Her Brother's Gift

Her Brother’s Gift

By M. Harris


Last Christmas, Kathy had fallen in love with Marlene’s brother Taylor while he was on furlough from the Navy. Taylor was stationed off the coast of Japan on a Navy Carrier and he had just become an Aviation Warfare Specialist. Kathy was looking forward to Marlene’s visit. She was bringing a celebration gift to her from Taylor for his new job.

Marlene was only a few blocks away so Kathy put on their favorite tea to brew. As she waited the sun was beaming through the patio doors and warming the living area of her small apartment. The University of Houston campus was on the far left of her view, as the opening of the curtain revealed. Kathy couldn’t help but think of Marlene with her pigtails in the first grade. They had been good friends since elementary school and they were attending college together. Taylor was always a school ahead of them and Kathy really didn’t know much about Taylor until the Christmas holiday. They had been emailing each other since Christmas. She loved his emails and the last one said, “I think I love you.”

The door bell rang. “Beware of sisters bearing gifts,” laughed Marlene as she brightened the room with her scent of cleanliness and the slight ruffling of a swinging gift bag in hand. Her red hair neatly brushed back into a pony tail, freshly washed and partially dried was that marvelous aroma that filled the room with her presence.

“I made peppermint tea with a hint of light hot chocolate. I wanted to splurge today.” And with cups in hand Kathy motioned for Marlene to sit on the sofa. They could read each other’s minds; in happiness and sadness, in war and at peace. Oh yes, there were many squabbles as they grew up and they threatened to never see each other again. But, today was a day of happiness. Marlene had bought the gift with Taylor’s money and $600 for .50 ctw diamond earrings was an expensive gift for a girlfriend, even though it was Kathy. Marlene remembered that he had wanted one full carat diamond earrings, but she let him know quickly that was not in his ballgame and he could only afford half of that.

Marlene bent over her tea cup and looked Kathy in the eye and said “My brother is crazy about you.”

“This gift is above and beyond my brother’s means but he wanted it for you. He thinks you are the prettiest girl in the whole world and He said it was only last Christmas that he truly saw you for the first time.” Marlene wrinkled her nose, “I don’t see it, but open this gift. I’m envious and green with jealousy that no guy has ever given me such a nice gift. Open it.” She pushed the sack into Kathy’s lap with a big smile and a tint of green around the gills on her face.

“They are beautiful. Are they real? I have always wanted diamond earrings,” and she began taking her old earrings out to replace them with her new ones.

“They are real and expensive and a half carat of real diamonds. I know because he sent me the money to buy them for you. And they look great on your ears and I am jealous with envy; I mean pea green envy.”

Marlene enjoyed the mirror behind the sofa and examined for herself. Kathy joined her at the mirror and patted down her red hair.

“I love them.” Marlene was still gazing into the mirror as if the diamonds were increasing in size as she inspected them.

“I’m leaving you with your diamond fortune. Going back to my pauper life on Cleburne Street. Oh, sure, just ignore me. Now that you’ve gotten your diamonds just ignore your friends.” she stuck out her bottom lip in a teasing way.

Kathy laughed, “They are so beautiful. If Taylor only knew how happy I am that he cares so much to buy them for me. Your brother is a very special person to me. I fell in love with him the moment I saw him last Christmas. I’ve loved you, all of my life, why not him too.” She pushed on Marlene’s shoulder softly. “I listened to you fussing about your brothers for years and I guess I just assumed they were retards like you said. I remember Taylor when he was short and stocky eating sour apples. To see him now at six feet two inches, tall and lean with beautiful black eyes and black hair is shocking. It is like I never knew him growing up and only met him recently as a handsome prince.”

“Handsome prince! They are all still retards. You had it right what I said the first time.” Shaking her keys to let Kathy know she had to go. Marlene leaned forward and hugged her quickly. “See you later. Don’t study too hard.”

“I wish you didn’t have to go so quickly,” but Marlene was half way to her car and just waved.

The rest of the day was like a fairytale to Kathy. Finally, a man that really did love her, but she couldn’t study for thinking about last Christmas. She’d met Taylor three days before Christmas and he had invited her to shop with him for Marlene’s present. They spent thirty minutes shopping and the rest of the day walking in the park and talking about their schools, teachers, family, church, and everything that connected them. Maybe this is why they fell in love. They were connected. She remembered he apologized for kissing her, but it was the most natural thing for them to have done. He had this way of picking her up every chance he got. On a small step down where a tree root had made a step at the park, he picked her up and set her down. While walking, he picked her up on his side and held her just for a moment. Laughing as if, it was a normal thing to do while he kept walking. Taking her out of the swing, picking her up just for a second and gazing into her eyes had made her feel as if she was as light as a feather. His eyes mesmerized her. Her stomach flipped like the time she rode an elevator for the first time. His touch was never inappropriate. She didn’t feel like he was trying to touch her in a bad way – only in a good way. She was trying to bronze that touch into her memory. His hair was short, but his head was a perfect shape and the short hair looked great on him. His picture was embossed on her heart and seen from the back of her eyes. Taylor was confident. She loved to hear him talk, because he could talk on any subject. She was glad that he liked to talk, because she liked to listen. All she wanted to do was lie on the couch and think about Taylor . . . and she dozed off to sleep like a princess with her diamond earrings in her ears.


Awakening to a singing cell phone made her wonder why she put that song on her phone. She’d just fallen asleep. Couldn’t they have given her a few more minutes? She didn’t even look to see if she could recognize the caller. She just blurted out, “Hello.” It didn’t come out well and she said it again, “Hello” and this time it was better.

“Kathy, this is Taylor. Are you there?”

“Yes, yes … I just dozed off and I heard the phone. I was thinking about you.” She couldn’t believe she’d said that but it was true. “I love my earrings. I’m wearing them. They are beautiful. The nicest gift I’ve ever received. You shouldn’t have spent so much money on me.”
She was trying to make sure that she was saying the right thing.

“I’m glad you like them. I’ve been helping some people that evacuated their homes after the power plant was damaged. They gave us Hazmat suits and a volunteer team of guys have been setting up tents and unloading trucks. We just got back in, with the rest of the day off so I called.” Taylor’s voice seemed distant and not because he was far away but passionless. Her emails from him had been deeply stirring and full of passion.

“That sounds dangerous because of the radiation. Be careful. Did I tell you I love my earrings?”
Kathy was trying to lighten up the conversation because she missed his enthusiastic pursuit of her.

“Have I told you that I love you?” was his reply.

That was what she wanted and needed. “I love you, too,” was her quick reply. “What harbor or port are you in today?” She couldn’t believe that came out of her mouth. She couldn’t believe she’d changed the conversation back to his job. “I’m not thinking. You just told me where you were and what you are doing. I’m still surprised about my earrings and I can’t think straight.”
She tried to cover her pitiful words.

“They are a token of my love and to celebrate my promotion. I wanted to make you happy so I would be happy. I think about you all the time. I spend half of the night thinking of you and our time together last Christmas. You keep me sane in this insane job that I have. You are a hottie in that picture you sent. I love your hair when you put it up too, like last Christmas. I love everything about you. Just the thought of you makes me homesick. I wish I could hold you and kiss you. I miss touching you the most. You are soft and small and lovable. I’ve got to go. This is rough not being with you.” He gave a long pause and waited for Kathy.

“I can’t get enough of you either. Don’t go. Talk to me a little longer,” as she tried to keep him on the phone saying what she wanted to hear.

“A buddy is waiting for me to play some handball. I told him I wouldn’t be long. I’ll email you tonight. I really love you and I miss you. I’ll email you later. Bye,” and Taylor was gone.

Kathy waited until she knew he would not come back with something wonderful to say and she hung up. She didn’t want to put the phone down. Just the sound of his voice warmed her body.
He made her feel comfortable and secure. He made her feel aesthetic sensuality and her thoughts of him were pure but they excited her senses. She remembered his smell, his sound and especially his touch. For just a moment, he was there and she was enveloped in him.

Kathy touched his earrings because they were a piece of him and they brought her back to the couch with the two tea cups and gift bag on the table … and the pleasure of this special day was gone.

Word count – 1860 words