-yes! Yes, wow... I'd love that!" I said, a bit too excited, "I mean... haha... yes, I would very much enjoy that, Sue... I'll pick you up, okay? I'll take you someplace nice. I know you'll love it."
"I'm looking forward to it, Barry," Sue smiled, reaching into her purse, pulling it open with a turtle keychain, reaching in for a pen and paper. She scribbled down her phone number and address, then began walking past me, "I've got to finish up here, so I'll see you later, okay? Don't be late, now," she said playfully with a wink.
Immediately, I felt like I was flying. I feel like my biggest dream had come true - granted my biggest dream was actually being an indie-game developer and making lots of money, getting my game titles sold in huge quantities, you know, small-business, but this all felt so much greater than that. This felt like nothing else mattered in the world. I immediately pushed my shopping cart to an unplanned isle and began picking up picnic supplies. I found a small basket, some bread, fruits, and different kinds of cheeses and meats for sandwiches; I had an amazing night planned for Sue... one that would make up for all my years of bullying in elementary school, and still tell her that I feel the same way I did for her in high school. This time, I would show it with class, confidence, and most of all, sweets.
I traveled to an isle where heart-shaped boxes of chocolates were for sale. This seemed a bit to cliché, even for me. Looking around the isles, I could see fudge centered chocolates, caramel filled, fruit cream filled, but all of those were so overrated and overdone. Then I saw the perfect candy that Sue would absolutely love.
A box of Chocolate turtles, actually shaped like little, miniature, bite-sized turtles stared me blankly in the face. It was the last box and I wasted no time. I snatched up the box and hurried to a checkout line, waiting for the magic to happen. The magic that made all these goods officially mine; the chocolate turtles would soon be an impressive gift for Sue.
I waited outside her house in my car. The nervousness waited this long to catch up with me, and then when the moment finally came to actually go up to her house, my legs decided not to work. Damn it... just get out of the car and go say hello! I looked down at the box of chocolate turtles and smiled, thinking about how happy she would be to see little delicious turtles.
That's when I decided that it was now or never. All I wanted out of this night was to make Sue smile and feel good. I could not care less at the time if she wanted to kiss me, make love to me, or even be my actual girlfriend. All I wanted was to make her smile and let her know I care for her. Okay... here we go. It's now or never.
I stepped out of my car and shut the door - she must have heard me, because I noticed her curtain move a bit. I saw her smile at me before closing the curtain. I approached her door and knocked a few times, and immediately I was surprised by what I saw.
The woman who answered the door was Sue, but she was dressed in sweatpants, sneakers, and a hockey jersey. Here I am dressed in a nice dress shirt and good pair of jeans. I smiled when I looked at her attire and chuckled softly.
"Oh... you're dressed up," Sue said nervously, a trace of laughter in her mumbling words, "Should I maybe... go change?"
"No! Not at all," I said, holding the picnic basket in my hands, "You look wonderful. Very comfortable, actually."
"Are you sure? I don't even know where..."
"It's alright. You'll be far more comfortable than be where we're going. Whenever you're ready, Susan," I said, doing my best to sound courteous.
Sue smiled, pulling a keychain out of her sweats pocket. I noticed her keychain was a large, silver and green gem turtle; I smiled taking notice and watched as she locked her door and headed to my car.
Once we were both in the car, I smiled to her and sighed, "Okay! You ready to go?"
"Sure am. I'm a bit nervous, though. I've not been on a date in so long... I'm worried about doing something stupid."
"Hey... me too. If we end up doing something stupid, we'll call it a funny memory," I laugh softly, starting up the car.
The drive to the spot I had in mind was a rather calm one. We caught up with each other and talked about how Sue's college courses are going - she only has one more year to complete before she can become a true marine biologist. Seeing the smile on her face when she talked about it was gorgeous and I just couldn't wait to make her smile even more.
When we finally got to the spot, I stopped the car, got out of my seat and rushed over to her door, opening it for her. One sneaker at a time, Sue steps out of the car and looks around.
The scenery is lovely at this time of night. With a waning moon shining over the pond creating a rather immaculate reflection, the small area felt like a place straight out of the storybooks.
"This is a lovely spot," Sue smiled, "and the stars are just so beautiful. Barry, this is a very nice place."
"I thought you'd like it. I've prepared a picnic for us, by the way. I thought you might like to dine under a lovely sky, you know?" I said, blushing and feeling myself get more nervous.
"You thought right. Let me help you!" Sue said, excited, rushing over to my trunk and assisting me with grabbing a large blanket and a couple pillows while I grabbed the basket, the chocolate turtles, and a small oil lamp. "Where should I set these?"
"Wherever you think is best. Tonight is about you," I admitted, to Sue's surprise, of course. She ended up picking a spot near some large stones, not too far away from the water, but far enough so the waves didn't reach us. I then got to my knees alongside her, smoothing out the blanket, then began to pull things out of the basket, one by one.
Plastic containers of fruits and assorted veggies came first, and then came the sandwiches. A bottle of grape flavored wine and two wine glasses wrapped in a soft towel came next, and finally, all that was left were the chocolate turtles, but I kept those hidden from her.
"This all looks so yummy!" Sue smiled, looking at the vegetables and then the sandwiches. "I'm starving!"
"Help yourself! I hope you like mayo... I mean... I made two for each of us, so two have mayo, two don't."
"I don't mind mayonnaise. It's good on most sandwiches, I think," Sue said taking a bite, "Oh my God, is this Swiss cheese?"
I nodded, "Yep! I saw you shopping for some, so I figured you liked it."
"Good eye, this is delicious, thank you."
The night went just as expected. We laughed, we sighed in content, we even locked eyes a few times. Her hair in the moonlight was something I'd never forget. Just the way she smiled and laughed at my corny jokes was enough to call this a successful date, but when I asked her about her family... she told me some pretty grave news.
"My mother always loved turtles," Sue said with a bit of a frowned half-smile, "Before she died, she always called me her little turtle dove. It's a bird, but... she knew that sometimes even the word 'turtle' was enough to make me feel a little better when I was sad."
"What happened to your mom, if I may ask?" I asked, leaning close to her in concern.
"Cancer... Lymphoma was too much for her to battle and it just sorta... attacked her in one fell-swoop. She did her best to fight it off and stay positive, but..." Sue sniffled, starting to cry, "I'm sorry... I'm ruining such a lovely date... I'm so stupid."
"No, not at all... Susan, you're not stupid for having feelings," I assured, moving closer to her and wrapping an arm around her, "Your mother would be so proud of you today. A lot of people don't have the guts to do their best and aim for something huge when a tragedy hits," I said, slowly reaching into the picnic basket, quietly reaching for the box of chocolate turtles, "You'll be a marine biologist! Imagine how many sea turtles you'll see in your lifetime!"
Sue smiled immediately, "I suppose. My mother did always say that one day I'll practically live with turtles."
I brought the box of chocolate turtles into view, showing them to her, "I thought you might like these, Sue... they were the last ones and I just had to get them for you. It's not much... but..."
"Shut up... this is definitely a lot, Barry!" Sue said, her voice almost a whisper of excitement as her eyes lit up to the chocolates in the shape of little turtles. "This is incredible... thank you so much. These... mean a lot to me, really."
"Oh? I guess I chose well, then," I smile, watching her open the box. Inside, around twenty chocolates in the shape of little turtles lay neatly in imbedded rows, waiting to be plucked and devoured.
"Excellently, really. My mother and I... we would eat these all the time. I mean... you know how we girls are when we're upset. We'd turn on a bad movie and hoard ice cream like cows!" she laughed, plucking a turtle out of the box and bringing it to her lips, not biting or licking, "These little guys would be plopped all over the ice cream. We'd call them turtle sundaes."
I smiled as she bit into the chocolate turtle, a big smile on her lips, "The best, happiest moments of my life were when I was sad with my mom, isn't that funny?"
I shrugged, "Maybe to some people. I think it's great you remember her so fondly. Wherever she is now, I'll bet she's saving a giant pile of chocolate turtle sundaes for you in your giant turtle-shaped bedroom," I said, listening to Sue bust out in laughter, "With your giant mural of turtles and your turtle guards outside..."
"Now you're just getting ridiculous!" Sue laughs, plopping a turtle into her mouth, chewing with a large grin.
"And your turtle-shell shaped slippers will be waiting for you on a sea-turtle shell shaped rug next to your turtle shell of a bed..." I continued joking.
"Stop it!" Sue laughed, shoving a chocolate turtle into my mouth. At this point, we couldn't stop laughing. I noticed, though, as much as she laughed, she also had a tear rolling down her cheek, but smiling, she wiped it away.
The rest of the night was magical. We talked for hours about her plans for after college and about my plans for game development, and she even decided that she'd love to help out. It turned out that as a hobby, she liked to play around with C++ and Java Scripts. I knew she was a nerd in school, but I never thought she'd be this type.
That's not a bad thing at all, really.
"I just want to say, Barry..." Sue said, leaning back, holding herself up with her arms as she crossed her legs stretched out before her, "This is one of the very best nights I've had in a long time. I wish you had told me how you felt in school."
"I wish I told you, too. But hey, I wish you told me!" I teased, looking over to her and seeing some chocolate residue on the side of her mouth. I leaned over to her and wiped it away with my thumb, and she gasped a bit.
"Oh... sorry... I just saw that, um..."
"You missed, Barry."
"What do you mean? I got it right..."
I was interrupted by the most gorgeous, sweetest, most tender kiss I've ever felt in my entire life. My stomach began to flip and my eyes wanted to stay closed forever as I felt myself float away with the moon's reflection.
At the same time, I wanted to be like the reptile she loved so much and just retreat into my shell to blush and gush about this marvelous kiss. Boy, did I kiss her back, the flavor of chocolate on her tongue and lips staining me from the inside out. The flavor was made only better by her kiss alone, deepening, but then soon ending.
She released the kiss and looked at me, deeply in my eyes with a large, brilliant smile, "Barry... I'd like to do this again sometime. Do you think we could?"
I was stunned - she fell for me. I could feel it. She fell in love with me. That kiss alone - that chocolatey, sweet, chocolate-turtle kiss proved that she might actually love something more than turtles.
Ten years later, that proved to be me. Marrying the woman I love, her smile repeated itself when she looked at our towering vanilla and chocolate wedding cake, dotted all over with chocolate turtles. And that's where all our sweetheart memories came flooding back; the day I bought only a few little chocolate turtles for Sue.