Marylou

<<->> Friday - Jonesy

Jonesy had the weekend all planned out. He was leaving after work on Friday to go camping with the guys. He really wasn’t too thrilled about camping, but this was the first time they had included him, so he was reluctant to decline the invitation. Plus, the girls were coming to the campsite on Sunday morning. They were going to bring coffee and stay to watch the solar eclipse. Viewing was supposed to peak at noon on Sunday.

 Marylou would be there, he had heard. He would do almost anything to spend time with her. Even devote the weekend to sleeping on the cold, hard ground and staring at far-away stars dotting the black sky. Not being one for the outdoors, he worried about communing with nature. He would much rather spend the day watching the eclipse on his 146-inch wall TV at home. He would have had the event catered, if they wanted to come over. Or he would have sprung for a room at the Four Seasons, the fanciest hotel in town. Room service, and four walls sounded more appealing than side-stepping poison ivy. Even the thought of that made him itch. He had offered the luxurious alternatives, but the guys wanted a “manly” weekend. And he wanted the chance to speak to Marylou.

Jonesy had had a crush on Marylou since high school. Back then, she had been out of his league, so he never asked her out. She was always nice to him, unlike some of the other kids, but it’s not as if she went out of her way to speak to him. Still, he appreciated the occasional smile and nod as they passed in the hallway.

It had been a dozen years since high school. Jonesy had done well for himself. After college, he had landed a great job in an up-and-coming technology company. Over the next few years, his career path took a vertical trajectory. With his successful professional life, came huge financial rewards. He knew he was set for several lifetimes. He never rubbed it in when he saw his old classmates. But they understood who owned the large house on the hill.

His stature in town grew with his bank account. Although he was still short on friends, he was no longer ignored. Jonesy was the first call for any charitable drive. And he always picked up the tab when he ran into anyone he knew at the local diner.   People would wave from across the street when they saw him. Mind you, they didn’t cross to chat a bit, but at least they waved.

Walking through town, Marylou was on his mind, but he pushed musings of her aside. He had always been good at partitioning off his thoughts, and especially his emotions, to better deal with matters at hand. That’s what made him so good at his job. He could access the compartmentalized sections of his brain when he was alone. 

For now, he had supplies to purchase. Namely, he needed a tent, sleeping bag and other accoutrements for his outdoor ordeal. And eclipse viewing glasses for all. He was sure no one else would think to bring those.

<<->> Friday - Marylou

Marylou was beyond excited for this weekend. She tried to convey her excitement to the two less than enthusiastic friends she was having breakfast with at the diner.

“Don’t you understand? This eclipse is going to be a celestial spectacle of majestic proportion. The rarity of an eclipse in our area –we are in the zone of totality! The next one around here won’t be for another twenty years! We could see the silvery corona and the diamond ring effect! It’s going to be awesome! Up in the mountains, fresh air, and no obstructions or interfering lights. We will be able to experience the solar eclipse like very few people get to – a total immersive experience.”

“UGH. Give it up, Marylou. We get that you think this is some sort of holy natural ritual, but it’s just a few minutes where the sun gets blocked. Clouds do that, too, you know. No one celebrates whenever a cloud crosses between the sun and the earth.” Ryleigh chuckled at her own joke. She looked over at Annabelle, who quickly pretended to wipe her mouth with a napkin to hide her smile.

“I’m just excited to go to the mountains to see the guys. I hear Vinnie is back in town and going camping with them, too. I haven’t seen him since he threw the winning touchdown in the state championship game,” Annabelle said.

“Yeah, great bod! And those dreamy eyes! Oh, and what’s-his-name is going, too – the rich guy. You know, the nerdy kid from high school.”

Marylou sighed. “You mean Jonesy. He was quiet, but he was okay. Yeah, I heard he was asked to go. Not sure if this is his kind of thing. We’ll see if he shows. Anyway, you guys win. No more solar eclipse talk – at least not until Sunday!”

<<->> Sunday - Jonesy

Jonesy rolled over in his sleeping bag. He wondered who named these tubular blankets. “Sleeping bags, my foot! What an oxymoron!” And pure marketing genius to whoever named them, he thought, since they afford very little sleep. 

He could hear the other guys’ snoring through the night hours, so sleep did come to some, but only after intense lubrication, which preceded the inevitable inebriation. That must be what made it a ‘manly’ weekend, he surmised.

Being somewhat of a teetotaler, he suffered the nights, only dozing when shear exhaustion forced his eyelids shut for brief periods. He promised himself it would all be worth it, though, because today was Sunday. Last day! Tonight, he would relax in a warm bath, followed by a feather bed with the finest silk sheets money could buy.

As the night sky began to wane, a warm yellow glow emerged at the horizon’s edge. Daylight would come soon. Jonesy rolled over again to get a better glimpse of the aurora. He had purposefully set up his tent to have the entryway face the east. He had to admit, up here in the mountains, the sunrise was more intense and beautiful, than at home. To watch the radiant sun defeat the darkness was one of the few pleasures he had experienced on this camping trip. 

For some reason, the crack of dawn brought feelings of a glorious new beginning. It was a spiritual re-birth of the earth. It had always been like this - a deeply religious experience for him.  He never understood why, since he was not the religious type, always dealing with science and gadgets. This natural piety pulled from deep in his soul and brought him feelings of hope and joy. As illogical as it was, he couldn’t quell these feelings. Watching the victorious luminescence, he was momentarily at peace with the world.

As the vibrant oranges and yellows rose, and the black night faded into an azure sky, he heard a lot of groaning coming from the other tents. The guys were starting to stir from their alcohol-induced slumber. Apparently, the aurora didn’t have the same mystical hold over them. They much preferred seeing the stars with their companion, Johnny Walker.

Stiff, Jonesy got up. After a brief inventory to make sure he suffered no lasting harm from the night’s torturous slumber, he dressed. The girls would be here soon. They were bringing the coffee, so they would come early. That meant Marylou would be arriving soon. His reason for enduring this entire camping trip.

<<>> Sunday – Marylou

At precisely 5:00 am, her alarm rang. Marylou was already awake, trying to contain her excitement. Today was the day. She was going to bear witness to an astronomical marvel, a natural phenomenon of epic proportions. She knew her best friends didn’t share in this sentiment.

“They are not going to dampen my joy,” she announced to no one. “I don’t care if they think this is no big deal.”

She was ready nearly an hour before Ryleigh pulled up to give her a ride up the mountain. Annabelle was already sitting shotgun, so Marylou climbed in the back. There was barely enough room to squeeze in. Trays of bagels, croissants and donuts filled the back seat and four large containers of hot coffee were in the trunk.

“Geez, you two, you really went all out. There’s enough junk in here to feed an army. How many guys are camping up there?”

“Well, we figure there are four there, including Vinnie. . . Oh no, maybe five if the nerdy guy made it the whole weekend. So with us three, that makes possibly eight and we didn’t know if anyone else would show.”

“And I’m hoping Vinnie will work up a bit of an appetite,” Annabelle laughed. Marylou rolled her eyes.

“UGH. Grow up! And while you are at it, you need to stop calling Jonesy the nerdy guy. He has a name.” Marylou scolded as they drove up the mountain.

<<->> Sunday – The Eclipse

When they reached the campsite, the girls set up the coffee and pastry table. Marylou wandered away from the group to find the perfect overhang, where she could get a good view of the eclipse. She sat with her feet hanging over the cliff. After a brief solitary respite, she heard someone approached from behind. Without looking, she knew it was Jonesy. Her body shuddered involuntarily.

“You found the perfect spot,” he murmured. “Here, I brought you some glasses certified as safe for viewing the solar eclipse.”

“Thanks, but I already have a pair. I’m sure some of those knuckleheads will need a pair, though.”

“I left a bunch there for them. Mind if I sit?”

Marylou scooted over to make room for Jonesy. She didn’t trust her voice to answer. It was almost time.

For the next few minutes, Jonesy and Marylou sat side by side. Not touching, but each keenly aware of the other’s presence. Jonesy had waited all weekend for this moment, but his words failed him. His breath was fast and shallow as he tried to calm himself. He was sure she could hear his heart pounding.

The temperature began to drop as the sky slowly darkened. They both donned their special glasses. Marylou took a deep breath as they watched the moon’s shadow slowly cross in front of the sun.

“Spectacular,” she whispered as they neared totality.

Immersed in darkness, the dance between the two celestial bodies accentuated the electricity flowing between the two sitting on the ledge. It took every bit of the willpower Jonesy could muster not to pull Marylou into his waiting arms. He dared not even glance in her direction, but sat stone-faced, watching the corona as the moon blocked the solar rays. Marylou sat trembling, staring into the sky. Every fiber in her body was on fire.

And then the re-birth, as the diamond ring burst forth. It was Jonesy’s turn to gasp, as the sun reappeared in the sky.  The feeling was more powerful than anything either of them could have imagined. It was as if they were the only two beings on earth, witnessing the creation.

Only when it was over, and the sun had regained its full glory, could they turn toward each other. Jonesy looked into Marylou’s eyes. He still dared not touch her. “Wow,” was the best he could do.

It had been magical, but he wasn’t sure if Marylou had been reacting to the eclipse, or to him. They were both still trembling. Eventually, they got up and made their way back to the group.

<<->> 20 Years Later

Jonesy climbed the ridge to reach the overhang where he had sat watching the last solar eclipse twenty years prior. He had been back to the same spot many times since experiencing the eclipse with Marylou. It was never the same, but yet he was drawn there. Year after year he went. Always alone - making the trek to reignite a long-ago memory.

When he approached the overhang, he was surprised to see that someone was already there. He would have recognized her anywhere. She didn’t turn around, but knew it was him. She moved to the side to make room for him to sit.

He took a deep breath and wordlessly sat next to her. He hadn’t seen her face, but instinctively knew she would be as beautiful as he remembered. She spoke first.

“So, how have you been?”

He nodded, unable to find his voice yet.

“You never married, I hear.”

“No, you?”

“No. I guess I never found the right guy. Or he never found his way to me. I waited, but eventually I moved away. I never found anyone else.”

“He’s a fool. That guy.”

Jonesy handed Marylou a pair of solar eclipse glasses. This time she took them.